Yom Kippur Books

Since I cannot say enough about Adjusting Sights, I will say very little.
From a literary, historical and religious perspective the author Rabbi Haim Sabato "Nails it:".
After reading this book as part of a course given by Rabbi Bruce Ginsburg, I couldn't help but give at least 2 dozen copies to friends.
And...I rushed to buy and to read Rabbi Sabato's other books.
My advise to one and all. Read it. Buy it.
Herschel Sennett

Although a bit repetitious at times, this is a work of passion. Young men, ripped from their studies, seek to wend their way through the chaos of war started on their holiest Day of Atonement. They must try to make sense of an illogical and frightening situation while safeguarding their physical and spiritual lives. It is a quick and worthwhile read, no matter what your beliefs, since it easy to sympathize with the characters.

This book is written with obvious love and passion. However, I was not able to become involved with the characters or get into the flow of the narration.

The story relies heavily on religious imagery and commentary. I have a hunch that deeply religious people with scholarly interests, especially religious Jews, will find the story very appealing. The main character cares deeply about his faith, and the war experiences are obviously an important test of that faith. I simply am not familiar enough with the sources and imagery to make the story come to life for me. I found myself stopping to try to figure out the connections instead of enjoying the story. In short, I found a story with a narrow and well-defined target audience, but that target audience simply was not me.

Besides personal reading pleasure, my other goal was to find a fictional work for an American audience. I teach a class on Middle East cultures to students with little or no background in the Middle East. Unfortunately, my students need a broader and more accessible introduction to Israeli fiction. I reluctantly leave this book to readers who are better able to appreciate its complexity and passion.

This is a book about the Yom Kippur War. It tells the story of one young religious soldier .It describes beautifully his neighborhood home synagogue .And it tells of his experience in battle, and the confusion and difficulty of this. It is also the story of a friendship and of the hero's search to find his longtime friend who it turns out has fallen in battle. It is a very moving work. And the religiousness of the main character is not imposed or extraneous but rather so within that religious discussions in the book read naturally and meaningfully. The disorentiation and suffering caused by war are described here in a muted and yet most deeply felt way. A wonderful book on a sad and painful reality.

I picked this book up in the Tel Aviv airport and read it from cover to cover on the plane ride back to New York. The author presents a personal, gripping account of tank warfare on the Golan in the 1973 Yom Kippur War suffused with spiritual and philosophical radiance. Very spiritual, very deep...a wonderful extraordinary and transforming read.

A Touch of the High Holidays is a novelty board book. It includes all the Jewish holidays that occur in the month of Tishri, from Rosh Hashanah to Simchat Torah. Two page spreads describe several aspects of each holiday before settling on one that is reinforced by something to touch. Feel the many textures of our holidays - the stickiness of honey, the smoothness of a machzor cover, the bumpiness of an esrog, and the velvety softness of a Torah cover. Best of all, children will see themselves in a sukkah. Definitely a hands-on winner.

What a wonderful way to introduce kids to this special time of year! The various sensations just makes everthing come to life!

The colorful artwork of Seva wonderfully enhances a charming and simple board-book text by Devorah Glazer that serves to introduce preschool children to Judaism's holiday observances and festivals including Tishrei, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah. Each page also features a tactile enhancement that will delight young pre-readers. A Touch Of The High Holidays is enthusiastically recommended for family, preschool, kindergarten, and day care board-book collections.

Celebrating the Jewish Year: The Fall Holidays tells the story behind three fall holidays celebrated in the Jewish tradition: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Written in plain terms and accessible to readers of all backgrounds, chapters cover the origins of these holidays, modern perspectives upon their significance, interpretations of sacred texts, alternative meditations, and much more. Endnotes, a glossary, and an index round out this superb introduction especially recommended for anyone seeking to enrich their personal understanding before attending a Jewish holiday celebration.

I ordered this book before the Jewish high holidays and was very glad to have it with me during services and at home throughout the Jewish holiday season. Each of the holidays discussed in the book (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot) has a very interesting section explaining not only customs of celebrating the holiday, but the rationales behind the customs. There is a lot in these pages that would appeal to a well-educated Jew, but I think it would also provide a great introduction to someone who is not Jewish or less familiar with the holidays.

To me, though, what is distinctly best about this book is the excellent anthology of readings. The readings are divided into categories that include the sources of the holidays and customs (with introductions and/or commentaries to help clarify the source), interpretations of Jewish holiday texts (with a very thoughtful "make it personal" reflection after each text), plus a hugely meaningful and unique section of modern-day "meditations" of essays, poems, and other writings by the author and a wide selection of well-known, contemporary Jewish thinkers.

I think this was an excellent addition to my library, and I know that anyone else who might pick it up from my bookshelf will also find many spiritually elevating and intellectually stimulating thoughts pouring out of it. There is a lot of wonderful material packed into this volume, and I'm looking forward to reading the other volumes when their holidays come around this year--not to mention exploring more of the readings from this book next year.

The United Nations didn't start out with good intentions and go wrong along the way. This is a gripping, well documented, easy to read description of how influential Americans were involved in creating the UN and have been consistantly undermining and chipping away at US sovereignty. You cannot be a patriotic American and a UN supporter. Read this book. Learn.

As we approach the 21st Century (which begins in 2001) there is no question more important to our nation than whether it will survive as a sovereign republic or be subjected to the status of just one more "member state" of a One World Government. Our sovereignty cannot be taken as long as we have a free and powerful military defense. That's why certain traitors have been working for years to (1) reduce our military strength, and (2) give what's left away to the United Nations.

REAL AMERICANS DON'T WEAR U.N. BLUE!

Well just as the Rosh haShanah Machzor changed my perspective on the prayer service, so too the Yom Kippur Machzor has changed the way I daven forever. The Translation is lucid, the layout clear, and logical and a pleasure to use. The extended vidui is at the back, which can be a bit difficult to wield, but is not overly cumbersome that it was detrimental to the prayers. The commmentary there and layout was detailed, but it is more useful to study the whole thing well in advance, and then during the prayer to simply glance at the english, where necessary.

Everything about this machzor has been thought out and carefully set out. I found the additional piyutim that most batei knesset (synagogues) to be in smaller print, or additions in the back of the book. The commentary and introduction are works of art and inspiration, and always make the use of the machzor meaningful. Whereever I pray, be it in Israel or outside Israel, it is a machzor I always keep close.

The new interlinear translation of this book has made the prayer service even more inspiring, yet, the original is still useful in its flowing translation and clear laws and directions, and superior introduction.

Artscroll has also released a Hebrew version of this masterpiece in nusach sefard.

The Machzor provides an overview of the meaning of the day, and valuable notes on the meaning of the various prayers. I have made use of it for many years and find it highly valuable.

What an absolutely wonderful book. It is appropriate not only for the holiday of Yom Kippur, but for every day of the year. It transcends religious beliefs, it helps children understand what to do when mistakes are made and reminds parents about forgiveness and how to nurture. Both my husband and I love the story! I just purchased the Noah and Channukah adventures as well. Our child is 5 and frequently asks to read this book.

This book was read during services last week at my mother's synagogue. I immediately asked the rabbi for information, so that I could order my own copy. I know that my daughter will use it when teaching at our religious school, and the book will eventually be given to our children's day school. The story is charming and, while it will captivate little ones, is told well enough to be of interest to those who read it aloud to their children.

I just read this to my grandson, who is four, and he absolutely loved it. He made me read it two more times and made me promise to read it again next time I came for a visit. Wonderful story, lovely artwork.

Sadie Rose Weilerstein, born in 1894, was a leading author of Jewish children's stories for more than 50 years. She introduced the tiny character named K'tonton in the September 1930 issue of Outlook magazine.

Isaac Samuel ben Baruch Reuben--whose first name meant laughter--was a late-born miracle. His mother had wanted a child so badly that in her Sukkot prayers, she promised to love even a child "no bigger than a thumb." Sure enough, before a year had passed, she gave birth to a son. And sure enough, he was no bigger than her thumb. She blanketed him in the flax she had used to wrap an etrog--the Israeli citrus fruit used to celebrate Sukkot--and cradled him in a hand-carved etrog box.

This story probably appeared in the first Weilerstein K'tonton collection, The Adventures of K'tonton (1935). It reappeared in The Best of K'tonton, a 1980 compendium of 16 stories from three books.

K'tonton was in the kitchen when a kitten appeared at the door. He asked his mother to give it some milk. At first, she refused, since feeding the kitten would encourage it to come back every day. But she fed it, and it came back a second day. On the third day, K'tonton's mother was preparing taiglach (honey pastries) and set a cup of honey at the edge of the table to fetch the kitten's milk. Then she went to answer the phone.

Just then, K'tonton saw a stream of honey running down the side of the cup, and licked it off. There was more honey on the rim. K'tonton leaned forward to reach it and sent the cup crashing to the floor. His mother asked if K'tonton had done this. He didn't answer. She blamed the kitten, and he did not correct her.

The lesson is very simple and traditional for Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. "For sins against God, God can forgive. For sins against another person, only the person wronged can forgive." But it's told in a way that small children can understand.

How K'tonton achieves atonement is what makes this story special. Alyssa A. Lappen

A child tells of going to Kol Nidre service for the first time with his grandfather, who speaks of the ancient prayer's magic.
This most solemn prayer of the year is sung three times--asking forgiveness for promises made to God which could not be kept during the preceeding year.

Years later, the child holds his own infant as Kol Nidre is sung, dusting her nose with his Tzistit, the fringe of his prayer shawl, and still failing to grasp the meaning of the magic his grandfather told of.

Still later, an old man himself, with a 6-year-old grandson at his side, the magic finally comes into full focus: It is the people, who come to Kol Nidre, knowing and not knowing the significance of this mystical prayer. He can now explain the magic it has taken an entire lifetime for him to comprehend.

But there is more to the secret. If you want to know, buy this book, and share the magic with your children. It will make you cry tears of joy. Alyssa A. Lappen

I teach a Judaic class for fourth graders. This book explained the meaning of Kol Nidre in a serious albeit touching story. A very good book.

What a great book - even if you aren't sure what kind of Jew you are. Definitly a must for everyone. Apisdorf reveals incredible sensitivity and insight. Amazon.com asks that I limit my words to 1,000, but frankly 35,000 would still not adequalty describe just how strongly I feel about this book.

This book is a good general guide to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I especially liked (1) Apisdorf's ability to draw a distinction between the two holidays and what you should get from them: Rosh Hashanah as the forest (i.e. a general overview of life and Jewish theology), Yom Kippur as the trees (i.e. a detailed accounting of one's sins); (2) his brief guide to the prayers for each holiday. One minor quibble: his concept of what exactly we have to repent for. He talks about the sort of sins one either commits or abandons completely, but the sort of minor social sins that most non-criminal people commit most often (e.g. gossip) may be more amenable to gradual, marginal improvement. If you liked this book, I would recommend a couple of others as follow-ups: (1) The Rosh Hashanah Anthology by Phillip Goodman (an older book, probably more accessible in libraries than in bookstores), (2) the Book of Jewish Values by Joseph Telushkin (for those of you who have difficulty remembering our sins over the past year).

Author Simon Dunston has written a superb historical account of the the Arab -Israeli war of 1973. Better known as "The yom kippur war", this 225 page book leaves no stone unturned. On October 6th 1973, during the holiest of Jewish holiday's, Egypt and Syria launched a two front surprise attack on the nation of Israel. Wanting to regain land that were lost during the six day war of 1967, the two Arab nations caught the nation of Israel off guard and ill prepared to fight a major two front war. The Egyptians had crossed the Suez Canal and Syria launched a fierce attack on the Golan Heights, causing Israel to fight for its survival as a nation. The Gov't of Golda Meir, new of an Arab build up of soldiers and divisions of Arab tanks along its borders, but chose to ignore it and not launch a pre-emptive strike, for fear that the world would view the Israelies as aggressors if they carried out such an attack. This was a huge military blunder, and the fact that they did not mobilize their defense forces and reserves to full alert was nothing short of military negligence. This became the Israeli Pearl Harbor that proved to have a lasting effect on that nation to this day. The nation of Israel became dependent on American airlift power to deliver supplies and weaponry during the first phase of the Arab offensive. The state of Israel, even considered the use of nuclear weapons if the situation had gotten to the point that Israel would lose her nation. The Euphoric Arab armies of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat and Syrian president Hafez Assad underestimated the IDF's[Israeli Defense Force] resolve, and paid heavily in loss of life and military hardware during the second half of the war as the Israeli's did during the first weeks of the war. Col Dani Matt led the Israeli Army across the Suez Canal on the night of Oct 15th, and changed the course of the war. A modern day version of George Washington crossing the Delaware river. General Ariel Sharon, a George Patton type of general, made the Arabs pay dearly, as the Israelies pushed the Syrians out of Israel and marched to Damascus tearing up the Syrian enemy every step of the way. On Oct 14th, Egypt launched a major offensive in the Sinai desert, and engaged the Israeli army to inflict more bloodshed, but in the biggest tank battle since ww-2 in kursk 1943, the IDF destroyed 260 Egyptian tanks to just 20 Israeli tanks. The Israeli Airforce overwhelmingly took control of the skies, as Israeli pilots scored one victory after another against Russian, Pakastani and North Korean pilots who were known to be flying jets for the Arabs. Although the IDF won this war, it came with a huge price. Loss of life and the notion of Israeli invincibility was shredded. This book is well layed out on heavy glossy paper with lots of diagrams, maps and hundreds of rare photo's from the battle front. Also many interesting facts are presented throughout the book, for example, the IDF was so desperate for survival, that they put back into service some 350 ww-2 era Sherman Tanks modified with a 105mm main gun. The tank proved to still be a formidable weapon, as the Sherman destroyed Russian T54/55 tanks in the sinai some 30 plus years after they made their debut for the allies in ww-2. It was the final war that the Sherman would engage in, and for the state of Israel, she performed heroically one more time. The war had some positive effects on the region, as Egypt and Israel have found a lasting peace. This book should be part of any good military library and is a must for any student interested in the history of the middle east. I give this book my highest recommendation and it already has a permanent place on my bookshelf.

I don't often buy a newer edition of a book I already own, but there are reasons to do so in this case. The production quality is excellent (paper, binding, layout, etc.), well selected new photo content that adds to a greater understanding of the battle, and Simon Dunstan is worth supporting. He's excellent, and tackles the subjects so many others won't touch. Go Simon.