Hoffman Books

This book will please young readers. They get to read a great book and do a fun puzzle at the same time. Each book in the series has a different reading emphasis that helps children as they learn to real. My nephew loves his books.

My children (two boys, ages 4 and 7) have asked me to read this book over and over (the ultimate test of a good book). This is a fun and humorous story and would be a great gift, especially to animal and dollhouse lovers. We're going out today to get the other "Miss Renee's Mice" book - we hope to see more by this author!

'don't want to give away anything from this theory that reads like a good mystery so i'll be brief:
i'm not a shakespeare expert but i found this book thrilling and convincing in the case and narrative it presents supporting a theory of "who shakespeare really was."
i am aware of the more widely accepted (and respected?) theory that shakespeare was the 17th earl of oxford.
nonetheless, mr hoffman gets my vote.

This delightful book invites those who read it to begin a magnificent adventure into Jewish freedom and responsibility.

Dr. Hoffman opens the door for the youthful Bar/Bat Mitzvah (son or daughter of The Covenant) to enter the sacred world of a loving, rich, meaningful, and creative Jewish life. Hoffman challenges the reader to thoughtful introspection and examination of Jewish heart, soul, and identity.

This is not a book for those who need to be spoon fed information. Hoffman's book is a guide for those who are willing to wrestle with angels for the prize of wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

If you want to give a gift that will help The Jewish Spirit to flourish, this is it. This book will be treasured and loved as the years pass by. Its true worth will not be fully known until My Bar/Bat Mitzvah is re-read many years from now as the book is examined by generations of Jewish children yet to be born.

This is the perfect Bar/Bat Mitzvah gift. Giving the gift of Jewish Soul is a very wise choice indeed.

In our times, Grandmas are getting younger and younger--and this book really presents that picture. I hope someone will stock this one soon; it's a terrific representation of my own Mom from my daughter's point of view.

A wry story about an impoverished widow and her daughter, (both peasants in Russia) who outwit a greedy moneylender, this book has nice illustrations, great characters, and excellent dialogue. Adults will find it amusing and interesting--there's a clear repeating theme, but it's different every time and not tiresome at all. It's fun to read aloud, and the pictures are detailed enough for kids too young to read by themselves to enjoy flipping through it again on their own. The little girl and her mother are well-described, and the illustrations give a fascinating glimpse of their lives. It's a nice variation on a common folk tale theme--and done better than most. Kudos to the author and illustrator for making minor characters, like Alexi (the boy who works for the moneylender) and the judge interesting, as well as the heroines. You triumph with the clever mother and daughter when they inevitably win (and it's great that you know they'll win because they're more intelligent). The judge is also a nice touch--this is a book for young children, and the court scene is both unusually realistic for a kid's book and a nice demonstration that justice can often be trusted. Great for kids around 3 or 4-9.

Lawrence Hoffman is a leading scholar and writer in the Reform Jewish movement, though he pays due attention to Orthodox traditions for the historical perspective. He has a series of "My People's...." books which examine the practice and evolution of Jewish ritual and prayer.
His "My People's Haggadah" is published in two volumes and is a detailed commentary on the content of the traditional Haggadah, the book that in various forms (there are thousands of versions) is used to structure the Seder service and meal that Jews participate in during the holiday of Passover. His insights are illuminating, scholarly, and in some cases, provocative, but always worthwhile. My only caveat would be that this is not the casual reader's guide to the Haggadah, nor a simple summary of the Reform observance of Passover. This book requires a certain amount of commitment to study. Highly recommended, if this is your area of interest or curiosity.

Rabbi Hoffman's book, My People's Prayer Book, Vol. 3, is an exquisit addition to any Jewish library. This book, which concentrates on Psukei DiZimra, morning prayers, teaches both the experienced and neophyte person, what these particular prayers mean, their significance in the morning service and why they need to be said. All three of Hoffman's books on prayer have proved a great assett in the classroom and in my personal spiritual aspiration to learn more.

This book was terrific. It is structured with commentaries from various "modern commentators" of the prayer book as structured in most Orthodox and Conservative communities. The commentaries are very factual and span differing customs and observances. I highly recommend this book to anyone working on their understanding of the Jewish prayers and prayer service.

As a former religious school nerd, I have continued to be interested by the organization of the Jewish prayer service; for me and those like me, this series is a dream come true. I find the page organization, reminiscent of a "daf" of Talmud, to be an interesting way to present the multifaceted material. It's a reference that I go back to all the time, or at times simply page through for little nuggets of information.