A USA Today Bestseller
Featured in the Washington Post

Zibby Owens has done the literary world a great service, collecting important views at a critical moment in history. As she says, this is not a time to lower your voice. Kudos to her and all the authors here for sharing valuable insight, emotion, and perspective on the often misunderstood Jewish experience.
-Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays With Morrie

An intimate and hopeful collection of meaningful, smart, funny, sad, emotional, and inspiring essays from today's authors and advocates about what it means to be Jewish, how life has changed since the attacks on October 7th, 2023, and the unique culture that brings this group together.

On October 7th, 2023, Jews in Israel were attacked in the largest pogrom since the Holocaust. It was a day felt by Jews everywhere who came together to process and speak out in ways some never had before. In this collection, 75 contributors speak to Jewish joy, celebration, laughter, food, trauma, loss, love, and family, and the common threads that course through the Jewish people: resilience and humor. Contributors include Mark Feuerstein, Jill Zarin, Steve Leder, Joanna Rakoff, Amy Ephron, Lisa Barr, Annabelle Gurwitch, Daphne Merkin, Bradley Tusk, Sharon Brous, Jenny Mollen, Nicola Kraus, Caroline Leavitt, and many others. On Being Jewish Now is edited by Zibby Owens, bestselling author, podcaster, bookstore owner, and CEO of Zibby Media.

All profits will be donated to Artists Against Antisemitism.

Contributors:
Abby Stern
Ali Rosen
Alison Hammer
Alison Rose Greenberg
Alix Strauss
Aliza Licht
Alli Frank
Alyssa Rosenheck
Amy Blumenfeld
Amy Ephron
Amy Klein
Anna Ephron Harari
Annabelle Gurwitch
Barri Leiner Grant
Bess Kalb
Beth Ricanati
Bradley Tusk
Brenda Janowitz
Cara Mentzel
Caroline Leavitt
Corie Adjmi
Courtney Sheinmel
Danny Grossman
Daphne Merkin
Dara Kurtz
Dara Levan
David K. Israel
David Christopher Kaufman
Debbie Reed Fischer
Diana Fersko
Eleanor Reissa
Elizabeth Cohen Hausman
Elizabeth L. Silver
Elyssa Friedland
Emily Tisch Sussman
Harper Kincaid
Heidi Shertok
Ilana Kurshan
Jacqueline Friedland
Jamie Brenner
Jane L. Rosen
Jeanne Blasberg
Jennifer S. Brown
Jenny Mollen
Jeremy Garelick
Jill Zarin
Joanna Rakoff
Jonathan Santlofer
Judy Batalion
Julia DeVillers
Keren Blankfeld
Lihi Lapid
Lisa Barr
Lisa Kogan
Lynda Cohen Loigman
Mark Feuerstein
Nicola Kraus
Noa Yedlin
Rebecca Keren Jablonski
Rachel Barenbaum
Rachel Levy Lesser
Rachelle Unreich
Rebecca Minkoff
Rebecca Raphael
Renee Rosen
Rochelle B. Weinstein
Samantha Ettus
Samantha Greene Woodruff
Sharon Brous
Shirin Yadegar
Stacy Igel
Steve Leder
Talia Carner
Toby Rose
Zibby Owens

Senator Joe Lieberman shows how ceasing all activity for a weekly Sabbath observance has profound benefit--including health, relationships, and even career advancement--for people of all religions.

Our bodies and souls were created to rest--regularly--and when they do, we experience heightened productivity, improved health, and more meaningful relationships.

In these pages you'll find wonderful stories of the senator's spiritual journey, as well as special Sabbath experiences with political colleagues such as Bill Clinton, Al and Tipper Gore, John McCain, Colin Powell, George W. Bush, Bob Dole, and others. Senator Joe Lieberman shows how his observance of the Sabbath has not only enriched his personal and spiritual life but enhanced his career and enabled him to serve his country to his greatest capacity.

Elegant, passionate, and filled with the love of God's creation, Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath has been hailed as a classic of Jewish spirituality ever since its original publication-and has been read by thousands of people seeking meaning in modern life.

In this brief yet profound meditation on the meaning of the Seventh Day, Heschel introduced the idea of an architecture of holiness that appears not in space but in time Judaism, he argues, is a religion of time: it finds meaning not in space and the material things that fill it but in time and the eternity that imbues it, so that the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals.

Featuring black-and-white illustrations by Ilya Schor

Since October 7th, Israeli women of faith have reached out to God from the depths of their experiences. In both English and Hebrew side-by-side, Az Nashir - We Will Sing Again: Women's Prayers for Our Time of Need is an anthology of the artistic expression of Torah scholars, teachers, spiritual leaders, activists, poets, writers, and masters of creativity, who found the language and visual medium to express their heartfelt responses to life in Israel at this tenuous and challenging time. This collection of prayers: tefillot, techinot, and piyutim joins a long tradition of Jewish women dialoguing with the Divine about their immediate experiences, in their mother tongues, as they seek hope and redemption for themselves and the people of Israel.

Including prayers:

On the challenges of Shabbat during wartime

On the experiences of families of soldiers during the war

On losing a child or spouse in battle

For the hostages to return home

On rebuilding and protecting the borders of Israel

On finding the words to pray when God seems distant or hidden

For personal needs, women's mitzvot, and motherhood in a time of national crisis

For peace, redemption, and an end to terror and war

With its easy-to-follow format and glorious full-color illustrations this is the ideal choice for a home seder attended by many children or a congregational model seder. In just 40 pages, Family Haggadah presents all the key elements of the seder in a child-friendly way that will charm everyone at the table.

Special features include:

• Vibrant images of ancient and contemporary artifacts and illuminated Haggadot
• Photographs of modern children celebrating Passover
• Sidebars that provide enlightening commentary and thoughtful discussion questions
• New traditions and innovations, including Miriam's Cup
• Suggested techniques for involving young children in the service
• Popular children's Passover songs

Conduct a proper seder, enjoy group discussion and learning opportunities, and keep the children engaged - all in just 45 minutes!

Passover Haggadah: A New English Translation and Instructions for the Seder, New Revised Edition It includes the full text and translation, plus instructions, notes and an introduction. Convenient and ideal for groups.

Authentic, modern, and beautiful Haggadah in a compact size.

This concise haggadah contains all the essential elements for a short yet full complete seder. Its trim size (just 5 x 6 1/2 inches), straightforward, clear text, and bright art will capture the attention of all your seder guests and spark lively conversation

Perfect for:

• Adults who want a complete seder that is straightforward and reasonably short
• Experienced seder participants as well as first-timers
• Experienced seder leaders as well as those hosting for the first time
• Families with older children
• Hosts who want a beautiful addition to the seder table

Includes:

• Blessings, texts and leader instructions for a 30-45 minute seder
• Blessings in Hebrew, Hebrew transliteration, and English translation
• Seder-planning checklist
• Vibrant collage art by Deborah Gross Zuchman
• Readings about social justice, freedom, and history
• Words to popular seder songs

Named one of the best haggadahs of all time by the Forward's Jay Michaelson.

Welcome to a new kind of seder. Celebrate Passover with traditional seder texts as well as poems, readings, and stories that acknowledge, value, and include the diverse backgrounds of seder participants today.

Evoke the universal message of freedom, inspired by writers and thinkers from around the world.
Find new meaning in the Passover story, whether this seder is your first or your one hundred and first.

Perfect for:

• Guests from a variety of backgrounds and experiences
• Multi-cultural, interfaith, and unaffiliated families
• First-time seder guests

Includes:

• All the instructions and readings for a seder of up to 60 minutes
• Prayers and blessings in English, Hebrew, and Hebrew transliteration
• Unusual additions to the seder plate to lift up those often marginalized
• Clear instructions for leaders
• Vibrant, inspirational artwork by a leading Israeli artist
• Multicultural connections throughout the texts, including relevant blessings and rituals from other cultures
• Reflective passages by a variety of contributors from diverse backgrounds
• Miriam's Cup and Ruth's Cup (to signify a welcome to Jews by Choice) included in addition to Elijah's Cup
• Seder Songs: Dayeinu, Adir Hu, Orah Hi, Echad Mi Yodei'a (Who knows One), Chad Gadya (One Little Goat), Let My People Go
• Seder Recipes: Roasted Peanut Charoset, Italian Charoset, Make your own matzah

For as long as Judaism been a religion, Jewish has been a culture--one whose unique blend of ritual and realism has kept its people going for some 3,000 years. In The Jewish Way to a Good Life, Rabbi Shira Stutman invites readers of every faith--and none--to do chesed (good work), foster tzedek (justice), practice shabbat (rest), and ultimately find happiness.

From Love and Sex to Mourning and Money, Rabbi Shira visits ten realms where we all get lost on occasion, to deliver spirited, sometimes surprising wisdom. On love: Sex is meant to be fun and liberating. On rest: Time is even more sacred than things. Again and again, she reveals how customs have survived not out of obligation, but because they meet our deepest needs--from shiva, which allows mourning families not to be OK, to the unbridled joy of dancing the hora at weddings.

For anyone seeking community, meaning, or simply something more, The Jewish Way to a Good Life offers practical, time-tested ways to enrich our daily routines and engage those around us. By looking in and reaching out, we can all help tikkun olam--heal the world.

• Why do Jews eat gefilte fish?

• Why is a glass broken at the end of a Jewish wedding ceremony?

• Why must the chapter of curses in the Torah be read quickly in a low voice?

• Why are shrimp and lobster not kosher?

• Why do Jews fast on Yom Kippur?

• Why are some Matzot square while others are round?
  

If you've ever asked or been asked any of these questions, The Jewish Book of Why has all the answers. In this complete, concise, fascinating, and thoroughly informative guide to Jewish life and tradition, Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch clearly explains both the significance and the origin of nearly every symbol, custom, and practice known to Jewish culture-from Afikomon to Yarmulkes, and from Passover to Purim. Kolatch also dispels many of the prevalent misconceptions and misunderstandings that surround Jewish observance and provides a full and unfettered look at the biblical, historical, and sometimes superstitious reasons and rituals that helped develop Jewish law and custom and make Judaism not just a religion, but a way of life. L'chaim

Siddur HaKohanot: A Hebrew Priestess Prayerbook is a Jewish prayerbook with a myriad of possibilities for connecting with the Source of Life. In Siddur HaKohanot, find creative and traditional Jewish rituals and prayers that explore an earth-honoring, feminine-honoring spirituality with deep roots in Jewish tradition. Siddur HaKohanot includes morning, afternoon, and evening services for weekdays, Shabbat and holidays that balance traditional liturgy and creative language and readings.

Siddur HaKohanot primarily uses feminine-gendered Hebrew God-language, and also includes non-binary and masculine language. Names for Goddess/Goddexx/God change throughout the siddur as the prayers unfold. This reflections devotion to the Shechinah in Her many guises, and a commitment to the paths through which She is embodied. The siddur also reflects a deep spiritual connection to the four elements / four worlds of Jewish tradition. Siddur HaKohanot is created for people of all genders who wish to honor the Divine feminine.

A rock-and-roll infused Haggadah that brings the intertwined history of Judaism and music to your Seder table.

Passover is one of the most celebrated Jewish holidays. Families all over the world gather around the dining table to recite the story of the Exodus from Egypt, honor the freedom of the Jewish people, and look toward the future. The Rock 'N' Roll Haggadah shares the traditional biblical stories and rituals of a standard Haggadah, but it also includes a rich tapestry of anecdotes that speak to the influence of Judaism on artists and their music, and its culinary, historical, and anthropological impact.

Throughout the book, which features English, Hebrew, and transliterations, you'll find vibrant illustrations and little-known rock and roll references that lightheartedly tie into the narratives of the Ten Plagues, Forty Years in the Desert, Elijah's Cup, and more. It also includes fun DIY projects such as making a rock-and-roll Egyptian centerpiece and a record album Seder plate, as well as suggestions for a Passover playlist that will enhance any Seder.

Whether you're hosting or attending a Seder, the book's wide range of musicians and songs will spark conversations among all generations at the table and provide a fantastic soundtrack for any Passover celebration.

The inimitable, classic guide to the ageless heritage of Judaism, from Rabbi Hayim H. Donin, an incomparable teacher and interpreter of Jewish laws and practice.

Embraced over many decades by hundreds of thousands of readers, To Be a Jew offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to traditional Jewish laws and customs as they apply to daily life in the contemporary world. In simple and powerful language, Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin presents the fundamentals of Judaism, including the laws and observances for the Sabbath, the dietary laws, family life, prayer at home and in the synagogue, the major and minor holidays, and the guiding principles and observances of life, such as birth, naming, circumcision, adoption and conversion, Bar-mitzvah, marriage, divorce, death, and mourning.

Ideal for reference, reflection, and inspiration, To Be a Jew will by greatly valued by anyone who feels that knowing, understanding, and observing the laws and traditions of Judaism in daily life is the essence of what it means to be a Jew.

This beautiful compilation contains contemplative readings and prayers for many different moments of spiritual need, including illness, surgery, treatment, chronic illness, hearing good news, transitions, addiction, infertility, end-of-life, and more.

A renowned political speechwriter rediscovers Judaism, finding timeless wisdom and spiritual connection in its age-old practices and traditions.

Sarah Hurwitz was Michelle Obama's head speechwriter, and with this book she becomes Judaism's speechwriter.--Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and co-author of Option B

After a decade as a political speechwriter--serving as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama, and chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton on her 2008 presidential campaign--Sarah Hurwitz decided to apply her skills as a communicator to writing a book . . . about Judaism. And no one is more surprised than she is.

Hurwitz was the quintessential lapsed Jew--until, at age thirty-six, after a tough breakup, she happened upon an advertisement for an introductory class on Judaism. She attended on a whim, but was blown away by what she found: beautiful rituals, helpful guidance on living an ethical life, conceptions of God beyond the judgy bearded man in the sky--none of which she had learned in Hebrew school or during the two synagogue services she grudgingly attended each year. That class led to a years-long journey during which Hurwitz visited the offices of rabbis, attended Jewish meditation retreats, sat at the Shabbat tables of Orthodox families, and read hundreds of books about Judaism--all in dogged pursuit of answers to her biggest questions. What she found transformed her life, and she wondered: How could there be such a gap between the richness of what Judaism offers and the way so many Jews like her understand and experience it?

Sarah Hurwitz is on a mission to close this gap by sharing the profound insights she discovered on everything from Jewish holidays, ethics, and prayer to Jewish conceptions of God, death, and social justice. In this entertaining and accessible book, she shows us why Judaism matters and how its message is more relevant than ever, and she inspires Jews to do the learning, questioning, and debating required to make this religion their own.

Searching for meaning in the ancient scripture and traditions of Judaism, Sarah Hurwitz takes us along on an enriching journey of discovery. In Here All Along, she explores her birthright as a Jew and finds timeless and valuable life lessons.--David Axelrod, director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and former senior advisor to President Barack Obama

With this Passover Haggadah, Elie Wiesel and his friend Mark Podwal invite you to join them for the Passover Seder -- the most festive event of the Jewish calendar. Read each year at the Seder table, the Haggadah recounts the miraculous tale of the liberation of the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, with a celebration of prayer, ritual, and song. Wiesel and Podwal guide you through the Haggadah and share their understanding and faith in a special illustrated edition that will be treasured for years to come.
Accompanying the traditional Haggadah text (which appears here in an accessible new translation) are Elie Wiesel's poetic interpretations, reminiscences, and instructive retellings of ancient legends. The Nobel laureate interweaves past and present as the symbolism of the Seder is explored. Wiesel's commentaries may be read aloud in their entirety or selected passages may be read each year to illuminate the timeless message of this beloved book of redemption.
This volume is enhanced by more than fifty original drawings by Mark Podwal, the artist whom Cynthia Ozick has called a genius of metaphor through line. Podwal's work not only complements the traditional Haggadah text, as well as Wiesel's poetic voice, but also serves as commentary unto itself. The drawings, with their fresh juxtapositions of insight and revelation, are an innovative contribution to the long tradition of Haggadah illustration.

A New York Times Bestseller

A leading public intellectual's timely reckoning with how Jews can and should make sense of their tradition and each other.

What does it mean to be a Jew? At a time of worldwide crisis, venerable answers to this question have become unsettled. In To Be a Jew Today, the legal scholar and columnist Noah Feldman draws on a lifelong engagement with his religion to offer a wide-ranging interpretation of Judaism in its current varieties. How do Jews today understand their relationship to God, to Israel, and to each other--and live their lives accordingly?

Writing sympathetically but incisively about diverse outlooks, Feldman clarifies what's at stake in the choice of how to be a Jew, and discusses the shared theology of struggle that Jews engage in as they wrestle with who God is, what God wants, or whether God exists. He shows how the founding of Israel has transformed Judaism itself over the last century--and explores the ongoing consequences of that transformation for all Jews, who find the meaning of their Jewishness and their views about Israel intertwined, no matter what those views are. And he examines the analogies between being Jewish and belonging to a large, messy family--a family that often makes its members crazy, but a family all the same. Written with learning, empathy and clarity, To Be a Jew Today is a critical resource for readers of all faiths.

Families looking for a new take on celebrating the Passover seder will be delighted by this Haggadah... --Association of Jewish Libraries

In The Heroes Haggadah: Lead the Way to Freedom, the traditional texts and songs of a 30-45 minute Passover Seder are paired with profiles of 46 influential and diverse Jewish people in fields ranging from pop culture to science, art, and political activism, whose biographies add to the heroic and enduring story of freedom that began with the ancient Exodus.

More than any other Jewish book, the traditional haggadah is continually renewed and rewritten. In this haggadah, each traditional section is also connected to a particular theme, such as commitment, sustainability, hope, activism, perseverance, gratitude, and rejuvenation. Each theme is reflected in the profile of a modern hero as well as in quotes and interpretive English translations of traditional Hebrew blessings, capturing how human heroes partner with God to better our world.

Profiles include: Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Israeli activist Anat Hoffman, one of the founders of Women of the Wall; Polish resistance fighter Tuvia Bielsk; Regina Jonas, first woman to be ordained as a rabbi; Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, first Asian American Cantor and Rabbi: Helen Suzman, for years the sole member of the South African Parliament to stand against apartheid; Eliezar Ben-Yehuda, champion of the rebirth of Hebrew as a spoke language; Pnina Tamano-Shata, first Ethiopian-born woman to serve in Israel's Knesset; Gershom Sizomu, the first native-born Black rabbi of the Abayudaya community in Uganda; Black Jewish rapper Daveed Diggs, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Short biographies of all those profiled are included in an index at the back of the haggadah. Space among the profiles is reserved for participants to include a hero from their own family or community.

The haggadah is welcoming of participants from any background and presents all prayers and blessings in Hebrew, transliteration, and English translation. Songs included are Dayeinu, Eliahu Hanavi, Echad Mi Yodea (Who Knows One), Chad Gadya, and Adir Hu, all presented in English, Hebrew, and transliterated Hebrew. A seder planning guide is provided, along with seven recipes, including a Ugandan Charoset from the Sizomu family, a West African Brisket and a Caribbean Compote, both from cookbook author Michael Twitty, and Groucho Marks' Matzah Balls.

The idea that it's possible to move from slavery to freedom and from darkness to light and from despair to hope--that is the greatest Jewish story ever told. --SHARON BROUS, FOUNDING RABBI OF IKAR (from The Heroes Haggadah)

Opening up multidimensional ideas, values, and practices of Humanistic Judaism to Jews of all backgrounds and beliefs, Contemporary Humanistic Judaism collects the movement's most important texts for the first time and answers the oft-raised question, How can you be Jewish and celebrate Judaism if you don't believe in God? with new vision.

Part 1 (Beliefs and Ethics) examines core positive beliefs--in human agency, social progress, ethics without supernatural authority, sources of natural transcendence, and Humanistic Jews' own authority to remake their traditional Jewish inheritance on their own terms beyond God. Part 2 (Identity) discusses how Humanistic Judaism empowers individuals to self-define as Jews, respects people's decisions to marry whom they love, and navigates the Israel-Diaspora relationship. Part 3 (Culture) describes how the many worlds of Jewish cultural experience--art, music, food, language, heirlooms--ground Jewishness and enable endless exploration. Part 4 (Jewish Life) applies humanist philosophy to lived Jewish experience: reimagined creative education (where students choose passages meaningful to them for their bar, bat, or b mitzvah [gender-neutral] celebrations), liturgy, life cycle, and holiday celebrations (where Hanukkah emphasizes the religious freedom to believe as one chooses).

Jewish seekers, educators, and scholars alike will come to appreciate the unique ideologies and lived expressions of Humanistic Judaism.