The father of Hassidism the saintly Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov along with his foremost student Rabbi Dovber of Mezhirech present in this book, a clear concise manual containing basic guidelines for the service of The Divine.

Discussions of prayer and communion with G-d and how to reach greater levels in these areas and the steps to take in order to deal with the many disturbances and obstacles preventing their attainment are frequent in the text. The book also portrays a deep and penetrating understanding of the human condition in respect to its draw towards evil and provides practical advice through which it may be overcome and channeled for more productive and positive living . Being rendered in non-sophisticated terms makes this book very readable. Annotated by a foremost Torah scholar and Professor of Philosophy Rabbi Jacob Immanuael Schochet makes comprehension of the material richer and more simple for the average reader. The importance of such an accurate guide to the fulfillment of G-d's will is beyond measure. And thus every Synagogue, Jewish Library and Jewish home will benefit greatly from this masterpiece of Jewish literature.

When encountering/appraising other cultures we often find a confusion of concept,a hit or miss situation,a steady stream of befuddled provincial generalizations, misinformation,or none,no information at all.
For the realm of politics it's clear,certain powers control that,those threads and conduits of information,shape it, fashion it however and whatever they want to suit particular political necessities.
In speaking of culture however I'd suspect the channels would be relatively more forthcoming,more open, talismanic,not quite as taciturn as more sensitive information, as the various unending conflagrations occuring in the Middle East.

Robert Fleisher under generous grants spent time in Israel,interviewing composers who represent different generations,from the pioneers,'halutzim' to the sabras to emigres,to those born out of war and independence to those after,with the relative stability after Oslo.
There are great histories revealed here as Haim Alexander and his time spent in Berlin. He indentifies the formative powerful figure of Stefan Wolpe, a student of Anton Webern who was the first to introduce the dodecaphonic language into Israel. What is clear when reading these 20 interviews are the unending search for identity and a functional musical language. Paul Ben-Haim is, has been an influential figure of the "Mediterranean School" in Israel,a relatively facile tonal language with the influx of differing folk and melodic utilizations.Yet there is ever bit a set of creative problematics with tonality as dodecaphonic musical language.This tonality had dominated the musical language of creators in the Thirties and Forties,prior to the War of Independence.
What is clear as revealed in yet another fascinating interview of Ami Maayani,is that Israeli composers all bloom and develop late,in that their military service interrupts creativity. So it is well not until one is close to 30 years of age,where anything like a career in writing music is even considered. Maayani offers a wealth of advice,that a musician, as himself, is, was not ready, mature enough to write music. That composition should come at the end of one's musical life. Many of today's composers, he goes on to say, only want to be recognized as a composer, not knowing anything of the creative lifeworld,hardly knowing the tools,techniques,and history of the achievements of modernity for instance.
We find that musical education as well does not take place entirely within Israeli institutions, as Betty Olivero,who had lived in the United States for a time, and later also spending time studying composition with Luciano Berio, by invitation.She has been a great inspiration of pursuing the modernist language, that of extended instrumental techniques,fusing it sometimes with her native folk heritage imagery.
There also seems to be an above-ground compositional railroad that leads to the University of Pennsylvania. Where composer/creators as Yinam Leef come to study with dodecaphonist Richard Wernick and or timbralist/miniaturist George Crumb.
There are wonderful excerpts of works given as well, as Tzvi Avni's "Piano Sonata #2",or Arik Shapira's "Missa Viva",and a healthy bibliography and a handsome list of relative works for each of the 20 composers. This I also found quite useful, For instance I didn't know that the young composer Oded Zehavi wrote an "Israeli War Requiem".

Understanding Biblical Israel: A Reexamination Of The Origins Of Monotheism by Hebrew scholar and scripture expert Stanley Ned Rosenbaum is a scholarly assessment of Israel's religious evolution which emerged from polytheistic cultures of antiquity. Addressing the often contradictory pages of the Bible and attributing its conflicts to the diversity of people who wrote and recorded events in it, Understanding Biblical Israel is overall a finely thought-out presentation and a highly recommended contribution to Religious Studies reading lists and reference collections.

This book tells lots of information about Israel. It is great!! I think Israel is an important country that everyone should learn about.

Absolutely indispensable history. Avi Beker reveals an aspect of the UN that should trouble every reader and move the world to action.

blends lives times places with objects that can really speak to us. Interchanges between persons that have consequences.

This scholarly, yet accessible, book argues that Israel was forced to fight for its survival in 1967 because the Soviet Union wanted a second front against the United States. Written by a Rutgers history professor and filled with detailed chapter notes, Klinghoffer makes a compelling argument that both superpowers treated Vietnam and Israel as mere pawns in a global struggle for power.

In the Spring of 1967, many liberal American Jewish leaders found themselves in the odd position of oppossing American military intervention in Vietnam - and urging President Johnson to deploy the American Navy to the Mideast. The Soviet Union's support for the Arab cause pushed Israel's Socialist Zionist leadership to relucantly shift from neutrality to become a strong American ally.

This work details how the distinct possibility of a second Holocaust in the Mideast woke up many idealistic Israelis and American Jews to see the dangers of third world revolutionary movements. Klinghoffer also effectively links domestic political concerns with international policies in Vietnam and the Middle East with wit and confidence. An insightful work that seems quite plausible - and helped me understand a confusing part of the world.

An excellent primer on Mideast politics that unintentionally illuminates the problems facing peace negotiators today.

Israel Cohen has presented a fascinating portrait of a city that owes much of its cultural legacy to the Yiddish community that thrived in it from the 15th century onward. Cohen undertook this complex task prior to WWII and wrote an epilogue following the genocide that took place in Lithuania during the German occupation, 1941-3.

Cohen's judgement seemed to be reserved due to the fact that the genocide came as such a shock to the Jewish community. Vilna was considered to be one of the few safe havens during World War II for Jews. Vilnius had a remarkable history of being an open city, tolerant of a wide array of cultures and religions, which was what Mr. Cohen chose to focus on. He made no excuses for the genocide but rather illustrated the dynamics of this ever-changing city and how Vilnius, and in turn Lithuania, simply was not able to bear up under the pressures of World War II.

He charted the various occupations of the city by the Poles, Russians, Soviets and Germans. Lithuanians seemed to be almost peripheral figures in this dramatic ebb and flow. An essentially benevolent nobility that offered its protection to the Yiddish community and constantly renewed its charters so that it could thrive within the often adverserial climate of the city.

All that changed with the Russian occupation in the 19th century. Lithuanian Jews found themselves conscripted into the army just like Jews throughout the Russian empire, but somehow they managed to hold together a tight-knit community that had many leading lights including the most famous Gaon Elijah.

The book is well worth reading for it provides a rare glimpse into the dynamics of this Medieval city that was shaped by an astonishing array of forces.

Virtual Pilgrimage is a great product! It is easy to use and explore and takes you to all the major cities and sites in the Holy Land. It's packed with videos and pictures and contains descriptions by famous pilgrims throughout history. It's a real bargain with the free screensavers.

I don't think any other text covers this information so completely; although it is notoriously hard to come by in your average book store. Any edition of it would be excellent.