This book is a beautiful and concise discussion of Judaism s place in humankind, and the role of the individual Jew in contributing to the tapestry of Judaism. In every generation, Jews covenant with God as partners to be a shining example of righteousness, based upon the lessons of the Torah. The tapestry of Judaism represents the interweaving of all of the individual threads of Jews past and present who have used their God-given talents toward this end. Every Jew needs to weave his/her thread so that the tapestry s brilliance may continue to shine for all humankind. This book would be of interest to any Jew seeking a better understanding of Judaism s place in humankind and our place in Judaism.

This book is a beautiful and concise discussion of Judaisms place in humankind, and the role of the individual Jew in contributing to the tapestry of Judaism. In every generation, Jews covenant with God as partners to be a shining example of righteousness, based upon the lessons of the Torah. The tapestry of Judaism represents the interweaving of all of the individual threads of Jews past and present who have used their God-given talents toward this end. Every Jew needs to weave his/her thread so that the tapestrys brilliance may continue to shine for all humankind. This book would be of interest to any Jew seeking a better understanding of Judaisms place in humankind and our place in Judaism.

Most books are like visitors. They come and go. This book can be a long-term companion and assistant as you weave prayer into the tapestry of your life. Weaving Prayer Into the Tapestry of Life pictures each of us as a weaver at a loom, creating in every moment our lifes tapestry. The transformative thread of prayer is always available to be woven into our lifes design. In this weaving, we experience in wonder the creative presence of God. The chapters of this book gives an overview of Christian understanding and practice of prayer. The author combines Scripture, voices and sources from the tradition of the church, poetry, stories, and accounts of personal experience to explore ten of the most familiar ways Christians pray. These are: centering, praise, confession, meditative reading of Scripture, petition, intercession, dedication, silence, and benediction. Nine sets of Prayer Prompts, one with each chapter, invite you to move from thinking to doing. They provide a framework for personal devotion that includes all of the dimensions of Christian prayer discussed in the chapters. Resources from Scripture, prayers of the church, and contemporary materials offer structure and stimulus for expressing the prayers of your heart. These Prayer Prompts are adaptable for repeated use. Members of a prayer group or spiritual growth group may enjoy sharing experiences with this book. Martha Rowlett deeply understands Christian thinking, Christian living, Christian prayer, and, dare I say it, God. She shares her wisdom with utmost simplicity. Those who use her book will find themselves becoming better Christians. John Cobb, professor emeritus, Claremont School of Theology

The Tapestry of Torah shines each Torah portion into the eternally woven tapestry design of God's blueprint for history; unveiling Messiah, the heart of Torah. Jennifer's Genesis Story ~ Page 82 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Tapestry of Torah brings forth new understanding of the heart of Adonai and His relentless love for Israel and the Wild Olive Branch. Laura's Exodus Story ~ Page 87 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Tapestry of Torah teaches fresh new lessons for our own lives today. The Lessons from the Wilderness anoint us with holy oil, etching Torah upon our hearts! Theresa's Exodus Story ~ Page 143 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Tapestry of Torah sings with synergy. Sydney's writing illuminates the woven words of Adonai from the garden of His Torah; still changing lives today! Kilee's Leviticus Story ~ Page 200 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Tapestry of Torah illuminates revelation from each Torah portion leading readers into the brilliant presence of Adonai! This devotional is the perfect companion for Torah study, encouraging a journal experience for readers. Carol's Numbers Story ~ Page 259 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Tapestry of Torah brings the Torah portions to life each week. I see in deeply supernatural ways as never before, from the illumination of Sydney's writing. Beverly's Deuteronomy Story ~ Page 265 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Tapestry of Torah illuminates deep Hebraic meanings found in the Scriptures. By studying Torah with Sydney's devotional, one comes to know the land of milk and honey in a visceral way! Magda's Deuteronomy Story ~ Page 320

The Unknown History of Jewish Women—On Learning and Illiteracy: On Slavery and Liberty is a comprehensive study on the history of Jewish women, which discusses their absence from the Jewish Hebrew library of the "People of the Book" and interprets their social condition in relation to their imposed ignorance and exclusion from public literacy. The book begins with a chapter on communal education for Jewish boys, which was compulsory and free of charge for the first ten years in all traditional Jewish communities. The discussion continues with the striking absence of any communal Jewish education for girls until the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and the implications of this fact for twentieth-century immigration to Israel (1949-1959) The following chapters discuss the social, cultural and legal contexts of this reality of female illiteracy in the Jewish community—a community that placed a supreme value on male education. The discussion focuses on the patriarchal order and the postulations, rules, norms, sanctions and mythologies that, in antiquity and the Middle Ages, laid the religious foundations of this discriminatory reality.

The groundbreaking volume The Torah: A Women's Commentary, originally published by URJ Press and Women of Reform Judaism, has been awarded the top prize in the oldest Jewish literary award program, the 2008 National Jewish Book Awards. A work of great import, the volume is the result of 14 years of planning, research, and fundraising. THE HISTORY: At the 39th Women of Reform Judaism Assembly in San Francisco, Cantor Sarah Sager challenged Women of Reform Judaism delegates to "imagine women feeling permitted, for the first time, feeling able, feeling legitimate in their study of Torah." WRJ accepted that challenge. The Torah: A Women's Commentary was introduced at the Union for Reform Judaism 69th Biennial Convention in San Diego in December 2007. WRJ has commissioned the work of the world's leading Jewish female Bible scholars, rabbis, historians, philosophers and archaeologists. Their collective efforts resulted in the first comprehensive commentary, authored only by women, on the Five Books of Moses, including individual Torah portions as well as the Hebrew and English translation. The Torah: A Women's Commentary gives dimension to the women's voices in our tradition. Under the skillful leadership of editors Dr. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi and Rabbi Andrea Weiss, PhD, this commentary provides insight and inspiration for all who study Torah: men and women, Jew and non-Jew. As Dr. Eskenazi has eloquently stated, "we want to bring the women of the Torah from the shadow into the limelight, from their silences into speech, from the margins to which they have often been relegated to the center of the page - for their sake, for our sake and for our children's sake." Published by CCAR Press, a division of the Central Conference of American Rabbis