Argues for and enacts a reading of representative "Shoah" texts found in contemporary "haggadot" from liberal Judaisms in the U.S. based on a hermeneutic of trauma. The ongoing ritualizing of the "Shoah" in Passover "haggadot" requires special attention to the problematics raised by placing a non-redemptive event into a redemptive narrative. The hermeneutic of trauma developed in this study attends to the history, ideology and construction of memory surrounding "Shoah" texts and the implications of these for ethical readings that allow mourning and prevent forgetting. After reviewing academic discussion of memory and representation of the Holocaust and setting out the critique of redemptive memory, analyzes how the creators of the Reform "haggadah" created a text of both continuity and contrast with their Reform legacy and their rabbinic heritage. Places this text, along with its Conservative counterpart, within an American discourse of Holocaust-redemption and argues against this as the basis for a viable American Jewish identity. Examines ritualizations that draw on Holocaust icons and presents non-redemptive readings of these memory texts. Investigation of the non-rational and embodied aspects of the ritual leads to the argument that the Holocaust, as an event at the limits, cannot be embodied in its full extremity. Argues that these ritual memory texts - and by extension ritual theory itself - should be read to privilege the tension created by the contrast between Exodus and Auschwitz. This move, which acknowledges these commemorations as traumatic text, breaks open the redemptive frame of the "haggadah" and presents a limited, yet real, possibility for hope.

Jodie Berndt shows you how to make the Bible a book of prayers that can powerfully influence your children’s lives. You’ll discover how to pray specifically and expectantly for their faith, character, safety, relationships, and future. You’ll gain new, biblical perspectives on God’s purposes for your children. And through the encouragement of the Scriptures and true-life stories, you’ll find out what a huge difference your prayers really make in the lives of those you love most. Discover How to Pray God’s Will for Your Children’s Lives There’s no place like God’s Word to turn to when you want to pray confidently and effectively for your kids. “Prayers permeated with the Word of God bring about changes in our children and keep us in touch with God’s priorities. This is a wonderful resource that you will want to refer to over and over.” Fern Nichols, founder and president of Moms in Touch International “If I could choose only one book to help me pray for my children, this is it! Not only has Jodie given us a rich treasure of true stories, practical prayers, and relevant Scriptures for our children, but a surprise awaits! In reading this I found my own confidence if God growing. RUN and get this book for moms and grandmoms.” Susan Alexander Yates, author of How to Like the Ones You Love “I know of no one who can speak more authoritatively than Jodie Berndt on praying for your children. Every parent who wants their children to grow into godly men and women should read this book.

Passover is among the most widely observed holidays for American Jews. During this festival of redemption, Jewish families retell the biblical story of Exodus using a ritual book known as a haggadah, often weaving modern tales of oppression through the biblical narrative. References to the Holocaust are some of the most common additions to contemporary haggadot. However, the parallel between ancient and modern oppression, which seems obvious to some, raises troubling questions for many others. Is it possible to find any redemptive meaning in the Nazi genocide? Are we adding value to this unforgivable moment in history? Liora Gubkin critiques commemorations that violate memory by erasing the value of everyday life that was lost and collapse the diversity of responses both during the Shoah and afterward. She recounts oral testimonies from Holocaust survivors, cites references to the holiday in popular American culture, and analyzes examples of actual haggadot. Ultimately, Gubkin concludes that it is possible and important to make a space for Holocaust commemoration, all the time recognizing that haggadot must be constantly revisited and “performed.”

In this volume, Bible Studies scholar Yitzhak (Itzik) Peleg offers an educational, values-based approach to the cycle of Jewish holidays—festivals and holy days—as found in the Jewish calendar. These special days play a dual role: they reflect a sense of identity with, and belonging to, the Jewish people, while simultaneously shaping that identity and sense of belonging. The biblical command “And you shall tell your son” (Exodus 13:8) is meant to ensure that children will become familiar with the history of their people via the experience of celebrating the holidays. It is the author’s claim, however, that this command must be preceded by another educational command: “And you shall listen to your son and your daughter.” The book examines the various Jewish holidays and ways in which they are celebrated, while focusing on three general topics: identity, belonging, memory. Throughout the generations, observance of the holidays has developed and changed, from time to time and place to place. These changes have enabled generations of Jews, in their various communities, to define their own Jewish identity and sense of belonging.

In “a brilliant antidote to all the…false narratives about pot” (American Thinker), an award-winning author and former New York Times reporter reveals the link between teenage marijuana use and mental illness, and a hidden epidemic of violence caused by the drug—facts the media have ignored as the United States rushes to legalize cannabis. Recreational marijuana is now legal in nine states. Advocates argue cannabis can help everyone from veterans to cancer sufferers. But legalization has been built on myths—that marijuana arrests fill prisons; that most doctors want to use cannabis as medicine; that it can somehow stem the opiate epidemic; that it is beneficial for mental health. In this meticulously reported book, Alex Berenson, a former New York Times reporter, explodes those myths, explaining that almost no one is in prison for marijuana; a tiny fraction of doctors write most authorizations for medical marijuana, mostly for people who have already used; and marijuana use is linked to opiate and cocaine use. Most of all, THC—the chemical in marijuana responsible for the drug’s high—can cause psychotic episodes. “Alex Berenson has a reporter’s tenacity, a novelist’s imagination, and an outsider’s knack for asking intemperate questions” (Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker), as he ranges from the London institute that is home to the scientists who helped prove the cannabis-psychosis link to the Colorado prison where a man now serves a thirty-year sentence after eating a THC-laced candy bar and killing his wife. He sticks to the facts, and they are devastating. With the US already gripped by one drug epidemic, Tell Your Children is a “well-written treatise” (Publishers Weekly) that “takes a sledgehammer to the promised benefits of marijuana legalization, and cannabis enthusiasts are not going to like it one bit” (Mother Jones).

Winner of the Everett Family Jewish Book of the Year Award (a National Jewish Book Award) and the RUSA Sophie Brody Medal. In Like Dreamers, acclaimed journalist Yossi Klein Halevi interweaves the stories of a group of 1967 paratroopers who reunited Jerusalem, tracing the history of Israel and the divergent ideologies shaping it from the Six-Day War to the present. Following the lives of seven young members from the 55th Paratroopers Reserve Brigade, the unit responsible for restoring Jewish sovereignty to Jerusalem, Halevi reveals how this band of brothers played pivotal roles in shaping Israel’s destiny long after their historic victory. While they worked together to reunite their country in 1967, these men harbored drastically different visions for Israel’s future. One emerges at the forefront of the religious settlement movement, while another is instrumental in the 2005 unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. One becomes a driving force in the growth of Israel’s capitalist economy, while another ardently defends the socialist kibbutzim. One is a leading peace activist, while another helps create an anti-Zionist terror underground in Damascus. Featuring an eight pages of black-and-white photos and maps, Like Dreamers is a nuanced, in-depth look at these diverse men and the conflicting beliefs that have helped to define modern Israel and the Middle East.

Help your children develop a closer relationship with God through prayer. The more we talk with God in prayer—bringing Him thanks, praise, joys, hurts, confessions, and requests—the stronger our faith becomes. We’re not always sure how to pray . . . but Jesus says that prayer is something to be learned. And what better time to learn how to pray than during childhood, when habits that will last a lifetime are formed? This 52-week experience is a terrific guide for families to understand prayer. From “Wow!” and “Thank you!” prayers to “I’m sorry!” and “Help!” prayers, children will learn what it means to draw near to God and to be changed by Him. Holly Hawkins Shivers, a mother gifted at connecting with kids, makes every discussion engaging and relatable, and helps young believers grow leaps and bounds in their faith. Give your children a gift that will stay with them forever—the power of prayer.