Living Torah: Gateway to a Timeless Tradition

(Hardback)

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Description

Today there are more than seven million Jews in the United States. As with Americans of all ethnicities and religious persuasions, Jews can identify with and embrace their heritage in any number of ways. Alternatively, they can choose to distance themselves from anything distinctively Jewish.
For millennia, the Torah literally, instruction the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, has been a centerpiece of Jewish study, thought, and action. Throughout the years, the Torah has been interpreted and applied to life in varying times and places. It has long been customary for Jews to read chapters of the Torah each week as part of an annual cycle of study and synagogue ritual.
In the third decade of the twenty-first century, there are Jews who question or doubt the continuing relevance of Jewish texts to their lives. Yet, the search for meaning is enduring, and most American Jews are interested in engaging with a heritage in which they take pride. It is, primarily, for such readers that this book is designed. At the same time, there are people who are not Jewish for whom a book unpacking a Jewish understanding of the Torah might be of interest.
The aim of this work is to share ideas, themes, values, and practices that are all part of the living Torah, with full awareness that personal meaning is, by definition, unique to each individual. Living Torah describes both Torah as a vibrant text and those who lead Torah-informed lives. Torah-informed by no means implies uniformity of life-style.
There are a number of books that explore the meaning that Judaism can hold for contemporary Jews and others interested in the wisdom expressed in its classical texts. While these books draw upon classical sources and offer interesting perspectives, none undertakes to systematically introduce the reader to the richness of the Torah text. The uniqueness of this very accessible volume is that it identifies a central theme in each of the five books of the Torah, and, following exploration of the substance of each book, looks at implications of the books key theme for the lives of contemporary readers
The book is comprised of ten chapters, organized as follows: a chapter synopsizing a book of the Torah and identifying its central theme, followed by a chapter applying that theme to the lived experience of Jews in the twenty-first century. The themes explored are: (a) the Jews relationship to the land of Israel; (b) purpose in history; (c) the pursuit of holiness; (d) living in community; (e) Jewish learning.

Reviews

Gil Graff is an eminent Jewish educator, among the finest of this generation. Anyone privileged to study with him is impressed by the depth of his intellect, the dexterity of his mind and his unique ability to make Jewish text come alive. This work tackles the Torah, and while remaining faithful to its text, Graff brings the tools of millennia of commentatorstraversing Talmudic sources and medieval commentators, along with their 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st century successors, male and femalein a manner that is compelling and insightful, inviting dialogue, and encouraging his readers participation in the task of explication. I felt that I was in his classroom, grappling with Judaisms most sacred text, seeing anew what I thought I knew so well. -- Michael Berenbaum, director of Sigi Ziering Institute; distinguished professor of Jewish Studies, American Jewish University
If there was one book that I would offer an intelligent adult who wanted to learn about Judaism, this is it! Living Torah presents engaging material about Jewish thought, history, and ethics, all within the framework of the five books of the Torah. Bravo! -- Elaine Goodfriend, lecturer in Religious Studies, California State University
Dr. Gil Graff, a brilliant teacher of teachers, has gifted us with an extraordinary tour through the Torah with an eye to unveiling its relevance to our lives today. Truly a "tour de force," this important book delivers on Dr. Graff's promise to bring the Torah to life, inviting the reader on a journey through applied Jewish wisdom charting a path towards a life of meaning and purpose. A must read! -- Ron Wolfson, Fingerhut Professor of Education at American Jewish University and author of Relational Judaism

Author Bio

Gil Graff, JD, PhD, serves as executive director of Builders of Jewish Education (BJE), an organization devoted to the advancement of Jewish education in greater Los Angeles. An educator, scholar, and author who holds graduate degrees in education, history, and Jewish studies, Graff has taught elementary and high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, and adult learners of all ages. Graff has also authored three books and scores of articles and essays on topics of Jewish history, law, and education, including Jewish Tradition in a Western Key: Essays on Jews and Judaism in a Changing World, 1789-1939 (2019) and "And You Shall Teach Them Diligently": A Concise History of Jewish Education in the United States 1776-2000 (2013).