What do you think?
Rate this book
The Jews: A Treasury of Art and Literature
This anthology of Jewish art & literature reveals the depth & breadth of the Jewish experience through well-chosen texts & images that mark development in Jewish art, religion, politics, & everyday life. 9 1/2" x 13". Color & b&w illus.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1992
1 person is currently reading
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 3, 2019
This super 380-page coffee table book documents the history, art and literature of the Jewish Nation from tracts from the Jewish Bible (Tanach) to articles about Israel in the early 1990's.
Complementing the text are nearly 140 color and 100 black and white illustrations covering the range of Judaic arts and crafts including antiquities and ceremonial art, fabrics, precious metals, stained glass and paintings from many periods and countries.
Part 1 covers The Bible with excerpts from the Creation of the World and The Garden of Eden, through the accounts of Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, the Babylonian Exile and the rise and fall of Haman.
Part 2 covers Post-biblical literature including accounts of the victory of Judah the Maccabee, Flavius Joseph's account of the Fall of Massada and sections from the Midrash and Sanhedrin.
Part 3 covers Medieval and Rennaisance times and includes the writings of Maimonides and poets such as Solomon Ibn Gabirol and Judah HaLevi (whose poem To Israel in Exile shows how the Jewish Nation always yearned to be reunited with the Land of Israel) and also documents and writings pertaining to the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, and part 4 covers writing by and about Jews from lands such as Ethiopia, Morocco and Turkey.
Subsequent sections include writings by and about Jews and include writings by Baruch Spinoza , Israel Zangwill , IL Peretz , Israel Bashevis Singer , Sigmund Freud and Hayim Nachman Bialik , as well as extracts from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and the Proclamation by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799 promising to restore the Land of Israel to the Jews , in return for their support.
There is a section about Jews in the Americas and includes the memorable work by American Jewish poet Emma Lazarus , Banner of the Jew:
"Wake Israel, wake! Recall today The glorious Maccabean rage..."
Then there is a section describing the horrors of the Holocaust, which includes writings by Anne Frank, Eli Wiesel, Primo Levi and Simon Wiesenthal.
The last section is about the Re-established State of Israel, and includes works by Theodore Herzl, Gold Meir , Chaim Weitzman , Albert Einstein , David Ben-Gurion and Amos Oz. It ends with essays by Edward Norden and Edward Grossman describing the difficulties faced by new immigrants to Israel from Russia and Ethiopia.
This is an important historical record at a time when Jews and Israel are faced with their greatest test of endurance since the Holocaust. We need to remember our history in these frightening and somber times.
Complementing the text are nearly 140 color and 100 black and white illustrations covering the range of Judaic arts and crafts including antiquities and ceremonial art, fabrics, precious metals, stained glass and paintings from many periods and countries.
Part 1 covers The Bible with excerpts from the Creation of the World and The Garden of Eden, through the accounts of Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, the Babylonian Exile and the rise and fall of Haman.
Part 2 covers Post-biblical literature including accounts of the victory of Judah the Maccabee, Flavius Joseph's account of the Fall of Massada and sections from the Midrash and Sanhedrin.
Part 3 covers Medieval and Rennaisance times and includes the writings of Maimonides and poets such as Solomon Ibn Gabirol and Judah HaLevi (whose poem To Israel in Exile shows how the Jewish Nation always yearned to be reunited with the Land of Israel) and also documents and writings pertaining to the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, and part 4 covers writing by and about Jews from lands such as Ethiopia, Morocco and Turkey.
Subsequent sections include writings by and about Jews and include writings by Baruch Spinoza , Israel Zangwill , IL Peretz , Israel Bashevis Singer , Sigmund Freud and Hayim Nachman Bialik , as well as extracts from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and the Proclamation by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799 promising to restore the Land of Israel to the Jews , in return for their support.
There is a section about Jews in the Americas and includes the memorable work by American Jewish poet Emma Lazarus , Banner of the Jew:
"Wake Israel, wake! Recall today The glorious Maccabean rage..."
Then there is a section describing the horrors of the Holocaust, which includes writings by Anne Frank, Eli Wiesel, Primo Levi and Simon Wiesenthal.
The last section is about the Re-established State of Israel, and includes works by Theodore Herzl, Gold Meir , Chaim Weitzman , Albert Einstein , David Ben-Gurion and Amos Oz. It ends with essays by Edward Norden and Edward Grossman describing the difficulties faced by new immigrants to Israel from Russia and Ethiopia.
This is an important historical record at a time when Jews and Israel are faced with their greatest test of endurance since the Holocaust. We need to remember our history in these frightening and somber times.
August 25, 2022
A fascinating collection.
Found this in the AirBNB my family was staying at, and I’m so glad I did. I’m up to page 203, and of I encounter this again, I’d be delighted to finish it.
Found this in the AirBNB my family was staying at, and I’m so glad I did. I’m up to page 203, and of I encounter this again, I’d be delighted to finish it.
September 23, 2009
This volume whetted my appetite to learn more about my Jewish heritage. It is a great introductory text.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews