What do you think?
Rate this book
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 47 reviews
August 17, 2025
5 stars
i literally saw this book on the side of the road and decided it must have been a sign, so i took it home and read it.
religion is weird. in the words of one of my teachers, we're not socialised to "shop around" and try out different religions. most people just stick with the one they were raised with, or cut it out from their life entirely. judaism has always been a bit of a gap in my knowledge, so i saw this book as a fitting place to start.
and boy was it comprehensive! this thing is essentially a manual - no wonder i read it over 6 months! it covers a lot - jewish history, faqs, rituals, and life rituals. it was also written a little while ago, meaning that some of the info may or may not be true of certain jewish communities anymore, so i'll keep that in mind if i ever reread.
that being said, this was a very enjoyable read overall, with the writers' personalities coming through nicely. a very useful guide for anyone interested in learning more about judaism and jewish culture!
i literally saw this book on the side of the road and decided it must have been a sign, so i took it home and read it.
religion is weird. in the words of one of my teachers, we're not socialised to "shop around" and try out different religions. most people just stick with the one they were raised with, or cut it out from their life entirely. judaism has always been a bit of a gap in my knowledge, so i saw this book as a fitting place to start.
and boy was it comprehensive! this thing is essentially a manual - no wonder i read it over 6 months! it covers a lot - jewish history, faqs, rituals, and life rituals. it was also written a little while ago, meaning that some of the info may or may not be true of certain jewish communities anymore, so i'll keep that in mind if i ever reread.
that being said, this was a very enjoyable read overall, with the writers' personalities coming through nicely. a very useful guide for anyone interested in learning more about judaism and jewish culture!
March 15, 2021
As a Jew by conversion this book was a lifesaver. It explained everything clearly, it was easy to understand and had a sense of humour.
May 13, 2008
Great book for those curious about being Jewish or understanding the culture and "rules" around being Jewish.
February 14, 2018
Very informative and easy to understand for a gentile like me. Unfortunately there were two instances of Words That They Probably Didn't Know Were Racist and it made me really uncomfortable.
February 18, 2021
Comprehensive
March 9, 2021
Very informative lots of little details.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 47 reviews