Hurwitz Indexing

New Release: Hot Shots Vol. 2

2012-01-04T04:27:00.000-08:00

Hot Shots Vol. 2

The Real Deal by Alannah Harte

Jake Cummins is on forty-eight hours leave and is looking for the prettiest pussy in town. A fifth generation fighter pilot he likes everything fast, his jets, his drink and his women. After six months on tour of the pacific he is in desperate need of a good dose of dirty fucking. His choice is no meek little flower. In fact this Irish Venus Fly Trap sets his temper and dick on fire.

Somewhere the universe has tilted and the innocent beauty in the bedroom has surprised her way into his heart.

Secret Desires by Anya Winter

Bound and blindfolded, Samantha must trust her Master to know her deepest wants even when she doesn’t know what it is she needs.

Waiting for Home by DC Juris

Nina’s friends and family think her internet lover Sean is just another fling. Who will be right when she and Sean finally meet?

Nina has been in a relationship with Sean for over a year, and they’re deeply in love with each other. The problem? They’ve only met online until now. Nina’s making a twelve hundred mile trip to be with the man of her dreams, and her family and friends think she’s insane. When the two lovers meet, will Nina find her happily ever after?

New Book Release: Hystera

2012-01-04T04:20:00.000-08:00

Hystera by Leora Skolkin-Smith

Hystera takes place inside a New York City mental hospital in 1974. Set against the backdrop of the social turmoil of the seventies era, it tells the story of a young woman suffering from a physical and sexual delusion. The story follows the main character's slow recovery.

New Book Release: Dreaming of You

2012-01-04T04:15:00.000-08:00

Dreaming of You by Crymsyn Hart

For the past two months, Tabby’s been dreaming of a luscious man who changes forms every time she closes her eyes. He’s whatever she desires, but only in her dreams. Then one day she hears his voice outside of her dreams.

Only when he reveals his true nature does she understand how much danger she’s truly in. He’s not the angel Tabby thought he was. He’s something far worse: a daemon who feeds off of souls. And her soul is next on the menu.

New Book Release: African-American Almanac

2012-01-04T04:10:00.000-08:00

African-American Almanac by Lean'tin Bracks

The most complete and affordable single-volume reference of African American culture available today, this almanac is a unique and valuable resource devoted to illustrating and demystifying the moving, difficult, and often lost history of black life in America. A legacy of pride, struggle, and triumph spanning more than 400 years is presented through a fascinating mix of biographies—including more than 750 influential figures—little-known or misunderstood historical facts, enlightening essays on significant legislation and movements, and 150 rare photographs and illustrations. Covering events surrounding the civil rights movement; African American literature, art, and music; religion within the black community; and advances in science and medicine, this reference connects history to the issues currently facing the African American community and provides a range of information on society and culture.

New Book Release: Mielec, Poland

2011-11-30T22:01:00.000-08:00

Mielec, Poland: The Shtetl That Became a Nazi Concentration Camp by Rochelle G. Saidel

On March 9, 1942, the Jewish community of Mielec, Poland, ceased to exist. The Nazis dismantled the entire town in a single day, executing the elderly, deporting the able-bodied for slave labor, and transporting the rest to the Lublin district, where they were later murdered in Sobibor and Belzec. The Germans had taken over a Polish aircraft factory on the outskirts of Mielec, where they manufactured Heinkel 111 bomber planes for the Nazi war machine. Following the March 9, 1942, deportation, the factory complex became part of the Mielec Nazi slave labor camp, later a concentration camp. Using rare photographs and records, Nazi documents, witness statements, survivor interviews, and war criminal trial transcripts, Rochelle G. Saidel tells the story of the flourishing Mielec Jewish community, the unusual way it was wiped out by the Nazis, the few survivors who managed to run and hide, and the almost unknown brutal Mielec slave labor camp that operated from March 1942 until July 1944. This illuminating study gives Mielec its due place in Holocaust history.

New Book Release: New York, New York

2011-11-30T21:59:00.001-08:00

New York, New York by Hilary Geary Ross

New York New York combines the talents of renowned photographer Harry Benson with text by society columnist Hilary Geary Ross to create a stunning portrait of New York’s best-known citizens. From captains of industry, politicians, movie stars, dancers, artists, and best-selling authors to celebrated athletes and society doyennes, New York New York captures the glamour of Manhattan from the early 60s to today in hundreds of black-and-white and color photographs. Subjects include Diane Sawyer, Halston, Truman Capote, Robert Redford, Neil Simon, Tom Wolfe, Norman Mailer, Spike Lee, Malcolm Forbes, Al Pacino, Lauren Hutton, Lena Horne, Andy Warhol, Yogi Bera, Jackie Kennedy, Gerard Butler, Cindy Lauper, Daryl Hannah, Mario Cuomo, Birdie Bell, Donald Trump, Brooke Astor, Yoko Ono, Woody Allen, and Michael Kors, among many, many others.

New Book Release: Crimson and Steel

2011-11-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Crimson and Steel by Ric Bern

...frontier city in Noricum causes a row that ripples all the way to the mayor's manse.

Set in Ancient Rome, Crimson and Steel reveals the fates of two pairs of lovers. Marcus is a Roman general stationed in Noricum. Taciturn and efficient, he keeps order on the frontier as well as in the city. Kell is a willowy young slave girl of Nordic origin recently purchased by Marcus. Not new to service, she seeks to learn how to best serve her new master.

Asmin is also no stranger to bondage, having been trained in the seraglios of the East as a pleasure slave. Hailing from the mountains of Armenia, she seeks only a rich master to purchase her from the slaver Javad so she may escape the rigors of the road. Things do not turn out as she had hoped, and she finds herself alone in the woods when the barbarian Ulf comes to her aid. A sandy-haired Adonis of the Germanic tribes, Ulf takes her in, and they become lovers. Yet there is one who feels he is the rightful owner of Asmin, and he causes much strife for Marcus, Javad, and Ulf.

New Book Release: Wallflowers Don't Wilt

2011-11-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Wallflowers Don't Wilt by Raven McAllan

One man looking for adventure. Can he persuade them that freedom comes in many forms, including three bodies entwined?

Ivo Daranton is bored. What he sees in a busy ballroom soon removes the boredom and replaces it with the thrill of the chase. His quarry? Serena and Arabella—Sappho-following, pinkie-linking, more than just friends.

Although they had not thought they were inclined to include a man in their lives, Ivo decides they are wrong: a man is needed, and that man is him. How he persuades them to give him and his idea a chance—or rather, how the ladies encourage him to persuade them—is as unconventional as the life they intend to lead.

New Book Release: Loving Jacob

2011-11-02T11:43:00.001-07:00

Loving Jacob by Lee Brazil

...turns into more, he isn’t above begging for a second chance. High-profile attorney Malcolm Jenner is looking for a bit of fun, nothing serious. He's got duties and responsibilities, after all. He doesn't usually choose his lovers from the office, but his attraction to Jacob Renault is too compelling to resist. However, Jacob isn't interested in temporary. He wants it all—Prince Charming, the castle, the happily ever after. There's no rule that says the younger man can't have fun while he's searching for his prince, though... At first neither is willing to compromise on their stance, but an agreement is reached, with each man planning to do his best to subvert the other to his viewpoint. Lust turns to love, and what’s impossible becomes merely improbable, but is it going to be enough?

New Book Release: Resurrecting Roland

2011-11-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

Resurrecting Roland by Anastasia Rabiyah

The second chance of a lifetime…

Sarah fell in love with Roland the moment she sat beside him. Handsome, overly smart and full of controversial ideas on cloning humans, he challenged her to go beyond her comfort zone in more ways than one. Parted by his unconventional choices, they try to make a long distance relationship work, but little do either of them know just what Roland is getting himself into and how badly it will tear them apart. Given the chance, Roland will do anything to get her back after he loses her, but will she want him a second time?

New Book Release: Hell's Gate: Draig

2011-11-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hell's Gate: Draig by Crymsyn Hart

Lila has been tending bar for five years at Hell's Gate. She is content with her life. However, when Draig walks into the club her world is thrown asunder. There is something about the exotic man that haunts her. She watches him night after night tie up women and can't help but feel jealous. Draig tries to ignore her, but he can't get her out of his mind. The only thing he knows to do is push her away.

Until the one night she finally confronts him and gives him a piece of her mind. Draig tries to keep her out, but he realizes Lila is something special. If he keeps her out, then his one chance of freedom will fly away.

New Book Release: Kindred Blood

2011-11-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Kindred Blood by Dawne Dominique

There is nothing thicker—or stronger—than kindred blood.

Being married in Scotland sounds like the perfect romantic getaway, doesn't it? For Daniella Rolfe and Aiden Blackmore, the nightmare they'd left behind was just the beginning. When Aiden is kidnapped, Daniella will go to any lengths to ensure he's brought safely back to her, no matter the amount of blood to be shed. Together with Spencer Dalton, a private investigator she hired to help find Aiden, they begin to unravel more than they bargained for.

Broken vows are the least of Daniella's worries now.

New Book Release: Flags Over the Warsaw Ghetto

2011-11-02T11:23:00.001-07:00

Flags Over the Warsaw Ghetto by Moshe Arens

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising has become a symbol of heroism throughout the world. A short time before the uprising began, Pawel Frenkel addressed a meeting of the Jewish Military fighters: Of course we will fight with guns in our hands, and most of us will fall. But we will live on in the lives and hearts of future generations and in the pages of their history.... We will die before our time but we are not doomed. We will be alive for as long as Jewish history lives! On the eve of Passover, April 19, 1943, German forces entered the Warsaw ghetto equipped with tanks, flame throwers, and machine guns. Against them stood an army of a few hundred young Jewish men and women, armed with pistols and Molotov cocktails. Who were these Jewish fighters who dared oppose the armed might of the SS troops under the command of SS General Juergen Stroop? Who commanded them in battle? What were their goals? In this groundbreaking work, Israel s former Minister of Defense, Prof. Moshe Arens, recounts a true tale of daring, courage, and sacrifice that should be accurately told out of respect for and in homage to the fighters who rose against the German attempt to liquidate the Warsaw ghetto, and made a last-ditch fight for the honor of the Jewish people. The generally accepted account of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is incomplete. The truth begins with the existence of not one, but two resistance organizations in the ghetto. Two young men, Mordechai Anielewicz of the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB), and Pawel Frenkel of the Jewish Military Organization (ZZW), rose to lead separate resistance organizations in the ghetto, which did not unite despite the desperate battle they were facing. Included is the complete text of The Stroop Report translated into English.

New Book Release: Studies in Rashi - Bereishit

2011-11-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Studies in Rashi - Bereishit

Studies in Rashi contains 12 complete essays on Chumash Bereishit. The essays are presented, for the first time, in a bi-lingual Hebrew/English format.

Beginning in late 1964, after the passing of his mother, Rebbetzin Chana, the Rebbe began dedicating a segment of his weekly Shabbat public gatherings to the study of Rashi`s classic biblical commentary. What soon emerged was an innovative method for both the study and analysis of the Bible`s pre-eminent commentator, and Bible study itself. These talks continued for more than twenty-five years.

The publication of Studies in Rashi aims to open this unique dimension of the Rebbe`s scholarship to the ever-growing numbers of English speaking students aspiring to serious textual study.

To help the reader fully appreciate the essays, the volume is prefaced by a list of 17 "General Principles of Rashi" which form the basis for the Rebbe`s methodology in Rashi study.

Studies in Rashi, Bereishit, is the first in a series which will present one essay for each respective Torah portion.

The essays were translated by Rabbi Y. Eliezer Danzinger, and are fully annotated in Hebrew and English. The volume is further enhanced with a detailed bibliography and comprehensive index.

New Book Release: Seventh Night

2011-10-02T03:16:00.000-07:00

Seventh Night by Anastasia Rabiyah

Born of a succubus and fathered by a man, Rurik will do anything to be a true demon and be accepted in the lower reaches of Hell. When his mother comes to him on the seventh night—the night when all demons fly to the living world to wreak havoc—he is excited about his assignment to defile a woman. He goes forth with high hopes, having been taught how to seduce and anxious to test his training. But when he catches sight of a beautiful woman suffering a nightmare in her bed, he is easily distracted. Her pliant body responds to his tempting touch. Her mind allows him in. He finds himself wanting her instead of the woman he has been assigned to defile.

New Book Release: Goblin's Bride

2011-10-02T03:12:00.000-07:00

Goblin's Bride by Anastasia Rabiyah

Elgar left his home in the Grimfer Mountains to start a new life away from goblinkind. In the village of Fairbrook he finds a steady market for his wares, a fine burrow in the woods nearby, and something he never counted on: a bride. After meeting her, he wakes the next day with a peculiar fever that worsens day by day. He suffers taunting dreams and can’t stop thinking of her. She’s human; he’s a goblin, but his condition can’t be denied. He’s found his mate. A bond between them can’t work, or can it?

New Book Release: The Doll Maker's Gift

2011-10-02T03:01:00.000-07:00

The Doll Maker's Gift

When Pogroms in Eastern Europe force little Nora`s family to flee to America, they discover at the last moment that they haven`t enough funds to pay for everyone`s passage. One of them will have to stay behind. The decision is difficult and Nora is to be left with a family friend, a kind doll maker who offers to care for her until they can earn enough money to pay for her journey. Nora`s mother is beside herself, heartbroken about leaving her youngest - yet the devoted doll maker shows that good friends are priceless and that all obstacles can be overcome when there is a true desire to help another.

New Book Release: Up the Capitol Steps

2011-10-02T02:48:00.001-07:00

Up the Capitol Steps by Barbara Roberts

Up the Capitol Steps is a personal and political memoir by Oregon's first (and only) woman governor, one of only 34 women who have served as state chief executives in the history of the United States. Barbara Roberts offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a woman's life in politics and aims to "demystify" leadership by telling the story of her own unlikely rise to power.

The mother of an autistic child before the advent of special education, Roberts began her life in public service as an advocate for the rights of children with disabilities. She documents her expanding political career from school board member to legislator to Secretary of State and finally, Governor. In this gripping and poignant memoir, hotly contested elections and tough policy decisions are interspersed with intimate details of personal ups and downs. Throughout, Roberts reveals the warmth and humor that show the "real" person behind the politician.

Only the third published memoir by a woman head-of-state, Up the Capitol Steps is "a very significant contribution to Oregon history, the history of women in politics, and especially the history of women governors," according to series editor Melody Rose. Roberts' autobiography captures a period of our nation's political history and a view of women's expanding role in government that will bring new understanding to the term, "social revolution."

New Book Release: Tzavaat Harivash

2011-09-01T01:18:00.000-07:00

Tzavaat Harivash by J. Immanuel Schochet, trans.

Tzava'at Harivash is an anthology of teachings and instructions attributed to the Baal Shem Tov and his successor, R. Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezhirech. Segments of Tzava’at Harivash have been translated before. This however, is its first complete English rendition. The translation, by a foremost authority on Chassidism and Jewish Mysticism, is enhanced by source-references, brief commentaries, notes on the passages that were perceived to be controversial, and a comprehensive introduction.

New Book Release: Her Guardian's Heart

2011-09-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

Her Guardian's Heart by Crymsyn Hart

Melina was driven into the arms of her vampire and werewolf mates. Her brother arrives one day to drag her back to her coven. While protecting those she loves, one of her mates falls, leaving her heartbroken. With her brother dead, she uses all her power to hide herself and those she loves from the family who banished her. But using her power unleashes the darkness inside of her soul.

For the next two years, she struggles to mend the rift with her mate. In walks Tannin to bring her to the family she has never known. Learning about her past, she discovers that she's more than a witch. Her attraction to Tannin grows while she learns what the darkness truly is in her soul.

Tannin craves her touch. But he doesn't know if he can open his heart after all the loss he's suffered. He must protect Melina at all costs. Taking a chance, he allows himself to give in to the attraction between them. To do that, he also has to accept the other men in her life and be there when she returns to her coven and unleashes the darkness in her soul.

New Book Release: The Silver Scream

2011-09-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

The Silver Scream by S.D. Grady

Film school student, Gilda Albright, has taken a job in the newly refurbished Orpheum Theatre as a movie projectionist. The gem from another era prompts her imagination to take flight, and she invites her boyfriend Seth to a private screening. Looking like a movie star from the 50’s, she strips in the spotlight, ensnaring Seth’s lust and drawing the eager eyes of another to her buxom figure. The building takes on a life of its own—fear invades Gilda’s workdays. Will the unseen gremlin let her go or fulfill its erotic obsession with a vision from the past?

New Book Release: The Witch, the Hunter and the Bride

2011-09-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

The Witch, the Hunter and the Bride by Bret Jordan

A witch ensnares a simple hunter in a web of desire with musical enchantment. The hunter battles guilt and weakness while trying to hold onto the love of his bride and save her life.

When Monteh the hunter becomes trapped by Nagoi the witch’s enchantingly lustful song, he finds he must battle the guilt that threatens to overcome him while hiding his unwanted adultery from the wife that loves and trusts him. When he does find the courage to sever his vile relationship with the witch, he finds the task isn’t as simple as he had hoped. A dark sorceress isn’t easily spurned.

New Book Release: Fire for Ice

2011-09-01T01:07:00.001-07:00

Fire for Ice by Kase J. Reed

There’s a killer loose in the kingdom of Lanae, and Captain Tamir Arden, and his gremlin, must bring the culprit to justice. After a young woman is murdered, he discovers the killer has left a clue—a strange, but familiar marking carved into the poor girl’s flesh—a symbol belonging to the beautiful Princess Callista of Lanae. On his way to question her, Tamir finds Callista in panicked fear in the hallway outside her royal apartments, lost in a strange, magical spell. He’s swept away by the princess’ beauty, but even worse, both their gremlins are enamoured with each other—and whatever their soulbeings feel, so do the humans they represent. There’s a little quandary, however. If Tamir is caught with Callista, it could mean certain death for him. Ensnared between catching a killer who is hunting the Princess, and fighting his growing desires of forbidden love, humans, gremlins and magic collide.

New Book Release: Hell's Gate: Santino

2011-09-01T01:04:00.000-07:00

Hell's Gate: Santino by Crymsyn Hart

One kiss was all it would take.

April is brought to Hell’s Gate, the most exclusive Goth club in town, by her best friend to check out one of the famed fetishes at Hell’s Gate. Cindy drags April into the bowels of the club to be kissed by a mysterious hooded man.

April returns home without being kissed and finds her dreams haunted by the mystifying man. Those erotic visions draw her back to Hell’s Gate only to discover who or what is underneath the hood and maybe be kissed herself.

New Book Release: The Targums

2011-08-01T04:08:00.000-07:00

The Targums: A Critical Introduction by Paul V.M. Flesher and Bruce Chilton

The value and significance of the targums—translations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic, the language of Palestinian Jews for centuries following the Babylonian Exile—lie in their approach to translation: within a typically literal rendering of a text, they incorporate extensive exegetical material, additions, and paraphrases. These alterations reveal important information about Second Temple Judaism, its interpretation of its bible, and its beliefs.

This remarkable survey introduces critical knowledge and insights that have emerged over the past sixty years, including targum manuscripts discovered this century and targums known in Aramaic but only recently translated into English. Prolific scholars Flesher and Chilton guide readers in understanding the development of the targums, their relationship to the Hebrew Bible, their dates, their language, their place in the history of Christianity and Judaism, and their theologies and methods of interpretation.

New Book Release: The Handy Presidents

2011-08-01T04:04:00.000-07:00

The Handy Presidents Answer Book by David L. Hudson, Jr.

Offering an engaging overview of the U.S. presidency and all past presidents, this valuable tome asks a variety of questions, from the trivial to the topical, that further expands one's understanding of America's highest office. With an intriguing range of questions about religious affiliations, unusual backgrounds, and tidbits of odd trivia--from "Which president killed a man in a duel?" to "Who was the first Baptist to become president?"--this reference also covers former presidential candidates, first ladies, key appointments, and election results. Revealing important answers to foreign policy questions and decisions made during times of war, as well as presidential actions in times of economic boom and bust, isolationism and expansion, and economic policies and unusual anecdotes, this fun and absorbing anthology provides a thorough overview of more than 200 years of U.S. presidents.

New Book Release: Winging It

2011-08-01T04:02:00.001-07:00

Winging It by Sandra Sookoo

Devlin Addams has recently returned home from Afghanistan. Haunted by memories that he survived the fighting while his buddies didn't, as well as chased by the knowledge his mom is crazy, he’s having trouble acclimating himself to civilian life. Now, armed with a dog and a therapist, he constantly battles the urge to end it all.

Lia Farry—because her Fae name is a mouthful—has tumbled into the Mortal Realm through the Veil between worlds by mysterious circumstances. Thrust into a new and harsh human existence, finding anything to be happy about is hard. If she can’t go home, she’ll have to make it work.

Forced to interact, Dev’s protective instincts kick in, but he’s unprepared for the onslaught of lust Lia represents. He wants a normal life but not at the expense of getting involved. Lia knows she soothes his torment yet she’s battling her own problems. Desiring Dev is a dangerous prospect. Add in a meddling Fae queen and suddenly life as they know it will change forever. Love is at stake. A leap of faith is all they have to depend on.

New Book Release: From Washington Avenue to Washington Street

2011-07-16T13:04:00.001-07:00

From Washington Avenue to Washington Street by Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff

From Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet, respected Torah scholar, prolific author, and beloved teacher, comes a beautifully written and fascinating scholarly memoir.

Beginning with his childhood on Washington Avenue in the Bronx, he writes candidly of growing up in a post-World War II world where Lithuanian Torah scholars were transplanted to the soil of twentieth-century America, of the ideological clashes between Hasidim, Mitnagdim, and the modern world, and of his personal encounters with dozens of well-known Jewish personalities – including his rebbe, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.

From the world of Yeshiva University, to aliyah to Israel, to becoming a key player in teaching Torah in the refusenik Russian community, Rabbi Rakeffet writes his well-researched memoirs with candor, tremendous insight, and a great deal of
humor. With the cancellation of the security clause, he is able to narrate the fascinating inside story of the covert emissaries sent behind the Iron Curtain.

New Book Release: My Prayer, Vol. 1

2011-07-16T13:02:00.001-07:00

My Prayer, Vol. 1 by Nissan Mindel

A new dimension to the daily prayers opens up with this modern commentary that has become a classic. Drawing upon a wide range of sources from Maimonides to the Chasidic masters, the author explains the deeper meanings of the morning, afternoon and evening prayers, the Grace After Meals, and the prayer before going to bed.

The Siddur, compiled by our Prophets and Sages, is both a tool with which we communicate our thoughts and feelings towards G-d and a text instructing us in the basic tenets of Judaism. When properly understood, it offers a wealth of ethical and moral teachings and sublime concepts.

New Book Release: Shaylee Druid's Staff

2011-07-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Shaylee Druid's Staff by Bret Jordan

As Shaylee faces the world on her own will she be able to do it and still hold on to her magic?

Without Gorm, Shaylee is lost and alone in a coastal city where her dryad magic is weak and her friends are few. It’s time to move on but can she still move on and keep her dryad powers, or will she be rooted to one spot by the ‘life oak’ that holds her magic?

New Book Release: Maaneh Lashon

2011-07-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

Maaneh Lashon by Eliyahu Touger, trans.

The second Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi DovBer, put together a collection of prayers to be said at the gravesite of his father, the first Chabad Rebbe. The text of this Maaneh Lashon is now recited when visiting the gravesite of the righteous.

New Book Release: Getting It Done

2011-07-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

Getting it Done: Experienced Healthcare Leaders Reveal Field-Tested Strategies for Clinical and Financial Success by Kenneth Cohn

Nothing is more valuable than experience. Overcoming a challenge builds skills, knowledge, and confidence.

This book shares the hard-earned lessons of healthcare leaders who removed roadblocks to clinical and financial excellence. Each chapter describes a real-life dilemma, distills the lessons learned, and provides step-by-step guidance. Use the strategies presented in this book to tackle similar challenges in your organization with greater speed, confidence, and success.

Physician engagement and collaboration are the common themes of these stories. Administrators, physicians, and nurses provide firsthand accounts of how they worked together to overcome obstacles and transform care for their communities.

New Book Release: And This is The Light

2011-07-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

And This is the Light by Lea Goldberg

And This Is the Light is the first and only English edition of Israeli author Lea Goldberg's only novel, Vehu Ha Or one of the first novels published in Hebrew by a woman (1946).

It is set in the summer of 1931, when twenty-year-old Nora Krieger returns to her small-town home in Lithuania from university in Berlin ready to present her new, mature self. Instead, her time at home becomes a period of unrequited love, difficult memories and introspection, when she must accept the limits imposed on her by a class-conscious, increasingly anti-Semitic society. And This Is the Light is a lyrical coming-of-age story by one of Israel's most important writers, beautifully translated to retain the clarity and elegance of the original.

New Book Release: House of Moon Dark

2011-07-16T12:39:00.001-07:00

House of Moon Dark by Crymsyn Hart

When a librarian meets her knight, her destiny is revealed.

Jan has spent her life among books until one night everything changes. She's dragged into the realm of fairy only to discover there are assassins after her because she is the next heir to the throne. She comes to trust her guide in the fey world, Corin.

As Jan learns more about her heritage, her affection for Corin grows. Sent on a quest to prove she is the rightful heir, Jan faces her worst enemies. Kidnapped and dragged to the enemy's castle, Jan must figure out a way to escape.

With enemies looming, Jan must look at options at hand. Her heart yearns for one man, but is it for the good of the kingdom? Who will she choose?

New Book Release: Nicky Fifth at the Jersey Shore

2011-06-01T08:55:00.001-07:00

Nicky Fifth at the Jersey Shore by Lisa Willever

The latest title in the acclaimed Nicky Fifth chapter books series, follow Nicky Fifth and T-Bone as they Explore the Jersey Shore. Set in real locations along the 127 mile coast, Nicky and T-Bone lead readers from beaches to boardwalks to water parks and lighthouses. Includes a Passport that readers can have stamped as they follow the boys' adventures...literally.

New Book Release: Doing Love Right

2011-06-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

Doing Love Right by Diana DeRicci

Trust when life knocks you to the ground and things look their worst, Fate has something better in store.

RJ Sommers has been dumped, his best friends have just tied the knot, and the final nail—his roommate’s lover just arrived from Texas to sweep him off his feet. Life just loves laughing at RJ. That is until Julian arrives.

Julian has been watching RJ, waiting for the chance to meet the vibrant entrepreneur. When RJ’s beau leaves for greener pastures, Julian takes the chance to crash a party RJ planned. When finding him in the crowd turns more into a rescue mission, Julian does what’s necessary to keep the other man from becoming a victim of an over-zealous suitor.

Discovering himself along the way through the love and support of his friends, RJ opens himself up to more than just the love of a new boyfriend. When he thinks life doesn’t like him anymore, something bigger and better than he’d ever dreamed is in store. If he can survive Julian’s persistence, his friend’s interference, and the loving affection of one yellow lab, he just might find more than he’s ever known his entire life.

New Book Release: The Charlie Factor

2011-04-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

The Charlie Factor by Diana DeRicci

One, recovering from near deadly injuries; the other, unaware of what he’s been missing in his life. What one man can do, may heal them both.

Charlie Baker is recovering, slowly. Nearly dying tends to make a man reflect on each day. Take into account that his injuries were caused by a premeditated murder attempt, and he certainly isn’t looking for a lover. He is barely welcoming to a friend unable to trust anyone, preferring to hide from the world hours and miles away from the memories.

Gregory Anders hadn’t intended to disturb the man in silent contemplation on the beach, but when his pup, Samson, takes matters out of his hands, he’s forced to at least apologize for his pet’s behavior. There’s no doubt for Gregory that Charlie could use a friend. Clearing the air up front that he isn’t gay helps Charlie to relax, allowing for the cautious beginning of a friendship.

Two men, both alone, for different reasons. What happens when friendship bears more? When support and affection turns into attraction?

Do you take the chance of a lifetime, for the love a lifetime?

New Book Release: The Passover Haggadah

2011-04-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

The Passover Haggadah by Rabbi Yosef Marcus

Year after year we gather with family and friends for the traditional Passover Seder and reading of the Haggadah. Often times, the meaning behind the myriad of details accompanying the seder are lost to us as we make our way through the Four Questions, the four cups of wine, the matzoh and the bitter herbs and read the ancient words of the Haggadah.

In the new Passover Haggadah layer after layer of meaning is uncovered as the dynamic text provides meaning and inspiration culled from all levels of Torah interpretation.

In addition, a powerful message of immediate relevancy to our own lives is fleshed out and presented in an engaging and moving way.

Compiled by well-known author and translator Rabbi Yosef Marcus, the volume gives the reader a comprehensive and fundamental understanding of the Seder and the festival of Passover. Anthologized from hundreds of commentators, classic to obscure, the commentary is crowned with the insights culled from the classic Haggadah of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Set in elegant, two-color type with lively, original artwork, and printed in a deluxe gift edition, the Haggadah sets a new standard for beauty, clarity, comprehensiveness and relevance.

The new Haggadah will sparkle on your Seder Table and will be the subject of conversation of friends and family as the beauty of Passover and its eternal messages come alive in this monumental work.

New Book Release: Staying the Course

2011-04-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

Staying the Course

This work is a collection of discourses by the Chabad Rebbes on the unique bond that exists between Rebbe and Chasid that continues after the Rebbe`s passing.

Discussing various ways through which the chasid can continue to nurture and renew this bond, the discourses presented here speak to the seasoned Chasid as well as those newly introduced to the Rebbe and his teachings.

New Book Release: Torah Studies

2011-04-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

Torah Studies by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

A Torah discourse of the Lubavitcher Rebbe usually revolves around a question, sometimes seemingly microscopictension serving as a point of departure for the Rebbe`s discussion. To hear or read such a discussion is to embark on a journey in which we are challenged and forced to move, and at the end stand far from where we began.

Here, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, serves as guide to that journey, elucidating the question in each discourse and explaining its context. In this collection of lucid adaptations of the Rebbe`s talks on the weekly Torah readings and Jewish holidays, each question is not only resolved but also revealed to be the starting point of a major spiritual search, a journey to the inner sanctum of Torah.

With descriptive introductions to each chapter and extensive indexes, Torah Studies is an important gateway to the Rebbe`s teaching and legacy.

New Book Release: The Handy Science Answer Book

2011-04-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

The Handy Science Answer Book by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Presenting a fun and educational way to explore the wonders of the world of science, this newly updated edition poses and answers 2,200 questions, providing an abundance of original and interesting science facts. Children and adults will uncover some of the most interesting, unusual, and quirky science curiosities such as: Are cell phones dangerous to your health? Is the same strain of yeast used to make different types of beer? What is the cleanest fossil fuel? What is the largest invertebrate? Readers will find this informative and enjoyable resource is chock full of hundreds of intriguing science and technology topics, from the inner workings of the human body and outer space to math, computers, planes, trains, and automobiles.

New Book Release: The Handy Physics Answer Book

2011-03-01T02:30:00.000-08:00

The Handy Physics Answer Book by Paul W. Zitzewitz

Eschewing the usual mathematical explanations for physics phenomena, this approachable reference explains complicated scientific concepts in plain English that everyone can understand.

Completely updated to tackle the big issues such as gravity, magnetism, sound, and what really happens in the Large Hadron Collider, this engaging look at physics also spells out why cats always land on their feet, why people appear to have red eyes in photographs, and the real danger of looking at an eclipse. For everyone who ever wondered how a light bulb works or how squirrels avoid electrocution on the power lines, this handbook supplies answers on the physics of everyday life and examines the developments in the exploration of subatomic particles. In addition to the question-and-answer section, an addendum of facts about physicists explains what the Nobel prize is and who has won it, and tells the story of the scientist who was incarcerated for agreeing with Copernicus.

New Book Release: The Arrest and Liberation of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi

2011-01-01T10:05:00.001-08:00

The Arrest and Liberation of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi by Rabbi A. Chanoch Glitzenstein

Charged with the grave crime of treason, the founder of Chabad- Lubavitch Chassidism was arrested and imprisoned by the Czarist regime in the year 1798. The charges were the result of a malicious slander brought before the government by his opponents. His only "crimes" were his selfless efforts to strengthen the Jewish people and to disseminate Chassidic teachings. Rabbi Schneur Zalman`s arrest imperiled not only his own life, but also the future of Chassidism. Ultimately he was cleared of the charges and released, his teachings vindicated. The day of his liberation, the 19th of Kislev, has since become recognized as a historic milestone in the development of the Chassidic movement.

New Book Release: The Handy Psychology Answer Book

2011-01-01T09:58:00.001-08:00

The Handy Psychology Answer Book by Lisa Cohen

Famous psychologists -- Freud, Jung, Adler, Erickson -- were once known to almost everyone and there was a time that basic psychological ideas permeated the popular culture.

Ever since then, psychology has become either all entertainment with little substance or pure substance but dryly academic. This book incorporates the best of both approaches. It provides real substance in an accessible, engaging and entertaining way.

Featuring more than 800 answers to questions of how the human mind and the science of psychology really work, this fascinating discussion gives you the real facts of modern psychology along with fun factoids and thought provoking insights into what motivates our behavior.

The Handy Psychology Book covers the fundamentals of psychology, the history of psychology, plus the psychology of money, sex, morality and everyday living. This intriguing exploration gives insight into the current science of the mind by answering questions such as What makes a marriage last? Why do toddlers have temper tantrums? and Are people happier in wealthier countries?

New Book Release: Feminine Faith

2010-12-01T07:08:00.000-08:00

Feminine Faith by Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn

When the Jews served the golden calf during their sojourn in the wilderness, says the Midrash, the woman refused to join them. Feminine Faith traces the roots of the feminine within the supernal realms, and explores its relationship to woman and how it translated into their aversion for unholy and ungodly worship. Why are woman more sensitive than men to G-ds role in earthly events and His mastery over creation? In this discourse, Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn, fourth leader of Chabad Lubavitch (1834-1882), explores G-ds unity and immanence in the world, and the innate sensitivity that woman posses to spirituality.

New Book Release: Full Devotion

2010-12-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

Full Devotion by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson

Referred to as a landmark discourse, delivered by the Rebbe barely two years after ascending to the leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch, this discourse is perhaps unique among all of the Rebbe`s teachings in the sense that its message required a retooling of our conception of divine service. It discusses the self-satisfaction that might result from our love and awe of G-d, and that contemplating the fact that our days upon earth need to be utilized to the fullest serves to remove any such feelings of satisfaction.

Even without having been present, the reader can sense the immeasurable devotion emanating from the mind and heart of a true servant of G-d, as he charges us with the task of continuously choosing to look beyond ourselves, with FULL DEVOTION, to see G-d`s love for us, which in turn, will make us successful in loving and serving him.

New Book Release: Jewish Living

2010-09-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

Jewish Living: A Guide to Contemporary Reform Practice by Mark Washofsky

This definitive guide for Reform Jewish practice is a complete source for those who wish to incorporate Jewish practice into their everyday life. Mark Washofsky, a highly respected professor at Hebrew Union College, leads the reader to an understanding of the whole of Jewish life-from blessings to bar/bat mitzvah, Havdalah to haftarah, and tikkun olam to tikkun Leil Shavuot. This user-friendly compendium for living a Jewish life is a wonderful tool for those seeking an understanding of current Reform Jewish practice.

New Book Release: Real Monsters

2010-09-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters, and Beasts from the Darkside by Brad Steiger

Spotlighting news articles, historical accounts, and first-person interviews, this chronicle of human interactions with monsters will convince even the most hardened skeptic of the existence of the bogeyman, bigfoot, werewolves, and swamp creatures. Offering an array of wild reports—from the police officer who begrudgingly responded to a call about a long-haired woman flying over a suburban neighborhood only to find himself calling for backup when she attacked his patrol car to the motorist whose headlights illuminated a seven-foot tall, wolf-like creature that stood on its hind legs—this historical record highlights scary and unbelievable narratives. From slightly demented humans to spine-tingling paranormal encounters, each outlandish occurrence is detailed with thorough research and recounted with a storyteller's crafted voice.

New Book Release: The Vampire Book

2010-09-01T04:12:00.000-07:00

The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead, 3rd Edition by J. Gordon Melton

Death and immortality, sexual prowess and surrender, intimacy and alienation, rebellion and temptation. The allure of the vampire is eternal. The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead, 3rd edition, explores the historical, literary, mythological, biographical, and popular aspects of one of the world's most mesmerizing paranormal subject. This vast reference is an alphabetical tour of the psychosexual, macabre world of the soul-sucking undead.

In the first fully revised and updated edition in a decade, Dr. J. Gordon Melton (president of the American chapter of the Transylvania Society of Dracula) bites even deeper into vampire lore, myths, reported realities, and legends that come from all around the world. From Vlad the Impaler to Dracula and from modern literature to movies and TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, Twilight, and The Vampire Lestat, this exhaustive guide furnishes more than 400 essays to quench your thirst for facts, biographies, definitions, and more.

New Book Release: The Five-Year Party

2010-08-13T02:50:00.001-07:00

The Five-Year Party by Craig Brandon

Colleges look much the same as they did five or ten years ago, but a lot has changed behind the scenes. While some mixture of study and play has always been part of college life, an increasing number of schools have completely abandoned the idea that students need to learn or demonstrate that they've learned. Financial pressures have made college administrations increasingly reluctant to flunk anyone out, regardless of performance, although the average length of time to get a degree is now five years, and for many students it's six or more. Student evaluations of professors—often linked to promotion and tenure decisions—have made professors realize that applying tough standards, or any standards, only hurts their own career progress. For many professors, it's become easier and more rewarding to focus on giving entertaining lectures and to give everyone reasonably good grades.

The worst of these schools are the "subprime" colleges, where performance standards and accountability have been completely abandoned. Students enjoy a five year party with minimal responsibilities while their parents pay the bills. These schools' investment decisions (first-class gyms and dining centers) are all geared to attracting students that want to have a good time, and their brochures all emphasize the fun aspects of the college experience—there are very few pictures of students actually studying or in class. And after graduation, former students are frequently unable to find work in their chosen fields, thanks to their school’s reputation with employers, and unable to afford the payments on sizable student loans.

The subprime colleges, which "teach" a significant percentage of college students, are only the tip of the iceberg. All colleges, even the most elite, have moved in this direction to some extent. If you are a parent sending your child to college, "The Five-Year Party" will give you critical information you need about what is really happening at your child's college, and what you can do to ensure help your child gets a real education.

New Book Release: Writing Readable Research

2010-08-13T02:45:00.000-07:00

Writing Readable Research by Beverly Lewin

Writing Readable Research analyses scientific writing in English for non-native and native speakers. The Introduction looks at different layers of constraints in scientific writing in English including grammatical and semantic rules, register, style, rhetoric, textual cohesion, social amenities, mode, field and genre. Section I covers the grammatical and sentential structures relevant to scientific genres and those that pose problems for non-native speakers. It explains the function of the relevant tenses, of voice, and conditional clauses and how "grammatical" and syntactic facets interact with rhetorical choices. Section II looks at problems common to novice writers, whether non-native or native English speakers, including neglect of the paragraph as an organizing unit, superfluous words and phrases, monotonous sentence structure and inappropriateness for the intended readership. Many writers who have been taught "academic English" still find themselves unable to cope with "scientific English" and the final section of the book discusses how to analyze various scientific genres, such as journal articles, oral presentations, abstracts, professional letters and grant proposals. This section also covers the usually neglected area of interpersonal relations in the scientific discourse community. How do we handle sensitive issues such as criticizing other researchers and advancing one's own claims?

New Book Review: I Loved My Mother On Saturdays

2010-07-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

"I Loved My Mother On Saturdays" and Other Tales from the Shtetl and Beyond by Roslyn Bresnick-Perry

From Roslyn Bresnick-Perry's childhood in the shtetl to her immigration to New York and life into adulthood with a career in the fashion industry, this book cannot simply be considered a collection of short autobiographical stories, or even a transcript of the dynamic family history she has been relating orally to audiences for decades. Written mostly in the first person, which gives the reader a feeling like she is right there in your living room, a few major themes of Bresnick-Perry's stories include adventures in adjusting to Jewish life in America and ups and downs in her relationship with her mother (as illustrated in the book's title). As the captivated reader will discover once the author admits it to herself, the author's life is storytelling, which she eventually decides to make into her real career, and a very successful one it is. Recommended for all types of Jewish libraries.

New Book Review: jobnik!

2010-07-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

jobnik! by Miriam Libicki

jobnik!, a compilation of the first six issues of graphic artist Miriam Libicki’s self-published comic series, captivates the reader with the story of an American girl’s adventures in the Israeli army during the 2000 Intifada (which appears to have been based on her own army experiences). Miriam does not quite fit into the mold of your “typical” chayelet—quiet, emotional, and forever romantic, but a good girl at heart—as well as still trying to find her place in life religiously and socially. Miriam’s storytelling style is honest and real and draws the reader in from the very first panel. This memoir is unique in that it is one of only a handful of Jewish-themed graphic novels in publication, but a format which hopefully other writers will take note of. The illustrations bring the reader into the story much more than simply putting words on a page can and they truly feel like they are experiencing it there with her. Highly recommended for all types of Jewish libraries in the adult section.

New Book Review: The Blessing of a Broken Heart

2010-07-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Blessing of a Broken Heart by Sherri Mandel

Sherri Mandell was just another writer and mom trying to find meaning and happiness for herself and her family after making aliyah when in 2001 the unthinkable happened: her oldest child, 13-year-old Koby, was murdered by terrorists only half a mile from their home in Tekoa. With an amazing gift of eloquence and unshakeable faith in God, Mandell weaves stories of Koby's life together with musings on the powers of healing and religion in order to try to make some sense of the tragedy. Highly recommended for all types of libraries.

New Book Review: Approaching an Auschwitz Survivor

2010-07-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

Approaching an Auschwitz Survivor: Holocaust Testimony and its Transformations by Jurgen Matthaus, ed.

Approaching an Auschwitz Survivor takes a unique approach to understanding the Holocaust. Instead of simply compiling stories of many survivors, this book takes the testimony of one survivor, Helen "Zippi" Tichauer, and has it analyzed by Holocaust scholars who have known her personally. Zippi's detailed testimony covers over fifty years, from her time in Auschwitz to meeting and marrying her husband in a DP camp, surviving the war and making a new life for herself in New York, but at the same time making sure that her story would never be forgotten. Five scholars who have interviewed Zippi independently of each other analyze different aspects of her story: order, death, and survival in Auschwitz, comparative humane aspects of camp life, translating and transforming Zippi's first testimony dating back to 1946, postwar Jewish life, and the role of survivors for classroom teaching. These scholars have put together a fascinating read about not only how survivor testimony better helps in the understanding of the Holocaust itself, but delving into the deeper meaning of collecting testimonies and their value in history. Highly recommended for all types of libraries.

New DVD Review: Circumcise Me

2010-07-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Circumcise Me: The Comedy of Yisrael Campbell

Yisrael (born Chris) Campbell has a life story that seems perfect for a stand-up comedian: born in Philadelphia to an ex-nun and a Catholic teacher but still searching for spirituality, Chris captivates audiences with his fascinating journey from alcohol- and drug-addicted Catholic teenager to Jewish adult, going through Reform, Conservative and Orthodox conversions and finally becoming "Yisrael" and moving to Israel. This DVD intersperses bits of Campbell's comedy act with interviews of himself and his father about his upbringing, conversion and aliyah, marriage, parenthood, the second Intifada, and Jewish and Israeli life in general. His humor is universal and is likely to appeal to all types of audiences. A great addition to Jewish collections containing DVDs.

New Book Review: The Jews of West Point

2010-07-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Jews of West Point in the Long Gray Line by Lewis L. Zickel

The United States Military Academy at West Point, the institution which trains leaders of the American Army, is not a place one may think has much of a Jewish presence. Small in number (fewer than nine hundred alumni) since West Point's inception in 1802, the now-late Colonel Lewis Zickel writes in the first part of The Jews of West Point in the Long Gray Line about the history of Jews in the military. The impact has been tremendous that Jews have made on the Army as a whole, which is known to insiders as being very accepting of its Jewish members, and being part of a tiny minority has influenced their own religious outlook as well. Zickel tells his own story in the second part of the book, what led him to join the Army at the time of the Korean War and how he helped create the West Point Jewish Chapel. Mostly positive memories from Jewish West Point graduates of their time there make up the final part of the book, relating how the Chapel's activities brought its members together into a close and active group, even after graduation, and played a part in bringing some of them closer to Judaism. West Point graduate Steve Rotkoff summed it up best: "Judaism made me a better officer and the Army made me a better Jew." Highly recommended for all types of libraries.

New Book Release: AutoCAD 2010 3D Modeling Essentials

2010-07-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

AutoCAD 2010 3D Modeling Essentials by Munir Hamad

AutoCAD® is a premier PC-based drafting tool that has been used by millions of engineers, draftsmen, project managers, and engineering students since its inception in 1982. AutoCAD 2010 3D Modeling Essentials provides new and seasoned users with simple step-by-step procedures on how to create and modify 3D models, set up cameras and lights, assign materials to objects, render, and print. Use the DVD to set up drawing exercises, view all of the book’s figures in full color, and draw with a trial version of AutoCAD 2010. Forty-five exercises throughout the book simulate the creation of a full real-world project from concept to completion, without overlooking any of the fundamental commands and functions of AutoCAD® 2010.

New Book Release: What We See

2010-05-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

What We See: Advancing the Observations of Jane Jacobs

What We See refreshes Jane Jacobs' economic, social and urban planning theories for the present day. More than thirty renowned pundits and practitioners combine their personal observations with meditations on Jacobs' insights for the living city.

The book models itself after Jacobs' collaborative approach to city and community building, asking citizens and niche specialists to share their knowledge with each other. What We See asks us all to join the conversation about next steps for shaping socially just, environmentally friendly, and economically prosperous communities.

New Book Release: Transportation

2010-03-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

Transportation: A Supply Chain Perspective by John Coyle

Delivering comprehensive coverage of current domestic and global transportation trends, TRANSPORTATION: A SUPPLY CHAIN PERSPECTIVE, 7e helps readers understand both the fundamental role and importance of transportation in companies and in society, as well as the complex environment in which transportation service is provided today. The book takes a managerial approach from both the shipper's and carrier's perspective to provide readers with a thorough overview that examines domestic and international transportation systems and their legal issues.

New Book Release: The Divine Commandments

2010-03-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Divine Commandments by Nissan Mindel

The philosophical and mystical significance of the Mitzvot - the Divine precepts of the Torah - are succinctly explained in this classic essay by a distinguished author and scholar of Chasidism.

Divine Commandments provides insight into the power of tangible deed as a means of bringing life and Divine benevolence into the physical world, this brief work answers many basic questions about man and G-d.

New Book Review: Delivery From Darkness

2010-03-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

Delivery From Darkness by Rabbi Baruch and Michal Finkelstein

After writing books about pregnancy and infertility, the Finkelsteins' Delivery From Darkness may be the first book of its kind, which is about postpartum depression (PPD), a disease that is little-known in general and even less talked about within the context of Judaism. It includes personal anecdotes from couples afflicted with PPD ranging from mild to psychotic, explanations of symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment options, as well as a chapter detailing how birth control is used halachically in situations of PPD and a chapter on PPD from the husband's perspective. Another section talks about dealing with PPD and depression/mental health in general within Jewish law and in the Jewish community—it's interesting to note that the chesed that is common in Jewish circles after a member has a baby, such as cooking meals and offers to help out with the other children, is something that is recommended in general as an effective treatment to reduce or eliminate milder cases of PPD. Highly recommended for all types of Jewish libraries.

New Book Review: Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me

2010-03-15T00:25:00.000-07:00

Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me by Lisa Fineberg Cook

When her brand-new husband takes self-described Jewish American Princess Lisa Fineberg Cook from the comforts of posh Los Angeles to live in Nagoya, Japan, the dream of an exotic adventure quickly changes to frustration as she deals all at once with missing her old life and friends, the feeling of being different in a foreign culture, and the new lifestyle of marriage itself. Slowly, though, Lisa learns to become the wife she hoped she could be while finally fitting into this new world and making it feel like home.

Readers of this book will either love it or hate it: this is chick-lit at its finest and an engaging, enjoyable read. However, if you are looking to learn more about Japan's culture and language, or anything related to Judaism for that matter, not much will be found here – and most of the few references to either contained in the book are not even explained. Although the book's title is clever and attempts to convey the theme of Cook's time in Japan, it is a whinefest from beginning to end filled with clichés about L.A. princesses. Cook does become somewhat domesticated during the year and touches on a few real issues in the book like the treatment of women in the Japanese culture, but the end didn't find her much closer to being "de-J.A.P.-ed" than the beginning. A cute memoir, but not necessary for specifically Jewish collections.

New Book Review: Good For the Jews

2010-03-15T00:23:00.000-07:00

Good For the Jews by Debra Spark

Award-winning novelist Debra Spark's Good for the Jews centers around Ellen Hirschorn, a young Jewish woman living in Madison, Wisconsin. The book has everything needed in a good novel: mystery, suspense, romance, politics and humor, all based on the story of the Book of Esther. Ellen (Esther) is an orphan who lives with Mose (Mordechai), her much-older cousin and guardian. Their lives get tangled up in anti-Semitism when Mose, an unconventional high school teacher, gets into a confrontation with the new principal, Hyman (Haman), which is further complicated by Ellen's relationship with Alex (Achashverosh), the Superintendent of Schools who also happens to be her boss Valerie (Vashti)'s ex-husband. Although many creative liberties were taken as far as details staying true to the "original", Spark's update was well-written and reflects that the familiar story of good vs. evil still holds true today. Recommended for libraries with Jewish fiction collections.

New Book Review: We Plan, God Laughs

2010-01-04T01:15:00.000-08:00

We Plan, God Laughs: What to Do When Life Hits You Over the Head by Sherre Hirsch

It happens to all of us: as much as we dream of and plan how we want our lives to turn out at each stage, there will always be something getting in the way. Using an outline of ten steps, Rabbi Hirsch can help to change one's way of thinking of these life goals from a perspective of "it's the end of the world if things don't go my way" to one of faith in God, finding His presence in everything, and knowledge that He will guide everyone on the right path for them. These suggestions include being flexible in expectations while still being true to yourself, holding yourself in as high esteem as God does, and taking charge of life instead of passively living it. Hirsch's blend of examples from the Torah and practical Judaism with modern wit make this book hard to put down. Recommended for all types of Jewish libraries.

New Book Release: Marriage and Metaphor

2009-10-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

Marriage and Metaphor: Constructions of Gender in Rabbinic Literature by Gail Labovitz

Marriage and Metaphor argues that the dominant model by which rabbis and rabbinic culture construct marriage and gender relations in marriage is through a metaphor of property and ownership: women are ownable and marriage is a purchase/acquisition. The most distinctive feature of this work is its methodology, which is unique in bringing metaphor theory, cognitive approaches to language and thought, and feminist linguistics (as well as many of the well-established approaches to the reading of rabbinic texts) to the studies of gender and rabbinic literature. Beginning with the statement at the opening of Mishnah Kiddushin (1:1), "A woman is acquired (in marriage)...by money, by document, or by sexual intercourse," and using other similar examples of commercial language applied to marriage across the rabbinic canon, Labovitz amply demonstrates that rabbis regularly use information from the realm of property and commercial transactions to structure their understanding of and their reasoning (legal and otherwise) about marriage and gender relations.

New Book Release: You Are What You Hate

2009-09-30T23:39:00.000-07:00

You Are What You Hate: A Spiritually Productive Approach To Enemies by Sarah Yehudit Schneider

Enemies hold fallen slivers of our souls, estranged sparks that we do not recognize as pieces of our very own selves. They have chosen us as their opponent because they are trying, in their deluded way, to connect back to their root, which really is us. The spark of ourselves inside the enemy must be recovered… We cannot complete our life mission until we have collected all the scattered pieces of ourselves, including those currently embedded within our enemy’s soul. The question becomes: How do we both protect ourselves and reclaim our sparks? What is the most spiritually productive way to succeed at this paradoxical mission?

The text at the heart of these teachings was written in the early 19th century by the great kabbalist and chassidic master R’ Yitzchak Yehuda Yechiel Safron, the Komarna Rebbe. It is the fruit of his personal struggle to find the most spiritually productive attitude toward his own detractors… A truly enlightened strategy requires us to find the right balance between self-protection and generosity, protest and acceptance, savvy and idealism, zero-tolerance-for-evil and compassion. The Komarna Rebbe uses the kabbala for his guidance. He pulls these lofty teachings down into real life and presents us with practical instructions for how to solve this ancient and universal dilemma.

New Book Release: Law & Order

2009-09-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Unofficial Companion by Randee Dawn and Susan Green

The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Unofficial Companion is a comprehensive guide covering all 10 seasons (including the current 2008−2009 season) and will include a synopsis and an objective analysis for each episode, as well as commentaries or recollections from the people involved in crafting the one-hour tale. It goes after the heart of SVU through interviews with actors, writers, producers, casting agents, location scouts and others. Moreover, the authors peek behind the scenes of the bicoastal operation, observing the progress of an entire episode shot in New York City and a script fine-tuned in Los Angeles. The book provides fascinating insight, delighting SVU devotees who love on-screen and backstage trivia. In addition, creator Dick Wolf offers readers a gripping foreword to the book.

New Book Release: Path to Selflessness

2009-09-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

Path to Selflessness by Shmuel Simpson

The Path to Selflessness is a discourse delivered by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of blessed memory, on the eve of the fast of the tenth of Tevet 5738(1977).

At the time, the rebbe was recuperating from a heart attack he had suffered on the night of Shemini Atzeret, and would periodically deliver addresses from his office at Lubavitch World Headquarters, by way of a special hookup system, to the main synagogue. This was the last of these unique addresses, as he subsequently returned to his regular schedule.

Beginning with the words Yehuda Atah, the discourse examines the blessing which Yaakov blessed his fourth son, Yehuda, as compared to the blessings he gave his first three sons, Reuven, Shimon and Levi. Yaakov's sons embody distinctive forms of divine service, which correspond to distinct sections of the prayers of Shema and the Amidah. Using these distinctions, the discourse further derives lessons about the bond between the individual Jewish soul and G-d.

New Book Release: Posts Along the Way

2009-08-02T05:25:00.000-07:00

Posts Along the Way by Gil Student

What is this blog thing you keep hearing about? Posts Along The Way is an adaptation of the Torah teachings on the popular Hirhurim-Musings blog. In this book, learn about the halachah and hashkafah of shuls in the quick and enlightening blog format. Take a guided tour of the sources and see how they are relevant to the Judaism you live and experience.

Topics include how prayer works, talking in shuls, who can be a rabbi - a ba'al teshuvah? a convert? a woman?, shuls and megachurches, women's prayer groups, mechitzah and much more.

Hirhurim-Musings is an award-winning blog that has been mentioned in The Wall Street Journal, The Jewish Press and other media outlets.

New Book Release: Light in the Closet

2009-06-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

Light in the Closet by Arthur Goldberg

Can homosexuals transform their sexuality? Torah, Talmud and time-tested advances in gender psychology answer YES! The Co-Director of JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality) tells how. This groundbreaking book explodes the "gay gene" mystique, offering hope, compassion, direction and vitally needed information to gay strugglers, their families, friends, and surrounding community.

My life in a nutshell!

2009-06-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to be picked by my elementary school's alumni coordinator who was doing a page for their website on alumni with unusual careers/life experiences!

EHA Alumni

New CD Review: Neshama Carlebach

2009-06-09T00:51:00.001-07:00

One and One by Neshama Carlebach

Neshama Carlebach, best known for being the daughter of singer Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and the “duets” mixed after his passing, has released another winner with One and One, her sixth album and her first in English. Neshama’s amazing vocal range and versatility in song styles from pop to rock to jazz make her appealing to many types of audiences, and with this latest effort has proved that she is just as amazing in English as audiences have known for years that she is in Hebrew. Recommended for all types of Jewish libraries.

New Book Review: There Must Be a Better Way

2009-06-09T00:50:00.000-07:00

There Must Be a Better Way: Life Coaching Strategies for Successful Living by Yossi Ives

The title of the book says it all: life coach Yossi Ives gives advice on making life better in all of its aspects, including improving your attitude, dealing with different kinds of people effectively from bosses to children, controlling stress and finances, and finding happiness. Although not many books have been written about life coaching from a Jewish perspective, when one thinks about it, the values are really all the same: what type of person you become being based on your actions is a concept taken straight from the Torah. The book's message of developing the motivation to take action instead of just complaining about life is refreshing and truly inspiring. Highly recommended for all types of Jewish libraries.

New Book Review: The Shidduch Crisis

2009-06-09T00:49:00.000-07:00

The Shidduch Crisis: Causes and Cures by Michael J. Salamon

A must-read for singles, parents of singles and shadchanim, The Shidduch Crisis explores in-depth the reasons the “singles problem” has gotten so out of control in the past generation or so. The book talks about a value system gone horribly wrong in some Orthodox communities and overprotection of children leading to more divorces than ever, but also gives suggestions how dating in the religious world can get back on track. For those people who choose to ignore the advice given in the book, the appendix even includes the “right” answers to all the ridiculous questions shadchanim ask these days! Recommended for libraries with an Orthodox readership.

New Book Review: Hamas in Politics

2009-06-09T00:48:00.000-07:00

Hamas in Politics: Democracy, Religion, Violence by Jeroen Gunning

An in-depth look at the internal structure and reasoning behind Hamas and what it stands for, author Jeroen Gunning’s impressive research includes many interviews with Hamas members as well as Hamas critics. He even spends time living in Gaza in order to understand the ideologies and political views that have caused decades of warfare and terror. Although a thorough analysis, as always when dealing with this type of subject, it would be a good idea for the Jewish readership to take with a grain of salt since it is yet to be determined if there is truly a way to report in a completely non-biased way.

New Book Release: The Broadband Connection

2009-06-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Broadband Connection: The Art of Delivering a Winning IT Presentation by Alan Carroll

It’s no secret that many IT professionals hate presenting and are often very bad at it. Focusing on technical details and speaking in monotone, they can quickly lose their audiences’ attention and interest. Effective presentation skills are critical to the careers of IT professionals and the proper utilization of corporate resources.

The Broadband Connection will show IT professionals how to become articulate, effective and persuasive speakers, no matter how difficult the information being disseminated.

In The Broadband Connection, author and expert Alan Carroll, a transpersonal psychologist who has helped thousands of IT professionals worldwide evolve from nervous, insecure speakers into savvy, successful presenters, offers his proven strategies in this fresh and innovative step-by-step guidebook. Utilizing language and principles specific to the IT industry, the author teaches vital presentation skills in a familiar language the reader can identify with and understand. This book provides the tools to unleash the graceful speaker hidden inside every IT professional.

How We Index: Then and Now

2009-04-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

This article considers the indexing processes of yesterday and today, and the history of indexing technologies.

The topic of ‘how we index’ – indexing processes of yesterday and today and the history of indexing technologies – is something that I have found fascinating to research. The first known book on indexing in modern times, Henry B. Wheatley’s 1902 classic How to make an index, is most likely ahead of its time in its descriptions of ‘good indexers’ and ‘bad indexers’ when considering how little-acknowledged at the time the importance was of including indexes in books. He includes indexing rules that are still in use today, such as not starting an entry with an unimportant word such as ‘the’, avoiding haphazard double-posting and cross-referencing, taking alphabetization beyond (as was then common practice) just the first two or three letters, avoiding separation into several indexes, and using subheadings with care.

However, it is also apparent from reading this book that back then, some of the rules that are standard in indexing today were not yet established. One of the first ‘indexing rules’ that I remember learning was not to try to rewrite the book in the index; good index entries should contain as few words as possible, aimed at pointing the reader in the right direction. Yet, in Wheatley’s own index as well as the ones he uses as examples throughout the text, entries are not condensed in any way, even using complete sentences in many cases. And while one of Wheatley’s ‘established’ rules is that only word-by-word alphabetization is correct, today, whether word-by-word or letter-by-letter alphabetization is to be used is not something that is standardized among all publishers/authors.

Fast-forward to 1979, when indexing as a profession was starting to be legitimized and standard ‘indexing rules’ were being put in place. In G. Norman Knight’s book Indexing, the art of, a couple of process descriptions are given, which are very similar to the ones described in Wheatley’s book:

Compiling an index necessitates the preparation of a number of entries, which in their final form must be either typewritten or very legibly handwritten in ink. Several different methods of recording them are in use, but probably 90 per cent of indexers today use either index cards or ‘slips’. The size usually preferred is 5 x 3 in. Two further kinds of equipment are essential. The first is a container in which to hold the cards (or slips) while in use on one’s desk. For this a wooden tray, with sides shallower than the slips or cards, is best. The other necessity of at least twenty-four guide-cards, marked (on a projecting surface) with the letters of the alphabet – X, Y and Z on the bought version usually come together on the same guide-card. It has long been my practice to use cards rather than slips and to type on them all headings and subheadings in the first reference in each case, adding any further references in ink. Another method of recording entries is by the use of gummed sheets of paper, perforated throughout their length at intervals of two or three inches. Each item is written or typed on its own perforated strip. When the indexing is completed and double-checked, the strips are separated at their perforations and sorted alphabetically, and then the gummed strips are mounted on quarto rough paper, ready for the printer. The use of a notebook – preferably loose-leaf – is one of the earliest methods of recording the entries for an index. But it lacks the flexibility of cards or slips and that it could not be expected to work well for a large index, or one involving many sub-subheadings.

To get some anecdotes on the topic of indexing methods of today, I interviewed longtime indexers Mike Bennett, Ellen Chapman, Linda Hallinger, Pam Rider, Barbara Roos and Kamm Schreiner. They come from a variety of backgrounds and I learned a lot from speaking with them!

Shoshana: Hi, everyone! So, when did you all start indexing? What technologies were available at the time?

Pam: I began indexing as the sole production/editorial staff of a small academic publishing company. Eventually, a title arrived that the authors did not wish to index. The boss kept saying, ‘Pam will do the index.’ And I kept saying, ‘There are professional indexers who do that.’ Of course, my boss won. We followed APA style, with Chicago as a backup source. I did my first index based on preferences as a devoted index user. No one had to tell me not to have a long string of undifferentiated locators. ‘Technology’ was electric typewriters and index cards. Like today, mental processes and human evaluation were really the most important aspects of creating indexes.

Linda: I started filing slips for my mom in the 1960s, but I did not begin indexing on a full-time basis until 1977. We used regular-sized sheets of paper (8.5 x 11 in) that had perforations that divided the page into 10 sections. We would type each entry into its own section. At the end of the day we would then have to separate the sections and begin to file them. Growing up, filing those slips was my first job, paying 1 cent per inch of slips that I filed, generally down to the third letter. Then, once the slips were completely filed, the whole index had to be retyped. My best typing speed at that time was about 100 pages a day, so I could spend most of a week on a long index – and then we just put the index pages into the mail. I guess things were working on a different time frame, but at least there were not so many of those frustrating last-minute revisions. Our technologies consisted of our IBM typewriters (although I did do a couple of years of indexing on a manual typewriter too), perforatedindexing paper, soda boxes with 24 divisions for filing (a couple had to get doubled up), and assorted boxes for holding the slips of paper. We made the transition to computers and CINDEX software in 1991. Our mother–daughter collaboration continued for nearly 30 years, until my mom retired from indexing after 62 years and I took over the business.

Mike: Reminds me of my index training in about the same period on a publisher’s indexing staff. We dictated our lines on dictabelt machines. The typist pool (‘the girls’) typed them on specially ordered heavy paper that fed into the typewriters from a roll. The paper was perforated at about 4 inch intervals. Another department separated and alphabetized the slips and they were returned to us for revision. Sometime in the mid-1970s this operation was revolutionized. (It was about the same time that computers replaced the linotype machines.) Our dictation was ‘inputted’ by special IBM terminals, and sent to an outside vendor for sorting. It was returned to us as a ‘printout’. We ‘marked up’ changes which somebody else transferred to the IBM data. Seemed pretty snazzy at the time.

Ellen: In 1968 part of my first professional librarian job was to index periodicals for a quarterly bibliography. We used pre-printed index cards, filled in the info by hand and alphabetized the cards each day. A typist merged the cards from several librarians each quarter and typed it all onto master sheets that were photo-reproduced for the publication. In 1991–92 when laptops were beyond my budget, I lived in a developing country with erratic electricity. I indexed a year’s worth of a newspaper on microfilm, using a hand-crank portable microfilm reader (when the electricity was on). Suitcase space was tight, so I brought 3 x 5 in notepads of thin paper and used both sides for handwritten indexing. Tedious, but there was not much else to do there. Also tedious was keyboarding the thousands of entries to produce the index when I returned to the United States.

Shoshana: How did the popularity of typewriters/word processors/computers/the Internet change the way you index, including average time worked on each project and editing your indexes? How about the advent of indexing software programs?

Linda: As an example of the slower pre-computer pace, we used to have editors write us letters, asking if we were available for a project. We would reply by mail, and then would eventually receive the project by mail or eventually UPS. When doing the pre-computer indexing, the final retyping of the index could take several days, but this was also a way of doing a final check on the index. Losing that review time was a big adjustment when we moved to computers. Also, pre-computer, it was rare to have last-minute revisions, and I think in general the books did not have so many errors too. I don’t miss having to spend the time on filing slips or retyping the final index, and I do appreciate other computer benefits too, such as spellchecking, verifying cross-references, being able to switch to a page order sort at times, and being able to search a file for a term I missed earlier. Those are all very helpful features, but in general my approach to indexing is not that much different from when I was using a typewriter.

Pam: I began using CINDEX software in the early 1990s, about the same time I went online. Naturally, software provides automated ease: allowing a larger proportion of time to be devoted to analysis. Having software alphabetize is still, to me, the largest advantage of software. It’s the sort of thing that a machine does best. Of course, with software, I can constantly check on consistency of entry wording – I edit as I enter. Spellchecking is helpful, but can be a trap. The Internet has proven to be a wonderful research tool. I can now look up obscure terms and usage. Determining which medications are generic and which are ‘brand names’ is wonderful – print lists are always behind the actual formulary. Of course, most of my marketing and client contact is through the Internet.

Shoshana: Kamm, I know you’re not an indexer, but your indexing software, SKY Index, has become one of the ‘big three’ programs in the indexing world. Can you tell us a little about how that came to be?

Kamm: I am a latecomer to the professional indexing world. MACREX was first (I think) and then came CINDEX (again, I think). SKY Index got started by chance. My mother is a genealogist and she has compiled many bibliographies. She used to do the indexes using 3 x 5 in cards which she had my brother and me help sort. She and a hired helper would type the finished index on a typewriter. During my college years she was working on another large index that she had entered into a dBase III program, and she asked me if I could write a program to sort, format and print the index for her. I said yes and wrote a very simplistic dBase III program that did just that. After she finished the book, she said I could sell the program to genealogists, but I said no way because it had not been written with any kind of user interface that was intended for a consumer. She sold some without my permission at a genealogy conference and I was so upset that she sold these programs that weren’t intended for a consumer that I wrote a user interface for the program and that became the first ‘SKY Index’. I gave that updated program to the purchasers for free. For many years it was marketed only to genealogists, but it was clear that market simply was not a good market. I then found out about ‘professional’ indexers and thought I’d give that market a try. In 1998 I sold the first pre-release copy of SKY Index Professional v5.0. I think the rest you probably know.

Shoshana: I can imagine that even today, there are still almost as many ways to index as there are indexers (and I, as a relative newbie, am still figuring out which one is the best). So what do you do? Hard copy or PDF? Use PDFs while indexing or just while editing your completed index? Mark up text first and then enter into software, chapter by chapter, page by page, other? No marking up, just use dual computer screens or windows open? Read the whole book first, just read table of contents, skim book for an idea of general content or just dive in head-first?

Linda: I still have a strong preference for working with a hard copy, and one computer screen. For most books I use the ‘dive in head-first’ method that you mentioned. I will sometimes underline terms that I have indexed. This can help me if I need to go back and correct the index for last-minute text revisions.

Pam: If you are seeking interesting processes, believe it or not, one comes from The Chicago Manual of Style. My first copy was the 12th edition. The indexing chapter was mostly index cards. The editing process detailed was delightful for such an august, esteemed publication. The wording was something like: ‘It may sound funny, but most people don’t have much horizontal desk space. The best way to organize cards is to create alphabetical piles on the floor. The indexer then crawls around the stacks as the cards are edited and placed in new stacks.’ Working on staff at a publisher, I had my stacks on piles of books in the warehouse. At home, the floor stacks and crawling worked fine. I think that process continued through the 13th edition. Ninety percent of my books come to me as PDFs, a form I initially balked at. I still would prefer to have both hard copy and PDF, but that’s mostly a pipe dream. PDFs are most handy for the search capabilities. Since using software, I don’t mark copy. I can always check out a page-order sort. I have definitely found that my memory ability has exploded as an indexer. I call it ‘exercising the memory muscles’. In addition to just the normal memory demands of indexing, I find that not marking copy forces me to concentrate at a level that enhances memory retention. Nothing makes works with contributed chapters easier – indexers just have to slog through and adapt to a plethora of terminology changes. Good copy-editing should take care of this, but that seems another pipe dream in today’s publishing world.

Shoshana: How did you learn how to index?

Pam: I learned by doing and reading indexes. I took no course. The worst thing was that I never got any feedback. I had the feeling that authors and clients were just happy the book was finished and ready to print. I got a lot of thank-you notes, but nothing about pluses and/or minuses.

Shoshana: At what point do you think indexing became a real ‘career’?

Barbara: I can tell you from my experience, there were few people calling themselves indexers before computers came on the scene. When people began looking for occupations to do with computers, many seized upon indexing as an occupation.

Linda: I was recently looking through some of my mom’s papers, and found some from when she started her indexing business in 1944. Her initial marketing efforts included an introductory letter, followed up with a face-to-face visit with editors in many different publishing companies, mostly in New York City and in Philadelphia. Of course, there were a lot more publishing companies then than there are now. Her indexing rate at that time was 3.5 cents per entry. For some projects, such as a large medical encyclopedia, she recruited others to help and split the per-entry rate with them. One interesting thing is that right from the start she recruited others to index with/for her. Eventually she did change to working alone, but I thought that was quite different than most people today would start their indexing business.

Pam: I really began indexing solo in the mid-1990s. I would have preferred combining copy-editing and indexing, but the copy-editing paid so little (valued so little by publishers) I had to drop it. Now, I have several clients who have talked me into copy-editing at a fair hourly rate, but indexing is 70 percent of my billings.

Shoshana: Thanks so much, it was great talking to you!

From talking to these experienced indexers, it seems that it is true what Hazel Bell says in her book Indexers and indexes in fact and fiction (2001):

The computer [is] often fallaciously credited with relieving indexers of the greater part, if not indeed the whole of their labours. Not at all: technology may ease and speed up the formerly manual processes of indexing, and the structural organization of an index, but can take no part in the determination of significance of references or the devising of linguistic terms to encapsulate and express them.

References
Bell, Hazel K. (2001) Indexers and indexes in fact and fiction. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Knight, G. Norman (1979) Indexing, the art of: a guide to the indexing of books and periodicals. London: Allen & Unwin.
Wheatley, Henry Benjamin (1902) How to make an index. London: E. Stock.

Parts of this article were originally published in an indexing column written for Elephant (http://elephant.org.il), an organization for freelance writers in Israel.

Jewish Blogging: the Wave of the Future

2009-04-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

I was privileged to participate in the First International Jewish Bloggers Convention, which was hosted by Nefesh b’Nefesh and took place in Jerusalem in August. The convention occurred just weeks after my aliyah, about which I have been writing in my own blog, Hurwitz Family Aliyah Scrapbook (http://hurwitz-aliyah-scrapbook.blogspot.com). I try to keep the blog interesting by combining musings about our aliyah adventure with digital scrapbook techniques.

The response to the convention, expected to be tiny, was anything but—200 people showed up in person and over a thousand (at last count) attended via the live webcast on the NBN website. The “meat ’n’ greet” deli supper felt much like a high school reunion—everyone looking around scanning each other’s name tags, faces occasionally lighting up with recognition and an exclaim of “I read you!”

Several of the evening’s speakers were actually American bloggers who arrived in Israel for the convention in a very interesting way: these high-profile bloggers were each matched up with a person or family on this week’s Nefesh b’Nefesh aliyah flight and will be blogging about their aliyah journeys in the near future.

The first half of the program consisted of a discussion among several panelists who are well-known in the Jewish blogosphere, about ways to increase a blog’s readership and promote ideas. Some of these ideas included adding your blog to Jewish blog aggregators, emailing blog posts to people whom you think will be interested in them (but within reason!), and including your blog URL in your email signature line. Other ways to find readers are to get more involved with the “blogger community” by creating a blogroll, which is a list of your favorite blogs that goes down the side of your own blog, and to comment one another’s posts, which gets your name out there and raises the chances that someone reading your friend’s blog might also read yours. The first panel was interrupted by a surprise speaker: former Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu (only in Israel!), who spoke on the importance of blogging in today’s Jewish world and how it contributes to the future of Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish people. To put a political leader in a room full of such wildly opinionated, not to mention ideologically varied, people that Jewish bloggers are, created quite a stir, but the moderators did their best to keep the focus on blogging and not politics. Nevertheless, Netanyahu was very down-to-earth, had a great sense of humor, and was a welcome addition to the night’s variety of speakers!

After a short comedy performance from popular blogger Frum Satire, a presentation and second set of panelists discussed the importance of creating positive branding of Israel though social networks such as blogs. With the technological advances of today, every Jew has the power to make a difference to the world using the three Ms—magnetize, motivate, and mobilize—through their blogs.

One comment from a panelist that really hit home was that we never know who is reading our blogs and what kind of impact we are having. We can only hope that through blogging we are sending a positive message to the world about Israel and Judaism, one that is not often presented in the news. Blogs represent all walks of life and all types of backgrounds—this is the real Israel, and it’s our job to get the picture of this real Israel out there. All in all it, was a fantastic and informative evening that is sure to give many in the Jewish blogosphere food for thought, and posts, for some time to come.

New CD Review: Rocky the Rabbi

2009-04-07T07:01:00.001-07:00

Rocky the Rabbi, Kosher for Passover

Rocky the Rabbi’s latest release, Kosher for Passover, which features traditional Passover tunes done techno-style, was nothing but disappointing. There are only five songs on the entire album, two of which are “extended versions,” which sound exactly like the originals, so there are really only three songs on the album. Rocky’s production company, dna productions, specializes in music for commercials, TV, and movie scores, which this album may be a good fit for; not so much for a library patron looking for new Jewish music. Not recommended.

New CD Review: Yael Naim and David Donatien

2009-04-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

Yael Naim and David Donatien

Israeli-French singer Yael Naim, with the help of percussionist and music arranger David Donatien, has put together a delightful collection of pop-jazz-folk ballads, mixing Hebrew, English, and even a little French. The songs reflect a variety of moods and dreams in their sound and lyrics; the album includes Naim’s hit song “New Soul” (featured in the commercial for the Apple Mac-Book Air laptop), the success of which made her the first Israeli solo artist to have a top-ten song in the U.S. A cover of Britney Spears’s hit “Toxic” is a surprising addition to this album, which definitely did not work in Naim’s style, but otherwise a great disc recommended for all types of Jewish libraries.

New CD Review: Amaseffer

2009-04-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

Amaseffer, Slaves for Life

Israeli band Amaseffer’s debut album, Slaves for Life, the first part of a trilogy, combines a blend of orchestral and rock music with lyrics taken from the story of the Exodus to create a unique style of film-score music almost-unheard of in the Jewish world. Some listeners may in fact be wondering why it isn’t more popular; rock operas and concept albums, such as Tommy by The Who and Pink Floyd’s The Wall, have been around for decades. The closest thing to this album that I can think of is the soundtrack to The Prince of Egypt. Amaseffer seems to fill a niche in Israeli and Jewish music with a product that is truly amazing. Highly recommended for all types of Jewish library collections.

New Book Review: Army Fatigues

2009-04-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

Army Fatigues: Joining Israel’s Army of International Volunteers by Mark Werner

Not content to just sit on the sidelines watching the fate of the Jewish homeland, Army Fatigues author Mark Werner has written a captivating account of his experiences with the Israeli army through Sar-el, an organization that takes volunteers worldwide and puts them on military bases throughout Israel to work with soldiers and other volunteers. In journal format, this book takes the reader through Werner’s background as an American lawyer and son of a Holocaust survivor, living a comfortable life, to his personal experiences of volunteering for two to three weeks at a time in the Israeli Army and Navy during some of the hardest years in Israel’s history. The story relates an emotional journey, which keeps Werner and his fellow volunteers going back again and again, to continue reinforcing their connection to Israel, and also changing people’s perceptions of Israel back in their hometowns. Warning: Once you pick up this book you will find it impossible to put it down! Highly recommended for all types of Jewish libraries.

New Book Release: Why Loyalty Matters

2009-04-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

Why Loyalty Matters: The Groundbreaking Approach to Rediscovering Happiness, Meaning and Lasting Fulfillment in Your Life and Work by Timothy Keiningham, Lerzan Aksoy and Luke Williams

Why Loyalty Matters, grounded in scientific research, provides compelling insight into how our loyalties, large and small, lay the foundation for our own happiness, and determine the kind of world we live in. Businesses across the country are suffering in today's rocky economic times, and Why Loyalty Matters offers a convincing call for revolutionary change in the way we view and conduct our professional and personal lives. Renowned loyalty experts Timothy Keiningham and Lerzan Aksoy combine their own groundbreaking research with the leading thinking in philosophy, sociology, psychology, economics and management to provide breakthrough insight into the role that loyalty can and should play in our lives, at home and at work. The book presents evidence that loyalty is the prescription to the emptiness we feel in our lives, and to the increasing fragmentation we see in our communities through countless failing businesses.

Why Loyalty Matters offers a comprehensive guide to understanding what loyalty is, what it isn't and how to unlock its power. Examining the role of loyalty in all aspects of our lives, Why Loyalty Matters offers a new and potentially life-changing way to understand our innate need for loyalty, as well as our ability to sustain loyal relationships throughout our lives. Why Loyalty Matters is both a powerful contribution to the science of loyalty research, and a gift to all those who lament the decline in loyalty we witness all around us and therefore seek to build the foundation for lasting fulfillment.

Why Loyalty Matters is a powerfully relevant work written in a refreshingly accessible form, skillfully composed by talented and expert authors, targeted to a population hungry for its message.

One-Minute Interviews

2009-03-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

I've been featured on inDocs indexing services' One-Minute Interviews web page, check it out!

http://www.indocsindexing.com/one-minute-interviews.html

New Book Review: A Man's Responsibility

2009-03-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

A Man’s Responsibility: A Jewish Guide to Being a Son, a Partner in Marriage, a Father and a Community Leader by Joseph Meszler

An exploration of what it means to be a Jewish man in today’s society, A Man’s Responsibility uses real-life stories to talk about the history of male roles in Judaism, and the stereotypes that go with them. Discussing the vast changes that have taken place for the typical Jewish male in the past generation or two, Rabbi Meszler goes on to examine the sources that define the ideal Jewish man throughout life as a son, husband, and father, and what his place is in the modern community. Questions at the end of each chapter are ideal to be used as a stepping-stone for men’s discussion groups as well as providing food for thought in individual study. Although slanted more towards a Reform/Conservative audience, this book is highly recommended to Jewish men of all affiliations.

New Book Review: Have You No Shame? And Other Regrettable Stories

2009-03-10T13:13:00.001-07:00

Have You No Shame? And Other Regrettable Stories by Rachel Shukert

Have You No Shame? is a hilarious, shockingly honest look at a Jewish girl’s life as she grows up in Omaha, Nebraska—not exactly a place filled with Jews, or anything remotely resembling shock value, for that matter. More comfortable in her own little world than in reality and always feeling like an outcast, as a child Rachel worries about which non-Jewish friends will hide her in the next Holocaust and dreams of an imaginary boyfriend, Chris McPresbyterian. Her teenage years find her free from the confines of a Jewish school; she joins a youth group at the insistence of her mother, but at times ends up indulging in less-than-holy activities as a result. As an adult, Rachel takes her wild imagination to New York City trying to make her mark on the world, though along the way, life is not always for the better. Morbid yet witty, a collection of coming-of-age autobiographical stories that will have readers falling on the floor laughing, and is even complete with cross-shaped footnotes with explanations for non-Jewish readers and N-shaped foonotes for non-Midwesterners. Recommended, but not for the faint of heart!

New Book Review: The Day My Mother Changed Her Name and Other Stories

2009-03-10T13:11:00.001-07:00

The Day My Mother Changed Her Name and Other Stories by William Kaufman

A master storyteller, ninety-three-year-old William Kaufman has eloquently transformed tales based on his childhood and that of his immigrant parents into his own, captivating audiences wherever he can find them and now making their way into print. With sharp wit, detail and a colorful life to draw experiences from, Kaufman has written a winner that epitomizes the oddities found in Jewish life. Recommended for all types of libraries.

New Book Review: Jewish Stories From Heaven and Earth

2009-03-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

Jewish Stories from Heaven and Earth by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins, ed.

Jews love telling stories, and Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins, co-editor of Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul, has compiled an amazing collection of stories from all walks of Jewish life that are truly inspirational. Authors range from famous—Hanoch Teller, Elie Weisel, and Yitzchak Rabin to name a few—to your ordinary Jew wanting to share their out-of-the-ordinary tales of passion, devotion, faith, courage and achievement that eloquently personify Judaism’s core values, yet are universal enough that they can be enjoyed by anyone. Sections are included on the Holocaust and the state of Israel. A read that is impossible to put down and highly recommended for all types of libraries.

New Book Release: Pirkei Avot

2009-03-01T04:49:00.000-08:00

Pirkei Avot by Rabbi Yossi Marcus

The Talmud states “One who wishes to be a chasid, should practice the words of Avot (Ethics of the Fathers).”

Now, with the release of Pirkei Avot: With a New Commentary, Anthologized from the works of the Classic Commentators and the Chasidic Masters, that daunting task has become that much easier.

Compiled by well-known author and translator Rabbi Yosef Marcus, and published by the Lubavitch publishing house, Kehot Publication Society, the volume gives the reader a comprehensive and fundamental understanding of Pirkei Avot. Anthologized from hundreds of commentators, classic to obscure, the commentary is crowned with the insights culled from the voluminous works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his predecessors.

The publishers hope that this volume will contribute to the appreciation of the wisdom of Ethics of the Fathers and its application to modern, daily life.

New Book Release: Learning and Community

2009-03-01T04:39:00.000-08:00

Learning and Community by Jack Wertheimer

At a time of heightened interest in Jewish supplementary schooling, this volume offers a path-breaking examination of how ten diverse schools have remade themselves to face the new challenges of the twenty-first century. Each written by an academic observer with the help of an experienced educator, the chapters bring these schools vividly to life by giving voice to students, parents, teachers, school directors, lay leaders, local rabbis and other key participants.

The goal of the book is to uncover the building blocks each school put into place to improve its delivery of a Jewish education. Employing qualitative research, Learning and Community is filled with moving and inspiring human-interest stories. Collectively, these portraits offer models of how schools of different sizes and configurations can maximize their impact, and in the process revitalize the form of religious and cultural education that engages the majority of Jewish children in the United States.

New Book Release: Divine Footsteps

2009-02-01T11:12:00.000-08:00

Divine Footsteps by Daniel Feldman

In his latest book Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman reaches out to every man and woman. Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman has brilliantly managed to fulfill the quote from Psalms of David Hamelech "Olam Chesed Yibaneh" in the completest sense: he lays before us in memorable cadence a world that chesed could make, and the world of chesed itself.

New Book Release: Toxic Beauty

2009-02-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

Toxic Beauty by Samuel Epstein

Most American women have no clue that the "rugged individual" model held up for emulation includes placing the responsibility for one's health and safety squarely on the consumer's shoulder! When it come to cosmetics, each woman is on her own in judging safety of products - with no meaningful information from the producer and no aid from government watch-dogs. The research, if done at all, can be withheld by the company. Dr. Samuel Epstein is the first to speak out on this "Toxic Beauty" product hazard, and to give women some guidelines for meaningful protective action. It is a "must read" for all those who care about public health!

New Book Release: Optimal Health Revolution

2009-02-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Optimal Health Revolution by Duke Johnson

Science is coming to a startling realization. The bulk of our most lethal diseases have a common underlying cause: persistent inflammation. Inflammation is an overactive reaction of our natural immune system function that results in cell and tissue destruction. This persistent inflammation is triggered by our industrial lifestyles, including exposure to chemicals, synthetic food ingredients, pollution and processed foods. "Researchers are linking inflammation to an ever-wider array of chronic illnesses," reports Newsweek's Anne Underwood. "Suddenly medical puzzles seem to be fitting together, such as why hypertension puts patients at increased risk of Alzheimer's, or why rheumatoid-arthritis sufferers have higher rates of sudden cardiac death. They're all connected on some fundamental level." But inflammation, and the risks of chronic diseases it brings, can be managed. Lifestyle and nutritional change is part of the answer. But the other part lies with groundbreaking information from the newest field of science―nutrigenomics. Nutrigenomics is the science of how genes interact with nutrients. It is the study of how DNA and the genetic code affect a person's need for certain nutrients to help maintain optimal health throughout life.

The Optimal Health Revolution combines leading-edge science―including nearly 900 scientific references―with an easy-to-read, conversational writing style that make this critical information accessible to every reader. Relevant to both the research and medical doctor interested in the latest science and the casual reader looking to improve his or her well-being, The Optimal Health Revolution makes a critical contribution to our understanding of health.

GREAT Indexing Article!!

2009-01-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

This article is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered why it is essential for indexing to be done by a human (as opposed to thinking that all we do is feed the book to the computer and it spits out an index).

Every Non-Fiction Book Needs An Index: Here's Why

New Book Release: Martha Hill and the Making of American Dance

2009-01-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Martha Hill and the Making of American Dance by Janet Soares

Martha Hill (1900–1995) was one of the most influential figures of twentieth century American dance. Her vision and leadership helped to establish dance as a serious area of study at the university level and solidify its position as a legitimate art form. Setting Hill’s story in the context of American postwar culture and women’s changing status, this riveting biography shows us how Hill led her colleagues in the development of American contemporary dance from the Kellogg School of Physical Education to Bennington College and the American Dance Festival to the Juilliard School at Lincoln Center. She created pivotal opportunities for Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, Hanya Holm, José Limón, Merce Cunningham, and many others. The book provides an intimate look at the struggles and achievements of a woman dedicated to taking dance out of the college gymnasium and into the theatre, drawing on primary sources that were previously unavailable. It is lavishly illustrated with period photographs.

New Book Release: Health Psychology

2009-01-01T07:22:00.001-08:00

Health Psychology: A Cultural Approach by Regan Gurung

With a conversational style that conveys the excitement, research base, and real-world applications of the field, Regan A. R. Gurung introduces readers to health psychology with an integrated cultural perspective. Starting with a description of the biological, psychological, and sociological factors that determine who we are, the book examines cultural differences in major health behaviors and health, achieving the commendable goal of being comprehensive yet extremely accessible.

New Book Release: The Big Questions

2009-01-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

The Big Questions: A Short Introduction to Philosophy by Robert C. Solomon

It's time for an introduction to philosophy textbook that you can relate to and enjoy reading! THE BIG QUESTIONS: A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY tackles the tough issues and helps you form your own opinions while presenting the best philosophical selections available.

New Book Release: A Sterling Affair

2008-12-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

A Sterling Affair by Susan Palmquist

Widow Deana Adams gets the shock of her life when she discovers a naked man in her living room. It's an even bigger shock when she learns Sir Ian Ashby is over 200 years old. Wanting nothing more than to return him to his grave, Deana soon realizes that Sir Ian offers her a second chance at love.

New Book Release: Basic Conducting Techniques

2008-11-30T23:40:00.000-08:00

Basic Conducting Techniques by Joseph Labuta

This competency-based workbook provides sound and practical hands-on procedures for beginning and advanced conducting enthusiasts. It features a broad repertory of musical excerpts, and–since most are reduced to a four-part format–users can practice conducting skills and rehearsal techniques readily. The workbook promotes self-directed learning by challenging users to attempt conducting techniques as they arise in the music. The workbook details conducting techniques including the baton, beat patterns, fractional beat preparations, the fermata, asymmetrical and changing meters, tempo changes and accompanying. It also outlines score preparation and rehearsal technique and provides musical excerpts. For individuals interested in learning the finer points of musical conducting.