Judaism: A Very Short Introduction

Chapter 1: Who Are the Jews? Part 1

Chapter 1, Part 2: Who the Jews Used to Be

Chapter 1, Part 3: How Jews Used to Think of Themselves

Chapter 1, Part 4: Who the Jews Think They Are Now

Chapter 1, Part 5: Who the Jews Think They Are Now (cont.)

Chapter 1, Part 6: Who the Jews Think They Are Now (cont.)

Chapter 1, Part 7: Who the Jews Think They Are Now (cont.)

Chapter 1, Part 8: Where Are Jews to Be Found

Chapter 1, Part 9: Contemporary Identity

Chapter 2: How Did Judaism and Christianity Split Up? Part 1

Chapter 2, Part 2: Where Did Judaism and Christianity Come From?

Chapter 2, Part 3: Why Did They Split Up?

Chapter 2, Part 4: How Did They Both Define Themselves?

Chapter 2, Part 5: How Did They Both Define Themselves? (cont.)

Chapter 3: How Did Judaism Develop? Part 1

Chapter 3, Part 2: Judah Ha-Nasi—Scholar, Saint, Leader

Chapter 3, Part 3: Stamaim—The Nameless Ones

Chapter 3, Part 4: Kahina Dahiya Bint Thabbita Ibn Tifan—Warrior

Chapter 3, Part 5: Saadia Gaon (882–942)—Philosopher

Chapter 3, Part 6: Rashi (1040–1105)—Commentator

Chapter 3, Part 7: Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089–1164)—Poet

Chapter 3, Part 8: Moses Maimonides [Rambam] (1138–1204)—Philosopher, Codifier, and Physician

Chapter 3, Part 9: Abraham Abulafia (1240 – c. 1300)—Ecstatic Mystic

Chapter 3, Part 10: Gracia Nasi (c. 1510 – c. 1569)—Benefactress

Chapter 3, Part 11: Baal Shem Tov (c. 1700 – 1760)—Hasidism

Chapter 3, Part 12: Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786)—Enlightenment

Chapter 4: The Calendar and Festivals, Part 1

Chapter 4, Part 2: The Pilgrim Festivals

Chapter 4, Part 3: The Pilgrim Festivals (cont.)

Chapter 4, Part 4: Days of Awe

Chapter 4, Part 5: Days of Awe (cont.)

Chapter 4, Part 6: Fast Days

Chapter 5: The Spiritual Life—Prayer, Meditation, Torah. Part 1

Chapter 5, Part 2: What Is Prayer?

Chapter 5, Part 3: To Whom Are Prayers Directed?

Chapter 5, Part 4: Does Prayer Work?

Chapter 5, Part 5: The Liturgy

Chapter 5, Part 6: Attitude in Prayer

Chapter 5, Part 7: Poets and Singers of the Synagogue

Chapter 5, Part 8: Love of God

Chapter 5, Part 9: Learning

Chapter 6: Making a Jewish Home, Part 1

Chapter 6, Part 2: Tzedaka

Chapter 6, Part 3: Mezuza

Chapter 6, Part 4: Books and Education

Chapter 6, Part 5: Kosher Food

Chapter 6, Part 6: Sexual and Personal Relationships

Chapter 6, Part 7: Life Cycle

Chapter 6, Part 8: Birth

Chapter 6, Part 9: Growing Up

Chapter 6, Part 10: Marriage

Chapter 6, Part 11: Parenthood

Chapter 6, Part 12: Mid-Life

Chapter 6, Part 13: Old Age

Chapter 6, Part 14: Death

Chapter 7: Out of the Ghetto, Into the Whirlwind. Part 1

Chapter 7, Part 2: Reform Judaism

Chapter 7, Part 3: Reform Judaism (cont.)

Chapter 7, Part 4: Orthodox Judaism

Chapter 7, Part 5: Conservative Judaism

Chapter 7, Part 6: Reconstructionist Judaism

Chapter 8, Part 7: Twentieth-Century Judaism

Chapter 8, Part 8: Zionism, Religion, and the State of Israel

Chapter 8, Part 9: Holocaust Theology

Chapter 8, Part 10: Some Regard the Holocaust as an Act of God's Righteous Judgement

Chapter 8, Part 11: God

Chapter 8, Part 12: Feminism

Chapter 9, Part 13: 'Eternal Law', Changing Times

Chapter 9, Part 14: Abortion

Chapter 9, Part 15: Euthanasia

Chapter 9, Part 16: Surrogate Motherhood

Chapter 9, Part 17: Conclusion