Jewish Literacy Revised Ed: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History

Written by Joseph Telushkin

Narrated by Josh Bloomberg

Widely recognized as one of the most respected and indispensable reference books on Jewish life, culture, tradition, and religion, Jewish Literacy covers every essential aspect of the Jewish people and Judaism. Rabbi Telushkin discusses everything from the Jewish Bible and Talmud to Jewish notions of ethics to antisemitism and the Holocaust; from the history of Jews around the world to Zionism and the politics of a Jewish state; from the significance of religious traditions and holidays to how they are practiced in daily life. Whether you want to know more about Judaism in general or have specific questions you'd like answered, Jewish Literacy is sure to contain the information you need.



Rabbi Telushkin's expert knowledge of Judaism makes the updated and revised edition of Jewish Literacy an invaluable reference. A comprehensive yet thoroughly accessible resource for anyone interested in learning the fundamentals of Judaism, Jewish Literacy is a must for every Jewish home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Oct 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781515988809

Joseph Telushkin

Joseph Telushkin is a rabbi, scholar, and bestselling author of eighteen books, among them A Code of Jewish Ethics and Words That Hurt, Words That Heal. His book Jewish Literacy is the widest-selling work on the topic of Judaism. He lives with his wife, Dvorah, in New York City, and lectures regularly throughout the United States.

Reviews for Jewish Literacy Revised Ed

[jay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book lots of good information. Great view of the Jewish history customs and traditions loved it. If you like Jewish history and traditions it’s a must read.

[Brad Bernstein · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent and comprehensive history of Jews and overview of Judaism. Exactly what I was looking for

[Megan St. Amand · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've only listened to about 10% of the book, but so far a large portion of the chapters have cut off at least 5-10 seconds too early. It's annoying and jarring for the audio to cut off in the middle of a word. Other than that the information is great and interesting.

[jbgusa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I just finished reading Jewish Literacy by Joseph Telushkin; all 750 pages. The book has been laying on my shelf, literally, since my son was confirmed at Temple, May 2012. It was given as a reward for the few kids that underwent confirmation after the Bar Mitzvah. I mentioned I was reading it tonight to one of my rabbis and suggested it as good literature to give people in the process of converting to Judaism. He said he looks for less intimidating-looking literature first, and he had a point. I will admit that I did intersperse reading it with other reading. The book looks scarily big but it is surprisingly readable and accessible for what amounts to an encyclopedia covering Jewish history, literature, practice, holidays and life-cycle.

Jewish Literacy contained a lot of material I didn't know, even though I am more involved than a typical Reform Jew. Bias alert; one of my tennis partners attended day school with him.

[sgtcat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good overview. It touches on almost anything one could think to ask about.

[hvg-13 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

All the questions you had about Judaism, but were afraid to ask...
You can look it all up in this book. Excellent source.

[pre20cenbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Obtained this book for my library as a basic introduction to Jewish religions and the differences in the Jewish groups. There is a basic thread that runs throughout the different Jewish sects. I look forward to obtaining an updated editiion for my library. The writer composes his information so that you realy get understanding of basic ideas behind the traditions and celebrations. Well done.

[billlund · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a gentile, this book is most interesting to give insight into Jewish culture.

[justine_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a great sourcebook.