Js books websitesfilmslist

Jewish Studies

General Resources and

Section-specific Resources

General Resources for the Whole Syllabus

Books

Cohn-Sherbok, Dan, Judaism, Belief and Practice (UK, US and Canada: Routledge,

2003; E-Library, Taylor & Francis 2005).

Excellent resource covering the first four sections of the syllabus in detail. It has a

Companion Website, Routledge Companion Website:

http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/0415236614/companion/default.asp with

recommendations for each of the sections and useful resources to enable further

exploration for students.

Blech, Benjamin, Complete Idiot’s Guide to Judaism: A Guided Tour Through the

Beliefs, Laws and Traditions of Judaism

Donin, Hayim, To be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life

(US: Basic Books, 1991)

Forta, Aryeh, Judaism: New Edition (Examining Religions) (Heinemann, 1995)

Forta, A., Judaism: A Dictionary (Stanley Thornes, 1996)

Forta, A., Examining Religions: Judaism Core Student Book (2nd Edition)

(Heinemann, 2001)

Gilbert, Martin, Letters to Auntie Fori: The 5,000-year History of the Jewish People

and their Faith (London: Phoenix, 2003) (Short Letters on the whole history of

Judaism which Gilbert wrote to his aunt when she asked him to explain elements of

Jewish history, faith and belief to her. It is succinct, historical, literary, experiential,

entertaining, and very accessible)

De Lange, Nicholas, An Introduction to Judaism (New York: Cambridge University

Press, 2000)

Mintz, S., AQA GCSE Religious Studies A: Judaism Student Book (Nelson Thornes,

2009)

Pilkington, C. M., Teach Yourself Judaism (Hodder & Stoughton, 1995)

Stein, Isaac, A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice (New York: Jewish Theological

Seminary of America, 1979)

Taylor, I., Foundations in RE: Judaism (core edition) (Nelson Thornes, 2000)

Encyclopaedia Judaica edited by Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik (Detroit:

Macmillan Reference USA, 2007). Excellent resource on all aspects of Judaism

Websites

Jewish Virtual Library, a division of the American-Israeli Cooperative – a very useful

well researched resource

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/

Judaism 101/Jew: Frequently Asked Questions: Very good site which has gradations

of difficulty – basic, intermediate, advanced in terms of the information which it

offers on all topics.

http://www.jewfaq.org/index.htm

My Jewish Learning: Excellent resource and very accessible material

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/

Internet Jewish History Sourcebook from Fordham University: Wonderful resource

of texts, diaries, official documents, extracts from Jewish literature through the ages.

Very useful for giving bite-size pieces to students from primary materials in relation

to aspects of Jewish history or Jewish religious practice and observance.

http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/jewish/jewishsbook.asp

Section 1: The Irish Jewish Communities and the Jewish Home

Websites

Jewish Ireland: Information on the history, development, beliefs and practices of the

Jewish community in Ireland with links to the Jewish communities in Ireland

http://www.jewishireland.org/

Website of the Jewish Community, Belfast

http://www.jewishbelfast.com/

Website of the Jewish Community, Cork

http://www.corkhebrewcongregation.com

Website of Liberal Judaism in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland

http://www.liberaljudaism.org/communities-rabbis.html

Jewish Communities and Records of Jews in Ireland (has not been updated since

2006/2007 but gives some contacts and details of synagogues either extant or non-

functioning in Ireland.

http://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/ireland/dublin.htm

Jewish Links Page which gives information on contemporary events, online

magazines, and newspapers of some Jewish communities internationally. This could

be a useful resource for the first section of the syllabus.

www.jewishlink.net/news papers.html

Ireland’s Other Diaspora: Jewish-Irish Within/Irish-Jewish Without from the

European Jewish Magazine Golem

The author, Ronit Lentin, is the Head of the Sociology Department and course

coordinator of the M Phil in Race, Ethnicity and Conflict in Trinity College, Dublin.

She was coordinator of the Global Networks project in the Institute for International

Integration Studies (IIIS), and member of the Trinity Immigration Initiative research

programme, where she focused on migrant-led activism. She was born in Haifa,

Palestine, and grew up in Israel, moved to Ireland in 1969.

http://www.hagalil.com/golem/diaspora/irland-e.htm

Stuart Rosenblatt’s work on Jews in Irish history

http://www.jewishireland.org/genealogy.html

Online Documentary on the Jewish Community in Ireland

A one-hour documentary is available online which gives some insights into the

Jewish community in Ireland and how they contributed to the development of Ireland

and Israel: http://www.shalomireland.com/

Jewish Community, Limerick

Different documents about the Jewish community during their time in Limerick, held

by the Library at the following address:

http://www.limerickcity.ie/Library/LocalStudies/LocalStudiesFiles/J/JewsofLimerick/ Jewish Community, Limerick

If you are seeking further information on this topic, look at this website from

Limerick City Council:

http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/jews%20of%20limerick%2038.pdf

A Stroll Through Jewish Dublin

Online documentary on Jewish Dublin available at the following web address:

http://www.theirishstory.com/2012/02/27/a-stroll-through-jewish-

dublin/#.UMRh6Y5hra4

Jewish Community, Limerick

Different documents about the Jewish community during their time in Limerick, held

by the Library at the following address:

http://www.limerickcity.ie/Library/LocalStudies/LocalStudiesFiles/J/JewsofLimerick/

Jewish Community, Belfast

BBC Documentary (1983) in four parts about the Jewish community in Belfast: Odd

Men In: A Personal Portrait by Harry Towb, and a YouTube tour of the Jewish

cemetery in Belfast

http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishBelfast Interview with Adrian Levy, member of the Jewish Community in Belfast:

<http://www.jewishbelfast.com/index.php?cmd=viewsong&viid=12>

Louis Lentin (Film Producer and Member of Aosdana)

Aosdana:

http://aosdana.artscouncil.ie/Members/Literature/Lentin.aspx?Cnuas=1 [accessed 23

November 2011]

Grandpa… speak to me in Russian, Louis Lentin

http://www.imrstr.dcu.ie/currentissue/Vol_3_Issue_1_Louis_Lentin.pdf

Lentin’s works as director, producer and writer

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2310417/

Alan Shatter (Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, and member of Fine Gael)

Political Profile

http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-

hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=30&MemberID=1028&ConstID=90

Some important issues which the Minister has to deal with on any day

http://www.kildarestreet.com/search/?pid=6&s=section%3Awrans&pop=1

David Marcus (Author, broadcaster, life-long supporter of Irish language fiction)

David Marcus dies, RTE news

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0509/marcusd.html

Obituary from The Guardian newspaper

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/12/obituary-david-marcus

Information from the Munster Literature Centre

http://www.munsterlit.ie/Writer%20pages/Marcus,%20David.html

Women and the Jewish Home

A reader asked: What are the most significant Jewish rituals for women? Here,

Rebbetzin Feige Twersi explores three: baking bread and separating the dough;

lighting Shabbat candles; and ritual immersion in a mikvah (ritual bath).

http://www.aish.com/f/rf/48931682.html

The role of women in Judaism

Women’s Mitzvot (commandments), women’s holiday, women in the synagogue,

Lillith (character in Talmud and rabbinical folklore)

http://www.jewfaq.org/women.htm#Mitzvot

Kashrut

A section on keeping the laws of Kashrut from the New South Wales Board of Jewish

Education in Australia. Simple classifications of foods with links to other websites

included

http://www.bje.org.au/learning/judaism/kids/kosher.html

Jewish family life and customs

This pamphlet has been produced by the Family Law Group of the Board of Deputies

to give information to solicitors and others concerning the requirements of practising

Jews in the United Kingdom.

http://www.bod.org.uk/content/FamilyLifeCustoms.pdf

Podcast

Stuart Rosenblatt: Keeper of the Faith produced by Clare Cronin and funded by the

Broadcasting Authority of Ireland's Sound and Vision funding Scheme.

First broadcast Saturday 9th October 2010. It is an Irish radio documentary from

RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One. This recounts Stuart Rosenblatt’s

genealogical research into Jewish communities in Ireland which is contained in 16

volumes, tracing 44,000 people under 95 headings. Fascinating account into the

origins of Jewish communities in Ireland and their present challenges.

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/radio-documentary-stuart-rosenblatt-series-jewish-

genealogy-ireland.html

Books

Benson, Asher, Portraits of Life by the Liffey (Dublin: A&A Farmar Ltd., 2007)

Eliash, Shulamit, The Harp and the Shield of David: Ireland, Zionism and the State

of Israel (Abington and New York: Routledge, 2007)

Hyman, Louis, The Jews of Ireland: From Earliest Years until 1910 (Irish University

Press, 1972)

Keogh, Dermot, Jews in Twentieth Century Ireland: Refugees, Anti-Semitism and the

Holocaust (Cork: Cork University Press, 1998)

Miller, Frederic P. , Vandome, Agnes F., McBrewster, John, History of the Jews in

Ireland (Germany: VDM Publishing House, 2010)

Ó Gráda, Cormac, Jewish Ireland in the Age of Joyce: A Socioeconomic History

(Oxfordshire and New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2006)

Rivlin, Ray, Jewish Ireland: A Social History (Dublin: The History Press Ireland,

2011; updated version of Shalom Ireland published in 2003)

Excellent historical resource tracing the arrival of immigrants from Tsarist Russia in

the 1880s, their early years in Ireland; the educational, social, political, cultural,

artistic, sporting and professional contributions of Jews to Irish life, right up to the

present day.

Taylor, Marilyn, 17 Martin Street (Dublin: O’Brien Press, 2011)

Novel about a Jewish family in Dublin at the time of the Emergency. There are

accompanying teaching Guides and opportunities for engagement are on the O’Brien

Press website at http://www.obrien.ie/author.cfm?authorid=58

Taylor, Marilyn, Faraway Home (Dublin: O’Brien Press, 1999)

Fact-based novel based on the lives of two Jewish children sent on a kindertransport

from Austria to Millisle refugee Farm on the Ards Peninsula in Co. Down)

DVD

Katrina Goldstone and Louis Lentin, No more Blooms: Ireland's attitude to the Jewish

refugee problem 1933-46, a Crescendo Concepts documentary for RTE, broadcast 10

December 1997.

Section 2: Beliefs and Moral Teachings

Books

Cato, V., Judaism in Today’s World (Hodder Murray, 2001)

See Cohn-Sherbok for extensive treatment of the beliefs and moral teachings of

Judaism

Geldart, A., Judaism: Foundation Edition (Examining Religions) (Heinemann, 2000)

Hands, K. & Smith, P., AQA GCSE Religious Studies A: Judaism: Ethics Student

Book (Nelson Thornes, 2009)

Kitov, Eliyahu, The Book of our Heritage: The Jewish Year and its Days of

Significance (Jerusalem and New York: Feldheim Publishers, 1978)

Küng, Hans & Homolka, Walter, How to do Good and Avoid Evil: A Global Ethic

from the Teachings of Judaism (Vermont: SkyLight Paths, 2009)

Taylor, I., Judaism with Jewish Moral Issues (GCSE RE for you) (Nelson Thornes,

2001)

Websites

Tikkun Olam (Repairing, mending , transforming the world):

On the subject of Tikkun Olam, there are a number of articles and projects which are

in the online magazing Tikkun which is at the following address:

http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/

Section 3: Sacredness of the Jewish Faith

Websites

Sanctification of Time

Good articles which emphasizes the importance of the sanctification of time over

place in Judaism and therefore the importance of the calendar year in that regard.

http://www.explorefaith.org/neighbors/key/places_j.html

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1817/jewish/Sanctifying-

Time.htm

News report outlining briefly some elements of Rosh Hashanah; speaks of the

preparation, the special foods in honour of the days, the days of Awe and soul-

searching, the significance of the Kingship of God,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlr-QfT938Q [accessed 12 September 2011]

A continuous loop of photographs of Aron’s Bar Mitzvah ceremony with musical

accompaniment and no texts or words. It would require some preliminary

explanations about the signficance of the rituals and symbols within the ceremony

before using it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqpyZQSgVnY&feature=related

Books

Gent, F., Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Living Festivals) (RMEP, 1990)

Mayled, J., Jewish Festivals: teachers’ book (Living Festivals) (RMEP, 1994)

Michelson, J; Taylor, I., Religions and Beliefs: Judaism (Nelson Thomas, 2006)

Penney, S., Judaism (new colour edition) (Discovering Religions) (Heinemann,

1995)

Section 4: Holy Places

Websites

The Temple

Information on the Temple history and structure, priestly roles and functions,

information on the areas of the Temple

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Temple.html

The history of the Temple, structure and layout, artefacts, archaeological context,

priestly functions, from a Biblical-historical perspective

http://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/JEWISH_TEMPLEIntroduction.htm

The Temple Institute website is an ongoing project of the International Department of

the Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel. It gives a lot of information on the Temple

including photographs, interviews,

http://www.templeinstitute.org/main.htm

Synagogues: This website is very accessible and gives good information on different

shuls, synagogues, across the world. Information on structures and videos of

synagogues from different parts of the world are on this website.

http://www.synagogues.com/

Religious Education Online website: If you want to do a comparative study of places

of worship of different traditions, this website shows you the sacred places of

Buddhism, Christianity, Sikhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism. It includes assessment,

classroom activities, videos, preparation for visits to any of these places

http://pow.reonline.org.uk/judaism.htm

Context of other sacred places affiliated to other religious traditions in Ireland:

Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland:

http://islamireland.ie/

Christian

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin:

http://www.dublindiocese.ie/

Church of Ireland/Anglican Church, Ireland:

http://www.ireland.anglican.org/

Irish Sikh Council of Ireland and information on Sikh community in Ireland:

http://www.irishsikhcouncil.com/

Dublin Buddhist Centre

http://www.dublinbuddhistcentre.org/

Hindu Cultural Centre, Ireland

http://www.hindu.ie/

Section 5: The Holocaust

Key Resource in the Irish Context for Holocaust Education

Holocaust Education Trust Ireland

A range of educational resources for primary and secondary teachers and students

Teacher education programmes

Support and outreach programmes for schools

Annual Holocaust Lectures

Commemorative booklets for the Annual Holocaust Memorial Day

Podcast of conference papers on antisemitism and Holocaust denial from November

2010

http://www.hetireland.org/

Books

Bartov, Omer ed., The Holocaust: Origins, Implementation, Aftermath (London and

New York: Routledge, 2000)

Browning, Christopher, The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi

Jewish Policy September 1939-1942 (Jerusalem: Yad Vashem, 2004)

Dawidowicz, Lucy, The Holocaust and the Historians (Cambridge, Massachusetts,

London: Harvard University Press, 1981)

Evans, Richard, The Third Reich at War (US: Penguin, 2009)

Gilbert, Martin, The Holocaust: The Jewish Tragedy (London: Harper Collins

Publishers, 1987)

Hilberg, Raul, The Destruction of the European Jews, 3 vols (New York, London:

Holmes and Meier, 1961-1985), i (1985)

Lipstadt, Deborah, Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and

Memory (USA: Penguin Books, 1994)

Levi, Primo, Moments of Reprieve, trans. by Ruth Feldman (London: Penguin

Books, 2001)

Rees, Laurence, Auschwitz: The Nazis and the ‘Final Solution (London: BBC

Books, 2005)

Wiesel, Elie, Night, trans. by Stella Rodway (London: Penguin Books, 1981)

True stories/Testimonies/Diaries

The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank

Fateless – Imre Kertez

If this is a Man – Primo Levi

The Diary of Petr Ginz – Edited by Chava Pressburger

I Was a Boy in Belsen – Tomi Reichental

Final Witness, My Journey from the Holocaust to Ireland – Zoltan Zinn-Collis

Fiction:

Faraway Home and 17 Martin Street – Marilyn Taylor

The Book Thief – Markus Suzak

Websites

Holocaust Education Trust Ireland: Resources on the Holocaust and its connection

with Ireland, lectures, podcasts, projects for primary and secondary students, speakers

for schools, detailed information on forthcoming activities supporting teachers in

teaching the subject of the Holocaust

http://www.hetireland.org/

HETI Holocaust Memorial Day booklets:

http://www.hetireland.org/index.php?page=memorial_publications

Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority:

Excellent resource with specialist pages for education. There are lots of possibilities

here for exploration for teachers and students in terms of online documentation,

extracts from diaries, photographs, music, historical chronologies, video testimonies.

Problem is that there is such a vast amount of information. One would need to spend

some time on the site to see what might most suitable.

http://www.yadvashem.org

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Excellent resource with plenty of online

materials to be explored on any aspects of the Holocaust

http://www.ushmm.org/

Resources for Teachers Very sound pedagogy underscoring the activities outlined on

this website

http://www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/

Resources for Students Gives lots of possibilities of exploring aspects of the

Holocaust with varied methodologies which are very engaging for students

http://www.ushmm.org/education/forstudents/

The Holocaust Explained: Comprehensive Homework and online education tool on

the Holocaust from the London Jewish Cultural Centre:

http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/

Facing History and Ourselves

http://www://www.facinghistory.org/sites.facinghistory.org/files,journey/html

Taskforce for International cooperation for Holocaust Education Remembrance and

Research

http://www.holocausttaskforce.org/education.html

Shoah Foundation (Anti-defamation League): http://college.usc.edu/vhi

The Crusades: http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/crusades.stm

The Inquisition: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Inquisition.html

Films

Schindler’s List (complicity/Righteous/Nazi regime)

Life is Beautiful (concentration camp)

The Pianist (survival under the Nazis)

In Darkness (Righteous)

Defiance (Resistance)

Section 6: Sacred Writings and Commentaries

Books

ArtScroll Tanakh Series (New York: Mesorah Publications, 1976)

Carmell, Aryeh, Judaism: Its Program, Meanings, Goals (Jerusalem: Jerusalem

Academy Publications, 1991)

Charing, D., The Torah: Discovering Sacred Texts (Heinemann, 1993)

Cohn Sherbok’s book, Chapters 2 and 3, have good sections on the Bible,

Monotheism and Law

Chasidah, Yishei, Ishei Ha Tanakh, Encyclopedia of Biblical Personalities,

Anthologised from the Talmud, Midrash, and Rabbinic Writings (Mesorah

Publications, 1964)

Draycott, P., (ed), Judaism 11-16 (Teaching RE: Religious Traditions) (CEM, 1996)

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Mesorah Publications, 2010)

Neusner, Jacob, Invitation to the Talmud (US and UK: Harper Collins Publishers,

2003)

Pearl, Chaim, Rashi (London: Halban, 1988)

Pilkington, C. M. Judaism: an approach for GCSE (Hodder and Stoughton, 1991)

Sherevshesky, Esra, Rashi, the Man and his World (NJ: Aronson, 1996)

Ziotnick, Dov, The Iron Pillar, Mishnah: Redaction, Form and Intent (New Jersey:

Ktav Publishers, 1988)

Website

Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Documents from The Avalon Project, Lillian

Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School

(Outlines of different types of laws which could be suitable for contrast or comparison

with Jewish laws)

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/medmenu.asp