The bestselling guide to understanding "Jewish Traditions", now in paperback. This is a comprehensive and authoritative resource with ready to answer questions about almost all aspects of Jewish life and practice: life-cycle events, holidays, ritual and prayer, Jewish traditions and customs, and more. Ronald Eisenberg has distilled an immense amount of material from classic and contemporary sources into a single volume, which provides thousands of insights into the origins, history, and current interpretations of a wealth of Jewish traditions and customs. Divided into four sections - Synagogue and Prayers, Sabbaths and Festivals, Life-Cycle Events, and Miscellaneous (a large section that includes such diverse topics as Jewish literature, food, and plants and animals) - this is an encyclopedic reference for anyone who wants easily accessible, accurate information about all things Jewish. Isenberg writes for a wide, diversified audience, and is respectful of the range of practices and beliefs within today's American Jewish community - from Orthodox to liberal.