My First Sing-Along Siddur

May 11, 2010

Here at the Israel Bookshop, we like to work with background music. No, really. Not “background music” in the figurative sense, as in ringing phones and noisy printers, but in the literal sense—as in real music. Somehow, there’s something about the strains of the latest Baruch Levine or Shloimy Gertner CD that really gets the energy pumping in the air and the creative juices flowing as we work on ads and back cover texts. I guess you have to be a music lover to understand it, and we have a few of those here…

But if you had walked into our office sometime last month, you may have been surprised to hear songs like “We Open One Eye, We Open Two,” “Hashem Gave Us a Present,” and “Don’t Walk in Front of Me” wafting in the air. Yes, I know we all (supposedly) grew up already, but…the CD that comes along with My First Sing-Along Siddur is so irresistible, we just had to slip it in the CD player and listen to it ourselves before bringing it home for our kids to listen to a thousand times each day. (And by now, it’s practically coming out of our ears, although our kids are still asking to hear it for their thousand-time daily dose!)

The nice part of it all is that the CD comes with the most adorable “siddur,” fully-illustrated and containing all the age-appropriate tefillos for kids to say each day. Those kids old enough to read can follow along with the words, while the really little ones can daven simply by singing along with the CD. It’s a win-win situation, and one of the cutest and most practical gifts you can get a child of any age.

Click here to purchase a copy for the kids in your life…

3 Comments | General, New Books | Permalink
Posted by anamericanjew

Great news for all of you Halachically Speaking fans out there!

May 4, 2010

Just in time for Shavuos, Halachically Speaking 2 is now in its printing stage and about to hit the bookstores!

Personally, I found Halachically Speaking to be an incredible sefer. It is extremely reader-friendly and easy to understand, and is chock-full of all those halachos that you heard about once upon a time, but then didn’t hear about again, and then sort of forgot about altogether… All the shoe-related halachos, such as sleeping with shoes on; putting in shoelaces on Shabbos; wearing the shoes of a deceased person; and removing your shoes for duchaning (if you’re a kohen)… Halachos relating to inyanei derech eretz, such as leaving over some food on your plate; not drinking from a cup in one shot; and not eating in the street… All the potato-related halachos you could think of, such as the brachah to recite on Pringles, instant mashed potatoes, and potato knishes; the status of a hot potato when it comes to Bishul (Cooking) on Shabbos; potatoes on Pesach; and  bishul akum regarding potatoes… The halachos of washing netilas yadayim in the bathroom, like when you’re on an airplane; the halachos regarding when to say and when not to say a brachah on water… and this is only a sampling of some of the topics covered in this book!

And, like I said, Halachically Speaking 2 will be in the bookstores in time for Shavuos, the day of Kabbalas HaTorah. Well, folks, what better way to show our dedication to the Torah than by studying the “manual” to it—namely, halachah? So, as you run to the grocery store to pick up another few tubs of cream cheese for your cheesecake, and stock up on jars of Nescafe coffee for your Shavuos all-nighter, and stand for hours at your local Shop-Rite’s floral stand, trying to pick out the nicest bouquet for Shavuos (and of course for your wife!)—don’t forget to make a stop at your local bookstore, too, to pick up your very own copy of Halachically Speaking 2. Trust me—you’ll be glad you did.

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Posted by anamericanjew

Emergencies in Halachah @ The Lakewood Scoop

December 29, 2009

We love it when other outlets feature Israel Book Shop books. A few days ago, TheLakewoodScoop.com, and incredible website with all manner of Lakewood news, excerpted Emergencies in Halacha, a book about emergencies in halacha. They did it with permission, of course, like anyone who excerpts our books. And then they gave us permission to reprint it here. Select Lakewood Scoop comments follow the article. You can read the original piece at http://www.thelakewoodscoop.com/news/2009/12/fire-on-shabbos-what-do-you-do.html .

We all hear it all too often. The wailing of the fire trucks sirens and the roar of their engines. When a fire occurs on Shabbos (as it did for a Lakewood resident last Shabbos, as reported on Thelakewoodscoop.com) just as is the case of all other emergencies, people panic as they begin contemplating what to do. While we all know that pikuach nefesh takes precedence over all of the Torah at times of emergency and desperation, this clarity can become blurred. TLS got permission from The Israel Book Shop to reprint a section of their newly published Sefer Emergencies in Halacha which deals with the halachic issues of fires.
 Keep reading…

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Posted by benzionschwarz

Interview with the Author of Two Kings

December 23, 2009
The following is an interview by Barbara Bietz of http://barbarabbookblog.blogspot.com
 
 
 
One of the lovely benefits of sharing interviews on my blog is the opportunity I have to meet wonderful people from around the world. Rabbi Fishel Jacobs is the author of the Two Kings books for children. He lives with his family in Kfar Chabad, Israel, a suburb of Tel Aviv. Rabbi Jacobs has many talents. He has written seven adult non-fiction books, served in the Israeli army, and is an eight degree Black Belt!
I’m delighted that Rabbi Jacobs was able to join me for a blog interview.

 

Tell me about your Two Kings books.
The Two Kings book series actually evolved from a play we performed for many years in front of tens of thousands of youth in Israel. The play, as well as the books, feature a main character, David, 8. He is charged with performing some sort of daily activity, such as helping watch the baby sister, do homework, whatever. Through simple text and really marvelous brilliant colored pictures we “see” and “hear” an internal Bad King trying to influence David not to do what he’s supposed to. Then we watch as the internal Good King responds with counter-arguments. Finally, we watch as David is torn and struggles to decide with which inner voice, inclination so to speak, he will go.

Keep Reading…

6 Comments | Meet the Author, New Books | Permalink
Posted by anamericanjew

Beyond the History – A Legacy of Leaders II

December 5, 2009
The rabbi and small group of fellow Jewish travelers had a decision to make. Double-crossed by an Arab driver who had promised to stop traveling before the onset of Shabbat, they had to decide whether to continue their journey after sunset, or remain alone, isolated and exposed in the midst of the searing desert for the duration of Shabbat.
In truth, there really was no choice. For the great luminaries of Israel, Shabbat desecration, which violated strict obedience to the Divine will, is hardly an option. To these sages, the apparent sacrifice of choosing to be marooned in the wilderness is no sacrifice at all. No other option is even entertained.

In his newest work A Legacy of Leaders Volume II, Yehuda Azoulay presents vivid portraits of some of the Sephardic world’s greatest spiritual giants. Their lives, as depicted in this groundbreaking series, are stories of spiritual excellence attained against all odds, of selfless devotion and self-sacrifice to Gd and His people. More importantly, their lives are shining examples of what is expected of us in today’s day and age, despite the formidable spiritual challenges we confront each day of our lives.

”He That Receives Shall Never Forget”

For centuries, wherever we were, whether it was Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Spain, Lebanon or Iraq, we ran the risk of being dissolved into the general society, of losing both our religion and our national identity. As a small minority scattered among a hostile, gentile population, it seemed hardly realistic that our people would retain their faith, practices, values and traditions. It was only a matter of time, it appeared, that the deluge of general society would overtake the small, feeble Jewish communities and destroy their heritage and essence.

keep reading…

2 Comments | New Books | Permalink
Posted by anamericanjew

TEACH YOUR CHILD THE MEANING OF DAVENING

December 1, 2009

Let’s face it: when do we learn to daven? When we’re kids! And how many kids are taught the meaning of the words and to appreciate what Tefillah is all about? Very few!

Enter “Special Delivery”, the first in a brand new series designed to help kids ages 7-11 internalize the beauty of the prayers they are saying anyway each and every morning.

The first volume focuses on Birkas Hashachar, the morning blessings. This is the first part of tefillah that a child learns. By employing stunning one-of-a-kind illustrations and endearing rhymed text, author Rachel Stein succeeds in conveying the all-important messages contained in these brachos.  Click HERE to view some sample pages.  Click here to purchase the book.

1 Comment | New Books | Permalink
Posted by anamericanjew

Through Your Hands… in stores now!

November 26, 2009

Rabbi Meir Lamberski has made a career of synthesizing epic events in history into easy to follow, chronologically written stories. His series of seforim in Hebrew, on Chanukah, Purim, the Churban, and Matan Torah are immensely popular. The stories of the Churban and Purim, On Your Walls O Jerusalem, and Al Hanissim, respectively, have been adapted into English. In time for Chanukah comes the newest adaptation into English, Through Your Hands – The Complete Story of Chanukah. The book can be purchased in better Judaica stores everywhere, or online.

The following is an excerpt from the book:

Elazar the Kohein

The absolute wickedness and cruelty knew no bounds, and Philipus didn’t give himself a moment’s rest from trying to harm those who were loyal to the Torah in Yerushalayim.
One example is the story of Elazar the kohein. Elazar was about ninety years old. A tremendous talmid chochom of sterling character, he was one of the respected members of the community. He was a judge in the Sanhedrin and a rosh yeshiva.
Philipus summoned him one day. He began by flattering Elazar. “Elazar,” he said, “I know you are a wise and understanding man. I’ve always liked you, from the first time we met when you came to translate the Torah in the days of Talmi. Still, I have no choice but to ask you, as well as all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, to fulfill the king’s command. You must bow down to the idol and eat of the meat of its sacrifices.”  Keep reading…

2 Comments | Book Excerpt, New Books | Permalink
Posted by benzionschwarz

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