.11110•11•11•11017M ►
The
Perfect
Girt!
On The Bookshelf
`100 Essential Books For Jewish Readers'
ROBERT DEL VALLE
Special to The Jewish News
T
he qualities that make a
book essential to a complete
understanding of a subject
can be as varied as the sub-
ject itself, and as anyone who's been
subjected to a college-level syllabus
can readily attest, it takes more than
one book to fit the bill.
The student of Judaism is faced
with an especially formidable under-
taking when confronted by the vast
number of works that constitute the
gamut of Jewish literature. Where
does one start? What work answers the
most immediate questions? And, most
importantly, which books lay the best
foundation for future study?
Thanks to Rabbi Daniel Syme of
Bloomfield Hills' Temple Beth El, the
task of selecting such works has
become easier and the pleasure in
reading them has been made mani-
fold. Ably assisted by Cindy ,Frenkel
Kanter, he has tallied up a hundred
titles that serve, in his opinion, as a
focused introduction to Jewish faith
and identity
Like a road map into timeless terri-
tory, One Hundred Essential Books for
Jewish Readers (Carol Publishing
Group; $27.50) touches on the famil-
iar as well as the unfamiliar, the
remembered and the forgotten. Divid-
ed into six categories ranging from
texts of belief to representative works
of fiction, the books are summarized
in succinct capsule forms that permit
each one a place unique to itself and,
at the same time, a position in a per-
fectly woven whole.
Naturally, the Hebrew Bible is
accorded the honor of first place. But
equal attention is paid to such dis-
parate titles as Herbert Weiner's 9 1/2
Mystics, James Midiener's The Source
and Irving Howe's World of Our
Fathers.
Looking for a recipe? Consult Joan
Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America. A
special name for your newborn?
There's The Complete Dictionary of
English and Hebrew First Names.
Want to win a bar bet? Peruse Great
Jews in Sports or the delightful The
Jewish You Wouldn't Believe It Book.
Open the book to any page and try —
just try — to stop reading.
Contrary to popular belief, review-
ers are at a distinct disadvantage when
the book under scrutiny turns out to
be a delight to read. The acerbic wit
has to be checked and the venomous
polysyllables put on hold. This time I
didn't mind. My only gripe? The book
isn't long enough. I want another one
right away. ❑
Robert del Valle leads the Jewish book
club at Borders Books and Music in
Farmington Hills.
A Conversation
JN: What prompted you to write
100 Essential Books for Jewish
Readers.?
Rabbi Syrne: Actually, the book
found me. Carol Publishing wanted
to do a book of this kind. In a
strange series of coincidences, an edi-
tor at Carol who had worked with
me on a prior book — with another
publisher -- contacted my agent.
IN: In your preface, you hinted at a
follow-up volume. When can we
expect it?
Rabbi Syme: Every author worth his
or her craft envisions a follow-up
volume to any work. Obviously, the
sales figures of this volume will
determine_a second collection. Need-
less to say, there are hundreds of Jew-
ish books worthy of inclusion in a
future edition.
JN: Have you personally read all the
works cited in the book?
Rabbi Syme: Yes. At one time or
another in my life, I have read every
book in the collection. Some were in
grade school or high school, others
in college and many as an adult. My
PO4
19-yeark l dosh, asked me
same ques tic
comprehend at
that many boo
A
Subscription
to
THE
JEWISH NEWS
354-6620
JN: Obviously, some books ha
be dropped from the final list.
any of your person
the wayside?
Rabbi Symt. ,
lel Black, who
edited the book
brilliantly, insisted
that only books of
Jewish content be
included. That
decision excluded
. •
ESSENTIA L
BOOKS FO
JEWISH
READERS
kcei
RABBI DANIEL B SYME
NMECq®23qafflagla
sion to th e boo
particularly he,
addition of vo
on - womens issue
art and culture. 0
;
4 ,1H (1\ tit fRI ,31,11. KANT•R
Rabbi Daniel Syne
--- Robert del. Val
Get Results...
Advertise
in our
Entertainment
Section!
Call The Sales
Department
(248) 354-7123
Ext. 209
JEWISH NEWS
11131
2/20
1998
113