.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