Feast Days Books

Meredith Gould has done a great job of bringing together traditions from all around the world, and offering these as ways to grow in true faith, not just more items on holiday to-do lists. Her suggestions for Lenten prayer are particularly valuable. Written in a clear, concise, and humorous style, this compact book has earned its place as a family reference.

This is a very nice manual of catholic traditions that can be incorporated into everyday life. My husband and I were looking for something like this as we both weren't raised with any Catholic traditions and hope to raise our kids with a very Catholic home. This is a great starting point, and has a lot of interesting ideas that I had never heard of.

I ordered this for my sister as a gift. She suggested the book and I had no trouble finding it on Amazon. Thanks!

I love this book! I grew up in a Catholic family and in Catholic schools. However, that did not prepare me for passing along Catholic traditions to my own children and to my converted husband. The fear of offending anyone(especially my non-Catholic relatives) made me a little hesitant to "let religious identity permeate our home". Gould's book encourages and instructs on how to do so. She has specific ideas, traditions, and even recipes for living a richer life within the Church.

If you are interested in Catholic customs and traditions for your family, this is a wonderful book. Full of interesting facts for different feast days and practical ways to celebrate in the home. A wonderful tool for the family or individual!

Having attended Agape when I lived in Los Angeles I looked forward to continuing to gain from Michael's inspiration.
I am sorry to say this book is a disappointment for me. I do not feel inspired when I read the daily messages and the affirmations do not resonate for me. I continue to read hoping to find that spark of inspiration that comes across so brilliantly when I hear Michael speak. I am now on day 10....
This is my personal experience and yours may be completely different.

In some ways reading one of these two-page chapters everyday seems tedious if your really doing some soul searching about what is being taught to you...still, I think its very helpful.

If you're wanting to be uplifted, buy this book and read a part of it each day. Dr. Beckwith is such a beautifully positive person and his intention to see that in each one of us is obvious in his writings and teachings.
This is a great little book to have with you at all times and to share its insights with others.

One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel
Rev. Michael Beckwith..is the most powerful teacher of them all...at least in this decade...I call him a brother from another planet...a visionary of light..to read his teachings...to hear his spoken word...to listen to his sermons...moves me like none other...he is the wind beneath our wings...those of us..who are blessed to have sat in his church..are all so thankful for his teachings... his work is a WOW factor at the highest level.

This book is for those who respond to positive suggestions and are open to New Age philosophy with just as much affirmation of faith in a deity. The suggestion is to read the affirmations and its analysis, sit with it for a time each day, with the promise that at the end of 40 days something will have shifted in the reader's thinking.
I believe that this method is worth pursuing and have found it beneficial in improving my perceptions of how I see the world, how I nurture my relationships, in how I regard myself.
After reading it the first time I've decided to give it another round to reinforce its upbeat message.

This three volume set is what I expected. It is well written and informative. I expect to learn a great deal from studying this text.

This trilogy covers all of the Jewish holidays superbly. It not only covers how and when the holiday is observed, but it goes into a great deal of background information as to why the holiday is observed and what the meaning is behind the observance. It is written in an interesting manner, and I have a hard time putting it down once I start reading it. It is worth every penny that I paid for it.

Just a small warning though for those who are a bit less familiar with Hebrew and basic Jewish ideas: This may not be the first book you want to pick up. I did find myself creating a list of words to look up later that I did not know. I found that this aided with my memory of a number of key Jewish terms though, so this may not be a terrible problem really. If I could suggest an intro book before this one, I would suggest "To be a Jew" by Donin.

Rabbi Bulman did the Jewish world, and for that matter the world at large, a favor by translating this classic work by KiTov. Now Jews who labor under false ideas and others who do not have access to the true beauty of the Jewish year can read, learn understand and perhaps fullfill that which Jews have known for thousands of years.
The prose borders on poetry. The organization is superbe. The complex has been rendered simple in this wonderful book.

This is the most comprehensive book on Jewish Lifecycle events that I have read. It discusses the entire Jewish Calendar and reviews ever significant date. In addition, he discusses areas that surprised me, such as Rosh Chodesh (the lunar calendar and celebrating the new month).

The series also covers the intermediate days between holidays and the laws that apply. The detail in which he covers Sukkot and the "Four Species" is amazing".

The wonderful part of it all is that the author traces the history of the events, and the pertinent Halacha (Jewish law) all the way back to the time of the First Temple.

An excellent, comprehensive work! It is done in a very easy reading style and yet thoroughly covers the subject. This is a resource for someone who really wants to learn about living Judaism!

I for many years learned with the Hebrew version of this work , called ' Sefer HaToda-ah.' This book was turned to whenever we were approaching a holiday or time of special meaning. Then the interpretation of KiTov his reading of the sources would greatly enrich our learning. I too believe this should be a part of the library of every Jewish home.

I found that the book was quite helpful for the teaching that I am doing with my students. Claire Ginsburg Goldstein, Mitzvah Manager of CBI, Cong. Beth Israel of Bergenfield, NJ.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Rabbi Milgram engaged this reader on both intellectual and emotional levels. Her clarity of vision reveals how Judaism fits together as a system of remarkable spiritual practices. Perhaps it is because she travels internationally as an experiential workshop leader/teacher that she communicates with the reader with such an immediacy about celebrating Judiasm through Shabbat and the Holy Days.. Humanity shines through her writing which is respectful and inclusive of the wide range of ways of being Jewish and the different needs each member of a family tends to have in relating to Judaism. Rather than tell you what you ought to do, Reb Goldie offers novel and detailed recipes for creating an experience of the richness and depth of Jewish tradition in your life. Her teachings have enriched my life and deepened my connections with other people in ways I would not have imagined possible.

Everyone loves a new recipe to try out on themselves and their family. I learned to appreciate the things that nourished me from my grandmother, my baubbie, who would wake up early in the morning to cook and to bake for her children and grandchildren. As a teenager, I watched her as she prepared several dishes of delight, copying down the recipes as she baked. Some of those recipes from my childhood lost something in the translation. Who remembered that a cup of flour was measured in a yahrzeit glass rather than a measuring cup! In "Reclaiming Judaism As a Spiritual Practice" the recipes that Rabbi Goldie Milgram dishes up, have that same wonderful feelings that were a part of my upbringing. Her recipes for spicing up the Shabbat and the other holidays of the Jewish calendar have added a new dimension to what I claim from my past. I am indebted to Rabbi Milgram for sharing with us a path to see these holy days in a new and vibrant way that does not depart from what we have been accustomed to in our past. I plan to share some of her recipes with my congregation during this coming year, beginning with the Sephardi Blessing Feast to feed our bodies and then onto the Teshuvah Forgiveness Walks to nourish our souls. I hope that you will enjoy the spiritual practices in this book, as much as I have enjoyed my baubbie's recipes for a spiritual life through her cooking rituals.

Rabbi Milgram's books are a delight to read: Reclaiming Judaism as a Spiritual Practice-Holy Days and Shabbat, and Meaning of Mitzvah: Reclaiming Judaism through Daily Practices of Prayer, God, Torah, Hebrew, Mitzvot & Peoplehood and in my opinion are theological classics. Rabbi Milgram presents the liturgy in such a warm hearted, scholarly, and alive way that I must tell you I could not put the books down and was disappointed when I finished them thirsting for more insight, knowledge, and integration. Rabbi Milgram has a natural talent delivering the information to the reader in such a flowing manner that one can easily travel with her on the journey toward spiritual development and enlightenment. I highly recommend these beautiful books for spiritual insight, clarity, and daily inspiration. I reference Rabbi Milgram's teachings often for the wisdom of her spiritual guidance. She is truly a modern day Jewish heroine and as you read her words you will recognize she is truly a modern day sage.

There are a lot of books on the Jewish holidays. What makes this book special is the array of creative exercises and meditations that highlight the personal and spiritual side of Judaism. It's great for anyone on a spiritual journey, and also an excellent resource for educators and Jewish professionals. As a rabbi, I have used the exercises in the book with my congregants. Rabbi Goldie Milgram is a very creative and original teacher who delights in sharing a myriad of personal experiences. Her book makes you feel like you have a personal Jewish teacher or mentor who helps you find your own experience of Judaism.

Adding this book to your collection is like the ribbon on a wrapped gift.ý
This book brings many concepts that Rabbi Aaron brings in his previous books. And will help one ýexecute his admirable approach to your Holy-days.ý

Rabbi David Aaron writes in plain conversational English, easy to understand. He stresses the importance of interconnectedness, and the concept of monotheism, that all people are one and God is within all of us. To live this truth people must be willing to give up self-centeredness and care about others. Aaron says that a possible bad effect of psychotherapy is that it focuses one on the self and can cause self absorption which is against the principles of Judaism. Overall the book is a joy to read, Aaron's words ring with truth.

Amazing book.
Rav David Aaron - is a master to put key concepts in the clear form.
I'm a kabbala teacher - use his books for my students.

This short little book packs a lot of punch for its size. It never overwhelms the reader with preachiness, overly flowery language, or stiff boring academic prose. Instead it delivers neat compact messages that are deeply moving, inspirational, and thought-provoking. Rabbi Aaron starts with Pesach, since it occurs in the month of Nisan, which is supposed to be the real calendar beginning of the year, even though most people think of Tishrei and Rosh Hashanah as starting the Jewish year. He goes through all of the major holidays and fast days in chronological order (Pesach, Shavuot, Tisha B'Av, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Hanukah, Tu B'Sh'vat, and Purim), and ends with a recap of all of these spiritual lessons. He assigns each holiday or fast day a theme relating to God and love, such as celebrating loss and sadness on Tisha B'Av, celebrating pleasure on Tu B'Sh'vat, celebrating unconditional love on Pesach, and celebrating accountability on Rosh Hashanah. Through these eye-opening lessons, he gives the reader the impetus to break out of boxes and old paradigms of looking at God, the holidays, the Torah, and the world. Although many Jews tend to shun the notion of having a personal relationship with God as being a Christian concept and not something rooted in their faith tradition, that's a very mistaken belief. We might not use the same language or examples to talk about it, and might not view it in the same way, but as Rabbi Aaron so beautifully illustrates, it's a very Jewish concept indeed. And though all of these themes he discusses are different, in the end, he points out, they're all centered around the concept of reciprocal and unconditional love, love of God, love of one another, and God's love for us. It becomes a lot easier to invite God in on these holidays and major fast days when one understands that all one needs is love.

Rabbi David Aaron takes us on a soulful, intensely spiritual journey of the Jewish calendar year in this well written and finely crafted book. From Passover to Rosh HaShanah to Purim, this book explains the multi-faceted nature of God's role in our lives, both on a highly personal level and on a collective one as well.

We begin to understand God's love for us, His infinite compassion and kindness and His own unique ability to forgive us, despite our sins.

Rabbi Aaron does not write in a didactic or preachy fashion, but rather his style is a most refreshing one as he unravels spiritual mysteries with much simplicity while including personal stories that make this subject feel so real and tangible to the reader.

This book implores the reader to connect with God, to understand what our relationship with God is and how we can benefit from it. On each holiday we are taught what role God plays and what is expected of us. Leading a life that is devoid of God's presence and a spiritually bankrupt one, robs us of not only a genuine understanding of our great heritage, but of a unique and cherished bond that has sustained us as people and a nation.

There is a story told of a great Chassidic rabbi named the Kotzker Rebbe who lived in Europe in the 1800s. A child was once walking down the street. The Kotzker Rebbe passed by and motioned for him to stop. "Let me ask you a question, little boy," said the Kotzker Rebbe. "Where is G-d?" The youngster smiled. "Oh, that's easy," he replied. "G-d is everywhere." The Kotzker Rebbe looked at the boy for a moment. "No, my son," he answered gently. "G-d is only where you allow Him to enter."

Our holiday observance can only become more profound and meaningful by adopting a policy of inviting God into our hearts and homes. Rabbi Aaron's book will be a tremendous addition to our libraries as well as a significant contribution to the corpus of Jewish spiritual literature.

I have had this book and gave it to a friend and now I have to replace it. I depended on the daily mediations to give me a positive or clear thought to start my day. It parallels the daily mediations of christianity so closely it makes you realize there truely is only one "Great Spirit". This book has enhanced my life. Until I found this book I only had my christian beliefs of mediations. Now I have something that I can relate to through heritage. I have shared the passages in this book with many friends and it has touched their hearts as deeply as mine. Thank you Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Inspirational books always failed to inspire me until "A Cherokee Feast of Days." Joyce Sequitchie Hifler delves into my soul and finds the very best, strongest parts of ME. By including the wisdom of native elders, she gives us a perspective of "time," of each day, as a healer and as an opportunity to, simply put, "do good." Hifler is like the sunflower: her roots run deep in the red clay earth and her face smiles up to God reflecting the blessings which he has bestowed upon her and upon all of us. I have given this book to many of my friends. Prepare to have your outlook on life uplifted forever! Hifler makes me even more proud to be blessed with my grandmother's Tsalagi blood.

Certainly one of the most elegant daily devotional books available today. Hifler is both poet and spiritual guide. This book is a real treat!

A friend gave me this book as a gift in 1993. I have read a meditation almost every day since. I find it to be uplifting and thought provoking and at the same time centering on things that really matter. The meditations remind me that family and earth matter so much more than materialistics. My daughter also reads daily and has been searching for one as a gift.

I just made Kitty Morse's Mint tea from her book Scent of Orange Blossoms. For years I have been digging and chopping away at a large patch of spearmint that takes over a section of my yard trying to get rid of it. Now after making Kitty's mint tea I am looking for another empty space to plant more. A simple infusion of fresh spearmint leaves, a little green tea and some sugar provided am amazing treat.

The Scent of Orange Blossoms is a lovingly assembled cook's tour of a regional cuisine that obviously has special meaning for the author. All eight of Kitty's cookbooks have been beautifully written and illustrated, but this one, with its mouthwatering recipes and pages of luscious photos by her husband Owen, is truly a feast for the senses.

I spent three wonderful years living in Morocco and although I learned many recipes from Moroccan neighbors and some from Kitty herself, I have found in her latest book new combinations of spices, fresh vegetables and meats that I can't wait to try. Most of the Sephardic families had left Morocco when I lived there in the seventies and most of their recipes had gone with them. Kitty's meticulous research with Danielle and the wonderful stories and letters that illustrate this tome make it as much a history book as a cook book.

More than anything else, at this time of great conflict and crisis in the world, The Scent of Orange Blossoms is a wonderful reminder of how Jews and Arabs can live (and cook) together in peace and harmony as they did for centuries in Morocco.

I must go now and begin preparing my preserved lemons (p. 20).

Salaam and shalom.

A celebration of Jewish cuisine that came from the interaction between Jews and Moslems in North Africa and Spain. When the author Kitty Morse led eating tours of Morocco, the highlight was a meal at the villa of retailer Danielle Mamane in Fez el Jdid. Both women have collaborated on this well designed and interesting book of recipes. I recommend it for its recipes, design, stories, and photographs. In addition to recipes, letters between mothers and their newly married daughters, and introductory stories, the authors list menu plans (with recipe page numbers) for the Jewish holidays, as well as the more Moroccan Jewish celebrations of La Mimouna (Pesach period), Hillula (visiting sages), and Kappara (pre-Yom Kippur). For Jewish weddings, there is the customary flan (t'faya). For Mimouna, the recommended recipes are Chicken with Orange Juice; Sephardic Mafleta pancakes; and couscous with raisin and onions confit. My favorite recipes include Walnuts with Pomegranate Seeds (which uses a heavy dose of orange blossom water); a cucumber with lemon salad; fish filets made in Fez style (with tomatoes, potatoes, and garlic); Fresh Fava Bean Soup with Cilantro for Passover; Chicken Couscous with Orange Blossom Water for Yom Kippur; Harira or Lentil and Chickpeas Soup (for Moslem Ramadan and Jewish Yom Kippur break-the-fasts); Meatballs in Onion Cinnamon Sauce, Chicken with Saffron and Ginger and Onions; and Honey Doughnuts for Hannukah. There are Fish Fillets a la Fassi (Fez style); Dafina Shabbat Stew (skhina); Chicken with Garbanzo Beans in Tetouan style; and Tangier style Potato Stew that uses preserved beef (kleehe). The Tagine of Beef uses carrot and turnips as well as cilantro, garlic, ginger, and tumeric. The Cornish Hens with Fresh Figs uses 12 figs and 12 threads of saffron; the Chicken with Onion and Tomatoes uses toasted almonds, ginger and eight threads of saffron. Preserved fruits, lemons, and kumquats play an important role in the cuisine. There is a recipe for Sephardic Shabbat Challa, and the Top of The Shelf spice that is often used; it includes a blending of cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, allspice, mace, salt and ginger. La Maguina, a vegetable and meat frittata, is sliced like meatloaf. Some unique soups and salads are a white and chard soup a la Tangiers; a fennel salad; a tomato and bell pepper salad with garlic, paprika and sugar; fava bean salad with cumin; and tomato with preserved lemons.

Excellent book for people who want to have a solid base of Moroccan cooking.
Finally recipes of our favorite foods with precise measurements.
AE

The best book I've seen on the subject!

As an anthropologist who teaches classes on Mexico, I use this book often. The "day of the dead" in Mexico exemplifies, for me, the difference between the U.S. culture and that of Mexico. Just as other cultures might find our U.S. Halloween celebrations strangely at odds with normally conservative Judeo-Christian religious observance, this book illustrates clearly the almost unfathomable blending of pre-Columbian cults of death and sacrifice with Spanish-Catholic traditions. Starting with its origins in Mexico's ancient civilizations, the book discusses and illustrates this observance through modern times, and takes the reader vicariously to the areas of Mexico in which it is most enthusiastically observed. Sit down with a cup of chocolate' and some "pan de los muertos" (bread of the dead), and enjoy a book whose topic you might have thought too morbid for your taste, but which you will probably end up finding much more compelling than repulsive. Unfortunately for me (but better for the publishing company!), I am about to order my 3rd copy of "Skeleton at the Feast"--apparently the students to whom I loan it find it too interesting to return!

I bought this book several years ago at the Museum of Mankind, in London. It was the book for the exhibition, which featured incredible paper sculptures of skeletons and demons.
I read every word of the book, and enjoyed the culture, history, and personal stories of these Mexican artists.
Buy it!

As an anthropologist who teaches classes on Mexico, I use this book often. The "day of the dead" in Mexico exemplifies, for me, the difference between the U.S. culture and that of Mexico. Just as other cultures might find our U.S. Halloween celebrations strangely at odds with normally conservative Judeo-Christian religious observance, this book illustrates clearly the almost unfathomable blending of pre-Columbian cults of death and sacrifice with Spanish-Catholic traditions. Starting with its origins in Mexico's ancient civilizations, the book discusses and illustrates this observance through modern times, and takes the reader vicariously to the areas of Mexico in which it is most enthusiastically observed. Sit down with a cup of chocolate' and some "pan de los muertos" (bread of the dead), and enjoy a book whose topic you might have thought too morbid for your taste, but which you will probably end up finding much more compelling than repulsive. Unfortunately for me (but better for the publishing company!), I am about to order my 3rd copy of "Skeleton at the Feast"--apparently the students to whom I loan it find it too interesting to return!

Alligator Arrived with Apples: A Potluck Alphabet Feast is an endearing story. It is so cute; it begs to be read repeatedly. The illustrations are adorable, and they remind me of a cross between Sandra Boynton's crazy characters, and Richards Scarry's Busytown animals. Technically speaking, the illustrations are very basic with simple washes of color, but the personalities of the animals are so droll the pictures are irresistible.
I wasn't sure how my son would react to this book. He's in Kindergarten, thus, he's outgrown alphabet books, but he adored this Thanksgiving tale. Many of the food items are new to his young eyes, and he was curious about each one. The copyright page is a two-page spread that features all the menu items. The food is in alphabetic order, and labeled accordingly. I think we discussed this page four separate times. We also poured over the picture where the tables are set, and the place cards are aligned in front of the each place setting. My son wanted to address each animal, and was distraught when he discovered there wasn't an animal for the letter "R". He kept telling me that the Pigs should have invited a rabbit. What could I do but agree with him?

Parents will like reading this short, 40-page tale because it's clever, and amusing. The vegetarians will be pleased as well, because all the food choices are vegan. The book doesn't offer an age recommendation, but I think 3 to 6 years is probably appropriate. This is an unexpected holiday delight.

As a kindergarten teacher I am always on the lookout for alphabet books that portray letters and sounds in a different way than I read just the day before, while keeping to the same concepts. We really enjoyed the illustrations here. Several of my students noticed that this illustrator drew the ducks in the book we used on our first day of school because the pictures are simple, clear, and not too ornate. We enjoyed this work, and heartily recommend you stop by to have lunch or dinner with these folks while learning the a, b, c's.

A delightful and rollicking ABC, this picture-book will be appreciated by anyone who loves good food, celebration, Thanksgiving --- and maybe most of all, anyone who does all these things and is ALSO a vegetarian. Not that there's a vegetarian agenda --- the book is not at all evangelical --- but it happens that at this Thanksgiving feast, Turkey is a guest, not an entree, Trucking in Turnips (just as Bear Brought Banana Bread, Biscuits & Butter and Cat Carried Cherry Compote and Cranberry Cobbler). We read ALLIGATOR aloud before every Thanksgiving at our home, and it makes all of us, of all ages, giggle, cheer, and happily dig in. A true celebration of a book, and delicious.

The second edition of "A Cherokee Feast of Days" is as uplifting as the first. One can follow it daily to get an insight or inspiration, or, as I often do, scan it to find something that is pertinant now. The second edition uses more modern day situations than the first, so it will be more meaningful to young people. I only wish this edition had an index like the first edition. So far I have given 3 copies of the firt edition and 3 copies of the second edition to family and friends. I am ordering 4 more copies today.

A collection of uplifing anecdotes--the format is a modern 2 paragraph quote for the day from the writer which is followed by a statement from an Indian from years ago. Well done.

The second edition of "A Cherokee Feast of Days" is as uplifting as the first. One can follow it daily to get an insight or inspiration, or, as I often do, scan it to find something that is pertinant now. The second edition uses more modern day situations than the first, so it will be more meaningful to young people. I only wish this edition had an index like the first edition. So far I have given 3 copies of the first edition and 3 copies of the second edition to family and friends. I am ordering 4 more copies today. It is a wonderful little book!