reviews - Jewish Book Council

COOKBOOKS
Marcy Goldman
Whitecap Books, 2009. 403 pp. $26.95
ISBN: 978-1-77050-003-7
A TREASURY OF JEWISH HOLIDAY BAKING:
THE 10 TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
We all have friends whom we see often and others with whom
we have not been in contact for weeks, months, or years—but
the relationship is still vibrant and can be rekindled at any moment.
That is precisely the feeling I have each time I pick up Marcy Gold-
Continued from Page 39
And while many traditional Jews, baby
boomers or older, might balk at such a shakeup
in their thinking, the author’s language of
oneness is certain to resonate with a younger
generation of spiritual seekers who are more
open to a contemporary Jewish culture that
includes writers like Michaelson, independent
prayer communities, Buddhist Jews, and
a growing number of non-denominational
Jewish performers such as Matisyahu and the
Balkan Beat Box who are creating new forms
of music.
Everything Is God is a mystical Pandora’s
box. Open the book and out pops a genie
who may very well transform a reader’s cos-
a call to open our eyes to a new
way of thinking about God; it is also
filled with practical information about
how this non-dualistic way of approaching
God can improve our everyday
lives and even better the world.
mic view. But the book is more than simply a
call to open our eyes to a new way of thinking
about God; it is also filled with practical
information about how this non-dualistic
way of approaching God can improve our
everyday lives and even better the world.
Religion, suggests the author, is not about
belief, but love. Meditation is not about special
states of mind, but learning to accept
everything in life—including suffering, pain,
and injustice—as God. It is also, Michaelson
argues, about involving oneself in social
action and social justice, which is impossible
to ignore if we truly understand that Everything
(and, thus, everybody) is God.
42 Jewish Book World Spring 5770/2010
Everything Is God is both a scholarly work
(Michaelson is completing his Ph.D. at
Hebrew University)—and, at the same time,
an easy-to-understand approach to the subject
of non-dual Judaism. LS
GETTING TO
THE HEART OF
INTERFAITH: THE
EYE-OPENING,
HOPE-FILLED
FRIENDSHIP OF A
PASTOR, A RABBI
AND A SHEIKH
Pastor Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon,
and Sheikh Jamal Rahman
Skylight Paths Publishing, 2009. 183 pp. $16.99
ISBN: 978-1-59473-263-8
These three authors reflect the hopes of so
many people throughout the world.
When will we learn to respect and even transcend
our religious differences in a way that
ends war and division? How can we mature in
our faith through exposure to other religions
without losing or demeaning our own? These
authors courageously address those who are
indifferent or even opposed to such intercommunication.
Each spiritual leader shares his
personal story of learning tolerance through
meeting and understanding similarities, and
discusses what he wants others to know about
his faith that will yield a sharing spirit. No
topic is off-limits, particularly the ones that
normally add to dissension rather than unity.
The book concludes with discussion questions
that are designed to produce meaningful
learning, sharing, appreciation of all
man’s books. This friend is always true, sound, and almost a family
member. She never fails me. Her breads, her cakes, her photos, her
hints, her encouragement, her cookies, her tartlets, and her guiding
spirit are all there. This time, in the 10 th Anniversary Edition, she has
added a new bonus chapter to her baking wonders, reflecting her
“savory cooking.”
Each year, our family prepares her famous “My Trademark, Most
Requested, Absolutely Magnificent Caramel Matzoh Crunch” which
she and we call “sublime.” Another popular seder dessert is the “Mock
Chestnut Torte” which, needless to say, contains no chestnuts.
Go ahead, try the challahs, the varied hamantaschens, the coffee
cakes, the cholent, and anything in the tome and you will hear only
“oohs and ahs” from your admiring tasters.
Goldman, who has been nominated for a Julia Child Cookbook
Award, is a professional pastry chef and the creator of BetterBaking.com.
Index; source guide for equipment, tools, and ingredients; metric conversion
chart. DGL
faiths, and deepening of one’s own faith as
well. DS
JEWS, GOD, AND
VIDEOTAPE:
RELIGION AND
MEDIA IN AMERICA
Jeffrey Shandler
New York University Press, 2009. 352 pp. $23.00 (pbk.)
ISBN: 9780814740682 (pbk.)
A mid-20th century TV, complete with
rabbit ear antennae, sits swathed in an
ethereal green light. The only image filling
its rounded screen is a closeup of a sheet of
matzoh. This installation by artist Melissa
Shiff adorns the cover of Jeffrey Shandler’s
Jews, God, and Videotape, and suggests that
the subject matter will be scholarly, deconstructive,
and focused on the medium as
much as the message. Thankfully, for the
general reader, this is not the case. Instead,
Shandler delivers a series of interesting
essays on varied areas of American Jewish life
sharing only some connection with modern
media.
Shandler sheds light on forgotten trends
such as cantorial music in the early 20 th century,
as well as Jewish themes on mainstream
American radio in the 50’s, the phenomenon
of bar mitzvah videos, and the use of media
and the Internet by the Chabad movement.
His writing is clear, well-researched, and
thoughtful. Illustrations. JHB
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