Books published by Gefen Publishing House

Join Joe Bobker in his humorous adventure through Torah and Talmud, history and halacha, law and lore, and much more. This enjoyable volume on Jewish practice and law serves, in the author s words, as an envelope to be opened from time to time in order to learn something new. Packed with nuggets of information, this pithy tome is a lighthearted introduction to the serious business of being Jewish.

This volume covers Bereshit (Genesis) and Shemot (Exodus) and is the first of a two volume set. Setting himself the task of helping each individual penetrate the Torah to make the text his/her very own, Rabbi Feder has drawn upon sources from the Jewish past halakhic and aggadic midrashim, and the medieval, modern and contemporary parshanim (interpreters) as well as contemporary authors to provide fresh insights into Torah, from familiar biblical figures to concepts in Judaism. Topics such as moral responsibility, Jewish peoplehood, the Synagogue, and humility come under new light within the framework of the traditional. Masterfully written, this book presents the challenge to Diaspora and Israeli Jews living in the era following the national resurrection of Israel to experience listening to the Torah in the light of such renewal. For the Jew living in the Diaspora, listening to Torah must be hearing, therefore, a Zionist call. For the Jew living in contemporary Israel listening to Torah is also hearing a Zionist call for a Judaism with a renewed Torah that is a beam of spiritual, moral, political, and cultural light. Readers of this volume will gain Torah knowledge vitally relevant to our time and to their own lives.

Join Joe Bobker on a fascinating journey through the Jewish Festivals. You will laugh, you will cry but this roller-coaster cyclical ride through Jewish history, holidays, halacha, lore and minhag is worth the trip! In this extraordinary, insightful analysis of the Jewish calendar, Joe Bobkers refreshingly unique and playful approach of asking questions and searching for answers brings thousand-year-old Jewish festival practices into easy focus. In his examination of each Jewish festival, Joe Bobker utilises a wealth of knowledge, personal experience and a fiery dedication to the tenets of Yiddishkeit to bring forth this stirringly original work.

Mayer Aaron Levi lives in a small village. Like his fellow Jews, Mayer Aaron studies Torah and goes to the synagogue three times a day. Unlike everybody else, he also owns a lemon tree. When the lemons are ripe his wife Raizel brews her special lemonade, chills it and puts it in jars so that Mayer Aaron can make extra money for the family by selling it in the town square. Even though Raizel is very possessive about the lemons, Mayer Aaron realises that they have more than enough. While he finds a way to secretly share the extra lemons with the village''s poor people, Raizel thinks a thief is stealing them. The plot thickens as Raizel sits outside guarding the family property, only to find that her husband has a lesson he wants to hand down from generation to generation.

"Columbia is lost; there are no survivors" -- President George W Bush, 1 February 2003. Ramon''s life stands as a beacon to those who despair of triumph in a difficult world. This book, whose creation began before the shuttle lifted off into space, chronicles Ramon''s journey from air force pilot to astronaut, and includes NASA photographs, an interview with Ilan Ramon, articles about Israel''s space program and much more..

The situation the Matzav as it really is. Television audiences might be forgiven for believing that the nightly news presents the whole picture of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The broadcasts are by now familiar. A blown out Israeli bus, charred and smoking. Survivors sitting by the roadside, shocked and bleeding. Israeli tanks rolling into dusty Arab villages. The words "cycle of violence", "terror", and "retaliation". See it all in photographs. But how does it feel to be walking down a street, knowing that at any moment, the next explosion might engulf you and those around you? What is it like to go to work or school on a bus -- in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Haifa, hoping it will remain intact for the journey? This is a unique, controversial, and thought-provoking artistic critique of the situation in Israel today, conceived and created by the young Israeli artist, Doron Goldenberg, a graduate of the Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem. In this powerful work, through the use of both words and images, Goldenberg captures a sense of the impact of terror that can''t be broadcast on television. He has also created a visual tool that conveys a mood -- a sensation -- that can''t be communicated via a news-commentator. Published in conjunction with Israel at Heart, a non-profit organisation that seeks to promote a better understanding of Israel and her people.

Tells the story of 1,564 Torahs stolen by Nazis from a synagogue in Czechoslovakia, rescued twenty years later, and placed in the hands of people who love them.

A rabbi, an arms smuggler, a collaborator and a spy, he has flirted with danger, been trailed and jailed, and broken his share of laws. Yet throughout his long and full life, Herb Friedman has always held steadfastly to his beliefs, his Judaism and his faith in the uniqueness of the Jewish people. Over the years, Friedman maintained close friendships with some of the finest Jewish leaders of our time - David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Abba Eban -- and some of the most prominent names of the 20th century, including Harry S Truman, Lyndon B Johnson, and Popes Pius XII and John XXIII. Roots of the Future is the collection of the astounding stories and anecdotes which composed over 80 years of Herb Friedman''s remarkable life. It is also an affirmation of the enduring value of the Jewish heritage and proof that one man can make a lifetime of difference.

This splendidly festive book, with its pithy quotations, lucid explanations and colourful illustrations explains the history and flavourful culture of wine. So this year, before you lift your cup to celebrate, add some history, some fun and some culture to your evening with "The Romance of Wine".

Not only was Alex Singer a great human being -- and though young, he was great -- he was also a gifted writer and artist. These letters, diary entries and drawings are quite simply riveting. Whether your interest is Israel, the development of a sensitive young mind, Judaism or God, you will never forget Alex: Building A Life. Read it and laugh and cry. In other words, read it and live a remarkable life that was cut short.

Ari is on his way to Shofarville''s animal talent fair when he meets a sad duck named Kippa who feels "just so ordinary". But Kippa soon makes a charming discovery that he and all of Hashem''s creatures are "special".

A beautiful young American widow returns to Israel to locate the lover of her youth and the father of her child. This gripping romance explores kibbutz life and Jewish identity as the lovers bridge two continents and the struggles of a hostile son to find their way.

The Elected and the Chosen: Why American Presidents Have Supported Jews and Israel This book reveals how and why, almost without exception, American presidents sought to protect Jews at home and abroad from their often deadly enemies. It explains why American presidents have admired and befriended Jews.

Pirkei Avos with a Twist of Humor is a unique and whimsical journey through the impressive Sayings of Our Sages. Enjoy Joe Bobker's educational romp through Jewish ethics, heritage, law and lore, all stirred with a twist of humor and served with the intent of inspiring the reader to explore Judaism!

Kosher wines have been winning prestigious international competitions and creating a buzz among wine connoisseurs, yet most kosher consumers still opt for "traditional" sweet stuff. Irving Langer used to be one of those people. A man with a zest for living life to the fullest, Irving embarked on an exploration of the subtleties of fine wine.

Told through diary entries interspersed with the stories of many Ethiopian Jews in their own words, this is the gripping account of the Jewish Agency s coordinator of Ethiopian aliyah as he worked over a decade to free the Beta Israel from shocking conditions. With Ethiopia overrun by rebels, the Jews had left their villages in northern Ethiopia by the thousands to trek for weeks to the Sudan. There, in squalid refugee camps, untold numbers died of disease and malnutrition. Those left alive were motivated only by the desire to return to Zion. Starving, preyed-upon, and often separated from their families in heartbreaking ways, the refugees also faced stark cultural adjustments in Israel. When Israel was able to open an embassy in Ethiopia in January 1990, the author went to Addis Ababa, where his crowning achievement as the Jewish Agency s representative and Israeli consul was overseeing the immigration of over fourteen thousand Jews from the besieged city in the dramatic two-day Operation Solomon in May 1991. This modern-day Exodus story is a heartwarming tale of the love of one man for Ethiopian Jewry as he devoted himself to their struggle to go up to Jerusalem.

The book is a commentary on the Torah portion of the week. It discusses each portion and how it is relevant and meaningful to our lives today. It uses real anecdotes from my life to inspire others.

This book explores the hundreds of years of history that led American Jewry into the middle of the Cold War. The book s primary focus is on the impact of the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the founding of Israel on American and Soviet Jewry. The changes in American and Soviet culture, and the Cold War are explored in depth. Along with original documents, published histories, newspapers, journals, and magazines, Peter Golden also relied on his interviews with Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, Larry Eagleburger, Richard Perle, and many other individuals connected to the events.