Recommended Books on Judaism

What books should you read about Judaism?

Jews are the people of the book, and one of the best ways to supplement your learning about Judaism is by reading. You need to begin building your own Jewish library.

So here is a short list of recommended books that will help you in your Jewish learning. The links below are mostly to softcover editions, which are generally less expensive, but of course you can switch to hardcover or Kindle editions of the same book where available.

The First Jewish Catalog

by Richard Siegel, Michael Strassfeld, and Sharon Strassfeld.

This is a book from the early 1970s - I know, ancient history! - but is super user-friendly as an introduction to how to live a Jewish life. Written for Jews who grew up without this knowledge, it's also a good introduction for non-Jews contemplating conversion to Judaism.

More info: The First Jewish Catalog

Jewish Literacy

by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Rabbi Telushkin writes clearly and comprehensively in bite-sized chapters about hundreds of topics on Judaism, Jewish practice, history, and more. The title refers to the basic things that you need to know to be literate as a Jew. It's a great companion to The First Jewish Catalog, and is written from a more traditional but balanced perspective.

More info: Jewish Literacy

The Jewish Study Bible

Adele Berlin et al.

This is a Jewish Bible in English translation, and it uses the translation of the Jewish Publication Society Tanakh (see next entry) along with scholarly commentary and explanation, all written from a Jewish perspective. The Jewish Study Bible combines modern scholarship with traditional commentary, mixing and matching as the editors felt most appropriate.

More info: The Jewish Study Bible

The JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh

This is a Hebrew-English Bible, with the full Hebrew text on one page and a modern English translation by Jewish scholars on the facing page reflecting new understandings from archaeology and other research. It goes nicely with The Jewish Study Bible and its commentary, because it offers you the full Hebrew text. Tanakh, of course, is the Hebrew acronym for Torah, Neviim (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).

More info: The JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh

Choosing a Jewish Life

by Anita Diamant.

This is a friendly guide for those considering, exploring, and choosing conversion to Judaism. It explains the process and rituals, as well as things to think about when choosing a community.

More info: Choosing a Jewish Life

To Pray as a Jew

by Hayim Halevy Donin.

Rabbi Donin gives a thorough explanation of Jewish prayer for beginners. He writes from an Orthodox perspective, so keep that in mind, but it's still enormously helpful in understand the whats and the hows of praying as a Jew.

More info: To Pray as a Jew

To Be a Jew

by Hayim Halevy Donin.

Rabbi Donin also wrote this one, covering basic Jewish beliefs, Jewish living, what happens in a synagogue service, Shabbat, Kashrut, and Jewish holidays. Even if you don't anticipate becoming Orthodox, Rabbi Donin's books will give you a grounding in traditional Jewish observance that will help you understand your own branch of Judaism.

More info: To Be a Jew

The Sabbath

by Abraham Joshua Heschel.

Rabbi Heschel, who taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York (where, years later, I studied!) wrote this incredibly beautiful description, a love song really, of Shabbat, the Sabbath. It is a short book, and it isn't about the how-tos of observing Shabbat. It is about the beauty and grandeur of the day. Heartily recommended to all, both those new to Shabbat and those who have been observing it all their lives.

More info: The Sabbath

Back to the Sources

by Barry Holtz.

Dr. Holtz, also on the faculty of the Jewish Theological Seminary, edited this collection of scholarly works about the Bible, Talmud, Midrash, medieval Torah commentaries, Jewish philosophy, Kabbalah, Hasidism, and the Siddur (the Jewish prayerbook).

More info: Back to the Sources

A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice

by Isaac Klein.

Rabbi Klein, a Conservative rabbi, served a congregation for many years and, in parallel, also was a scholar. This book is a one-volume summary of Jewish law as it applies to most people today. It will tell you what you need to know on how to observe Kashrut, Shabbat, and more.

More info: A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice

Shma Koleinu: A Jewish People’s Commentary on the Siddur

by Steven Schwarzman.

Well, I can say I know this author personally! This is a book that I edited of people's personal commentaries on prayers in the Siddur. There are some rabbis and cantors who contributed, and I wrote a number of pieces myself, but most are from laypeople, and I continue to be amazed at the depth and sincerity of their contributions. Like, for instance, the woman who said the Asher Yatzar prayer, normally said after using the bathroom, which thanks God for maintaining our bodies. She said it each time she got chemo in the hospital. And there are many others. I came up with the idea for this book when I discovered how deep are the thoughts of laypeople as they say the prayers - and I tell that story in the book as well.

More info: Shma Koleinu: A Jewish People's Commentary on the Siddur

Night

by Elie Wiesel.

This became the first widely-known book about the Holocaust, and it is used even now, over 50 years after it was first published, in schools and elsewhere to tell the story through the eyes of its author, who was a boy when taken to the concentration camp. A powerful book.

More info: Night 

A siddur (Jewish prayerbook)

Before I moved back to Israel, I had a collection of siddurim, of prayerbooks of all kinds, taking up a whole section of the bookshelf in my office. Probably close to a hundred volumes. You don't need that many, but you do need a siddur, or perhaps a few, in your home. Here are some recommendations:

The Complete Artscroll Siddur

This is an Orthodox siddur that offers super-detailed instructions and explanations of the weekday and Shabbat/holiday prayers. Even if you are not Orthodox, it is a great tool for you in learning the prayers, what they mean, and the laws of prayer.

More info: The Complete Artscroll Siddur

The Koren Shalem Siddur

Another Orthodox siddur, this one with translation and commentary by the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom. The typography is beautiful - Koren texts always are, because their original publisher was a typographer who did meticulous work before the age of computer typography. This edition also has the complete Torah readings, which is handy - you can use just this one book for prayer and for following Torah reading in synagogue.

More info: The Koren Shalem Siddur

Mishkan T'fillah

This is the siddur of the Reform movement, combining both innovation and a significant return toward the structure of the traditional prayer services (with changes as well). I've used this siddur when visiting Reform temples for services.

More info: Mishkan T'fillah

Siddur Lev Shalem for Shabbat and Festivals

This is the new Conservative siddur, replete with commentaries, explanations, alternative readings, and background material. It's a beautiful and helpful guide to the Jewish prayer service, and nicely meets the needs of Conservative Jews today.

More info: Siddur Lev Shalem for Shabbat and Festivals

A chumash (book containing Torah and Haftarah readings by week

These books contain the weekly Torah portions, followed by the Prophetic reading for each week (in some cases immediately after each Torah reading, and in others, at the end of the book). They have commentaries of various flavors depending on whether they are for use in Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform synagogues. Here are some commonly used ones:

Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary

This is the standard in Conservative synagogues. It uses the Jewish Publication Society translation for the English, and includes both traditional and modern commentaries.

More info: Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary

Artscroll Stone Chumash

Like the Artscroll siddur, you'll find this in many Orthodox synagogues. The Artscroll Chumash features traditional commentaries and a translation that reflects those commentaries (especially that of Rashi).

More info: Artscroll Stone Chumash

The Torah: A Modern Commentary

This chumash uses the newer JPS gender-neutral translation with modern commentary by the late Rabbi Gunther Plaut. It's the standard in Reform congregations.

More info: The Torah: A Modern Commentary

Jewish History

While there are thousands of books on Jewish history, this one by Professor Raymond P. Scheindlin of the Jewish Theological Seminary is highly regarded as a great introduction to Jewish history. It's both scholarly and readable - and not excessively long! (It's under 300 pages.)

More info: A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood

---

There! This may seem like a long list, so I suggest that you start with a few items and work through those, and then add to your collection. These books will be your friends as you start on your path of deep Jewish learning.

Also, if you haven't signed up for the course, you should! Combining the lessons with the books for background will really help you make progress in your Jewish learning.

And one more thing: whether you've signed up for the full course or not, you can also schedule a consultation with me to discuss your path, your questions, and more.

PS -  As an Amazon Associate, Judaism Online will earn from qualifying purchases, which means we'll get a small commission at no added cost to you.