Library
Pathfinders (bibliographies and more!)
Judaism and the Spiritual Aspects of Ecologyand Environmentalism
This pathfinder contains resources pertaining to Environmentalism, Ecology and how theseconcepts are related to Judaism. The first section contains resources to be found at the Temple IsraelLibrary in Boston.
A list of these items can be found in the library’s online catalog at http://library.tisrael.org. Fromthe home page, first click the “catalog” tab. Then click on the fourth (4th) tab from the left called “CopyCategories”, located on the right side of the screen. Finally click on the “View” button next to the“Judaism and Ecology” heading. The list is in alphabetical order by title.
Resources in Temple Israel Library Collection
BOOKS
Tu b'Shevat:
Trees, earth, and Torah : a Tu b'Shvat anthology[ Book ] BM695 .T9T74[edited by] Ari Elon, Naomi Mara Hyman, Arthur Waskow.Published 1999
The Trees' birthday : a celebration of nature.
[ Book ] BM695.T9B46Bernstein, Ellen. Published 1987
Resources and articles based on or from Torah, Talmud and other sacred texts:
The ecological message of the Torah : knowledge, concepts, and laws which made survival in a land of"milk and honey" possible[ Book] BM538 .H85H8Hüttermann, Aloys. Published 1999
A Garden of choice fruit : 200 classic Jewish quotes on human beings and the environment[ Book ] HN40 .J563[edited by David E. Stein]. Published 1991
Torah of the earth : exploring 4,000 years of ecology in Jewish thought[ Book ] BM538 .H85T67 v.1edited by Arthur Waskow. Published 2000
The Jewish sourcebook on the environment and ecology
[ Book ] BM538 .H85J49[edited by] Ronald H. Isaacs. Published 1998
Articles on how ecology and environmentalism are part of Jewish faith:
Caring for creation : an ecumenical approach to the environmental crisis[ Book] HN40 .O4Oelschlaeger, Max Published 1994
Ecology & the Jewish spirit :[ Book ] BM538 .H85E36Bernstein, Ellen, ed. Published 1998
A greener faith : religious environmentalism and our planet's future[ Book ] BT695.G69Gottlieb, Roger S. Published 2006
Judaism and ecology : a Hadassah study guide in cooperation with Shomrei Adamah, Keepers of theEarth.[ Book ] HN40 .J8 Published 1993
Liberating faith : religious voices for justice, peace, and ecological wisdom[ Book ] BL65 .J87L53[edited by] Roger S. Gottlieb. Published 2003
The way into Judaism and the environment[ Book ] BM538 .H85B46 2006Benstein, Jeremy, 1961- Published 2006
Practical applications: natural spirituality, vegetarianism, cooking and event preparation:
Caring for the cycle of life : creating environmentally sound life-cycle celebrations[ Book ] BM538 .H8J3
The Jewish gardening cookbook: Growing plants and cooking for holidays and festivals[ Book ] SB320.9 .B76Brown, Michael Published 1998
Judaism and vegetarianism[ Book ] TX837 .S9Schwartz, Richard H. Published 1982
Rabbis and vegetarianism : an evolving tradition
[ Book ] TX392 .R3editor, Roberta Kalechofsky. Published 1995
The sacred table : creating a Jewish food ethic
[ Book ] BM710 .S24edited by Mary L. Zamore. Published 2011
A wild faith : Jewish ways into wilderness, wilderness ways into Judaism[ Book ] BM723.C65 2007Comins, Mike. Published 2007
Rabbi’s narratives:
Finding God in the Garden Backyard Reflections on Life, Love, and Compost
[ Book] BM723 .B73Brickner, Balfour Published 2002
God in the wilderness: Rediscovering the spirituality of the great outdoors with the adventure rabbi
[ Book] BM723 .K68Korngold, Jamie S Published 2007
Educational and teaching resources:
Let the earth teach you Torah : a guide to teaching Jewish ecological wisdom[ Book ] TRC BM695 .T9B4Bernstein, Ellen. Published 1992
A teacher's guide to Listen to the trees : Jews and the earth[ Book ] TRC BM695 .T9C6Goldman, Gabriel. Published 1996
Audio and visual resourcesBurstein Scholar in Residence Lecture, 1991
[ Sound ] AUDIO BURSTEIN 1991.Umansky, Ellen. Published 1991
The Jewish Perspective : Chayela Rosenthal, Environmentalism
[ Film/Video ] JPERSP COLL VIDEO BM700 v.242Friedman, Ronne. Published 2000
A Tour of the Gottlieb Memorial Biblical Garden
[ Film/Video ] VISUAL ARCHIVE BS665 .R72Sherman, Alice. Published 1986
A Short History of the Temple Israel Garden Club
[ Film/Video ] VISUAL ARCHIVE SB482 .R72by Adele Robbins and Fran WermanPublished 1986
Online resources
Eco-Kashrut
Eco-Kashrut takes into account a more broad concept of kashrut that includes restrictions onconsumption based on ecological considerations. Listed here are a few articles in which Rabbis explainthe general reasoning behind this interpretation.
http://www.coejl.org/learn/je_weintraub.php
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ritual/Kashrut_Dietary_Laws/Themes/Contem
porary_Themes/Eco-Kashrut.shtml
Tikkun Olam
Tikkun Olam (or Repairing the World) and social action work have been linked in modern Judaism byboth Reform and Conservative Jews. This new garden is tikkun olam both through donating part of theharvest to “Food for Free” in Cambridge and community building efforts across Temple Israel, GaneiBeantown and others.
Here are some articles with more general information and on the History of tikkum olam:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ethics/Caring_For_Others/Tikkun_Olam_Repairing_the_World_.shtml
http://www.zeek.net/706tohu/Programs for Jewish EnviromentalismThe organization that collaborated with Temple Israel to create the new garden:
http://beantownjewishgardenprojects.wordpress.com/
Another Jewish Farming Initiative: http://www.jewishfarmschool.org/about-us/
A local Boston organization that combine ancient Jewish Wisdom with current sustainability andenvironmentalist ideas. They both host programs and actively cultivate a blogging community on thesubject.http://organictorah.org/
A resource for information on Jewish and Environmental issues.Includes blogs, articles, and connectionsto current campaigns to get involved with. http://www.jewcology.com/resources
Pathfinders are guides to books, films, cds, websites and other resources relating to a particular subject. This page will highlight various subject areas from our collection, relating to a program, lecture or other event. For resource lists relating to holidays, please visit our Resources for Holidays page. An archive of pathfinders are found on the librarian's blog.
Jewish Humor
For centuries, Jews have had a tradition of humor and joking. Many of today's best comedians and performers are Jewish. Jewish humor ranges from absurd religious arguments and witticisms in the Talmud to the long tradition of Eastern European jokes lampooning the Jewish community to modern American entertainment. Most notable among Eastern European Jewish traditions are self-deprecating jokes such as the stories of the foolish "wise men" of Chelm. In the
Print Sources
Cohen, Sarah Blacher. Jewish wry: Essays on Jewish Humor.
Summary: A collection of essays on the origins and effects of Jewish humor. Not a joke book but an examination on the effects of humor.
Harris, David; Rabinovich, Izrail. The Jokes of Oppression: the Humor of Soviet Jews. Aronson Publishing,
Summary: Essays and jokes about the humor of Soviet Jewry, specializing in gallows humor and self-deprecation.
Hoffman, Sam. Old Jews telling Jokes: 5,000 Years of Funny bits and Not-So-Kosher Laughs. Villard Books,
Summary: A modern joke book featuring some of the best Jewish comics.
Menchin, Robert. 101 Classic Jewish Jokes: Jewish Humor from Groucho Marx to Jerry Seinfeld. Mustang Publishing,
Summary: A joke book covering a wide range of American Jewish humor, from early humor to modern jokes.
Novak, William and Waldoks, Moshe. The Big Book of Jewish Humor. Collins,
Summary: A comprehensive book of Jewish humor from biblical to modern times.
Telushkin, Joseph. Jewish Humor: What the Best Jewish Jokes say about the Jews. W. Morrow publishing,
Summary: A set of essays on Jewish humor, its history and its social effects on Jews.
Various Authors. Jewish Humor Stories for Kids.
Summary: A selection of four original humorous stories geared towards children.
FILMS
Drishat Shalom: Israeli TV on DVD. Drishat Shalom,
Summary: A two-DVD set of humorous Israeli TV, featuring the satire Zu Artzaynu with subtitles. A good introduction to Israeli humor.
Jewish Humor: Selections from Movies and Stand-up Routines. VIDEO PN6241 .J5J41, PN6241 .J5J42
Summary: A two-video series of Jewish comedians from movies and stand-up, from Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Joan Rivers.
Our Wonderful World Pleasant Holdings LLC, 2003. KIDS' DVD BM665 .O8.
Summary: A popular Israeli children’s show with humor for children, focusing on the six days of creation. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
Sara Cytron: Stand-up Routine. Sara Cytron,
Summary: A stand-up routine by a lesbian Jewish comic. Adult-oriented.
When do We Eat? My big fat Jewish Seder. Hart Sharp,
Summary: A humorous take on a Jewish Seder. Rated R for graphic sexual scenes and drugs. See DVD for a full summary.
Online Sources
Summary: A list of links and information about Jewish humor
Summary: A movie on the history of Jewish comedians in the
Summary: A Jewish joke site with over 2,400 Jewish jokes, ranging from tame to adult-oriented
Fishkoff, Sue. Badkhan Belt: Jewish humor was born in 1661
Summary: An article on the origins of Eastern European Jewish humor. It explains the origins of self-deprecating humor and gallows humor among the Jews, coming from the tragedies of the Chmielnitzki massacres in 17th-century Poland
Summary: A Comprehensive site of Jewish jokes with articles on the origins of Jewish humor.
Jewlarious
Summary: A Jewish humor site run by the Orthodox group Aish ha-Torah
Pathfinder by Library Intern Jon Cohen.