Why A Jewish Bookshelf

Jewish law & tradition contain no more interesting regulations that those which deal with the care and treatment of books. The custom, for example, of kissing a Hebrew book which accidentally dropped on the floor, or the prohibition to use a book as a prop for another object, or the stern warning against employing a book to shield oneself from flying missiles are indications of the respect in which books were held. It was a respect based on the Jewish ideal of Torah, good books that add to Jewish knowledge and thus act as a guide to life being accorded some of the sanctity which attaches to the Bible itself. One may understand, therefore, why the Jews of former day, and many to this day, considered that a home without books lacked the dignity that a Jewish home should have.

"Atmosphere" however is not enough. That books are decorative, that they lend tone in a modern discovery. To buy books for no better reason than their bindings go well with the color scheme of the household represents a littleness of spirit of which no truly Jewish man or woman should be guilty. Jews have collected books because of the information they contain or because of the ability to afford spiritual comfort. The Jew purchased a book in order to make the author his guest - with whom he might converse on a subject of mutual interest. This is not to say that a Jewish library must be dull, Jewish books can also be very entertaining, but the emphasis should be on the spiritually worthy and useful. The bookshelf within the Jewish home must help in the fight against ignorance and against despair, for the preservation of the Jewish heritage, and through this, of the Jewish People.

Size of Bookshelf

Space is the only limit to the number of books that a Jewish home should have, with interest as a limitation on the type rather than the size of the bookshelf. Dwellers in apartment houses, are of course, at a disadvantage as against dwellers in suburban homes. One must pay rent for books, so that the initial cost, as is the case with many other possessions, is sometimes smaller then their upkeep. this is one reason, among others, why a lending library is such a boon. But a lending library has one great drawback: it makes for casual acquaintanceship with books that should be friends and constant companions. One may use a lending library to borrow books which contain so little meat and inspiration that a single, rapid reading of them is sufficient. Such books, if purchased, should be read and disposed of, in order to make room for permanent inhabitants of the bookshelf.

No matter how small the home, it has room - or must make room, for a few books. We shall set the number of these to about fifty, small enough not to be a burden, yet large enough to permit variety and include basic volumes in many of the numerous phases in Jewish life. This, moreover is to be a bookshelf for adults, a children's library requires a special discussion.

Nature of the bookshelf

There are bookshelves in Jewish homes which are a drawback rather than a stimulant to further Jewish interest. This is the case where the bookcase represents merely an accumulation of children's textbooks or story books, thus setting limits to the continued education of both children and parents. Sometimes bookshelves become cluttered with old periodicals. there are, of course, periodicals which a Jewish home should receive, but apart from the occasional article, they should not be kept. Finally, there are multi-volumed works which, though very useful and culturally important, are forbidding in aspect and occupy so much room as to exclude more easily readable and more stimulating volumes.

Encyclopedias, for example, present a series problem, and the advisability of purchasing them should be carefully weighed. There are two sets, which, from the point of view of the American Jewish home, may be considered. The Jewish Encyclopedia, published in 1906 and consisting of 12 heavy tomes, is a very scholarly and supremely important work. the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, published from 1939-43 and consisting of ten handsome volumes, can also be very helpful, it is in fact, more interestingly written then it's predecessor. Were the discussion here concerned with a Jewish library, the purchase of both would be recommended. For a bookshelf at home, however, where an encyclopedia would form 20% of the bookshelves population is open to debate. Much depends on the interest of the individual home. Some people, have need for a constant reference book and can stand the dry, concise form in which encyclopedia necessarily present their information. Others have to have their information in more vibrant terms. where there is room for the usual shelf over and above an encyclopedia, the possession of one or the other of them is highly advisable. Where the room is limited and the need for a reference work not too great, a collection of other, single-volumed works may be preferable.

 A partial solution to the problem lies in one or the other of the existing one volume encyclopedias, Cecil Roth's Standard Jewish Encyclopedia is the most inclusive. It offers the essential facts and dates on a large number of subjects in which a layman, as regards Jewish culture, may be interested.

What is true of Encyclopedia is true to an even greater extent to other sets of books. In recent years the Soncino press of England produced an excellent and attractively bound English translation of the Talmud as well as of the Midrash and the Zohar. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of such works. Every Jew who can afford the price and every Jewish home that can afford the shelf space should have them, if only as reminders of our vast cultural treasures. In the great majority of cases, however, these sets will be purely decorative. In the competition for space on the bookshelf, their lure should be resisted.

The bookshelf should, on a whole, consist of such books as are (a) purchased for a single reading and disposed of, (b) useful for rereading because of their inspirational value, (c) good for occasional reading and reference. Finally, few books on any subject deserve an absolutely permanent home on the bookshelf. To be sure, a new book is not necessarily a better book, but when a book does appear, on must steal his heart, open his purse, and part with an old friend in exchange for the new. The bookshelf must be kept as fresh and useful as possible.

What to remember

The bookshelf in the Jewish home has a significance beyond the walls of the household. American Israel is now in the process of developing personality and culture of it's own. It is possible for us, under existing circumstances, to inaugurate a Golden Age of cultural activity which may rival the famous Golden Age of the Jews of Spain. This means the encouragement of literary productivity. there will be no authors, if there will be no readers and no purchasers of books. Authors are human, they will turn their talents to fields where they are appreciated. A Jewish bookshelf, therefore, is not only an index of the foundations of the Jewish home, but also proof of it's cooperation in the task of building an American Jewish Community.

We turn now to the actual books which should find their place on the Jewish shelf. A warning is in order: the judgements offered below are subjective, at least to some extent, although the writer is trying hard to be absolutely impartial and to view the books from the standpoint of the prospective shelf-builder. It may be moreover, that, because of variation in interest and in preferences for style, readers will take issue with advice here given. That is as it should be. Literary criticism is not a science. Except for books of refernce and scholarship, books are made to appeal to different tastes. All one can ask is that the books named below be given consideration as representing one man's judgment on what other people should read.

"Must" books on the shelf

The Jewish bookshelf must contain a Bible. It is our opinion that the shelf must have a Hebrew Bible in addition to one in English translation. Even if not a single inmate of the household reads Hebrew, a fair sized, well bound Hebrew Bible must be their for sentimental reasons and in the hope that sentiment might lead to curiosity and curiosity to action in the form of study. Preferably the English Bible should be the one translated by American Jewish scholars for the Jewish Publication Society, a Leeser edition is a second choice. But under no circumstances should a Jewish home be content with a Christian edition of the Bible, with it's insistence on Christological references. Thus, if the Bible is used - as it should be -- whether to read 2 chapters a day, in accordance with the custom now urged on Jews everywhere, or to read from it occasionally at random, an impartial interpretation of ir will rest in the reader's mind. those interested may also add the Pentateuch and Hafotarahs with the charming commentary prepared by Dr J. H. hertz, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain. very Jewish bookshelf, must, as a matter of course, contain a daily and Sabbath prayer book. those edited by Ben Zion Bokser, or Philip Birnbaum, or Chief Rabbi Hertz, will be found easiest to handle and follow, there are others. The ideas underlying Jewish prayer are interestingly discussed in E. Garfield's brief volume, the Service of the Heart. Even though the Ethics of the Fathers may be found in these prayer books it may be well to have it in separate form, so as to encourage the reading of this remarkable collection of wise counsel, the best in this respect is the edition by Judah Goldin, called the Living Talmud, because Dr Goldin used the Ethics of the Fathers to illustrate rabbinic thought and method.

A Jewish bookshelf should have a comprehensive history of the Jews. For many years, H. Graetz's History of the Jews, in 6 volumes, was the only work recommended to the non-scholarly reader. In more recent years a number of 1 volume histories have appeared. If the History of the Jewish People by Margolis & Marx  is found too dry because of it's encyclopedic nature, one can turn to the single volumes by A. L. Sachar, or Cecil Roth or Solomon Grayzel. The last named does not cover the Biblical period. It makes mandatory the acquisition of H. M. Orlinsky's Ancient Israel, which should be on the shelf in any case.

Books for occasional reading & Reference

Encyclopedia reference books have already been discussed, yet there is one book of that type, the American Jewish Year Book, which deserves separate discussion both because of it's content and because of the peculiar problem it presents. It is the only volume in which a great variety of information about current Jewish life can be found. It contains statistics on Jews in the USA & abroad, lists of organizations, a calendar & above all, a summary by country of the important events of the previous year. Obviously, it can not be an interesting bok in the ordinary sense. Even though attempts are made to add to it's interest by including articles on important subjects and men, the year book remains a book to consult, not read. To a Jew conscious of his Jewishness and concerned with the process of Jewish life, it is invaluable. But, it must be recognized for what it is, a reference book, ephemeral by nature, to be discarded as soon as the year is up and another volume appears. People hate to throw away a well bound volume. The result is that an accumulation of Year books becomes a burden, an annoyance an occupant of space which could be put to better use. The only sensible procedure for the non-specialist is to keep the latest one or 2 volumes and give the others away to a library or relegate them to the subcellar.

The bookshelf should have something on Jewish Legends. It is not enough to know what the Biblical story related about a hero, a villain or an event, one should also know what later tradition taught about them. Legends of the Jews, a work of peerless scholarship, reads easily. Again, it is a pity from the bookshelf's point of view that this work consists of 4 volumes of text, 2 of notes and an index. The smaller bookshelf perhaps be satisfied with the first 4 volumes with their abbreviation into a single volume which is now obtainable.

A book or 2 on the Bible should find a place on the Jewish bookshelf. Max L. Margolis wrote a small but useful volume called the Hebrew Scriptures in the Making, which describes the process by which the Bible became what it is. Robert H. Pfeiffer was a Christian and something of a radical in Bible criticism, his Introduction to the Old Testament, is, however, an exceptionally useful book. In this connection is it well to take note of Moshe Greenberg's summarization in English of the one volume called The Religion of Israel, one of 7 volumes by the late Ezekiel Kauffmann.

There are 2 books dealing with the rabbinic teachings which the bookshelf should contain. On is Judaism in the 1st Centuries of the Christian Era consisting of 2 volumes of text and one, not altogether essential for the average reader, of notes. Moore was a Christian, but no Jew has written quite so comprehensive and understanding a description of the age and work of the Scribes and Tannaim. The Second book is Everyman's Talmud by the English Rabbi A. Cohen. It describes the contents of the Talmud topically and in simple straight-forward style.

This section of the bookshelf should also contain a usable edition of the Chief Rabbi Hertz's A book of Jewish Thoughts, which makes excellent reading when one's spirits are low. Some history of the Jews in America belongs here, Rufus Learsi's The Jews in America: A History for example. For a discussion of the Jews in American today, the reader must turn to Osacr I. Janowsky's The American Jew: A Reappraisal.

Whoever is interested in the growth of Jewish Literature will want occasionally to look into the encyclopedic work, A History of Jewish Literature by Meyer Waxman, in 4 bulky volumes. It is a mine of information, becoming more detailed as it approaches modern times. There is yet no one-volume history of teh subject worth recommending, though portions of the field have been treated in single volumes, some of which will be mentioned below. One, however, must be noted at once. Shalom Spiegel's Hebrew Reborn is an exceptionally good and well-written discussion of the revival of Hebrew Literature since the Mendelssohn era. Unfortunately, it stops with the 1920s, just when Hebrew Literature entered upon a new era.

Till a generation ago, every Jewish home was provided with a Shulchan Aruch, that famous code of laws by which Jewish life was regulated. It was consulted regularly. Nowadays, when problems of religious practice arise, it seems easier to telephone a Rabbi. Whatever advantages this may have in saving labor, it has no advantage from the point of view of Jewish unity. We therefore list a number of books on Jewish Religion, leaving it to the reader to choose which he considers most useful. As to the Shulchan Aruch itself, a number of abbreviated translations are available, H. E. Goldin's Code of Jewish Law is most easily available. Those who feel a need for discussion & motivation of Jewish observances, rather than for listing them, might turn to the following: Levi & Kaplan's Across the Threshhoild: a Guide for the Jewish Homemaker, which emphasizes the woman's part in Jewish Home-building and to either Ben Zion Bokser's Judaism: Profile of a Faith, or A. Hertzberg's Judaism, or Leon Ruth's Judaism: A Portrait.

A worthwhile series of essays with an orthodox Jewish emphasis was edited & published in 3 volumes by Leo Jung, under the general heading of The Jewish Library. The Reform's attitude is expressed in Kaufmann Kohler's Jewish Theology. Having considered these last 2 items, the interested person should make an effort to acquaint himself also with the views of the Reconstructionist movement, on which the best available are the works of Prof. M. M. Kaplan, the most recent being The Purpose & Meaning of Jewish Existence, where the Reconstructionist approach is presented in Historical setting among interpretations of Judaism.

Bernard J. Bamberger's The Story of Judaism presents Judaism historically from the viewpoint of Reform. The volume great Jewish ideas, edited for the Bnai Brith by E. Milligram does so topically. M. Davis' he Emergence of Conservative Judaism tells part of the story for the USA. Sooner or later, however, the more historical of religions will have a history written about it which may satisfy the conservative reader.

Books on Special Subjects

The bookshelves should have representative titles in various branches of Jewish religion, culture & History. It is only fair to warn the bookshelf builder however, that such books are not written to be interesting, but to be informative. thus Baron's A Social & Religious History of the Jews & The Jewish Community, though distinguished discussions on their respective subjects, are too ponderous in content and approach for the usual reader. Much the same could be said about the distinguished collection of essays edited by L. Finkelstein under the title, The Jews: Their History, Culture & Religion. Add to these J. Guttmann's Philosophies of Judaism, as a not-too-difficult history of Jewish thought. The more scholarly minded, ought to have them. On the other hand, every American Jew should want to know how his community functions, and therefore should have at hand, the history of his local community. One might add Bezalel Sherman's The Jews Within American Society or Sklare's The Jews: Social Patterns of an American Group.

The Titles of the following very readable and useful books clearly indicate their contents. Bevan & Singer's The Legacy of Israel is a solid evaluation of what the Jews have given to the culture of the western world. Cecil Roth's the Jewish Contribution to Civilization seals with the same subject topically: Letters, Art Scientific progress etc. Antisemitism, the other aspect of the Jew's relation to the world about him, has brought forth an extensive literature. Valentin's Anti-semitism, Historically & Critically examined, is the best concise study of the subject. By it's side, as an interesting Jewish interpretation of Anti-Semitism, one may place Maurice Samuel's little volume, The Great Hatred.

The historical foundations of current affairs will be found in the following. Moravin Lowenthal's The Jews of Germany and Marcus' Rise and Destiny of the German Jew deal with the same subject with slightly different emphases. Solomon Liptzin has given us a discussion of the German Jewish tragedy from the literary point of view. His Germany's Stepchildren is an Engrossing story of an attempt at adjustment which American Jewry may take to heart. Neuman's The Jews of Spain tells of another famous Jewish community which came to a sudden end. It should be supplemented by Bear's The Jews in Christian Spain. Simon Dubnow's History of the Jews in Russia & Poland tells the history of the 3rd community which, to a large extent, laid the foundations for our Jewish life in America. Unfortunately, it carries the story only until WWI. The volume in English on the Eastern European Jewry which carries the story down to the present day is Baron's the Russian Jew Under Tsars and Soviets. There are many reminiscences, autobiographies and semi-fictional portrayals, but no inclusive singe volume of this type of material that one can refer to for the tragic events in the 1930s and 40s. One example of this that comes to mind is Donat's The Holocaust Kingdom.

The modern Jew also shows an altogether understandable curiosity about the rise of Christianity. Such a person might turn to Klausner's Jesus of Nazareth, From Jesus to Paul and Zeitlin's Who Crucified Jesus? Of exceptional importance, since we live in the midst of Christian civilization, are Baeck's Judaism & Christianity & This People Israel, as well as Abba Hillel Silver's Where Judaism Differed. One or another of these books, or all of them, or any of the growing number of others, may help clarify the differences between Judaism & Christianity and save the reader from the superficiality of assuming that all religions are alike and that Judaism has nothing distinctive to offer.

The following deal with narrower subjects in interesting fashion.Joshua Trachtenberg, in Jewish Magic & Superstition, analyzes the popular beliefs and fears of the medieval Jew. Zevi Idelsohn, in his Jewish Music, presents an interesting history of Jewish melody, chiefly religious. For modern Jewish song one should go to Coopersmith's Songs of Zion. Finally, this section ought to contain one or more books concerning the holidays and their celebration. the Jewish festivals is the best all-inclusive book in the field. There are also interesting volumes dealing with a Jewish holiday, Hanukkah, Feast of Lights, by Solis-Cohen, Sabbath: Day of Delight by Millgram, Purim:Feast of Esther by Philip Goodman and the same author's Passover. They contain essays, poems, stories, art, humor and music connected with the occasions which they respectively describe.

        IDELSON

The shelf should have a book or two in Israel. Since a visit to Israel is always either a pleasant memory or a hope, a guide book is desirable. Comay's Everyman's Guide to Israel is currently most useful, although it bears only a vague resemblance to the usual guides of other countries. Walter Eytan's The First Ten Years is already somewhat antiquated but it still offers a very useful picture of the turbulent beginnings of the State. the shelf builder must be on the constant lookout for better and more up to date books on this area. 

In the last years, a new field of interest has been opened up through the literary discoveries in the caves along the Dead Sea. Books on the subject, have been appearing constantly. the most useful reference book for the layman is Gaster's The Dead Sea Scriptures.

Books to Read & Reread

A number of books and collections of essays on Jewish subjects deserve a place on the bookshelf because they are informative and inspiring. The contents of some of them have a high place in the history of Jewish thought. The essays of Ahad Haam will prove fascinating to the intelligent reader. Also each of the following anthologies contain material which will undoubtedly be read more then once: Newman's Hasidic Anthology; Milligram's Anthology of Medieval Hebrew Literature; Schwartz's Jewish Caravan & Golden Treasury. There is exceptionally little overlapping among these books. Original essays, whether collected into a full book or merely placed side by side, are the first 2 volumes of S. Schechter's Studies in Judaism; Robert Gordis's The root & The Branch, and Staurt Rosenberg's America is Different. the discriminating shelf builder will not omit that wonderful collection of essays, poetry, fiction and art which appeared in the Menorah Journal and was anthologized by Leo Schwartz, under the title the Menorah Treasury.

Biographies

Biographies & autobiographies present a unique problem. No two people are likely to be interested in the same type of biography or the same sort of subject whose biography was written. Jewish history is rich in personalities: warriors and martyrs, thinkers and men of affairs, statesmen and pioneers, law-makers and philanthropists. Consider  Leo Schwartz's Memoirs of My People, or the more recent collection of excerpts from American Autobiographies made by Jacob Marcus for the 19th century and Harold Ribilow for the first part of the 20th century, you can have no better example of the richness of Jewish personality. If one adds the Biblical and Medieval Jewish experience, the variety becomes staggering. Yet Jewish Biographies can be a source of great inspiration. The only device one can give is for the reader to be alert for new appearances. It is hard to refrain from recommending as a more or less permanent denizen of the home shelf such a biography as Alex Bein's Theodore Herzl, who laid the foundations for a movement and a state. But there are dozens and dozens of other biographies from which to choose.

Novels of Unusual Significance

Much the same can be said about fiction. New ones constantly appear. What is more, it is beginning to be difficult to distinguish between Jewish and general diction in which Jewish character and Jewish life are portrayed. All one can do is to offer an opinion as to which novels stand out and may deserve re-reading, Israel Zangwill's Children of the Ghetto & Dreamers of the Ghetto are already part of the modern Jew's heritage. So are Lewisohn's The Island Within & Fineman's Haer Ye Sons, and Sholem Asch's Kiddush Hashem, Fineman's Jacob and Thomass Mann's trilogy about Joseph. Leon Feuchtwangers 3 novels with Josephus as their hero are also historical and intellectual, but with more action and drama. At the other extreme Abe Cahan's The Rise of David Levinsky and Henry Roth' Call It Sleep are exceptional novels about America.

A number of books which could not be classified in the above categories should also be on the bookshelf. Among them belong the selected poems by each of the 3 poets of the Spanish Golden Age published in the Schiff Classics series: Zangwill & Davidson's Gabirol; Solis-Cohen & Brody's Moses Ibn Ezra; & Salaman's Halevi. Among the unclassifiable is also the charming volume The World of Sholom Aleichem by Maurice Samuel.

There are other books, many of them. Bad memory may account for some of the omissions and bad judgment for the rest. May the authors, living and dead, forgive me. There is however, one consolation, namely that reading is a habit, indeed, it may become an all-absorbing habit. It creeps up unawares and then becomes a person's chief delight. With surprisingly little practice, moreover, the reader learns to criticize and evaluate. The books he has missed in the past bring themselves to his attention, as though by magic. If this list, therefore, starts some people off on the beautiful and instructive journey through bookland, if such people learn to look to their bookshelf for aid in understanding and enjoying life, they will soon learn to go beyond the advice given here. The important thing is to find a bright and cozy corner, near a not-too-comfortable armchair, and their fix the household's Jewish bookshelf.