Traditional Jewish learning and contemporary spirituality
combine in new volume by award-winning Jewish educator
TEANECK, NJ, Oct. 1, 2005 – Ben Yehuda Press has published Torah and Company, the 18th book by Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams, an award-winning educator and director of the online Talmud study program, Maqom.com.
Torah and Company is a timely combination of traditional Jewish learning and contemporary spirituality.
In format, it couldn't be more traditional: It follows the weekly cycle of the Torah reading, providing an excerpt from the Torah and related rabbinic texts. The choice of texts is based on another ancient practice, of combining the study of Torah with the study of Mishna and Talmud; all three of those works are represented on each page.
But unlike the many Torah commentaries devoted to telling readers what earlier rabbis have said, Torah and Company follows in the best teachings of “oral Torah” to encourage the book's readers to discuss the texts and relate them to their own lives and spiritual quests.Rabbi Abrams combines her mastery of the Talmudic material and understanding of religious growth to make even the most arcane portions of the Torah and the Talmud accessible and relevant.
Since first receiving the manuscript for publishing, the editors of Ben Yehuda Press have used Torah and Company as the basis for discussion around their own table every Friday night. The process has been richly rewarding, both in terms of gaining insights into the text and reflection about my own relationship to God, spirituality and community. Their teenage daughters have also joined in the discussions; they too have been engaged by the discussions sparked by Rabbi Abrams' teachings and questions.
Torah and Company has received advanced praise from such popular and best-selling rabbis as Goldie Milgram, Joseph Telushkin and David Kraemer.
For more information about Ben Yehuda Press or Rabbi Abrams, please contact:
Larry Yudelson, Editorial Director, Ben Yehuda Press, yudel@BenYehudaPress.com, 201-833-5145.