The Talmud states, "In a world that lacks humanity, be human." In a world as untethered as ours has become, simply being human, a good person, is a measure of heroism. At a time when norms of civility are being routinely overwhelmed, it may be the only measure that matters. Mensch-Marks represents Rabbi Joshua Hammerman's personal Torah scroll—the sacred text of his experiences, the life lessons he has learned along his winding, circuitous journey. Mirroring 42 steps Israel wandered in the Wilderness, Hammerman offers 42 brief essays, several of which first appeared in The New York Times Magazine, organized into categories of character, or "mensch-marks," each one a stepping stone toward spiritual maturation. These essays span most of Rabbi Hammerman's life, revealing how he has striven to be a "mensch," a human of character, through every challenge. Mensch-Markscreates a brand-new genre. It is memoir as sacred story, as how-to book; a series of personal vignettes in dialogue with one another over the span of decades, resonating with eternal ideas that span centuries. It traces the author's own personal growth while providing a road map for people of all backgrounds seeking a life of moral vision. The wisdom is shared not from a pulpit on high, but rather from an unfolding story of a fellow traveler, one who has stumbled, failed, and persevered, struggling with the questions large and small. Through it all, Rabbi Hammerman has tried to live with dignity and grace, what he calls the "nobility of normalcy." He writes, "If by sharing what I've learned, I can add a modicum of generosity, honesty and human connection in a world overflowing with cruelty, loneliness and deceit, then I'll have done my job.' The essays cover crucial moments of failure and forgiveness, loving and letting go, finding deeper meaning in one's work, and holiness in the seemingly inconsequential moments of everyday life. Rabbi Hammerman, ever the optimist, believes that we can turn things around, one mensch at a time.

Mensch-Marks: Life Lessons of a Human Rabbi―Wisdom for Untethered Times

Biographies & Memoirs

Hammerman, Joshua

Regional U.S.

HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS+ INC

thelordismyshepherd.com opens a new and necessary dialogue on the soul of cyberspace. It will change the way people think about their computers, about God, about the future and about the interconnected destiny of humanity in this ever-shrinking world. The author, a noted rabbi and journalist, alternates between analytic and experiential approaches to the subject, escorting the reader on a multi-dimensional quest for spiritual and intellectual growth - a "virtual pilgrimage" if you will. A pilgrimage that travels tens of thousands of miles in a matters of instants, from Jerusalem to Mecca, to Chartres, even to Kosovo, and provides a new means of utilizing the vast power of technology to connect us to God and to transcend the artificial boundaries that separate us.

Thelordismyshepherd.Com: Seeking God in Cyberspace

Religion & Spirituality

Judaism

Simcha Pr

Rabbis Against Gun Violence, a coalition of over 1600 American Jewish leaders, feels a fierce moral imperative to move beyond moments of silence and prayer and into action. We use our rabbinic voice to educate and advocate for positive, achievable solutions, such as legislative and legal measures, intervention strategies and culture change. "None Shall Make Them Afraid" is an anthology of the three books RAGV has published to date: "Peace in Our Cities" (2013) was written in response to the mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. "Not By Might" (2016) was in response to the mass shooting at the Pulse dance club in Orlando. "Holding Fast" (2018) was written in response to the mass shooting at the Tree Of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Jewish tradition believes in a world without violence, a world the prophet Micah described where "every person will sit under their own vine and fig tree, and none shall make them afraid." We will join together with allies of all kinds, committed to the work it will take to see that day in our children's lifetimes.

None Shall Make Them Afraid: A Rabbis Against Gun Violence Anthology

Creditor, Menachem

Tuttle-Singer, Sarah

Lerner, David

Soffer, Eileen

Bodzin, Robyn Fryer

Latz, Michael Adam

Salkin, Jeff

Jacobs, Rick

Eger, Denise

Worship & Devotion

Independently published

The Judaism of Sinai and the Judaism of Auschwitz are merging, resulting in new visions of Judaism that are only beginning to take shape. Each of the chapters of this book outlines an aspect of this work-in-progress, this Torah of Auschwitz, and we will see just how the ways of Sinai are being recast, the old wells re-dug. Jewish survival will not be assured until the grandchildren of survivors and others of their generation can begin to take the darkness of the Shoah and turn it into a song, absorbing the absurdity of a silent God while loving life nonetheless. "Compelling and provocative." --Yossi Klein Halevi, author, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor "Eye opening and thought provoking." --U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal "A powerful meditation on what Judaism could be in this time." -- Peter Beinart, author, The Crisis of Zionism "Hammerman's brave new vision challenges us and demands our attention." -- Gary Rosenblatt, Editor At Large, The Jewish Week "Should be read by every Jew who cares about Judaism." -- Rabbi Dr. Irving "Yitz" Greenberg, author, The Jewish Way

Embracing Auschwitz: Forging a Vibrant, Life-Affirming Judaism that Takes the Holocaust Seriously

History

World

Ben Yehuda Press

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