Books

"I have collected a large library for thy sake so that thou needest never borrow a book of any one. As thou thyself seest, most students run hither and thither searching for books without being able to find them. . . . Look over thy Hebrew books every month, thy Arabic ones every two months, thy bound books every three months. Keep thy library in order, so that thou wilt not need to search for a book. Prepare a list of the books on each shelf, and place each book on its proper shelf. Take care also of the loose, separate leaves in thy books, because they contain exceedingly important things which I myself have collected and written down. Lose no writing and no letter which I leave thee. . . . Cover thy book-shelves with beautiful curtains, protect them from water from the roof, from mice, and from all harm, because they are thy best treasure."
Judah ben Saul ibn Tibbon (Spanish Jewish physician and translator (1120-1190)

Basic Jewish Library

Every Jewish home should have some Jewish books.
And every Jew should read a few of them, too! Here is a list to get started.

Basic Judaism

Borowitz, Eugene: Understanding Judaism (U.A.H.C. Press)
Diamant, Anita: Living a Jewish Life (Harper)
Einstein and Kukoff: Introduction to Judaism (U.A.H.C. Press)
Olitsky, Kerry: The How To Handbook for Jewish Living (Ktav)
Samuel, Edith: Your Jewish Lexicon (U.A.H.C. Press)
Schauss, Hayyim: The Lifetime of a Jew (U.A.H.C. Press)
Steinberg, Milton: Basic Judaism (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich)
Strassfeld, Michael and Sharon: The Jewish Catalog I, II, & III (JPS)
Syme, Danny: The Jewish Home (U.A.H.C. Press)
Wylen, Stephen: Settings of Silver (Paulist Press)

Holidays

Gates of The Seasons (CCAR Press)
Waskow, Arthur: Seasons of Our Joy (Bantam Books)
Strassfeld, Michael: The Jewish Holidays (Harper & Row)
Greenberg, Irving (Yitz): The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays (Touchstone Books)

Home Ritual

On the Doorposts of Your House (CCAR Press)
Gates of Mitzvah (CCAR Press)
Gates of Shabbat (CCAR Press)
Olitzky and Issacs: The How To Handbook for Jewish Living and The Second How To Handbook for Jewish Living (Ktav)

History

Dimont, Max: Jews, God and History (Signet)
Eban, Abba: Wanderings (Faucett)
Grayzel, Solomon: A History of the Jews (Mentor)

Theology

Borowitz, Eugene: Liberal Judaism, and Renewing the Covenant (both U.A.H.C. Press)
Hirt-Manheimer, Aron, ed.: The Jewish Condition (U.A.H.C. Press)
Books by Lawrence Kushner re: spirituality (Jewish Lights)
Books by Harold Kushner re: existential issues (Summit)

Conversion

Lester, Julius: Lovesong (Little Brown & Co.)
Diamant, Anita: Choosing a Jewish Life (Random House)
Kukoff, Lydia: Choosing Judaism (U.A.H.C. Press)
Romanoff, Lena; Your People, My People (JPS)

Women & Judaism

Goldstein, Rabbi Elyse: ReVisions: Seeing Torah through a Feminist Lens (Key Porter)
Heschel, Susanna: On Being a Jewish Feminist (Schocken)
Half the Kingdom (film: available at Barbara Frum library)- study guide: Zukerman, Francine, ed. (Vehicle Press)
Schneider, Susan Weidman: Jewish and Female (Simon and Shuster)
Plaskow, Judith. Standing Again at Sinai.

Bible Translations and Commentary

The Torah: A Modern Commentary (also known as The Plaut Commentary) (URJ)
Etz Hayim
The Soncino Chumash
The JPS Torah Commentary
The Five Books of Moses (translated by Everett Fox, Schocken)
The Five Books of Moses (translated by Robert Alter, Norton)

Books for Kids

(for kids) Sedra Scenes (Beiner),
Sidra Stories (Rosman),
books by Sandy Sasso