Resources for Torah Study - Beginner's List

Torah Study Pathfinder – Beginner’s List



As among the oldest and perhaps the most fundamental activities of Judaism, Torah study holds a special place for most Jews. It is one of the most important rites of passage, bonding for Jewish communities and also among the most important ways to learn about Judaism. This pathfinder will include a diverse array of resources to help students of all ages further their study of Torah through audio, visual, print and online sources of Torah, as well as a wide variety of commentaries. This beginner’s version will focus on introductory, easy to read, and newer English-language materials.



A note: This pathfinder includes Torahs and resources on Torah study and scholarship, but not books and scholarship on individual portions of the Torah.


Print Sources

• Torahs:

o English Torahs:

 Friedman, Richard Elliott, Commentary on the Torah with a new English Translation and the Hebrew Text, BS1225 .3 .F7 Harper



 Plaut, Gunther, The Torah: A Modern Commentary, BS1225.3 P55 UAHC, New York, NY, 1981



 Scharfstein, Sol, The Five Books of Moses: An Easy-to-Read Torah Translation, BS1223 .S43, Ktav Publishing House, Jersey City, NJ, 2005



 Stein, David, The Contemporary Torah: A Gender-Sensitive Adaptation of the JPS Translation, BS1223 .S74 2006, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, PA, 2006



 Various Authors, The Jewish Study Bible: A Tanach Translation, BS895 .J4 2004, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 2004



• Modern and Women’s Commentaries:

o Modern Commentaries:

 Grishaver, Joel Lurie, Learn Torah With…5756 Torah Annual: A Collection of the Year’s Best Torah, BS1225 .L35 5756, Alef Design Group, 1999

 Rossel, Seymour, The Torah: Portion-by-Portion, BS1225 .R6, Torah Aura Productions, LA, 2007



o Women’s Commentaries:

 Antonelli, Judith, In the Image of God: A Feminist Commentary on the Torah, BS1225.3 .A58, Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale, NJ, 1995

 Frankel, Ellen, The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman’s Commentary on the Torah, BS1225.3 .F67, Grosset/Putnam, New York, 1996

 Goldstein, Rabbi Elyse, The Women’s Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions, BS1225.3 .G6, Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, VT, 2000



• Torah Study

o Introductory Materials for Torah Study

 Cohen, Norman, The Way into Torah, BM71 .C64, Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, VT, 2000

 Cherry, Shai, Torah Through Time: Understanding Bible Commentary from the Rabbinic Period to Modern Times, BS 476 .C477 2007, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 2007

 Isaacs, Rabbi Ronald H., Entering the Biblical Text: Exploring Jewish Values in the Torah, BS1225.3 .I82, Ktav Publishing House, Hoboken, NJ, 2001

 Kugel, James L., How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, then and Now, BS 1171.3 .K84 2007, Free Press, San Francisco, 2007

 Mandel, David, Who’s Who in the Jewish Bible, BS 570 .M36 2007, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 2007

 Reis, Pamela, Reading the Line: A Fresh Look at the Hebrew Bible, BS1188 .R45 2002, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, 2002

 Wolbe, Rabbi Shlomo, Pathways, a Brief Introduction to the world of the Torah, BM560 .W83, Feldheim, New York, 1993



o Resources on Torah Study and Critical Scholarship:

 Carmell, Aryeh, Challenge: Torah Views on Science and its Problems, BM538 .S3C45, London: Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists, 1976

 Friedman, Richard Elliot, Who Wrote the Bible?, BS1225.2 .F75 1997, Harper, San Francisco, 1997

 Knohl, Israel, The Divine Symphony: The Bible’s Many Voices, BS1192.5 .K545 2003, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, PA, 2003

 Lamm, Norman, Torah Umadda: the Encounter of Religious Learning and Worldly Knowledge in Jewish Tradition, BM 538 .S3L34 1990, Northvale N.J. Aronson, 1990

 Rosenak, Michael, Tree of Life, Tree of Knowledge: Conversations with the Torah, BM103 .R635, Boulder Westview Press, 2001

 URJ Press, Living Torah: Selections from Seven Years of Torat Chayim, BS1225.52 L58, URJ Press, New York, NY, 2005

 Zolty, Shoshana, And all your Children Shall be Learned: Women and the Study of Torah in Jewish Law and History, BM726 .Z65 1993, Northvale, N.J. Aronson, 1993



o Women’s Resources:

 Bach, Alice and Exum, J. Cheryl, Miriam’s Well: Stories about Women in the Bible, j .BS551 .2 .B23, Delacorte Press, New York, 1991

 Bach, Alice, Women in the Hebrew Bible: A Reader, BS1199 .W7W65, Routledge, New York, NY, 1999

 Goldstein, Elyse, ReVisions: Seeing Torah Through a Feminist Lens, BS1199 .W7G6, Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, VT, 1998

 Ronson, Barbara, Women in the Torah: Commentaries from the Talmud, Midrash and Kabbalah, BS680 .W7R66, Jason Aronson Inc., New Jersey, 1999



o Other Resources

 Frankel, Ellen, The Illustrated Hebrew Bible: 75 Selected Stories, BS550.2 .F73, Stewart, Tabori and Chang, New York, 2000



Multimedia

• Audio (also see Audio Meah Lectures)

o Ba’esh, Rabbi Lev, Introduction to Judaism, AUDIO ARCHIVE BM700 .I59 v.4 no.1, Temple Israel Boston/Union for Reform Judaism, 2004, Volume 4: Jewish History: Biblical to Rabbinic, Torah and Jewish Texts


o Rosen, Jonathan, Torah and the Internet, AUDIO ARCHIVE Ros, Temple Israel, Boston, 2000, Jonathan Rosen Speaks about his New Book, Torah and the Internet


o Zecher, Elaine, Torah: A Woman’s Commentary, AUDIO ARCHIVES Torah Study


• Software

o Kolel, Gates of Torah, CD-ROM BM657 .G3, Kolel, 1999



Websites

• Introductory Websites/Articles on Torah Study

o The Movement for Reform Judaism, A to Z of Reform Judaism: Torah, http://www.reformjudaism.org.uk/a-to-z-of-reform-judaism/?id=154
 A quick, introductory article on the Torah and Torah Study from a Reform Jewish perspective

o Jewish Virtual Library, Torah Study, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/talmudtorah.html
 An article introducing the history and ideas of Torah Study to the learner

 Torah Study from a Reform Perspective:



Bluethread, Torah Portions, http://www.bluethread.com/torah.htm


A list of Torah portions and commentary, as well as other Jewish resources, from a Reform/non-denominational perspective



Temple Emanu-el, Weekly Torah Commentary: Archive, http://www.emanuelnyc.org/torah_archive.php


Weekly Reform commentaries on the Torah from a large NYC Temple



Union for Reform Judaism, Torah Study, http://urj.org/learning/torah/


Torah portions and Rabbinical Commentary from the official Reform Jewish website



Westchester Reform Temple Torah Study Blog, http://wrttorahstudy.blogspot.com/
A blog mixing Reform Jewish torah study with practical advice on daily matters – an excellent, frequently updated blog



Women of Reform Judaism, Torah Study Website, http://www.womenofreformjudaism.org/the-Torah-a-womens-commentary/the-torah-a-womens-commentary-study-guide-program
 The Women of Reform Judaism organization’s website on Torah commentary; a useful general resource







Torah Study from a Non-Denominational Perspective



My Jewish Learning, Torah Study: Jewish Learning, http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ritual/Torah_Study.shtml


Resources on the practice of Torah Study and actual commentaries, including valuable guides to writing a D’var Torah or independent commentary



Torah from Dixie, A selection of Torah commentaries from Atlanta, GA,

http://www.tfdixie.com/






• Additional Resources



Torah Educational Software, http://www.jewishsoftware.com/


A website with a large selection of educational materials for all ages and study levels