What do you think?
Rate this book
The Tapestry of Jewish Time: A Spiritual Guide to Holidays and Life-Cycle Events
In The Tapestry of Jewish Time: A Spiritual Guide to Holidays and Life-Cycle Events (Behrman House, 2000), Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin presents Judaism as a cloth textured with layers of old and new meanings. With descriptions of both traditional and contemporary practice, The Tapestry of Jewish Time hands us our tradition as an heirloom and shows us how to remake that tradition. In Part One, Jewish Holidays, Rabbi Cardin tells the story of the Jewish week, month, and year, showing us the struggles and celebrations we share with our ancestors, and how we have transformed those struggles and celebrations. Rabbi Cardin teaches that Jews once celebrated Passover by sacrificing a lamb, but Jews now celebrate Passover by foregoing chametz, leavening. Jews have always left a cup of wine for Elijah; today some leave a cup of water for Miriam as well. But we all celebrate Passover with a family meal and the telling of the freedom story.
In Part Two, Jewish Life-Cycle Events, Rabbi Cardin reveals the eternal cycle of Jewish life through contemporary and ancient stories. She writes about marriage in the down-to-earth language of Genesis, the poetic language of the Song of Songs, and the devout language of the Talmud. But Rabbi Cardin also describes the variety of wedding ceremonies Jews choose from today, shows us how Judaism releases men and women from unhappy unions, and remembers the widow and the widower.
Perhaps most strikingly, The Tapestry of Jewish Time teaches all of us to knit our personal stories together with those of our ancestors. The chapter Prayers and Rituals for the Home shares blessings in Hebrew, English, and transliteration, empowering us to transform our everyday life by speaking those ancient words. The beautifully decorated Personal Weavings write-in chapter invites us to weave memories and experiences from our own lives into Tapestry itself.
About the Author: Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin is the Director of Jewish Life at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, and the Chair of the Editorial Committee of Sh'ma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility. She was the editor of Sh'ma from 1993 to 1998, and Director of the National Jewish Healing Center in New York City from 1995 to 1997. She lives in Baltimore with her husband, Rabbi Avram Reisner, and their children.
In Part Two, Jewish Life-Cycle Events, Rabbi Cardin reveals the eternal cycle of Jewish life through contemporary and ancient stories. She writes about marriage in the down-to-earth language of Genesis, the poetic language of the Song of Songs, and the devout language of the Talmud. But Rabbi Cardin also describes the variety of wedding ceremonies Jews choose from today, shows us how Judaism releases men and women from unhappy unions, and remembers the widow and the widower.
Perhaps most strikingly, The Tapestry of Jewish Time teaches all of us to knit our personal stories together with those of our ancestors. The chapter Prayers and Rituals for the Home shares blessings in Hebrew, English, and transliteration, empowering us to transform our everyday life by speaking those ancient words. The beautifully decorated Personal Weavings write-in chapter invites us to weave memories and experiences from our own lives into Tapestry itself.
About the Author: Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin is the Director of Jewish Life at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, and the Chair of the Editorial Committee of Sh'ma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility. She was the editor of Sh'ma from 1993 to 1998, and Director of the National Jewish Healing Center in New York City from 1995 to 1997. She lives in Baltimore with her husband, Rabbi Avram Reisner, and their children.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2000
3 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Nina Beth Cardin
7 books1 followerRabbi Nina Beth Cardin is the General Consultant for COEJL and Director of the Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network (BJEN) at the Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center, which is dedicated to promoting environmental advocacy, ethics and behavior. She is immediate past Director of Jewish Life at the JCC of Greater Baltimore.
Ordained in 1988 from the Jewish Theological Seminary, she served that institution in several capacities including special assistant to the Chancellor, Assistant Dean of the Rabbinical School, as well as two years as Visiting Lecturer in Theology. Currently, she serves on the Chancellor’s Rabbinic Advisory Council. In 1978, Rabbi Cardin co-founded the Jewish Women’s Resource Center, which is now part of the National Council of Jewish Women-NY Section. Rabbi Cardin also co-founded the National Center for Jewish Healing, and the New York Jewish Healing Center in the mid-1990’s.
Rabbi Cardin serves on the Boards of Chana, a Jewish organization that assists the victims of domestic violence, Hillel of Towson University, the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the Irvine Nature Center and the Foundation for Spirituality and Medicine.
For five years, Rabbi Cardin was the editor of Sh’ma: a journal of Jewish responsibility. She is the author of A Tapestry of Jewish Time: a spiritual guide to the holidays and lifecycles, and Tears of Sorrow, Seeds of Hope: a spiritual companion to infertility and pregnancy loss among other books, writings and articles.
Ordained in 1988 from the Jewish Theological Seminary, she served that institution in several capacities including special assistant to the Chancellor, Assistant Dean of the Rabbinical School, as well as two years as Visiting Lecturer in Theology. Currently, she serves on the Chancellor’s Rabbinic Advisory Council. In 1978, Rabbi Cardin co-founded the Jewish Women’s Resource Center, which is now part of the National Council of Jewish Women-NY Section. Rabbi Cardin also co-founded the National Center for Jewish Healing, and the New York Jewish Healing Center in the mid-1990’s.
Rabbi Cardin serves on the Boards of Chana, a Jewish organization that assists the victims of domestic violence, Hillel of Towson University, the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the Irvine Nature Center and the Foundation for Spirituality and Medicine.
For five years, Rabbi Cardin was the editor of Sh’ma: a journal of Jewish responsibility. She is the author of A Tapestry of Jewish Time: a spiritual guide to the holidays and lifecycles, and Tears of Sorrow, Seeds of Hope: a spiritual companion to infertility and pregnancy loss among other books, writings and articles.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 6, 2015
Beautiful language in the writing of this one, but no major insights. Positive: Examines Jewish holidays throughout the year and personal/life-cycle events as well, nicely weaves the personal and communal together
December 11, 2008
Getting 3 stars because it is a good reference. Doesn't come remotely close to being a good read. I'd recommend To Life or Jewish Literacy as much better choices.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews