Your Guide to the Jewish Holidays: From Shofar to Seder

by Cantor Matt Axelrod

Recent years have seen an increased interest in Jewish life, its culture, and its celebrations. There are many new students of Judaism, often potential converts or members of interfaith families who are seeking to learn more about the religion and its rituals. Unfortunately, many of the existing texts that examine the Jewish holidays are written in a dry, unexciting way, making it difficult for the reader to retain much information. For those seeking to learn more about Jewish celebrations, Cantor Matt Axelrod has written Your Guide to the Jewish From Shofar to Seder.

Intended for the reader who has no prior knowledge about the Jewish holidays as well as the reader who knows the basics about the holidays but wants to understand the holidays on a deeper level, Axelrod’s book takes a humorous, light-hearted look at the 11 most important Jewish holidays. Instead of simply explaining that Jews are obligated to observe in a certain way because of a biblical text, Axelrod shows where each holiday, along with its rituals, came from in a historical context. He provides a humorous retelling of the biblical passages relating to the holiday, explorations of rituals associated with each holiday, and descriptions of traditional foods.

Your Guide to the Jewish Holidays also features special sections labeled “In Depth” or “Perfect for Families” that expand upon elements of each holiday in ways that provide greater understanding of traditions or that invite the reader to get the rest of the family involved.

Genres: Nonfiction, Judaism, Religion

214 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Amy Broadway · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author was a bit more opinionated than I would have liked, although his opinions were interesting to read. But for a non-Jew just trying to learn the basics of how to celebrate God’s appointed times (which he claims is the purpose of writing), I really just wanted the facts and not some tangents like how he thinks Abraham actually failed God’s test by offering Isaac, which I think may actually be heretical. His tone (to be differentiated from his lighthearted one which I actually enjoyed!) is not sacred and made me personally feel he does not actually love God or his own religion of Judaism, which was off putting. Nevertheless, I got a basis for a lot of information I was looking for! I just hope other readers will be able to distinguish between fact and his opinions, which I could only recognize as someone already familiar with scripture and religion.

[Jacob Cruzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randomly picked this up at the library. The author described the history and traditions of Jewish holidays in a way I found informative.

[Ivy Cote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good overview for the curious person who knows very little to nothing about the Jewish holidays. Looking forward to a more detailed look at several of them.

[Tante Tzvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible, fun, and informative introduction to Jewish holidays. Axelrod provides what, why, when, symbols and practices, and most important dishes for the 9 main holidays plus (more brief) information on lesser known holidays. He’s not out to show off how much he knows about holidays (which I’m sure he does) but rather focuses on a few major facts for each, explaining background and different interpretations, thus making readers more motivated to continue reading - and to actually celebrate along.

Oh and one more thing: if you think humour and reigion should never mix, even if that humour is respectful and (like in this case) stems from profound enthusiasm for a religion and its culture, then this is not the book for you.

[Alecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provided me with some interesting information regarding some Jewish holidays, though I can see why those who practice Judaism would be critical of this book. It’s definitely devoid of any religious convictions, and reads more like a cultural primer. The author seems to hold to the notion that any practices are for historical purposes and not redemptive. Even so, there were several impactful connections I was able to make between the Jewish holidays and my Christian faith.

[Kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful and informative.

[Nikki Edgar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written! Very informative but interesting!

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upbeat, clear and concise approach to holiday explanations. This book opens your understanding for here and now.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was accessible and interesting.

[the bard]

a lovely read. i learned a lot and enjoyed myself (which is rare when reading nonfiction). the auther has a great sense of humor and makes the learning a lot more interesting.

[Ingrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it was an interesting read, I guess. I don't feel like I learned much and the overall tone of the book was flippant, which made me uncomfortable. These holidays are important to me (and many others) and while humour isn't a bad thing, this time it kind of set me on edge. Also, I didn't agree with quite a few of his interpretations. Overall, not that positive of a reading experience for me.