SPECIAL HOLIDAY SECTION

Thoughtful entertainment

Holiday season's books, music, computer programs offer religious insights

ENID WEISS
The Jewish State

• "An Invitation to Shabbat" by Ruth Perelson (Union of American Hebrew Congregations Press, New York. $16.95). This combination how-to and family workbook for celebrating the Sabbath includes blessings, recipes, personal experiences, shopping lists and explanations of Sabbath traditions. It also features sheet music for Sabbath songs and a music CD. It's a perfect selection for busy families who want to reconnect.
  
  
• "A Rabbi Confesses" by Rabbi Bob Alper (Finkstrom Productions, Eden Prairie, Minn. $9.95). Alper lives in Vermont and has written a comedy book that "reflects true experiences of a congregational rabbi." He dedicated the book to his wife, who encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian. One quip depicts a trustees' board meeting lasting late into the night. It is accompanied by the phrase, "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." This funny book takes a great look at the world of organized Jewry, and then turns it sideways.
  
  
• "Bible Babes A Beltin" music performed by Rayzel Raphael (Sounds Write Productions Inc., San Diego, Calif. CD: $15.95. Cassette: $9.95). The title tells it all. Each song tells the story of a female Bible character from Miriam to Tamar and more. Their roles are celebrated and questioned in this rousing collection of folk-song-type tunes.
  
  
• "Biblical Women in the Midrash, A Sourcebook" by Naomi M. Hyman (Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale, N.J. $25). An interesting look at female biblical characters. Each chapter is devoted to a woman and includes traditional rabbinic midrash (interpretive teachings of the Bible) as well as commentary, poems and stories by modern feminists. Marge Piercy, Judith Plaskow and Alicia Ostriker of Princeton University are among the writers included in this book that works as a women's studies text as well as giving voices to women long unheard.
  
  
• "Dictionary of the Holocaust - Biography, Geography, and Terminology" by Eric Joseph Epstein and Philip Rosen (Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport, Conn. $49.95). This is for schools, libraries and research centers, and it is a useful tool that answers many questions. It makes for a great companion to explain specific names and words, but it is not designed as a textbook on its own.
  
  
• "Grief in Our Seasons: A Mourner's Kaddish Companion" by Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky (Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, Vt. $15.95). After shiva is over, many mourners still need help, and this is for them. Olitzky shows that it's daily life that becomes difficult for the bereaved. This book provides excerpts from classical Jewish texts, commentary and a space for the mourner to write his thoughts for each day for a year. For example, the following is from a day in the fifth week of mourning: " 'I am weary from my sighing, and I can find no rest' (Jeremiah 45:3). We certainly understand Jeremiah's lament. After five months of mourning, we too are tired of complaining, but we seem to have no choice. We are exhausted even at the start of a new day - which is supposed to feel like the beginning of rebirth. It feels beyond our control ..."
  
  
• "Guide to Sabbath Observance" by Rabbi Eli Pick (Feldheim Publishers, New York. $15.95). This is a practical resource for the Sabbath-observant Jew or anyone with questions about observing the Sabbath. Havdalah (the service ending the Sabbath) even gets its own chapter, and another two chapters are devoted to the 39 melachos, or prohibitions. It also comes with a complete glossary and is a handy book to have around.
  
  
• "In Hostile Territory - Business Secrets of A Mossad Combatant" by Gerald Westerby (HarperCollins Publishers, New York. $25.00). This is the best business book ever, and I don't say that lightly. Instead of a dry, financial how-to, this is a page turner. It's a combination of a spy-thriller with advice from a Wall Street guru (the reader is told that the author is going by an assumed name). Buy and read this for fun; learn and get motivated in the process.
  
  
• "Lionhearts - Heroes of Israel" edited by Michael Bar-Zohar (Warner Books, New York. $30). This is a collection of 50 essays written by and about Israeli politicians, soldiers and others who have helped to shape Israel. The book is written in honor of Israel's 50th anniversary and is divided into historical chapters. Each chapter of stories is introduced with a short history. The names of authors and heroes included are both familiar and those not so well known. This is an excellent book for teaching youth and can hold an adult's attention as well. It's best for junior high school students to adults.
  
  
• "Rosh Hashanah, A Family Service" by Judith Z. Abrams, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn (Kar-Ben Copies, Inc. Rockville, Md. $3.95). This is perfect for families and synagogues planning youth services. Each page is peppered with cartoon figures illustrating the concepts. Abrams explains holiday concepts like forgiveness or teshuvah, in terms a youngster can understand. For example, "Imagine that during the last year you carried two books with you all the time. Every time you shared, or were kind or patient, you wrote it down in one book. In the other book, you wrote down every time you did something mean, or selfish, or impatient."
  
  
• "Stamps of Israel, Encyclopedia & Catalogue" (SweetChild Software, distributed by Davka Graphic, Chicago, Ill. $79.95). This CD-ROM for Windows is a fabulous program for your favorite stamp collector. It includes articles and pictures of just about every stamp Israel has ever issued, complete with a story about the stamp's subject, artist, date of issue and number sold. It also has pictures of official post cards issued and a place for you to catalogue your own collection. Even the trivia quiz is fun. This excellent program could even inspire someone to take up stamp collecting. Loading the program should be done from DOS and not Windows, which can make loading difficult for the computer-challenged.
  
  
• "The Beginner's Kosher Cookbook" by Seymour Fiedler (Feldheim Publishers, New York. $24.95). This is more than just a collection of recipes. It teaches the first-time kosher consumer how to buy kosher groceries, how to prepare foods and other kosher tips. It's almost like having a bubbe (Jewish grandmother) on call. As the author wrote in his introduction, "This book is designed for the young man or woman who has just left the mother's nest, the young bride just learning to cook, and also for the widower who appreciates healthy, tasty food."
  
  
• "The Jewish Book of Etiquette" by Ronald Isaacs (Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale, N.J. $35.00). Isaacs has written a helpful book examining the ethics involved in charity, family relationships, friendships and synagogue behavior. Especially timely is the chapter on etiquette concerning repentance, telling the truth and when it's OK to bend the truth. Each chapter features a short introduction and a collection of quotes from classic Judaic texts.
  
  
• "The Rich Go to Heaven, Giving Charity in Jewish Thought" by Eli M. Shear and Rabbi Chaim Miller (Jason Aronson Inc., Northvale, N.J. $25). Based on Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson's essays on tzedakah (charity) and other texts, this book explores various aspects of charity. It's well written with a good choice of stories to illustrate each point.
  
  
• "The Survival Guide to Shidduchim: Everything You Need To Know About Jewish Dating" by Shani Stein (Targum Press, Southfield, Mich., distributed by Feldheim Publishers, Nanuet, NY. $9.95). This funny how-to guide includes sections on how to prepare for your first date and some horror stories.
  
  
• "The Swiss, The Gold And The Dead: How Swiss Bankers helped Finance The Nazi War Machine" by Jean Ziegler (Harcourt Brace & Company, New York. $27). Ziegler is a member of the Swiss parliament, yet takes a critical look at his country's financial institutions. His argument that without Swiss complicity, World War II would have ended earlier is one that will not surprise many Jews.