January 27, 2020

A Journey for Books

Filed under: Michael — michael @ 2:54 am

They say that life is a journey and for me that also applies to books.  Not so much the process of the reading, but the process of the finding.  When you consider the amount of time and the intellectual investment required in reading and study, a good book is hard to find.  I have no problem changing the channel on the television, but once committed to a book I have a harder time putting it away without finishing, even if it has not lived up to expectation.  Last month I read a glowing review about a new book called Josephus, The Jewish Wars, A Biography.  Josephus was a Jewish aristocrat and leader in the Israel at the time of Roman occupation.  He participated in the resistance to Rome, before his capture and confinement to a Roman camp, where he was able to witness the siege of Jerusalem and the final defeat of Israelites.  From exile in Rome he wrote one of the few histories of the Roman war against the Jewish nation.

As I enjoy history, reading, and having recently visited Israel, and spent time on Masada, the final battle place of the Jewish Wars, I was intrigued and searched for the book.  My journey took me to the BN store on 86thstreet in New York City while on a visit to see my daughter.  There was Judaica as far as the eye could see, and the selection was significantly larger that collection of bibles, and books about the holocaust, and Jewish history and worship in the BN store on Fallon Lane.  I found Josephus and The Jewish Wars as well as many other books of interest.  I found How to Fight Anti-Semitism by Bari Weiss, which was the upcoming book for our AAC book club.  I also found a new book from a favorite author, Rabbi Harold Kushner.  The book was new to me although upon opening Nine Essential Things I’ve Learned About Life, I found that it was published in 2015.  Having read most of Rabbi Kushner’s books and enjoyed each one, I purchased it as well as Josephus and How to Fight Anti-Semitism.

Rabbi Kushner did not disappoint, the book was fantastic, as was the Bari Weiss book.  Josephus, however, did disappoint.  Fortunately, the book was short and there were pictures.

So I recommend you head over to the books section of this website for more detailed information about these books.  Who knows, you may also find other books you may want to read, even more than the ones which led you to begin the journey.

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