A caveat - This list is for books that you will want to have at your fingertips, to which you will refer time and again. This is not a list of books you need to have read but books that you need to have. Many of the books on my list are of the reference variety. Some, I have read from cover to cover. Others, I pick up and skim when the mood or need arises.
Here is my current list, which adds up to $491.08. I have created a link for each book so you can look up more information if you are so inclined.
Chumash (Etz Chayim - $72.50)
This is really hard. I happen to really like the Stone Chumash because it has the Rashi and its translation is very literal. A literal translation is valuable for someone who is interested in the etymology of the word. In some senses, it is like having a dictionary available to help me translate words that I don't know. I also like the Stone Chumash because its derash is very traditional. As a Conservative Jew, I would rather start with the traditional interpretation and then find ways to work with it in a modern context than starting with my modern bias and ignoring the traditional because it is too, well, traditional.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Plaut Chumash is also very good. Gunther Plaut wrote this chumash for the Reform movement and in the truest and best spirit of Reform Judaism. Instead of throwing out all of the traditional and problematic interpretations, he brings in a host of traditional and modern interpretations and lets the reader decide which to accept and reject. He makes no attempt to hide Reform Judaism's rejection of the Torah as divine writ, but in including traditional interpretations and comments on the Torah, he implicitly acknowledges that Reform Judaism is neither the first nor the last word on the subject.
However, as a Conservative Jew, I am going to "have my cake and it it too." I have selected the Etz Chayim because presents the Conservative movement's approach to Torah. In no other selection below have I made a selection based on it being the Conservative entry to the area under consideration. But here, where we are talking about the fundamental text on which everything else is based, I have to bow to that consideration. That said, the Etz Chayim is a very strong entry in its own right. The translation is the New JPS and the commentary blends peshat (face-value interpretation) with derash (homiletic). The essays at the back are worth the price of the book itself.
Tanakh (ArtScroll Stone - $53.99; Jewish Study Bible - $29.70)
Tankakh again is a tough one and here I think I am going to spend the money on two. One is the the ArtScroll Stone edition of the Tanakh. This way I get the Hebrew text and the literalist translation that I want. The Stone Tanakh does not contain the extensive commentary found in the Stone Chumash, but it gives me a reasonably compact volume that contains both Hebrew and English text. It is a good choice for a quick reference to the text.
In addition, I am adding the Jewish Study Bible, to which I was introduced by Gary Rendsberg during my Me'ah class. I really like this Bible for its modern, critical approach to the text. There is lots of good material here. The big downside is that it doesn't have the Hebrew, which I think is essential.
Put the two together and you have a good set that covers both a right-wing "traditional" position and a modern, critical position.
Siddur (ArtScroll - $31.99)
This one is easy. The ArtScroll Siddur is far and away the best siddur that I have used for general purposes. It is complete and the instructional information is easy to follow and invaluable. When you need to find the blessing for a rainbow or the sheva brachot for a bris or Kiddush Levanah - it is all there. If you aren't sure who has precendence on Torah Aliyot or what to do when you are missing a Kohen - it is spelled out. The instructions on when to include or omit certain prayers is generally easy to follow. Other siddurim may have more theologically pleasing translations or textual emendations, but this one has all the critical stuff. People who have theological differences with the traditional text can add other versions to their collection, but for a basic bookshelf, this is the one to have. All the others are secondary.
Lawrence Hoffman's amazing compendium to the Siddur: My People's Prayer Book would be a must have, but at over $200 for the set, it has to wait for the next $500 installment. This is a must-have for anyone who wants to really understand Jewish prayer. Hoffman and his collection of contributors cover everything from the history of the prayer to the challenges in translation to the choices that different editors have made when compiling their own Siddur. If you have an extra $200 and you are interested in gaining a real understanding of Jewish prayer, this collection is wonderful.
Hebrew-English Dictionary (Alcalay Complete English-Hebrew Dictionary, New Enlarged Edition - $111)
Jews are people of the Book, but if you don't know what the words in the book mean, then you are left out on the sidelines. A good Hebrew-English dictionary should be on everyone's bookshelf. The Alcalay is class for a reason. It is probably the largest and most comprehensive dictionary available. It has not only modern Hebrew, but also Biblical and Aramaic references. It doesn't take the place of Jastrow for the serious learner, but it is comprehensive and vital.
Guide to Observance (A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice - $27.50)
This guide by Rabbi Isaac Klein is indispensable to the Conservative household. I don't know what its equivalent is in an Orthodox house. This guide covers all of the key issues relating to Jewish observance. It discusses daily prayer, Shabbat and Holidays. It covers ritual ranging from Bris to Mourning and everything in between. While no book can cover everything and I have occasionally had questions that were not answered, by and large, when I need to know the answer to a practical question of observance, Klein has answered it.
Mourning (The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning - $12.89)
The may be nothing more difficult for a person to confront than death. Whether a death in one's own family or the need to comfort a friend, death is a hard topic to approach and many of us feel at a loss as to what to do or say when put into this position. Lamm's book is a classic, covering much of the ground that a Jew needs to know to navigate through this very difficult time. While there are many other books that may provide more spiritual comfort to the mourner, this book is essential on your bookshelf to consult when you just need to know what to do or what not to do.
I would love to add some other books here. Goldberg's Mourning in Halacha is also very good, but I found that he cites some very right-wing halachic positions that are not suitable for more modern Jews. What is really helpful about this book is that he cites the sources for each of his statements, so if you want to research the issue, you have direction. Also, the book is laid out in a way that makes it easy to find his position on very specific issues. It is a book of law rather than an excursus on Jewish mourning. Lamm's book is more readable.
I also really like Wieseltier's Kaddish. It is a fascinating mixture of the personal and the academic. It is not an easy read, but I marveled at the depth of Wieseltier's research and the breadth of his observation. Ultimately, it doesn't make my list because it is a great book to read, but it isn't one that you will want to have at your fingertips.
Modern Theology (Choices in Modern Jewish Thought: A Partisan Guide - $22.50)
I love to read theology. Some of it is too arcane for me (Levinas comes to mind and forget about reading Rosenzweig) but every thoughtful Jew should be familiar with and be able to refer back to the critical trends in modern Jewish thought. Borowitz may be the greatest teacher of Jewish theology of our time and his book is a classic for reviewing and providing snippets of the critical strains of thought that have influenced modern Judaism. This is a book to refer to time and again when trying to place different thinkers into a broader context.
Jewish Literacy (Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History - $23.10)
Telushkin's book is already a classic for a bookshelf reference overview of Jewish writing. He covers the gamut of Jewish history from Biblical through modern periods providing short descriptions and definitions of key terms, biographies of important people, and a broad overivew of Jewish history. He can't cover everything and what he covers is superficial, but for a one-volume overview, his is the best I have seen.
Legends and Stories (Book of Legends/Sefer Ha-Aggadah: Legends from the Talmud and Midrash - $55.97; Tales of the Hasidim - $15.00)
Judaism has an incredibly rich history and literature. No people is complete without their stories. Bialik's Book of Legends is a wonderful volume to have on the shelf. It collects hundreds of short stories from the classic texts and organizes them according to theme. This is the kind of book that you will pull off the shelf when you are looking for a short, pithy story or anecdote to underline an idea.
What Bialik misses is the wonderful treasure of Hasidic stories that has become a key part of the literature of the Jews. While not that old, dating back only to the 17th and 18th centuries CE, these stories have entered the Jewish bloodstream and are told as if they are ancient midrash. Buber's collection is the classic. I have a two-volume edition that I like better than the current one-volume edition available from Amazon, but I think it is out of print.
Holidays (Jewish Holidays - $16.47)
A library needs to have a book on the Jewish Holidays. Unfortunately, I can't say that I am that familiar with the range of options. I have found Strassfield's Jewish Holidays to be very usable and probably fits the bill. The price is certainly right to fit in our budget. I am open to other suggestions on this one.
Jewish History (Open)
I have read many Jewish History books, but none stand out in my mind as definitive and essential. I would love to have suggestions in this area.
Jewish Atlas (Barnavi, A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People: From the Time of the Patriarchs to the Present - $18.47)
Is it possible to understand Jewish History without an atlas to show the changing geography of the Jewish people? Barnavi's Atlas, which I do not own, appears to be an outstanding choice. It combines the expected maps and charts with essays on each period in Jewish History. There are other atlas choices out there, but this one seems to be the one to pick.
Ok - that is my list (for now). Now it is your turn - what would you change? Remember, the rule is that the total list has to be $500 or less.
