Fred Reiss, EdD

Increasing Wholeness: Jewish Wisdom & Guided Meditations to Strengthen & Calm Body, Heart, Mind, & Soul by Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, Jewish Lights Publishing, Woodstock, Vermont;  ISBN 978-1-58023-823-6 ©2015, $19.99, p. 151, plus notes By Fred Reiss, Ed.D.   WINCHESTER, California — The expression “wholeness is peace” might be considered an aphorism in English, but it […]

How Free Will Works: The Blueprint to Take Charge of Your Life, Health, and Happiness by Dovid Lieberman, Feldheim Publishers, New York;  ISBN 978-1-4675-6353-6 ©2015, $19.99, p. 324, plus glossary By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Judaism has a theological problem with regard to free will. People have a sense of self-agency and self-determination;

Chabad’s Secret: Inside the World’s Most Successful Jewish Organization by Chaim Dalfin, Jewish Enrichment Press, Brooklyn, NY;  ISBN 978-0-9889580-7-4 ©2015, $35.00, p. 190, plus appendices, bibliography, glossary, and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D.   WINCHESTER, California — Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, universally known as the Baal Shem Tov, is considered the founder of Chassidism, when in

Prophecies and Providence: A Biblical Approach to Modern Jewish History by Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, Devorah Publishing, New York; ISBN 978-1-93444-059-9 ©2015, $24.95, p. 218, plus appendices By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Apocalyptic literature tells of the events that will occur at the end-of-days, such as Armageddon and the struggle between Gog and Magog.  For fundamentalist Christians those

Shma Koleinu: A Jewish People’s Commentary on the Siddur by Rabbi Steven Schwarzman, editor, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, an Amazon Company, Seattle, WA;  ISBN 978-1-50535-392-1 ©2014, $17.99, p. 202, plus contributor’s list By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Jews communicate with God through animal sacrifice, or at least they did when the Temple stood in

The JGuy’s Guide: The GPS for Jewish Teen Guys by Rabbi J. B. Meszler, Dr. S. Reinharz, L. Suneby, and D. Heiman, Jewish Lights Publishing;  ISBN 978-1-45967-434-9 ©2013, $18.99, p. 177, plus notes By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California –A much narrower distinction existed between childhood and adulthood in the nineteenth century then it does

Spark Ignited: The Difficult Journey to Orthodox Judaism, The Process and the Perils by Michaela Lawson with Ashirah Yosefah, Menorah Books, Jerusalem; ISBN 978-0-98915-205-1 ©2013, $22.95, p. 164, plus glossary Reviewed by Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Michaela Lawson, author of Spark Ignited with Ashirah Yosefah, is quite clear: religious conversion of any type, particularly the

Unlocking the Torah Text, An In-Depth Journey Into The Weekly Torah Portion: Devarim by Samuel Goldin, Gefen Publishing House, Jerusalem; ISBN 978-965-229-526-2 ©2014, $29.95, p. 382, plus sources and index By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California–The fifth of the Five Books of Moses, called in Hebrew Devarim and in English the Book of Deuteronomy, is Moses’