Jewish Voices

This is a wonderful collection of wise sayings designed to make you think, reflect and imagine. This is a collection o could actually use as discussion prompts with groups of students, of many ages. Well done and artfully presented.

Beautiful, inspiring and reassuring collection of Jewish quotes from thinkers ancient and modern.

Illustrated and designed to please the eye and the heart, this book is a treasure trove of inspiration and hope.
While it would be difficult to summarise what it means to be a Jew, this book's collection of art and quotes comes very close.

The book is divided into topical sections, with quotes from Theodor Herzl and Golda Meir to Hen Mazzig and Melinda Strauss.
Each quote comes with a short text on the person it is attributed to.

The art by Chavi Feldman, Leah Bar Shalom and Eleyor Snir is stunning, quintessentially Jewish and makes this book truly stunning. The layout is great, giving art, quotes and text blocks space to breathe and shine on their own.

This book is a beautiful tribute to Jewishness and Jewish resilience and a wonderful gift - to yourself or loved ones!

This collection of thoughtful quotes is organized by topic. A few of these include Art and Culture; Laughter and Tears; Antisemitism and the Holocuast; Family and Home; and more. Each of these sections begins with an orientation to the topic.

The author-compiler’s introduction notes the importance of language and words to the Jewish population across the diaspora. She has chosen quotes from Greek, Latin and Aramaic teachings as well as Yiddish lore. In addition, there are sayings from migration to the Aegean, the Iberian Peninsula, Asia Minor and the Russian steppes. Quotes cover a wide period of years up to the present day.

Readers are also given information on those who are quoted. Some of these authors may be well known, for example there are quotes from Amy Shumer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg while others will be from those not previously known by the reader.

The quotes themselves are plentiful. In addition, the text is accompanied by graphic illustrations.

This book would make a lovely gift or addition to libraries. It would maybe be a nice title to give to someone at the time of the Jewish fall holidays. I hope it will be read by many and will help to open dialogue during fraught political periods.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

While this will probably appeal mostly to Jewish readers, I believe the thoughts expressed in this compendium hold universal values and truths. The publisher says: “Explore the richness and diversity of Jewish heritage and history with this expansive volume of quotes from Jewish figures...People from all cultures and walks of life will feel inspired, empowered, uplifted, and motivated to discover new perspectives.” 

Dana Rubin has pulled together quotes from a wonderfully diverse group of Jewish people, across the world and across the centuries. Among the people who appear in Jewish Voices are well-known (and less well-known) contemporary voices, from Mandy Patinkin and Dr. Ruth (so sad that we lost her this year) to Josh Shapiro, Michael Twitty, Stephen Sondheim, and Judy Blume. There are also quotes from centuries ago: Maimonides, Gluckel of Hameln, Nachman of Breslov and Rabbi Tarfon. In between, we have quotes from more recent figures such as Gold Meir, Theodor Herzl, Emma Lazarus, Elie Wiesel, Henrietta Szold, and Louise Nevelson.

The quotes are arranged in themed sections as follows: Land of Milk and Honey; Diaspora; Art And Culture; Laughter And Tears; Antisemitism And The Holocaust; Education And Learning; Family And Home; Inspiration And Hope; Holidays And Tradition; and Tikun Olam (Repairing The World). Along with the quotes, you get short biographies of the person being quoted. I was delighted to discover quite a few people I had no previous knowledge of.

The artwork included in Jewish Voices is beyond beautiful. One illustration is more lovely than the next. Listed artists are Chavi Feldman, Leah Bar Shalom, and Eleyor Snir.

The hardover format is 7.2 inches wide and 8.3 inches high, which seems a bit small for what could be called a coffee table book (not an insult!). I would love to display this in my home in the hope that visitors would page through it and find inspiration and/or comfort in the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wellfleet Press for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.