Wise Words (2004, Paperback, Reissue)

A comprehensive anthology of wise sayings, stories, and insights from the Jewish tradition addressing such topics as faith, friendship, ethics, nature, charity, kindness, marriage, death, the Holocaust, and Israel.

Wise Words celebrates the heart and soul of a people shaped by four thousand years of precepts, stories, rituals, recipes, and humor. It is an all-embracing collection of aphorisms and poetry from the Bible, the Talmud, Hasidic tales, and contemporary humor and literature -- with a special emphasis on the all-too-often-forgotten voices of women. On any given topic, you can read the words of Isaiah, the teachings of Maimonides, the mystical wisdom of the Kabbalah, passages from Grace Paley, Nora Ephron, and Isaac Bashevis Singer, along with a sprinkling of Yiddish folk sayings that often get right to the heart of any subject.

Often joyous, occasionally tragic, the material is divided by major themes, including Jewish writers' insights on life, death, friendship, family, marriage, charity, kindness, ethics, food, holidays, nature, and art. Each section is framed by the author's own recollections as a daughter, sister, wife, and mother.