"The book goes beyond its subtitle's promise to extend wisdom and enlightenment for troubled times. It presents an optimish tempered by history - an optimish that is uniquely Jewish. Kurzweil's inclusiveness not only makes this a timely collection, but a timeless one as well." (Jewish.com)

For its third annual anthology of the best Jewish writing, Jossey-Bass has installed a new editor, Arthur Kurzweil. He is well qualified for this task, having served as director of the Jewish Book Club and as editor-in-chief of Jason Aronson Publishers, a company that specializes in books of Jewish interest. He casts a wide net for this judicious selection of articles, short stories, poetry and book excerpts. The material is grouped thematically, covering topics such as Israel, current issues, religious education and practice, Jewish spiritual thought, Kabbalah, the Holocaust 9/11 and anti-Semitism. There are also sections of poetry, fiction and Jewish humor. Kurzweil presents an impressive list of prominent authors and allows them to speak for themselves. Among the better-known writers are Elie Wiesel, Alan Dershowitz, Arthur Waskow, Blu Greenberg, Carol Diament, Adin Steinsaltz, Arthur Hertzberg, Cynthia Ozick, Irving Greenberg, Avi Weiss, Edward Koch, Marge Piercy and Herbert Gold. What is remarkable about the roster is its comprehensiveness - all shades of Judaism and of political opinion can be found, thus fully demonstrating the editor's objectivity in making his choices. Yoel Jakobovits contributes an excellent essay on stem cell research, in which he considers the ethical issues arising from this cutting-edge technology. In a sprightly introduction, Kurzweil denies any claim to such objectivity, asserting that decisions about what to include were highly subjective. Objective or subjective, he has done readers a fine service by bringing together a stellar, diverse collection for their enjoyment. (Sept.) (Publishers Weekly, August 11, 2003)

Kurzweil (From Generation to Generation: How To Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History) collects works dealing with the complex problems and difficult situations characterizing the modern Jewish experience. The volume is divided into sections on Israel, current issues, education, religion, Kabbalah, the Holocaust, 9/11, anti-Semitism, humor, poetry, and fiction. Questions of ethics, political action, and personal illumination are all discussed. Amos Elon's fair and detailed coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle and Andrew Wallenstein's discussion of the commercial aspect of Holocaust artistic representation are noteworthy. Jane Leavy's essay on Sandy Koufax, Gilbert S. Rosenthal's discussion of religious law, and Cynthia Ozick's article on Gershom Scholem are expansive and wide-ranging views of religion. A good addition to the series, this is recommended for Jewish studies collections.—Gene Shaw. NYPL (Library Journal, October 15, 2003)