The Judaism Research Center under the direction of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
offers books on the topics of Jewish culture, history and traditions.

The Center’s books present a whole universe, a reflection of the Jewish culture, preserved and retained throughout centuries of exile. A partial list of issues touched upon includes the Sabbath, Hasidic parables, life stories of Talmud sages, philosophy of Hasidism, and conversations with the Rabbi on such "mundane" burning questions as love, money, and personal relationships.

The Center is at this moment carrying out a unique project – a publication of the Babylonian Talmud with commentary in Russian.
Four volumes have been published thus far as part of this project:

All the books are written in a simple, easy-to-understand and vivid language and should be of interest to the general reader.

The CIS Judaism Research Center
Under the direction of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

Каталог, 1989-2004 // in Russian // >>

Catalogue, 1989-2004 // in English // >>

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THE BOOKS OF RABBI A. Steinsaltz IN RUSSIAN

«The Jewish Issue» Rabbi A. Steinsaltz 
This book comprises the responses given by Rabbi Steinsaltz to questions he was asked in the last ten years during his trips in Russia and via mail. From a large initial mass of information, the publishers have selected a hundred questions, the answers to which will be of special interest to the Russian-speaking reader. With this reader in mind, a decision was made to leave the answers without the customary (for Jewish literature) references to the Holy Books. The classification of questions and their placement are rather arbitrary, so if the reader cannot locate a certain question topic by studying the table of contents, he should look for it by reading through the book. J-M – Moscow, 2004, 214 pages, hard cover.

«A Conversation about Kabala» Rabbi A. Steinsaltz 
The unprecedented attempts to spread "Kabala" in Russia in recent years leads us to conclude that it is especially important to inform the Russian reader of some incontestable facts about the mystic trend in Judaism. Kabala, an integral part of Judaism, has nothing to do and is totally unrelated with the ignorant and manipulative theories that are successfully sold in Russia under the name of "Kabala science". J-M – Moscow, 2003, 24 pages.

«Conversations with Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz» Mikhail Gorelik
The author of this new publication prepared by the CIS Judaism Research Center is a Moscow writer Mikhail Gorelik. The book is called "Conversations with Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz" and consists of a series of interviews with the world-famous Jewish thinker. A few selected topics of those conversations, used as headings, are evidence that the reading will absorb you: "No bull will take a cow as a wife", "Why would the trees rejoice at Messiah’s coming?", "Let’s talk about the peculiarities of love"…
In his introduction to the book, Rabbi A. Steinsaltz writes: "Our dialogue reminds me of the way a cigarette lighter works. Steel meeting flint gives birth to multicolored sparkles. The flint has no idea just how many shades of fire are hidden in it. Red, blue, green – are they hiding in the stone? Maybe in the steel? The chapters of this book are multicolored sparkles. I sincerely hope that the readers will enjoy it as much as we did producing those sparkles". J-M – Moscow, 2001, 238 pages, hard cover.

«A Point of View» Mikhail Gorelik
In this book R. Adin Steinsaltz, as usual, does not preach or prophesize; he thinks aloud, making us view familiar concepts from a new and unexpected perspective. The Rabbi discusses topics that can hardly be classified as religious issues: love, stupidity, psychoanalysis, law and much more. It is some kind of a new genre that can de defined as "a wise man’s discussion of "worldly" subjects". J-M – Moscow, 2005, 302 pages, hard cover

«Perspectives» Rabbi A. Steinsaltz,
In this book R. Adin Steinsaltz, as usual, does not preach or prophesize; he thinks aloud, making us view familiar concepts from a new and unexpected perspective. The Rabbi discusses topics that can hardly be classified as religious issues: love, stupidity, psychoanalysis, law and much more. It is some kind of a new genre that can de defined as "a wise man’s discussion of "worldly" subjects". J-M – Moscow, 2005, 272 pages, hard cover. New, updated edition.

«A Rose of Thirteen Petals» Rabbi A. Steinsaltz
This book has been translated into a number of languages and has become a classic; the Russian translation has been disseminated since late 70s through the system of "samizdat" (private reprinting). This work based on the ideas of Cabala – esoteric, secret knowledge – touches upon such topics as the relationship between man and Creator, freedom of choice, and the meaning of our existence. Despite the apparent complexity of the issues dealt with in the book, it is comprehensible for anybody and reads with unceasing interest. Moscow, 1995, 180 pages, hard cover.

«Simple words» Rabbi A. Steinsaltz,
The secret wisdom of simple words may appear startling, but not because no one is aware of its existence. Each of us from time to time discovers it anew, but in the daily bustle it somehow diminishes and becomes obliterated. The book examines some common words from the viewpoint of the ordinary person who is a careful and interested observer of this world. Familiar words suddenly acquire new meanings, the borders of notions become clearer, and their substance – deeper. J-M – Moscow, 2005, 238 pages, hard cover. New, updated edition.

«Stories about the extraordinary by Rabbi Nachman from Braslav» with comments by Rabbi A. Steinsaltz,
Six stories by one of the greatest Hasidic authorities (1772-1810), founders of a religious and philosophical school that still exists today. The stories are taken from the book "Sipurei-Maasiyot" that contains ideas from the treasury of Jewish mystics and Hasidic thought, represented as allegories and fairytale images. All this is revealed in the commentary of Rabbi Steinsaltz. J-M – Moscow, 2005, 448 pages, hard cover. New, updated edition.

«Biblical images» Rabbi A. Steinsaltz,
A gallery of portraits acquainting us with twenty-six of the most important personalities in our history, as told by Tanach. The characters in this book appear before us as living people of flesh and blood, far from the clichйs formed in our conscience. The author’s deep penetration into the inner world of each of them helps the reader, upon being introduced to his great ancestors, correct his own spiritual and moral values. Moscow, 2006, 222 pages, hard cover. New, updated edition.

«Sociology of Ignorance» Rabbi A. Steinsaltz in co-authorship with A. Funkenstein
Throughout the whole human history various groups of entrepreneurs aspired to monopolistic possession of knowledge, hindering its spread and consciously encouraging ignorance, which, according to Orwell, is a mighty power. The authors approach all the development of human society from this point of view. They analyze events that took place in different epochs in various regions of the world and address the present, particularly in those communities that promote the idea of so-called "open knowledge". Moscow, 1997, 176 pages, hard cover.

«The Creative Word» Rabbi A. Steinsaltz
A collection of articles on the philosophy of Hasidism, portraying an integral picture of the universe, in which both of its components – the spiritual and the material – are not juxtaposed, but go well together. The core subject of interest for the author is the place of man in this system assigned for him by the Creator.Moscow, 1996, 224 pages, hard cover.

«The Sages of Talmud» Rabbi A. Steinsaltz,
The researchers who upon attempting to put together the biographies of the sages of Talmud were faced with the task of reconstructing the life stories of great scholars on the basis of fragments of their biographies scattered all over the Talmud. Rabbi Steinsaltz’s book has a special place among those works: rather than a biography, it is a gallery of portraits, each of which is painted with a few expressive strokes throwing light on the character of a person and the distinctive traits of his personality. Moscow, 2005, 192 pages, hard cover. New, updated edition.

THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD IN RUSSIAN

«Introduction to Talmud», comments by Rabbi A. Steinsaltz
This book, written in a strict academic manner, is not just an excellent textbook for those planning to make the first steps in studying Talmud. It is also of doubtless interest for those already more familiar with the subject, because "Introduction to Talmud" is a genuine encyclopedia of Talmudic terminology. Apart from a description of the cultural and historic conditions of the era in which Talmud was compiled and chronological tables and geographical maps, the book includes dictionaries of basic Aramaic words and terms, Talmudic terms and research techniques. It also contains methodic recommendations for beginners and rules of reading and analyzing various Talmudic fragments. Moscow, 1993, 382 pages, hard cover, large format, illustrations, maps. New, updated edition.

«The Babylonian Talmud, Tractate "Taanit"», comments by Rabbi A. Steinsaltz 
This tractate mostly deals with laws of public fasts announced in years of calamities, and in particular, during a heavy drought in Eretz-Israel. It comprises a host of legends and stories passed on by word of mouth, as well as discussions on morality and ethics etc. – everything generally called Agada – and stories about the great sages of Israel. Moscow, 1998, 388 pages, hard cover, large format, illustrations, maps.

«The Babylonian Talmud, Tractate ‘Bava Metsi’, ch. 1», comments by Rabbi A. Steinsaltz
Of all the chapters in the "Bava Metsi" tractate, it is one of the most studied in yeshivas. The tractate reviews those laws in Torah that deal with property relations (promissory notes, questions of inheritance, partnership in business etc.). This chapter primarily analyzes situations connected with finds, loans, contracts, hiring workers. Moscow, 1995, 346 pages, hard cover, large format, illustrations, maps.

«The Babylonian Talmud, "Anthology of Aggada", vol. 1», comments by Rabbi A. Steinsaltz. Under the general editorship of Rabbi A. Steinsaltz and S. Averintsev.
The book comprises a selection of various Aggadic fragments taken from the Babylonian Talmud. Aggada deals with various issues, it touches upon ethical, theological and philosophic problems, and also contains interpretations of the Scripture, stories about biblical heroes and about the sages of Talmud belonging to various generations. Moscow, 2001, 328 pages, hard cover, large format.

«The Babylonian Talmud, "Anthology of Aggada", vol. 2», comments by Rabbi A. Steinsaltz. Under the general editorship of Rabbi A. Steinsaltz and S. Averintsev.
The book comprises a selection of various Aggadic fragments taken from the Babylonian Talmud. Aggada deals with various issues, it touches upon ethical, theological and philosophic problems, and also contains interpretations of the Scripture, stories about biblical heroes and about the sages of Talmud belonging to various generations. Moscow, 2004, 272 pages, hard cover, large format.

OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED BY THE CENTER

«The Seventy Faces of Torah», tools for studing the weekly Torah portion.
The Seventy Faces of Torah demonstrates the richness and relevance of the ideas contained in even the smallest unit of Torah text. It will become an indispensable source of topics for discussions, classes, and even family conversations around the Shabbat table. The book will enable an intelligent reader to acquire self-instructional Torah skills, to analyze its text from different points of view, to see it in all its fullness and viability, and will set new horizons for study and knowledge. J-M – Moscow, 2006, 240 pages, illustrations, hard cover, large format.


«By One Word», hassidic story-tellers, A. Feigin,
Collection of well known and rare hassidic story-tellers. J-M – Moscow, 2005, 216 pages, illustrations, hard cover, large format.


«Let the Sabbath into your home…»
The brochure "Let the Sabbath into your home…" is a fresh addition to the assortment of books published by the CIS Judaism Research Center. This publication is unique because it is a practical manual on prescriptive aspects of conducting Sabbath for those only beginning to fulfill this commandment, the most important one in Judaism. The brochure deals with all the basic phases of the weekly Jewish holiday in a brief and comprehensible manner. This magnificent publication is accompanied with colorful illustrations and is sure to attract the attention of those Jews who have made a decision to observe their nation’s traditions. J-M – Moscow, 2003, 36 pages, illustrations, pictures, artistic design.

«Conversations About Weekly Chapters» D. Palant
The text of the Torah is divided into 54 weekly chapters in order to make it possible to read the whole Pentateuch during a yearly cycle. The book gives examples of analyzing selected extracts from those chapters with a relevant commentary, similar to traditional conversations at the Sabbath table. We hope that the topics raised in this book would be interesting and, what’s more important, useful for Jewish families that want to return to the lifestyle adopted by many generations of their ancestors. J-M – Moscow, 2002, 114 pages.

«Secrets of the Jewish Alphabet» D. Palant
Everything said in this book can be reduced to just one phrase, which we find in the Midrash: "The world was created with the twenty-two letters of the Jewish alphabet". The alphabet of the sacred language reflects spiritual matters, combinations which define all the diversity of the Universe that surrounds us. Every letter of the Cabala is subject to in-depth study. The author makes a very brief review of this most complicated topic, in order to make it accessible for the general public. J-M – Moscow, 2002, 64 pages, illustrations, pictures, artistic design.

«Does love stand a chance?» David ben Yosef
What is this book about? About many things: about the fate of an ordinary Israeli, born in Eretz-Israel, about the history of the country… The reader will encounter specific advice, with the help of which, as the author assures, one can recover one’s health and acquire an inner balance. There are references to authorities in the field of naturopathy and quotations from their books. J-M – Moscow, 2001, 206 pages.

«Song of the Songs», new translation with commentary
A new translation of the classic publication into contemporary Russian, done by Rabbi N. Z. Rapoport and poet B. Kamyanov. The text is accompanied by two-leveled commentary: according to the simple meaning of the text, and according to its allegorical meaning. The article "Song of the Songs" by Rabbi A. Steinsaltz is also included: one of the reviewers of the book mentions that it "reads like a work of fiction". J-M – Moscow, 2000, 102 pages, artistic design.

METHODIC AND EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

«Prayer book "Sabbath Shalom"»
A collection of Sabbath prayers with a transcription and translation into Russian. J-M, Moscow, 2004, 96 pages.

«The Songs of Israel»
Lyrics of popular Israeli songs with a transcription and translation into Russian. J-M – Moscow, 2002, 56 pages.

«Course "Torah: Names and Fortunes»
The course is dedicated to the forefathers and foremothers of our nation: Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rivka, Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Joseph and Yehuda. An important feature is that the course makes direct use of the sources. This is why most of the materials for the course correspond to excerpts of Tanach, cited both in original language and in Russian translation.

«Course "Tanach about the fall and the revival of Jerusalem"»
Most of the study materials are excerpts from the books of the Prophets Yermiyahu (Jeremiah, Yeheskel, Hagai and Zacharia, and also from the book of Ezra, part of the third part of Tanach – "The Writings". These excerpts are given in both Hebrew, its original language, and in Russian translation; they are accompanied by comments and explanations. Apart from excerpts of sources, the textbooks contain a section about the ways of studying classical Hebrew texts, questions for self-evaluation and reference information.

«Course "Agada in Talmud"»
The course "Agada in Talmud" was elaborated upon within the "Limudim" program. It is dedicated to selected Agadic fragments of the Babylonian Talmud. An important feature is its direct and immediate handling of sources. This is why the central part of course materials corresponds to Talmud excerpts, quoted in their original language and translated into Russian. Besides these excerpts, the textbooks contain comments, a section about ways of studying classic Hebrew texts, and other additional and reference information.

«"Bait le-Midrash" Program»
The Center formulated its goal as the revival and development of the traditional Jewish system of studying Torah in new, unique conditions, supported not by professional teachers and Jewish activists, but as it was customary at all times in the Jewish world, by enthusiasts organizing small groups of associates. To date this program covers all the area of Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia and Byelorussia, and includes 1232 students and 152 instructors.

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Among the various publications issued by the center since 1993 are dozens of brochures and books. Those include "Hanukkah: Ideas and The Secret", Schneider I. "The Return to Zion", "Lessons of Tradition. Pesakh", "Lessons of Tradition. Festivals of The Month of Tishrey" etc.

PERIODICALS OF THE CENTER

«"Fathers and Sons", family magazine»
The magazine is the only one of its kind, a Jewish quarterly illustrated magazine for family reading published since 1991; some of its sections are addressed to parents, some – to children. Each issue is dedicated to a separate topic: "Jewish Family", "The Holy Land", "Jews and Music", "Jews and Fine Arts" etc.

«"Mekor Chaim", monthly magazine»
A monthly four-page edition named after a Moscow yeshiva that burned down in 1996. It describes the activities of the CIS Judaism Research Center. The articles published in the magazine acquaint the reader with the main events in Jewish history, touch upon issues topical for contemporary Jews: the self-preservation of the nation and anti-Semitism, the life of Jews in the CIS and repatriation.