FROM TIME TO TIME

Marx, a rabbi and Jewish scholar, explores the Jewish calendar in this work.

“Each month in the year,” writes the author, “has its own character, its own special flavors and aromas.” This is especially true in the case of the Hebrew calendar, which has shaped the rhythm of Jewish life for millennia. Chapters are devoted to every month of the Jewish liturgical calendar, and each entry offers readers an introductory prayer of kavanah, poems and scripture that relate to the ethos of the month, and a reflective analysis of relevant themes and holidays associated with each month. Though initially written “by an Israeli for an Israeli audience,” this English translation is careful to include a diverse range of perspectives, including traditional interpretations and the voices of feminist theorists and modern scholars. African Jews, including those from Morrocco and Ethiopia, are highlighted, along with their unique celebrations of Mimouna and Sigd. In the words of Rabbi David Ellenson, who contributed the book’s foreword, as a 10th generation Israeli, a professor of Liturgy and Midrash at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, and the author of multiple books, Marx is “arguably the foremost student of Jewish liturgy of her generation.” Her scholarly bona fides are on full display here with nuanced commentary that’s backed by more than 300 endnotes. The book’s intellectual depth is balanced by an accessible writing style that successfully engages lay readers with applications to contemporary life, including prayers for schoolchildren and families. This emphasis on accessibility is reflected in the book’s ample appendices, which include a glossary and a diagram of the Hebrew calendar year. While Marx’s perceptive analysis is the star, this book is also a visually stunning volume, full of text-box vignettes, gorgeous illuminations, and other decorative flairs, as well as frequent parallel texts juxtaposing Hebrew scripture with English translations. This work is a welcome reminder of King David’s adage to “count our days rightly…that we may obtain a wise heart.”

A brilliant introduction to the Jewish calendar that’s both visually and intellectually striking.