This book is a photographic journey of the synagogues of Manhattan; New York. The journey begins in 1654; when a ship carrying the first group of Jews to inhabit North America landed on a small island off the Atlantic coast; known to the Lenape Indians as 'Manhattan.' This group of Sephardic Jews had been forced to leave Brazil when the Portuguese captured it from the Dutch; bringing the Spanish Inquisition with them. Through a series of mishaps; of the 2;000 Jews fleeing Brazil; one particular ship carrying twenty-three Jews was inadvertently diverted to Manhattan Island. These Jews took root and in 1682 established Manhattan's first synagogue; Shearith Israel. Since that time; New York has been home and haven to millions of Jews. Over the next two hundred years; small groups of Jews from around the world began immigrating to New York City. The year 1881 marked the beginning of the largest immigration wave to the United States. Many blamed the assassination of Alexander II of Russia on "the Jews;" and anti-Semitic prejudices triggered numerous anti-Jewish pogroms and anti-Jewish laws. Over three million Jews left Europe to find refuge in America; with more than a million settling in New York; particularly in Manhattan's Lower East Side. New York's Jewish population increased from 80;000 in 1880 to 1;600;000 by 1920. As of 2001; 1.97 million Jews live in the New York City Metropolitan Area. Outside Israel; New York City has the world's largest Jewish community. Approximately twelve percent of all people living in New York City's five boroughs are Jewish or of Jewish descent; and an even higher percent; twenty-one percent; of Manhattan's 1;585;873 residents are Jewish. Manhattan's Synagogues cover the gamut of Jewish diversity; from enormous to quaint; ultraorthodox to reform; Ashkenazi to Sephardic; and wealthy to 'just skimming by.' Some are traditional; while others serve predominantly gay; lesbian and trans-sexual members. Some cost thousands of dollars a year to join; while others are free. Some are housed in huge Gothic style edifices; while others are struggling in storefronts; sharing space in churches; or simply gathering in private apartments. Yet all have the essential Jewish vibrancy; joy; and ideals that Judaism radiates. And; all congregations share the desire to preserve Judaism's ancient and sacred heritage; to inspire the children; to follow tradition; and most of all; to praise and honor G-d. It could not be mere coincidence that Manhattan; the tiny island where Jews first set foot in North America over 350 years ago; and where Jews have been permitted to thrive ever since; would become the largest and most prosperous city in all America. For is it not written - The Lord said to Abram: "And I will bless those who bless you;" "And all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you." Bereishis - Genesis - Chapter 12:2-3.
#3703919 in Books Monkfish Book Publishing 2005-11-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .40 x 5.50l; .60 #File Name: 0974935980156 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Philosophy of Bhagavadgita: Commentary on selected versesBy Rama RaoThe author discusses the Principe of Vedanta using selected verses from Gita; and Mandukya Upanishad. The commentary is well thought of and frequently supported by the commentary of Shankaracharya and also by the verses from other Upanishads. The discussion is extensive; the English translation could have been better; but the translator has done a reasonable job of writing this book using the notes (in French) of Swami Siddheswarananda. This book may be summarized as follows:Bhagavadgita IV.18: Action Inaction. One of the basics of Vedanta is that Truth can be expressed through comparison and contradiction. It is clear from this verse that ceasing to act is still an action. It is important to understand that Atman; our proper nature is free from all action; because it is unborn (Gita II.20). It is only nature; Prakriti; which acts; the sense of ego and external materials; the action and inaction reside only in Prakriti.Bhagavadgita V.18: The equal vision of a sage. Shankaracharya; in his commentary on this verse observes that Brahmin represent Sattva; the cow rajas; and the elephant tamas; in all of them the sage sees only the One; immutable; the one that can not be affected by the qualities; not even by Sattva; nor by the tendencies born from these qualities; whether they can be sattvic; rajasic; or tamasic. At every moment of the life of a sage; he is integrated in an atemporal comprehension; seeing the same principle in all manifestation.Bhagavadgita X.10 VIII.57: Buddhi yoga; the awakening of the intelligence. In the pursuit of knowledge; the higher buddhi eliminates errors; and the ordinary buddhi leads us in the domain of reasoning (yukti) and logic (tarka). In several places Shankaracharya declares with intransigence; that philosophical systems of Nyaya and Samkhya cannot yield the ultimate knowledge. If one wants to know the true nature of Brahman; one should reject the notions of totality and part; of unity and fraction; of cause and effect. As long as the reality or concept remains outside of the buddhi; then the vision remains at the plane of duality. This will exercise lower buddhi; but with the higher knowledge; one sees the Absolute Truth and the knowledge of duality disappears. This Higher buddhi encompasses everything into One Reality; the knower of Brahman becomes the Brahman (Bhagavadgita XIII.30; Mundaka Upanishad III.2.9); the terms buddhi; Brahman; Absolute; Ultimate Truth; Reality and Akshara; all refer to the same entity.Bhagavadgita VIII.18 20: The comprehension of the non-manifested. According this verse; the samkalpa and vikalpa (imagination and volition) are the apparent reality that veils the ultimate realty. It is only by transcending maya; the Brahman could be realized. This is illustrated by the example of a rope that can be mistaken for a snake; when we realize that it is rope; the supposed existence of snake disappears. In the same way the maya; the apparent reality is superimposed on Brahman; the ultimate reality. Human beings are attached to what they see and experience; the manifested forms. But when one becomes conscious of the true self; then they will see that atman is the sole reality.Bhagavadgita XIII.2: The spectator and the spectacle. The Kshetragna; the knower of the field is present in all the kshetras or fields are without any conditioning (apadhi). When one gets rid of ego (tamas) and gains knowledge; then only one vision remains that of Kshethragna. The power of ignorance (avidya) employs our attention to keep it focused onto constantly changing names and forms; and the reality seems to be divided into infinite number of spectacles. The ordinary vision is like a circle that is fixed while its circumference represents the infinity of objects perceived. The vision of a sage does not have a center or the centers is everywhere and its circumference is nowhere.Bhagavadgita II.16: A dialectic existence. The dialectic is not proposing to define the reality with the help of demonstrations and arguments. The realty is silence; and inaccessible to various thought processes. The objective of dialectics is to point out the invalidity of conceptual thinking. While establishing the true nature of Brahman; one should not describe the Brahman in totality or in parts; of unity or fractions; cause and effect. This is to eliminate all definite conception of the Brahman. Shankara says that cause itself is unreal; because it is not perceived independent of its own cause. Thus cause is an effect of another cause. So if we pursue the cause it turns out to be the effect and cause remains in mind only.Bhagavadgita IX.4 5: Contradiction and certainty. Consciousness; which is ever present; never becomes unconsciousness. This consciousness may not be perceived readily; but it operates through sense of vision. The whole universe; "from Brahma down to a blade of grass" can not be separated from That. This is the supreme non-manifested (akshara) who never becomes an object of perception.There is only one reality; and it is non-dual. Mandukya Upanishad teaches of no contact or no relations. The human experience is strongly chained to relations and rapport; and knowledge arises from such an interaction. Casualty is a principle that originates from relations to explain the effect. The theory of reason is inherent in such a logical evaluation of things.On the lesser side of metaphysics; I am a little confused about the book cover that has warriors with rifles sitting on horses who look more like Islamic soldiers. Is this appropriate for a book on the philosophical discussion of Gita?1. Meditation According to Yoga-Vedanta2. Hindu Thought and Carmelite Mysticism3. Bhagavad Gita: Its Feeling and Philosophy4. The Philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita5. Perennial Psychology of the Bhagavad-Gita6. Social Philosophy of Vedanta: A Study of the Upanisads; Bhagavadgita; Brahmasutra; and Sankara's Commentaries on Them7. The Philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita
