In this second of a projected six-volume series (The Encyclopedia of Protestantism was published earlier in 2005, and volumes on Buddhism, Catholicism, Hinduism, and Islam will follow), Karesh, a teacher of Jewish history at a Jewish day school in Maryland, and Hurvitz, senior rabbi at Temple Sholom in Greenwich, CT, have put together a quality one-volume reference source that covers individuals, places, events, theologies, ideologies, organizations, movements, and denominations that span Jewish history. Most of the 800 entries are under a page long and have a historical, theological, or cultural focus, but there are also some articles on religious observances as well (bar/bat mitzvah and other life cycle events such as circumcision, marriage, and funerals). Each entry includes well-considered and well-researched recommendations for further reading. Bottom Line While most scholars and serious students of Judaism will still want to consult the 26-volume Encyclopedia Judaica (also available in a relatively inexpensive CD-ROM version) or Jacob Neusner, Alan J. Avery Peck, and William Scott Green's three-volume Encyclopedia of Judaism (now with two supplements), this is a very good one-volume resource that is especially accessible to young adults and non-Jews and would be a most worthwhile addition to general, academic, and Hebrew school library collections. Highly recommended.-Marcia Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Libs., Hanover, NH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
