Review by Choice Review
Technically a revision of R.J.Z. Werblowsky's Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion (CH, Mar'67; rev. ed., 1986), this important work includes changes so extensive that it is in effect an entirely new publication. Since it is more comprehensive than Louis Jacobs's similarly conceived The Jewish Religion: A Companion (CH, May'96) and has been written by a large and distinguished team of scholars from Israel, North America, and the UK, it can safely be designated as authoritative. Jacobs's work, by contrast, carries an appealing personal stamp that gives it a consistently articulated point of view without sacrificing seriousness, and its more selective coverage notwithstanding, includes entries on topics absent from Oxford (e.g., "Games and Sport": is it permitted for a Jew to be a "professional pugilist"?). Both are distinctive in concerning themselves solely with Judaism as a religion. They cover doctrinal issues, religious concepts and controversies, formative thinkers, rituals, symbols, etc. They do not list Jewish Nobel Prize winners or baseball players, and always deal with historical topics (e.g., Zionism) in the context of the Jewish religion. The bibliographies that conclude each Oxford entry are fuller and list more scholarly, less popular sources than Jacobs, who often omits bibliographic references entirely. Oxford is essential for all libraries, although Jacobs remains a useful, necessary source. S. Lehmann; University of Pennsylvania
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Intended to be a reference source for those with an interest in the Jewish religion, this volume is designed as a companion to The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3d ed., Oxford, 1997). The editors also worked on the out-of-print Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion, which was the basis for this expanded work. Subjects and people are included because of their religious significance, and not their cultural or historical impact on Judaism. All entries are written from a religious perspective, including those on subjects such as divorce and homicide. Even for topics such as the Holocaust and Israel, the emphasis is on religious rather than historical or political aspects. The Holocaust is found under Holocaust, Religious Responses During The and Holocaust Theology. The modern nation of Israel is entered under Israel, State of, Jewish Religious Life In and Israel, State of Theological Aspects. Articles, which vary in length from one paragraph to a full page, are arranged alphabetically. Signed articles indicate those newly written for this volume; most of the unsigned articles were retained from Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion. Entry titles are either English or transliterations. English terms are used when they accurately reflect a Hebrew term and would be more accessible to the user. Transliterated titles are followed by Hebrew and English translations. Exceptions to the form of transliteration used occur with personal and place-names. Where appropriate, biblical references appear in parentheses within the article. Cross-references are noted by see references within or at the ends of entries or by an asterisk next to a word indicating an entry title. Bibliographies, which contain mostly English-language works, can be found at the ends of articles. The volume contains a list of abbreviations used, a Hebrew transliteration table, and a list of contributors and affiliations. Public and academic libraries with Judaic collections will find this quick reference source a valuable addition. (Reviewed July 1997)
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
The 2400 entries in this dictionary include unsigned but revised articles from the editors' Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion (1966. o.p.), as well as many new signed articles covering significant elements and biographies related to the Jewish religion and interfaith relations. In Oxford fashion, this is by far the most academic one-volume work available on the subject because of the caliber of the contributing scholars and the bibliographies. The timeliness of the work is evidenced by entries on such topics as feminism, women, and "Technology and Halakhah." It also satisfactorily represents the variety of Jewish traditions (including Bene Israel and Beta Israel) plus such innovations as Havurot, confirmations, and the Bat Mitzvah. The two articles defining the temple clearly show its balanced portrayal. Access is alphabetical, with good cross-referencing of subject headings‘especially helpful with Hebrew terms, so that "Kaddish" is referred to "Quaddish." Cross references within the articles are less consistent. While The Encyclopedia Judaica (1972; 16 vols., plus supplements, due out this year on CD-ROM) will remain a standard for questions on Jewish culture and history, librarians and patrons alike will find the ODJR to be their best ready-reference access point to the Jewish religion, supplanting Geoffrey Wigoder's Encyclopedia of Judaism (Macmillan, 1989).‘Andrew B. Wertheimer, Spertus Inst. of Jewish Studies, Chicago (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
