By
– January 26, 2012
Bubbe meises: the Yiddish term for old wives’ tales, superstitions, and cultural misunderstandings. Some of these ideas have been handed down for generations and many are still accepted today. Rabbi Isaacs, the prolific author of over 100 books, many of them guides to Jewish living for the layperson, grew up living with his grandmother, Bubbe Sadie, from whom he learned many of the ideas that he tries to explain or debunk in these pages. The chapters are divided into topics ranging from Jewish Beliefs; Medical Ethics; Jewish Holidays; Ritual Objects and Observances; Death and Dying; Bible, Israel and Prayers to Hebrew and Jewish Expressions; Opinions about Jews; Jewish Superstitions; even Sex. Rabbi Isaacs’ interesting explanations are easy to follow and readers with any level of Jewish knowledge can learn something from this book.
Miriam Bradman Abrahams is a Cuban-born, Brooklyn-raised, Long Island-residing mom. She is Hadassah Nassau’s One Region One Book chairlady, a freelance essayist, and a certified yoga instructor who has loved reviewing books for the JBC for the past ten years.
