Jewish People, Jewish Thought

By Seltzer, Robert M.
Prentice Hall, 2003, Paperback, 873 pp., ISBN: 9780024089403, $108.20

This comprehensive analytic text provides a broad overview of the Jewish experience from the ancient period to the present. In addition to focused examinations of foundational texts, major figures, and critical themes and junctures in the history of Jewish civilization, the book can be profitably used as a vehicle to introduce students to field of Judaica scholarship and college preparatory study.

Seltzer's probing and meticulous analysis emphasizes the evolution of the Jewish experience over time. It includes detailed timelines, maps, and illustrations, and it is entirely devoid of the dogmatic and polemical tendencies found in many other secondary works. The study guide is designed to help students identify the argument and structure of each chapter as well as to highlight key items and features of different historical periods.