Local Voices
But he cannot shake a growing sense of dread.
Lighting all the Hanukkah candles is an important job, and it only gets bigger every night. Will the shamash-helper candle melt under pressure? A heart-warming, illustrated story of faith and courage about a beloved Jewish tradition.
Our country is divided in so many ways, with a growing chasm between men and women.
The news cycle is discouraging. Emotional and physical toxicity is at an all-time high. We're all starting to feel it in some shape or form, and many of us are struggling with how to keep our children protected from it all.
The problem is we're suffering from an empathy deficit.
But the really good news is there's a way out.
Healing starts with re-examining our modern myths about how we work, what "quality time" at home really means, and why the age-old battle of the sexes persists.
We can't continue down the path of least resistance. We need to carve a new way.
Currency of Empathy sets the stage for that new way by tackling disturbingly common issues like:
But here's the real kicker - it's not about gender - it's about nurturing empathy in our children and ourselves so we can help shape and mold happier, healthier, more productive communities and societies.
What is the hope of this book? That we all start valuing caring - especially parenting - in a way that helps us reprioritize how we spend our time, grow the superpower of affective empathy in children and adults, and heal our empathy deficit.
It's that simple, even if it doesn't seem easy, but we're willing to bet this book is the motivator you've been waiting for.
Currency of Empathy already at work:
"The revolution of the future will hinge on the empathy-inducing "co-creation" explained so masterfully and entertainingly in these pages."
"If someone feels that they could use some advice on improving their quality of life - this book is an answer."
"This book is academic without being dense and warm without being overly sentimental or new-agey."
"... an uplifting, inspiring book. It makes you think. It makes you smile. And it makes you feel more hopeful than you did before you picked it up!"
"The book will cause you to self-examine. It will provoke you to think, and think again."
"Shaland takes you by the hand and delivers a Jewish heart." (HaLapid Magazine)
"This book is a collection of Jewish survival stories and fascinating tales. This is not a conventional travel guide: this book will shine a light on the history of 10 Jewish communities in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Together with the author, you will visit incredible places and meet the Jews of today." (GTA Books)
Two and a half millennia ago, a small party of Jews explored new trading routes for King Solomon, settled in the south of India, and lived there peacefully until today. Similarly, during the ancient Roman period, many Jewish merchants traveled to China over the Silk Route and some made it their permanent home. Also, before the Edict of Expulsion in 1492, Sicily was home to over 50 Jewish communities, possibly numbering 50,000 people.
So, how did the Diaspora bring these wandering Jews to so many places around the globe? And why did Jews live happily in India and China for centuries and not experience antisemitism, while the story of the Jews in Europe went from persecutions and massacres to unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust? Finally, why do we see the rise of antisemitism and violence again in the 21st century?
You will find answers to these questions and much more in the current edition of Irene Shaland's artfully illustrated book The Dao of Being Jewish and Other Stories. She collected these fascinating stories while visiting ten countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa and interviewing the locals in their homes, synagogues, and even cemeteries. Now, Irene Shaland's book, replete with her husband's photos, takes you on your own exciting journey of discovery from Austria and the Czech Republic to Scandinavia, from India and China to Sicily and Sardinia, and from East Africa to Stalinist Russia.