This is a first rate collection of thinking and analysis of contemporary American Jewry and what makes it what it is. Includes articles by such important thinkers as: Feingold, Wisse, Whitfield,, Glazer, S.M. Cohen, Heilman, Liebman, and Eisen. A mist for anyone interested in the trends and developments among American Jews at the close of the 20th century.

As others have noted, The Way Into Torah provides a very accessible introduction to Torah study. Dr. Cohen does a masterful job of explaining basic terms and concepts without talking down to the reader, and covers quite a bit of material in this rather short book. I have only one complaint. Although Dr. Cohen acknowledges that the Torah consists of much more than the Chumash (and uses the Midrash Rabbah extensively throughout the book), he barely mentions the two extra-biblical works that have been at the heart of Torah study for centuries -- the Mishnah and the Talmud. Perhaps the decision to more or less ignore the Talmud was based on a judgment that beginners should begin with the more familiar, and in some sense "easier," Chumash. If that judgment was made, however, I would have liked to have seen it spelled out in the text, with at least enough information provided about the Talmud to whet the student's appetite for more.

Nevertheless, if you are considering starting out on a program of Torah study, this is an excellent place to get your bearings. Dr. Cohen not only provides the basic information you need, but also explains why Torah study is important and how it can transform our lives. His love of Torah study comes across on every page, and he succeeds in making the reader want to share that experience. If all sermons were this good, you would already be studying Torah and wouldn't need this book. Until that day comes, this book ably fills the gap in both information and inspiration.

The Way Into Torah is a superbly written, highly accessible introduction for the general reading seeking guidance on how to effectively read, study, and understand the Torah, including the other books of the Bible and the related sacred texts that grew up around it. Norman Cohen is Rabbi and Professor of Midrash at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, and brings his expertise and experience to bear in presenting just what the Torah is and how it came about, the different approaches to studying the Torah, the various levels of understanding the Torah, and what the Torah study is an essential aspect of the Jewish experience. The Way Into Torah is an ideal beginning point for commencing a personal study of the Torah.

As I child, I was taught a bit about the Bible, but not muchof it stuck. As an adult, bouncing from teacher to teacher, tradition to tradition, I have never really come back to trying to open the Bible and understand what it might mean for me. I can tell you that this book is a great entry to getting started. I found it very helpful in the ways it is organized, and full of insights.Highly recommended.