Gates of the Seasons

The lives of Jews in the Diaspora are regulated by two calendars: the civil and the Jewish, each with own dates and distinctive rhythms. This volume, Shaarei Mo-Eid, Gates of the Seasons: A Guide to the Jewish Year is designed to help Jews feel more clearly the flow of Jewish time, as observed by the Reform Move- ment. Gates of the Seasons is a comprehensive survey of the home-based and synagogue-based mitzvot for all of the sacred days, both ancient and modern, which make up the cycle of the Jewish year. Also included are brief essays on such subjects as the Jewish calendar, the liturgy of the festivals, and the special Torah and Haftarah readings.

The authors studied Jewish tradition and then, sensitive to the needs of the contemporary American Jewish community, selected the mitzvot to be in- cluded in this volume. Always, the guiding principle was the desire to bring holiness to the life of the Jew and his or her family. This volume is a companion to Shaarei Mitzvah, A Guide to the Jewish life Cycle and, like it, was written to help modern Jews give their lives Jewish depth and character. While honoring the Reform principle of individual choice, it recognizes that Jewish survival re- quires commitment to some meaningful level of Jewish performance, i.e., mitzvah, and that such commitment can bring greater joy to the Jewish home and family. The authors seek to provide strong links to the vast body of Jewish tradition so that this generation will be capable of transmitting Judaism to the next generation. The book includes extensive notes, bibliography, glossary and an index.