Includes bibliographical references (p. 357-358).

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin combed the Bible, the Talmud, and the whole spectrum of Judaism's sacred writings to give us a manual on how to lead a decent, kind, and honest life in a morally complicated world. "An absolutely superb book: the most practical, most comprehensive guide to Jewish values I know." —Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People Telushkin speaks to the major ethical issues of our time, issues that have, of course, been around since the beginning. He offers one or two pages a day of pithy, wise, and easily accessible teachings designed to be put into immediate practice. The range of the book is as broad as life itself: • The first trait to seek in a spouse (Day 17) • When, if ever, lying is permitted (Days 71-73) • Why acting cheerfully is a requirement, not a choice (Day 39) • What children don't owe their parents (Day 128) • Whether Jews should donate their organs (Day 290) • An effective but expensive technique for curbing your anger (Day 156) • How to raise truthful children (Day 298) • What purchases are always forbidden (Day 3) In addition, Telushkin raises issues with ethical implications that may surprise you, such as the need to tip those whom you don't see (Day 109), the right thing to do when you hear an ambulance siren (Day 1), and why wasting time is a sin (Day 15). Whether he is telling us what Jewish tradition has to say about insider trading or about the relationship between employers and employees, he provides fresh inspiration and clear guidance for every day of our lives.

Ideal as a complete course text or as an informative supplement to "one-shot" classroom discussions this complement to Teaching Hot Topics encourages students to engage with issues through its interactive design pertinent scenarios probing questions and charts that summarize points and counterpoints for each topic.

Although intended for teachers, this is also a great book for families to use with young children because each section focuses on a different Jewish value and includes a story along with a craft and game ideas. this book also comes in handy for play groups or on rainy days.

An exploration of how Jewish values influence pedagogy. By using Jewish sources as a foundation, Joel looks at how one creates a classroom based on respect and dignity, that facilitates growth, esteem, and community, and that makes the process of Jewish education an expression of the Jewish message.