1. How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household
Blu Greenberg (Simon & Schuster)
This book is an absolute MUST, if you don't read any other book.
2. The Jewish Book of Why
The Second Jewish Book of Why
Alfred J. Kolatch (Jonathan David Publishers, Inc.)
3. Jewish Wisdom
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin (William Morrow and Company, Inc.)
4. Jewish Literacy
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin (William Morrow and Company, Inc.)
5. This Is My God
Herman Wouk (Little Brown and Company)
6. Days of Awe, Days of Joy
Chasidic Insights Into the Festivals of the Month of Tishrei (Rosh
Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, etc.)
(Kehot Publication Society)
7. And of course, THE BIBLE, particularly the first five books (the Torah)
Judaism is not really a religion, well it is, but it's more a way of life. It's a 24/7/365 sort of thing. There are prayers and blessings for every imanigible event in our lives, from the washing of hands in the morning to the final prayers at bedtime. There is a blessing for every kind of food, whether you're eating a full meal, or just an apple. There's even a blessing on hearing bad news: Blessed are You...the True Judge.
There is a little booklet published by NCSY/Orthodox Union on Guide to Blessings. It tells what specific blessing to say for a specific food. If you're eating a bagel, there's a blessing. But if the bagel has cream cheese on it, there's a different blessing.
But we don't just bless and eat. We also give thanks after the meal. While the blessing consists of a few words, the thanks after the meal has many paragraphs that make note of G-d's goodness, kindness and mercy. We give thanks for the Land, ask mercy for His people, remember the Patriarchs, and ask blessings for our families, our associates, and we pray for the privilege of reaching the days of Mashiach and the life of the World to Come.
There is nothing overlooked or considered unimportant in the daily life of an observant Jew. That's not to say that we all remember all our blessings and remember to give thanks. After all, we're human and all wrapped up in human concerns. But every once in awhile we remember to say thanks.
Those of you who are practicing Christians will be amazed at how many of your rituals and beliefs are pure Judaism.
Shalom, and good reading.