BOOKS

HOW TO LIVE A LIFE OF WISDOM AND FULFILLMENT in a far-from-perfect world?

Philosopher Menachem Fisch and artist Debra Band together probe Qohelet’s inquiry into the value of life “under the sun” in this brilliant work—the first illuminated manuscript of the entire biblical text, the first philosophical analysis tracing the coherent path of this biblical thinker’s full argument. Whereas modern readers influenced by the famous declaration, “vanity, vanity, all is vanity,” from the 1611 King James Bible have commonly understood that Qohelet found only futility and hopelessness in human life, Fisch restores the literal meaning, vapor, to Qohelet’s key word, hevel, with implications that reveal Qohelet’s path to wisdom and even serenity. Through linguistic precision and careful unfolding of the book’s philosophical argument, Fisch uncovers Qohelet’s twin concerns; life is short, and situated as we are, far below the heavens, we can never be assured of comprehending our world, or understanding divine will and intent. He reveals Qohelet’s understanding that since we can never fully predict or understand our fortunes or the heritage we leave behind us, the best we can do is to live our lives fully, relating to others attentively, always aware of the limits of human life.

In her glowing, immersive, and discursive illuminated paintings of the entire text, Band imagines Qohelet’s teachings, employing the grandest of palaces, the Alhambra, as the central metaphor for the beauty and impermanence of human life and accomplishments. She fills its halls and gardens with often surprising imagery, symbolism and related poetry, creating a visual midrash that reveals the relationship of Qohelet’s thought to other biblical texts and Jewish lore, and its reverberations across the centuries and cultures of western civilization, from ancient Israel to today’s America. Each illuminated page is complemented by lucid commentary explaining its full meaning.  Renowned scholars Ellen R. Davis and Moshe Halbertal crown the work with a penetrating foreword and preface.

PURCHASING INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE GALLERY PAGE BY CLICKING BELOW

PRAISE FOR QOHELET: SEARCHING FOR A LIFE WORTH LIVING

This is an exquisite combination of pictorial imagination with abstract reflections of the most philosophical book of the Hebrew Bible, penned by two experts in their respective domains. Menachem Fisch’s fresh interpretation of the ultimate message of Ecclesiastes as a portrayal of a transient—in lieu of a futile—world is a permanent contribution that will guide any serious reader of the book in the future. A more balanced attitude toward the magnificent worldview that pretends to reflect a king’s experience of life decodes an original type of ancient Jewish religiosity, which has more optimistic valences than previously assumed. 

—Moshe Idel, Max Cooper Professor in Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem

Qohelet: Searching for a Life Worth Living is an important contribution to philosophical theology, which rereads Qohelet through a philosophical lens.  This book corrects scholarly misperceptions of Qohelet as a strange outlier in the Bible and in ancient Judaism and instead retells the story of its relevance in Western thought.  The contribution of Qohelet as an important voice for reflective and philosophical thinking in ancient Judaism was not lost on the rabbis.  Moreover, this book demonstrates that the voice of Qohelet can now be heard in conversation with the history of Western philosophical reflections.  Fisch and Band weave philosophical commentary, rabbinic reflection, and artistic illumination together into a new inheritance of Qohelet. 

—Hindy Najman, Oriel and Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture, University of Oxford

Of the making of books on Ecclesiastes-Qohelet, there is seemingly no end, and yet this one truly stands out.  Debra Band, a renowned visual artist, and Menachem Fisch, a distinguished philosopher, together explore one of Judaism’s—and indeed, the Western world’s—most provocative and elusive books and offer us new ways of reading the text and imagining the experiences and struggles it evokes.  Whether Ecclesiastes is relatively new territory for you or whether you’ve spent decades studying and puzzling over it, you will undoubtedly find new insight and inspiration in this remarkable book.  Band and Fisch offer us a feast for the eyes, the mind, and the heart.

—Rabbi Shai Held, President and Dean, the Hadar Institute

Click to see more advance praise for Qohelet: Searching for a Life Worth Living

AS SABBATH ARRIVES on Friday evening…..

Jewish tradition exults in the completion of Creation. Kabbalat Shabbat: the Grand Unification offers 90+ glowing illuminated paintings, with new translations by celebrated scholar of Hebrew poetry, Raymond P. Scheindlin, and commentaries explaining each blessing, prayer and ritual, as well as the intricate symbolism within each painting. With imagery drawn from kabbalah, midrash and modern science, the book celebrates the spiritual glory of Creation and the wonder of its physical embodiment as we know it through the lens of physics and biology. The Preface by the renowned scholar of Jewish mysticism, Arthur Green, provides an introduction to this beloved ritual welcome of the Sabbath Queen. An inspirational source for prayer, study, and pure pleasure, this book is a glowing an unforgettable gift for any lifecycle celebration! A matching bencher is also available! See below.

Exhibits of the paintings from Kabbalat Shabbat: the Grand Unification toured the United States for several years, including a lengthy exhibit at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

“Beautiful! It is the beauty of unity —of bringing the heavens to our homes, of synthesizing cosmology and kabbalah together….to open our souls to the Shabbat’s inner beauty.”
—Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, Congregation Kehillah Jeshurun, New York

“Kabbalah and modern cosmology share an amazing ability to open the heart and mind to the surprising wonders of the holy creation. Debra Band’s meticulous and colorful illuminated paintings invoke nature and the cosmos, and bring beauty and insight to the Shabbat prayers.
—Howard A. Smith, Senior Astrophysicist, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

8”x10”, 264 pages, 90+ full page paintings, full color throughout.
ISBN 978-0-985-79960-4-9, Retail price $49.95

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THE PERFECT ACCOMPANIMENT to your Shabbat dinner and song…

The companion bencher to Kabbalat Shabbat: the Grand Unification, a small, light-weight paperback with all the illuminated paintings for all the Friday night dinner blessings, rituals and songs, without the commentaries and synagogue liturgy, for all dinner guests to enjoy!

Shrink-wrapped with a matching cover, in sets of 4 copies
80 pages, 6”x7.5”

ISBN 978-0-985-7996-5-6, Retail price $39.95

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THE HEROIC WOMEN OF EARLY ISRAEL….in shimmering gold and color!

Debra Band’s illuminated paintings present the three biblical stories of women who stood up at crucial moments to take actions that preserved the young Israelite people and shaped its character. Interpreting the biblical texts with imagery drawn from Jewish lore, academic bible studies, archeology and science, Band offers an insightful and vibrant visual midrash, and clear commentaries on the symbolism and meaning of each painting. Paintings include the complete biblical texts in the original Hebrew and the 1985 JPS translation. Literary commentary by world-renowned scholar of Hebrew literature, Arnold J. Band, helps readers fully enjoy the skill of the biblical authors. A gorgeous book for pure enjoyment and inspiration and an unforgettable gift for the Bat Mitzvah, weddings, and countless celebrations…or just for your own pleasure and study. Original paintings were exhibited.

The E-book of Arise! Arise! Deborah, Ruth and Hannah is also available on the Amazon page; please click below.

“…a contemporary masterpiece, a visual feast for art and Judaica lovers.”
— Jewish Women Magazine

“This is a book to savor slowly and deeply.”
— Ellen F. Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Professor of Bible and Practical Theology, Duke Divinity School

8”x10”, 208pp., cloth-bound with jacket, 61 full-page paintings, full color throughout.

ISBN 978-0-9857996-1, Retail price $39.95US.

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INSPIRED by the birth of my first grandchild…

I created All the World Praises You!, to celebrate the birth of my first grandchild, a delicious little girl named Dahlia, adapting the charming medieval Jewish celebration of nature and God, Perek Shira, (Chapter of Song). At once profound and whimsical, when you open the covers of this sparkling illuminated picture-book, honeybees and dahlias will lead you on a wild tour of our Earth’s environment. Wonders of the natural world exclaim biblical praises of God, offering hours of warm delight for young children and parents, and inspiration for all who love Hebrew and Torah. Each page presents an exuberant painting highlighting one letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the corresponding biblical verse in the original new Hebrew, accompanied by charming new translations and transliterations by the world-renowned scholar of Hebrew literature, Arnold J. Band. Perfect for baby gifts, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, for all interested in learning the Hebrew alphabet, and for adults seeking fresh spirituality—a book to which you and your children will return at every stage of life!

“….graceful and dreamlike encounters with nature”
—Jewish Book Council

“SPOTLIGHT…from beginning Hebrew learners to Torah scholars, this stunning book will delight all who explore its pages!”
— Association of Jewish Libraries

Click below to see more, including free supplementary materials for different age readers!

32 pp., 25 full-page paintings, full color throughout
“9.75”x9.75”, hardbound, gate-fold cover.
ISBN 978-0-9857996-7-0 Retail price $19.95 US

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THE CLASSIC PUBLISHED BY THE JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY in 2007…

Songs of joy, prayers for redemption, expressions of love and grief, all in shimmering gold and brilliant color. Artist Debra Band invites contemporary readers to experience the intense emotion embodied withing the ancient verses, seamlessly fusing visual interpretation and literary analysis. Each psalm’s illuminations is followed by analysis by Arnold J. Band, and an explanation of the symbolism of the artwork by Debra Band. This beautifully bound book can be used for prayer and study, as well as for pure aesthetic enjoyment, and makes an unforgettable gift for weddings, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

The original paintings were exhibited widely across the United States and Canada.

“I Will Wake the Dawn is a contemporary masterpiece, a visual feast for art and Judaica lovers.”
—Jewish Woman

“A volume of great beauty and learning.”
—Adele Berlin, Robert H. Smith Professor of Hebrew Bible, University of Maryland

222 pages, 90 full page original paintings, full color throughout
9”x12”, hardbound. Published by the Jewish Publication Society
ISBN 978-08276-0839-9, $60.00US

THE CLASSIC PUBLISHED BY THE JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY in 2005…

What exactly is the true meaning of the 117 verses of The Song of Songs—a celebration of romantic love, or an allegory of divine love and redemption? In The Song of Songs: the Honeybee in the Garden, author and artist Debra Band presents a breathtakingly beautiful illuminated work in which these two lines of interpretation are harmonized within a stunning context, both sensuous and spiritual. The 65 full-page illuminations and papercuts draw upon classic rabbinic texts and modern scholarship, creating a glorious new visual midrash based on this beloved poetry. Hailed as a masterpiece by art lovers and scholars, this is an art-book collector’s delight and a Bible devotee’s treasure.

The original paintings were exhibited widely across the United States and Canada for several years following publication.

“…a visual delight from beginning to end.”
—Jewish Book World

“Band’s great accomplishment has been to create art—skilled, erudite and sensual—and commentary that gives us the bigger picture.”
—Hadassah Magazine

97 pages, 65 full page paintings and papercuts, full color throughout.
9”x12”, 65 original paintings and papercuts, hardbound. Published by the Jewish Publication Society 2005.
ISBN 0-8276-0811-X, $75.00US