40 Things You Can Do to Save the Jewish People

Joel Lurie Grishaver is a teacher of Jewish texts to adults and teenagers, a writer, a cartoonist, and a storyteller. He has degrees from Boston University and the University of Chicago and has done extensive course work at the Hebrew Union College and the University of Southern California. His more than fifty published books include Learning Torah, Shema is For Real, And You Shall Be a Blessing, and The Bonding of Isaac: Stories and Essays About Gender and Spirituality. Joel is the creative chairperson of both Torah Aura Productions and Alef Design Group, as well as the creator and co-editor of five weekly electronic journals: Learn Torah With...A Facsimile Dialogue on the Weekly Torah Portion, Bim Bam, C. Ha, Shabbas.doc, and The Torah Aura Bulletin Board. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Excerpted from 40 Things You Can Do to Save the Jewish People : Some Really Practical Ideas for Parents Who Want to Raise 'Good Enough' Jewish Kids to Insure That t by Grishaver, Joel L.. Copyright © 1995. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved Joel's Laws of Jewish Survival (abridged) Joel's First Law: Every year of Jewish education which takes place after bar or bar mitzvah is worth three or more years of anything which takes place earlier. Joel's Second Law: The best way of making a child fulfill a Jewish obligations is by preempting the need to talk about it-to establish so clear an expectation that it isn't even worth bringing up. Joel's Third Law: The she-he-heyanu brakhah is Judaism's way of saving the "Kodak moments" in our hearts. Every time you want a picture to save the moment, whether or not you snap the shutter, say this brakhah and add it to the album of your heart. Joel's Fourth Law: Said in the name of Ira Smith: Even when you feel that you can't be shomer(et) mitzvot (Jewish actions), always be zokher (et) mitzvot, one who remembers (and teaches) that those mitzvot exist.Joel's Fifth Law: Do not let your Jewish rituals become Marrano custo.

Torah Aura Productions publishes books for Jewish schools and families that help celebrate our heritage and our faith.

We have over 25 years of experience as the leading creator of high quality educational materials that enable Jewish children to become empowered Jewish adults.

Our books guide and enhance the Jewish knowledge, spirituality and identity of children and their families, and our innovative tools bring Judaism alive in synagogues, Hebrew schools, and day schools.

Torah Aura Productions was founded in 1981 by a group of innovative Jewish educators who looked out at the field of Jewish education and found materials that were shallow and dull. They started a company to create new tools for families and teachers that would be exciting and meaningful. For more than two decades, Torah Aura has revolutionized the way Jewish schools enable their students to become empowered Jewish adults, and has helped families make Judaism a meaningful presence in their homes.

Some of the areas we publish in:
- Torah and Bible
- Talmud
- Jewish teaching
- Jewish parenting
- Jewish ethics and values
- Jewish holidays
- the Jewish lifecycle
- Israel
- Hebrew
- Jewish prayer

Torah Aura Productions: Making success in Jewish education an achievable reality.