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Jewish Latin Princess

My Favorite Jewish Coffee Table Books ||Mis libros de mesa judíos favoritos

November 23, 2015 by Yael Leave a Comment

B”H

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When my kids are in the one to two year old stage, I usually clear the coffee table of all accessories, and all the books go up on the bookcases. The table remains pretty bare. (Yes, I’ve had fresh flowers and vases end up on the floor.) I don’t really mind, since it’s pretty temporary, and it’s for a wonderful reason – toddlers exploring around! :-) Eventually kids grow and the books can make it down to the coffee table again, along with any of the other pretty stuff.

Durante la etapa en la cual mis hijos están chiquitos, como de uno, dos años, usualmente saco todo de la mesa de la sala. Todos los accesorios y libros de mesa suben a los libreros y la mesa permanece bastante vacía. (Sí, he encontrado flores y floreros en el piso :-). )  No me importa mucho pues es algo temporero y es por una buena razón… ¡chiquitos explorando todo su medioambiente! Eventualmente, los chicos crecen y los libros de mesa salen de nuevo junto con cualquiera de las cosas lindas para adornar la mesa.

Here and there I’ll have to remind my three year old to be gentle with the books, but for the most part he’s good about it. Of course, it helps that my kids usually don’t play in the living room. They have their own playroom with their stuff.  But, yes, I do believe that even when you have kids, you can have a home that feels more yours than the children’s, as long as you’re able to make some compromises, many of which will be temporary anyways. After all, you also want the children to feel at home. :-)

Hay momentos en que le tengo que recordad a mi hijo de tres años que sea mas delicado con los libros de mesa, pero no es mucho problema. Claro que ayuda que mis hijos tienen un cuarto de juegos totalmente dedicado a sus cosas y no pasan mucho tiempo en la sala formal de la casa. Pero, si creo que aún cuando tenemos niños chicos se puede tener una casa que se sienta mas de una que de sus hijos, mientras estemos dispuestas a ser un poco flexibles y hacer algunos compromisos, los cuales son temporeros de todas formas. Al final, si queremos que los chicos se sientan a gusto en casa también. :-)

In addition, I strongly believe that a home should be a space full only of things that you love; things that have special meaning to you and your family. (Fine, I’ll save my decluttering lecture for another post.) Books are very often one of those things.

Ademas, creo que un hogar debe de ser un espacio lleno solo de cosas que uno verdaderamente ama; cosas que tienen verdadero significado para uno y su familia. (Ok, no les daré la charla sobre mantener espacios despejados y ordenados, ahorita, pero ya se imaginan que en algún momento vendrá.) Siento que muy menudo los libros son una de esas cosas en las cuales es fácil y divertido acumular y coleccionar sólo lo que de verdad tiene sentido y significado para nosotros y nuestras familias.

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Our coffee table is full of books that we really treasure. We have either gifted them to ourselves over the years, or we have received them from people we love and admire.  It makes our small collection so very special. Also, I think some of these would make a beautiful gift, so I decided to share them with you!

Nuestra mesa de sala está llena de libros que realmente atesoramos. Son libros que hemos comprado a través de los años y/o que hemos recibido de personas que admiramos y respetamos. Siento que esto hace de nuestra mini colección algo mas especial del todo. También creo que algunos de estos harían un tremendo regalo, así que decidí compartirlos con ustedes. 

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1|| Apples from the Orchard: This is my husband’s favorite book. We found it years ago in a book store in Jerusalem. I have to be honest and say that it’s a bit esoteric for me, but if you have someone you love dearly who is into Gematriot (the numerical value of the Hebrew letters) and Jewish mysticism, this is a great book for them. Me? For now, I appreciate the beauty of its cover on my table! Maybe when my kids are older, I’ll be able to actually concentrate on the deep concepts inside the book.

1|| Apples from the Orchard: Este es el libro favorito de mi esposo. Lo encontramos hace años en una librería en Jerusalén. Les seré honesta y les diré que el libro es un poco esotérico para mi, pero si tienen algún ser muy querido a quién le fascinan las gematrias y la mística judía, este sería un libro genial para ellos. ¡Un tremendo regalo! ¿Yo? Bueno, por ahora, aprecio la linda portada en mi mesa. Tal vez cuando los chicos sean mas grandes y tenga mas tiempo libre, me podré concentrar en los conceptos profundos dentro de él. 

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2|| The Woman of Valor: I bought this book from a Jerusalem book store during my first year of marriage. I was doing research to prepare a class on Aishet Chayil, which over the years evolved into a few of the women’s lectures that I now give on the topic. I remember that the book seller had to special order this for me. Because it was such rare find and a big investment for a newly married girl, I truly treasure it. The art is absolutely beautiful, as is the text by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. He goes into every verse of the poem Aishet Chayil and discusses the Midrashic commentaries, that attribute each verse to a particular Jewish woman. It is really beautiful!

2|| The Woman of Valor: Compré este libro en una librería en Jerusalén durante mi primer año de casada. Estaba haciendo investigación para preparar una serie de clases basadas en el poema del Eishet Chayil (La mujer virtuosa) que cantamos todos los viernes en la noche. Recuerdo que me lo tuvieron que pedir especialmente de fuera y fue bastante costoso. Como tomó tiempo y esfuerzo, y como que una inversión para una pareja recién casada, lo atesoro mucho. El libro es verdaderamente precioso. Tanto el arte ilustrando cada verso, como el texto por el Rabino Adin Steinsaltz son maravillosos. El libro se basa en comentarios midrashicos que atribuyen cada verso del poema a una mujer judía específicamente. Es precioso. 

3|| The Articulated Aleph Beis: We received this book as a gift and we all love it! Adults and kids alike! In fact, there isn’t one guest who comes through this house who is not fascinated by it. It’s the perfect gift, in my opinion as it will be enjoyed by young and old in the family. I’ve had a particular attraction to the letters of the Aleph Beis for many years, and so I love this book so much. I’m telling you this is such a fun, yet rich work that it will delight anyone you gift it to.

3|| The Articulated Aleph Beis: Recibimos este libro como un regalo y a todos nos fascina – ¡adultos y chicos! De hecho, no hay ni un invitado que no pasa por nuestra sala que no esta maravillado con el libro. Es el regalo perfecto, en mi opinion pues será disfrutado por todos en una familia. A mi me fascinan las letras del Alef Bet y su significado así que este libro es perfecto para mi. Les digo que es un libro tan divertido pero con contenido tan rico e interesante que le va a gustar a cualquiera que se lo regalen. 

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4|| The Jewish Spirit: A Celebration in Stories & Art: I bought this book when I was a single girl living in Miami. I remember falling in love with it when I found it at a book store. Enough said! The art is beautiful, as well as the Jewish folk tales in it.

4| The Jewish Spirit: A Celebration in Stories & Art: compré este libro hace muchísimos años cuando estaba soltera y viviendo en Miami. Recuerdo que me enamoré del libro cuando lo encontré en una librería. El arte y las historias y leyendas judías en el son maravillosas. 

5|| Sefarad, Sefarad La España Judía: Is an old book about Jewish Spain that my father in law zl”b bought many years ago when he took his children on a trip to Spain. We brought it to our home when my father in law passed away and we treasure it. I happen to be very much into the theme of the Jews in Spain and loved that my father in law was too!

5|| Sefarad, Sefarad La España Judía: Este es un libro viejo sobre la España judía el cual mi suegro zl”b compró en España hace años cuando llevó a sus dos hijos de viaje allí. Lo trajimos a nuestra casa después de que falleció mi suegro y lo atesoramos. A mi me fascina todo el tema de los judíos en España y me encantaba que a mi suegro también le fascinaba el tema.

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6|| The Jews in China: We bought this magnificent work years ago at The Shanghai Jewish Center when we lived in Shanghai. We have actually gifted it several times, as well. Obviously, it is very dear to our hearts, as my husband spent so much of his young adult life, not just immersed in the study of the Jews in China, but living out there, as well.

6|| The Jews in China: Compramos este libro hace años en el Shanghai Jewish Center cuando vivíamos en Shanghai. De hecho, lo hemos regalado varias veces, también. Claramente tiene un significado especial para nosotros. No sólo por que mi esposo pasó mucha de su juventud estudiando el tema de los judíos en China, sino que también vivió mucha de su juventud allá. 

I love that this mini collection reflects a lot about who we are as a family – our loves, interests, and our lives’ experiences.

Me encanta que nuestra pequeña colección refleja mucho sobre quienes somos como familia – nuestros intereses y experiencias vividas. 

Were these all new to you? What’s on your coffee table? Do you have any special coffee table books that you and your family cherish?

¿Alguno de estos es nuevo para tí? ¿Qué tienes en tu mesa de la sala? ¿Tienes libros de mesa especiales que tu y to familia atesoran?

Photography by Elisheva Golani

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