The Top 10 Most Popular Jewish Books

1. Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankel
2. The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath, by Senator Joe Lieberman and David Klinghoffer
3. Survival in Auschwitz, by Primo Levi
4. War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust, by Doris L. Bergen.
5. The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures, by Michael D. Coogan.
6. The Babylonian Talmud
7. A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood, by Raymond P. Scheindlin
8. The Jewish Study Bible: featuring the Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation, by Adele Berlin, Marc Zvi Brettler, Michael Fishbane
9. Who Wrote the Bible, by Richard Elliott Friedman
10. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English, by Geza Vermes.

* These are the top ten most popular books, as of September 7, 2011, on Amazon.com under the Category, “Books > Religion and Spirituality > Judaism.”

Top 10 Jewish Wedding Traditions

1. Breaking of the Glass: Symbolizing that even during a joyous occasion such as a wedding, one should remember the sadness that exists in the world.
2. AufRuf (Shabbat Chatan): On the Shabbat before the wedding, the groom and sometimes the bride are called up to the Torah for a special aliyah.
3. Shabbat Kallah: The bride has a special Shabbat before the wedding where her friends and family entertain her.
4. Chair Dancing: The bride and groom are traditionally lifted in up in chairs and both hold on to the same napkin or handkerchief.
5. Groom’s Tisch: A reception for the groom before the wedding ceremony where there is some pre-wedding celebration.
6. Seven Circles: The bride circles the groom seven times, symbolizing the creation of a new world for the bride and groom.
7. Schtick: It is the duty of the wedding guests to entertain the bride and groom by doing silly acts in front of them.
8. Horah: No Jewish wedding is complete without the most popular Jewish dance of all time.
9. Yichud: A little alone time for the bride and groom right after the wedding ceremony.
10. Bedecken: This is the veiling of the bride where the groom makes sure he’s going to marry the right woman.

* Honorable Mention: Fasting, Klezmer band

Top 10 Best Tasting Unkosher Foods

1. Bacon: A pig is an unkosher animal because it does not chew its cud (even though it has a cloven hoof). Therefore anything coming from a pig is not kosher. Turkey and beef bacon just don’t taste the same. 
2. Pepperoni or Sausage Pizza: Not only do pepperoni and sausage come from a pig, but even if it’s beef sausage, mixing dairy and meat in the same meal is forbidden. 
3. Baby Back Ribs: Another pork product that unfortunately is banned. 
4. Lobster Tail: All animals that come from the water must have fins and scales. Lobsters don’t have either. 
5. Crab Legs: Same reason as lobsters. 
6. Calamari: Octopuses (and yes, it’s either octopuses or octopodes, not octopi) don’t have fins and scales. 
7. Shrimp Cocktail: Same reason as lobsters, crabs, and octopuses. 
8. Clam Chowder: Same reasons as lobsters, crabs, octopuses, and shrimp. 
9. Cheeseburger: No dairy and meet in the same meal. You can put on some fake cheese (but there are other issues with that). Even if you use fake cheese, you know it’s not the same. 
10. Frog Legs: Frogs come from the water, and have no fins and scales. 

* Honorable Mention: Meat lasagna, Escargot

The Top 10 Largest Hasidic Sects

1. Satmar: Hungarian Hasidic sect with perhaps 130,000 members. Known for being anti-Zionist because they believe that the state of Israel should only be established when the messiah comes. 
2. Ger: Once the largest Hasidic sect in Poland, this sect is still one of the largest in the world and based out of Jerusalem. 
3. Chabad-Lubavitch: Known for their outreach programs that try to bring non-observant Jews into a more observant lifestyle one mitzvah at a time. 
4. Viznitz: A Ukrainian Hasidic sect with members centered in Bnei Brak and Haifa in Israel, and Monsey, NY. 
5. Bobov: A Galician Hasidic sect with members now located around the world. 
6. Belz: This Hasidic sect comes from the Ukraine. 
7. Breslov: Members of this sect participate in self-seclusion as one of their ways of praying to G-d. 
8. Karlin: Known to cry out in loud voices to G-d. 
9. Sanz-Klausenburg: Hasidic sect that originated in Transylvania, Romania. 
10. Skver: Stresses abstention from excessive earthly pleasures. 

* The actual numbers of each Hasidic sect are largely unknown, as there is no official census. These ten sects have significant numbers, though the rank order may be incorrect.

Learn more about what Hasidism is form this book.

The Top 10 Jewish Sects

1. Orthodoxy: While there are many branches of orthodoxy, all orthodox groups adhere strongly to the commandments as set out by the Torah and Talmud. 
2. Conservative/Masorti: Conserves many, but not all of the commandments. Considered a middle ground between Orthodoxy and Reform. 
3. Reform/Progressive/Liberal: These movements generally do not require adherence to the laws between man and G-d, only between man and man. 
4. Hasidism: A branch of orthodoxy that follows that teachings of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov. 
5. Reconstructionism: Believes that Judaism is a civilization that is constantly evolving. 
6. Pharisees: A predecessor sect to today’s rabbinic Judaism. 
7. Sadducees: Contemporaries of the Pharisees, did not believe in the divinity of the Oral Law. 
8. Essenes: Small splinter movement that believed in abstinence from worldly pleasures. Many believe that they wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. 
9. Karaism: Splinter religion from mainstream Judaism that follows only the written Torah, and not the Oral Torah (Talmud). Some believe they have their roots from the Sadducees. 
10. Samaritanism: This splinter religion has a slightly different version of the Torah. They claim they are the original Israelite religion before the Babylonian Exile.

Learn about the different Jewish sects in in this book.

The Top 10 Jews With Messianic Followings

1. Jesus of Nazareth: With over two billion followers, it’s hard to deny this man the number one spot! 
2. Shabbatai Zvi: 17th century Ottoman rabbi who many believed to be the Messiah. He converted to Islam which largely disbanded this sect. 
3. Simon Bar Kochba: Leader of a rebellion against the Romans in 132 CE. Founded a short-lived Jewish state for three years. 
4. Jacob Frank: Claimed to be the reincarnation of Shabbatai Zvi and King David in the late 18th century. 
5. Menachem Mendel Schneerson: Last rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement who died in 1994. 
6. Shlomo Molcho: Early 16th century Portuguese mystic. He was burned at the stake when he refused to convert to Catholicism. 
7. Abu Isa: 8th century Persian whose followers believed he was the messiah. He taught that Jesus and Mohammad were true prophets to their own people. 
8. David Alroy: 12th century Jew who led an uprising in Iraq and asked his followers to follow him to Jerusalem, where he would be king. 
9. Abraham Abulafia: 13th century Spanish Jew who claimed to be the messiah and travelled to Rome in order to convert the Pope to Judaism. 
10. Eve Frank: Daughter of Jacob Frank who many believed to be the incarnation of the female aspect of G-d as well as the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary.

You think 10 Jewish messiahs is a lot? 

Check out this book that talks about 50 past Jewish messianic claimants!

The Top 10 Events That Will Happen When the Messiah Comes

1. There will be universal knowledge of G-d. 
2. A king form the Davidic dynasty will be reinstated. 
3. The dead will be resurrected. 
4. The Sanhedrin (a group of rabbis and judges that can make binding decisions regarding Jewish law and life) will be reinstated. 
5. The Third Holy Temple will be established. 
6. The sacrificial system will be reinstated. 
7. The 10 Lost Tribes will return to the land of Israel. 
8. The observance of the Jubilee will be reinstated. 
9. The land of Israel will be expanded to the boundaries promised to Abraham. 
10. There will be eternal peace. 

Click above to find out more about messianic times.

The Top 10 Jewish Articles of Faith

1. G-d exists. 
2. G-d is one and unique. 
3. G-d has no flesh. 
4. G-d is eternal. 
5. Prayers are to be directed to G-d and no one else. 
6. The words of the prophets are true. 
7. Moses’ prophecy is greater than all other prophets. 
8. The written and oral Torah were given to Moses. 
9. There will be no other Torah. 
10. G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of people. 

* Judaism does not have a single creed that all Jews believe in. A famous rabbi, Maimonides, listed 13 articles of faith in his commentary on the Mishnah in the Middle Ages. There was controversy when he proposed these articles, but eventually they became accepted as normative. Since this is a Top 10 list, I had to exclude the last three from the list above. The last three get honorable mention here: 11) G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked, 12) The messiah will come, and 13) The dead will be resurrected.

Learn more about the thirteen articles of faith by clicking the book above.

The Top 10 Commandments

1. I am the Lord Your G-d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. 
2. Do not make idols. 
3. Do not take the Lord’s name in vain. 
4. Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. 
5. Honor your father and mother. 
6. Do not murder. 
7. Do not commit adultery. 
8. Do not steal. 
9. Do not bear false witness. 
10. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife. 

* There are 613 commandments in the Torah. The commandments on the tablets that Moses brought down are known as “The Ten Commandments.” However, there are actually more than 10 statements that could be interpreted as commandments within “The 10 Commandments.” This is why the Jewish version of “The 10 Commandments” is slightly different than the Catholic version, which is different from some Protestant versions. The commandments listed above are abbreviated from the full set of statements according to Jewish tradition.

This is probably the most famous movie that has the Ten Commandments in it. 

Click above to see or download the movie.

The Top 10 Jewish Prophets

1. Moses: Considered the greatest of all of the prophets. Spoke to G-d on Mount Sinai and gave the Torah and Ten Commandments to the Jewish people. 
2. Abraham: Considered the father of the Jewish people. 
3. Isaiah: Considered the most universal of the prophets. Affirmed principles of justice and morality. 
4. Joshua: Led the Jewish people into the Holy Land after their exodus from Egypt 
5. Samuel: First prophet to prophesize inside the Land of Israel. Anointed King Saul and King David. 
6. Jeremiah: Credited with writing several books of the Tanakh: The Book of Jeremiah, 1st and 2nd Kings, and the Book of Lamentations. 
7. Ezekiel: Revealed the prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem. 
8. Elijah: Defended the worship of G-d over the main pagan god, Baal. When Elijah returns, he will usher in the messiah. 
9. Deborah: Prophet and only female judge in the history of Israel. 
10. Jonah: Famous for being swallowed by a whale (actually a fish) on his way to prophesize to people of Nineveh. 

* The Talmud teaches that that there were hundreds of thousands of prophets, some Jewish, some not. There are 55 Jewish prophets according to tradition.

The Top 10 Rabbis

1. Moses: Known as Moshe Rabbenu, meaning, Moses Our Rabbi. He gave the Jewish people the Torah and Ten Commandments from G-d. 
2. Maimonades: Moses ben-Maimon, also known as the Rambam was a medieval Spanish rabbi who is considered one greatest Torah scholars of all time. 
3. Nachmanides: Moshe ben-Nachman, also known as the Ramban, was a Catalan rabbi, kabbalist, physician, and Torah commentator in the 13th century. 
4. Rashi: Medieval French rabbi who’s commentary on the Talmud is known for being short, concise, and brilliant. 
5. Hillel: Involved in the development of the Mishnah and Talmud. Stated that the Torah’s essence is, “What is hateful to you, do not do to others.” (The Jewish “Golden Rule.”) 
6. Akiva: 1st and 2nd century rabbi. A main contributor to the Mishnah and Midrash, and considered a founder of rabbinic Judaism. 
7. Ba’al Shem Tov: Founder of Hasidism in the 18th century. 
8. Joseph Caro: 16th century rabbi who wrote the Shulchan Aruch, a codification of Jewish law. 
9. Shimon bar Yochai/Moses de Leon: Yochai is traditionally believed to be the writer of the Zohar (book of Kabbalah), though many believe it was written by de Leon in the 13th century. 
10. Shammai: First century contemporary of Hillel. Known for having a strict interpretation of Jewish law.

Learn more about famous rabbis from the book above.

The Top 10 Jewish Rites of Passage

1. Circumcision: Symbolizing the covenant between G-d and the Jewish people. Nothing welcomes a boy into the Jewish people like a bris (the ritual circumcision ceremony). 
2. Bar/Bat Mitzvah: The coming of age ceremony at age 13 for boys and sometimes age 12 for girls, where the young Jew takes on the responsibilities of being a Jewish adult. 
3. Baby Naming: Fortunately, we have no female circumcision in Judaism, but we don’t want to leave the girls out. The baby naming brings the Jewish soul into the girl. 
4. Pidyon haBen: When the first born son of an Israelite woman is 30 days old, this is a special ceremony that redeems him. 
5. First Mikvah: A spiritual cleansing by immersing oneself in a ritual bath. 
6. Wedding: This ceremony transitions a person from one stage of life to the next. 
7. Children: Nothing makes a person mature faster than having to take care of a child. 
8. Upsherin (First Haircut): Traditionally, a boy gets his first haircut after turning three years old. 
9. Confirmation/Graduating Hebrew School: There are various ceremonies in some denominations when a person has finished additional Jewish education. 
10. Second Bar/Bat Mitzvah: Jewish tradition says that your life starts over again at the age of 70. Therefore when a person reaches the age of 83, there is a second bar/bat mitzvah.

Learn more about the Jewish rites of passage in this popular book.

The Top 10 Jewish Prayers and Recitations

1. Shema: This is undoubtedly the most important prayer in Judaism. It states, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our G-d, the Lord is one.” It is the statement of faith of the Jewish people. 
2. Amidah: The “standing prayer.” Comprised of 19 individual prayers, ranging from praying for rain, to praying for peace. 
3. Kaddish: The prayer that exalts and sanctifies G-d’s name. A special version, the Mourner’s Kaddish is said by those in mourning to affirm the mourner’s belief in G-d. 
4. Barechu: This is the call to prayer in the synagogue. 
5. Kol Nidrei: Recited at the beginning of Yom Kippur. 
6. Birkat haMazon: After eating a meal, these prayers thank G-d for the food that we just ate. 
7. Motzi: Thanks G-d for bringing forth bread from the Earth. 
8. Kiddush: Thanks G-d for bringing forth the fruit of the vine (i.e. grapes). Said before drinking wine (or grape juice). 
9. Lighting Shabbat Candles: This prayer, said on Friday night, ushers in Shabbat. 
10. Shehecheyanu: This prayer is said when one is experiencing or will soon experience a new or unusual event.

Click the book cover above to see this very popular book on Jewish prayer.