In this book, Mr. Ross uses his creative poetry, prose, and lyrics to construct modern midrashim and piyyutim, prosaic and poetic commentaries, to meet such a challenge. Rabbi Ellen Pildis, a post-denominational rabbi, offers praise of his text on the book's back cover.

New Guidebook Re-Visits The Ten Commandments

Can a modern, post-denominational, committed, American Jew find meaningful ways to struggle with our Ten Commandments?
Michael Alan Ross, author of the newly published, The Ten Commandments Guidebook, offers many such ways.
Mr. Ross, author of BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail Guidebook - 6 Self-guided Jewish History Walk Tours of Downtown Boston, now has written The Ten Commandments Guidebook as a spiritual invitation to the Ten Commandments.
In The Ten Commandments Guidebook, Mr. Ross offers a personal and creative perspective of the Ten Commandments by means of his original poetry, prose, and song lyrics. His writings are drawn from a lifetime of Jewish American experiences.
As an example, his poem, Laugh, considers the 9th Commandment in the following verses:

Laugh Copyright Michael Alan Ross 2004-2007. All rights reserved. Come, laugh with us, in our lively contention. Do good, pray hard, and learn to be menschen. Study our traditions, from mohel to mikvah. Come in, eat kosher, bless, sing Hatikvah. Smile often, challenge, and ask questions. Analyze and debate, all of our suggestions. Come, climb aboard our oy-vey buses. Indulge us, in our many mishigases. Laugh and drink, as we sit in God's tent. Woe and qvell, as we get bent. Review our top commandments from sin. Nod, reluctantly, as to what's out and in. Drink l'chaim, to God, we pray for you next. Drs. Ruth and Boteach, who advise safe sex. Toward evil doers, laugh long and smirk. Argue strenuously which demon is the bigger jerk. Let's talk about heinous inquisitions, Bar mitzvahs, weddings, and bad circumcisions. Let's laugh about our stories of Chelm. Let's feel superior to that upside down realm. None of us ever do stupid things, Nor do we celebrate crowning fools as kings! Perhaps, our laughing at stupidity helps us see Ourselves, by using self-mockery. Still, we refuse to accept all doings of God. Rarely does each and every one of us simply bow and nod. Even after God helped us to cross the Reed Sea, One of us wailed, "Where's dinner? Don't think one miracle satisfies me!" Notes 1. Menschen is Yiddish for decent persons. 2. Mohel is Hebrew for circumcision practitioner. 3. Mikvah is Hebrew for ritual bath. 4. Hatikvah (Hebrew = The Hope) is Israel's national anthem. 5. Mishigases is Yiddish for eccentricities. 6. Qvell is Yiddish for joy. 7. Drs. Ruth and Boteach are Jewish writers about sex. 8. Chelm is a fictional Jewish village. 9. Reed Sea is one translation of the Hebrew, Yam Suf.

Midrashim and Piyyutim!

Mr. Ross' poetry about the Ten Commandments, his prosaic warm memories of family life, and his lyrical voicing of social concerns can be called by the Hebrew words piyyutim and midrashim, poems and commentaries, which offer uplifting, spiritual and, sometimes, challenging interpretations.
In addition, Mr. Ross offers many suggestions for the reader to consider in struggling with the Ten Commandments, making this Guidebook a fine teaching tool, usable not only for its inspirational reading but also for its suggestions of good deeds.
The Ten Commandments Guidebook, ISBN 0970082525, by Michael Alan Ross is available for purchase online at http://www.gis.net/bostonwalks/TCorderform.html and for sale in selected bookstores such as Kolbo Fine Judaica and Israel Book Shop in Boston/Brookline.
It also can be purchased in multiple copies for Hebrew, day school, and adult classes directly from the publisher.
The Ten Commandments Guidebook, ISBN 0970082525, by Michael Alan Ross, BostonWalks Publishers 2004. In paperback, 153 pages, list price: $19.95 (Wholesale purchase of 12 or more copies available at 40% discount.).
Contact information: BostonWalks Publishers, 50 Grove St., Belmont MA 02478, email: bostonwalks@hotmail.com, telephone: 617-489-5020.

Click on some of these other BostonWalks sites!

• BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail - Boston's West and North Ends
• BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail - Boston's South End
• BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail - Cambridge
  
• BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail - Brookline

For further information, email BostonWalks directly

BostonWalks
or telephone us at: 617-489-5020.

Links to Boston and New England

• Walk or bike ride with BostonWalks and explore the neighborhoods adjacent to the Charles River
  

• For 10 great places to walk with water views in Boston,
  click on this walking smiling face
  
  

• BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail - Boston's West and North Ends
  

• BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail - Boston's South End
  

• BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail - Brookline
  

• BostonWalks' The Jewish Friendship Trail - Cambridge
  

• Within walking Distance - Houses of Worship In and Around Boston-Brookline-Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
  

• Ten Reasons for Seatbelts on Schoolbuses
  

Have you clicked on these other, on-line selections from Michael Alan Ross' new, The Ten Commandments Guidebook? The original humorous satirical song lyrics, Please Keep Us Wealthy, considering the 8th Commandment, Don't steal! The original song, Try to Smile and Love Your Neighbor, considering what Mr. Ross labels the 11th Commandment, Love your neighbor as yourself! The original historical poem, Zionists, considering the 10th Commandment, Don't Covet! The original Walter Mittyish style daydream, Dance before God, considering the 2nd Commandment, Have one God only! The original humorous, political, satirical song lyrics, Capitalist Commands considering the 10th Commandment, Don't covet! The original exhortatory poem, From Atonement to Good Deeds, considering the 7th Commandment, No adultery. The original mystical, kabbalah vision-type, poem, Commit, considering the 1st Commandment, Recognize God/Goodness! The original, poetic blessing, for oneness, In Awe, considering the 1st Commandment, Appreciate God/Goodness!

Now available! The Jewish Friendship Trail Guidebook 6 Self-Guided Walking/Bicycling Jewish Boston History Tours Covers Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge Softcover 198 pages with maps & b/w photos Print out this Book Order Form to order now!

Now available! The Ten Commandments Guidebook Ways to Self-Struggle with Classic Morals In Song, Poetry, and Prose Covers 10 Commandments Plus One Other! Softcover 153 pages with practical suggestions pages! Print out this Book Order Form to order now!

Celebrating 353 Years

of Jews in America

"West End House" circa 2004
Begun by 35 Jewish boys in 1903!

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Yea, Team! The Boston Red Sox and The New England Patriots!

From the Charles River, a red,white, and blue political agenda flows!

Copyright Michael Alan Ross, 2000-2007. All Rights Reserved.

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Chazak Ve-ematz be strong and resolute (Words of Moses to Joshua in Deut. 31:7)

When was the last time you really laughed? We're featuring good Jewish jokes! Check out this month's featured humor by clicking here! We know that there are other belly laughs our there. Email us at bostonwalks@hotmail.com with your contribution!

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BostonWalks Integrating the urban, modern Jewish American city experience with its historical sites and themes in such locales as Boston, MA, Portland, ME, East Bay and Providence, RI, and the Upper West Side of Manhattan, NYC.

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