From Forbidden Fruit to Milk and Honey

Overview

Food is at the heart of Jewish life and culture. It's the subject of many studies, popular and academic, and countless Jewish jokes. From Forbidden Fruit to Milk and Honey spotlights food in the Torah itself, where, as still today, it's used to explore themes including love and desire, compassion and commitment, social justice, memory, belonging and exclusion, control, deception, and life and death. Originally an online project to support the food rescue charity, Leket Israel, From Forbidden Fruit to Milk and Honey comprises short essays on food in the parasha by 52 internationally acclaimed scholars and Jewish educators, and a verse by verse commentary by Diana Lipton on food and eating in the Torah.

Reviews

"A feast to be treasured by all lovers of that full-flavoured mix of food and faith that is Jewish life at its best." —Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, philosopher, and scholar

"Many of these opening essays and commentaries are truly eye opening. Even those who know the weekly Torah portions quite well may be surprised to learn of all the hidden food and mealtime connections that there really are!... In today's market, where parsha books are overflowing and competing for a limited readership, this book is to be commended for its very original and unique angle. Who isn't interested in food?" —Rabbi Ari Enkin, torahbookreviews.blogspot.co.il

"Food is at the heart of Jewish life and culture. From Forbidden Fruit to Milk and Honey spotlights food in the Torah itself, as it explores themes like love, compassion, social justice, memory, belonging, deception, life and death. Originally an online project to support the food rescue charity, Leket Israel,the book comprises short essays on food in the parsha by 52 internationally acclaimed scholars and Jewish educators, and a verse-by-verse commentary by Diana Lipton." —Phil Jacobs, www.jewishlinknj.com

Author Biography

Diana Lipton received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oxford and a PhD in Bible at the University of Cambridge. After almost ten years as Fellow of Newnham College, Cambridge, she moved to King's College London as a Lecturer and then Reader in Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies. She is now an Adjunct Lecturer in Bible at Hebrew University's Rothberg International School. Her published works include Revisions of the Night: Politics and Promises in the Patriarchal Dreams of Genesis, Longing for Egypt and Other Unexpected Biblical Tales, and Lamentations Through the Centuries. Diana has a long history of voluntary work in the Jewish community, and this book emerged from her first project with Leket Israel. Diana has two sons, Jacob and Jonah, and she lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Chaim Milikowsky.