Rabbi Jeffrey K. SalkinThe JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS Study Bible)

This book is not just for children. Adults will enjoy the clear, contemporary discussions and explanations of the Torah, and may find it deepens their understanding of scripture, thereby instilling a better understanding of their place as a Jew.

This is an intelligent and hip book that will help both bar and bat mitzvah students and their families understand their own unique scriptural section. I think its strength is that it demands that students and the adult members of their family work together to use the book's ideas in order to craft the perfect speech. The author's invitation to use other media to convey that unique message will help embolden students and families to truly make the bar/bat mitzvah experience their own. The one criticism I have is that the author provided full examples of speeches. I would suggest that the author might have provided one overarching example and then added a worksheet to work through the student's ideas about the section while offering little insights that he or she could use to build a speech that is truly his or her own. Overall, this is an outstanding book that will help b'nai mitzvah students really make Torah study a truly personalized experience!

This is a very reformed Tora commentary, just be aware, Hahsem is not “human” does not “grow”

I like how the book is organized. It is easy to read and understand and adds another dimension to studying the Torah. The descriptions are meaningful and help (as a religious school teacher) bring the meaning of the weekly parsha to the B'nai mitzvah students. Thank you, Rabbi Salkin, for taking the time to write this book. Excellent resource!

useful

This is a great book for teenagers and adults alike. I am an adult and use it for sermon writing.

Another superb book by an excellent scholar. Well-organized, easy to read and very practical and up-to-date.

I teach Bar/Bat Mitzvah students their Torah and Haftarah portions and accompanying trope. The students can read Hebrew, but do not speak it, and thus do not understand what they are reading. After reading the English translation, by using this book students gain a far greater appreciation for the text, the nuances of each section, and how each weekly reading can be applied to their own lives. Excellent resource that every Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah student deserves to make this special time more meaningful. For those adults who feel their own Jewish education is rusty or perhaps lacking, this book will also be helpful.

Just what I needed