Clearly, scholarship does not simply appear.  It is an accumulation of thoughts, ideas, philosophies, that are sifted through, analyzed, distilled, and 
commented upon over many years until a coherent line of thinking has been established, and, eventually, brought to light.  The process is arduous when undertaken by one person.  Imagine then, the attempt to create a unified work of scholarship through the collection of some 1800 contributors, 300 editors, and a publication staff of 150!  This remarkable feat was realized with the publication of the Encyclopaedia Judaica in 1972. 
 
There were significant literary forebears to the Encyclopaedia Judaica (EJ).  The Jewish Encyclopedia, published in 1906, was a finely crafted work that stressed the scholarly achievements and philosophy of the early scholars of the Reform movement, known in German as the Wissenschaft des Judentums ("The Science of Judaism"). Later, in Germany, Jewish scholars had completed over half the work of a new encyclopedia, but their efforts were muted by the rise of the Nazis.  After the war, through the efforts of the government of Israel, reparation funds from Germany, and the brilliant editorial work of Cecil Roth, the project was transferred to Jerusalem offices of what is now known as the Keter Publishing House Ltd.  Roth, who died two years before the publication of EJ, was one of the intellectual luminaries of the 20th century.  He published over 600 works in subjects relating to Jewish history.  Because of his esteem, the publishers of EJ were able to attract the most renown Jewish scholars in their respective fields. 
 
The result is a work of lasting significance.  The scholarship is precise; each entry is replete with thoughtful information, yet eminently readable for both the scholar and layperson; the references to other works are succinct and relevant.  This is a collection that embodies centuries of Jewish erudition and will most likely serve as one of the most important Jewish reference books in the generation to come. 

The newest Decennial Book contains vital articles on new developments as well as current information on continuing areas of interest. Additionally, the volume provides a diary of events in the Jewish world during the past decade.

The featured entries cover topics of current as well as lasting interest, including articles on impressions of Israel in the international media. 

Also included: Complete Index, Glossary and Necrology .

ENCYCLOPEDIA JUDAICA YEARBOOK: '90-'91
#H004, $45.00 (Cat: $50.00)

This six-volume set, prepared under the supervision of the Encyclopaedia Judaica editorial board, provides middle school 
through high school readers with over 1,200 A-Z entries on the most important concepts, people, events, ideas, holidays, and festivals of Jewish culture and history. Lavishly illustrated with over 1,500 photos and maps, 123 in full color, the entries provide a detailed description of Jewish past, present, and future.

"Explanations are easily understood. . . will be valuable in a multicultural context in school or public libraries." -- Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

* 1,166 pages  * 1,200 articles
* 1,500 illustrations  * Index