Kochava’s Essential Jewish Library

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After posting a picture of my Jewish library two weeks ago, I got many questions about the books on those shelves!

So I decided to share the books that are MY “essential Jewish library.” I posted a list of recommended books for your own essential Jewish library in the tabs above. Your library will probably differ from my own in some way, but these are the books I’ve found to be most essential in my own life.
Siddur, published by Artscroll
Siddur, published by Koren
Chumash, published by Artscroll
Tanach (I have both the JPS and Artscroll versions)
Machzor, published by Artscroll
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, published by Artscroll (Vol. 5 is not published yet)
Rashi on the Chumash, published by Artscroll

Book of Our Heritage by Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov
The Laws of Berachos by Rabbi Binyomin Forst
The Kosher Kitchen by Rabbi Binyomin Forst
The 39 Melachos by Rabbi Dovid Ribiat
The 39 Avoth Melacha of Shabbath by Rabbi Baruch Chait
The Laws of Yom Tov by Rabbi Simcha B. Cohen
Halichos Bas Yisroel by Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Fuchs
A Woman’s Guide to the Laws of Niddah by Rabbi Binyomin Forst
Days of Awe: A Treasury of Jewish Wisdom for Reflection, Repentance, and Renewal on the High Holy Days by Rabbi Shmuel Yosef Agnon
Shemirath Shabbos by Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth
Love Your Neighbor by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
Sefer HaChinuch
Sefer Chofetz Chaim
Everyday Holiness by Alan Morinis
What Do You Mean, You Can’t Eat in My Home? by Azriella Jaffe
Exodus by Leon Uris

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2 thoughts on “Kochava’s Essential Jewish Library”

  1. Diplogeek

    I just want to give the Koren Sacks Siddur some love. I'm a Conservative Jew, but when I first started davening at home regularly, I ended up using Koren. I initially owned a few Artscroll Siddurim, but I always found their layout to be very busy, difficult to follow and their translations/commentary very… pointed, often not in a way with which I could agree. I heard positive stuff about Koren and decided to give it a whirl, and really, it's a great Siddur. The typefaces are excellent, the translation is great (and much more user friendly, I think, than the one in Siddur Sim Shalom, which is the other Siddur I use regularly)… it's just very well done. Highly recommended, whether you're an Orthodox convert or not.

    I also really like Blu Greenberg's How To Run a Traditional Jewish Household. I've been meaning to get a copy of the Sefer Chofetz Chaim; maybe I'll splurge on that and Days of Awe prior to High Holy Days.

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