Mitchell First holds an M.A. in Jewish History from Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School, but he is not a professor or rabbi by trade. He makes his living as an attorney, and quaintly refers to his “additional life as a scholar.” Yet he produces articles that have been carried in numerous Jewish and academic publications. His first book, Jewish History in Conflict (Jason Aronson Press) was selected book of the month by the Jewish Book Club in August 1997. This new collection of his most influential essays – all relating to the chaggim – enhances the religious experience by rooting the liturgy and holidays in historical sources. It allows the reader to connect in a way that is sensitive to the academic positions while always remaining authentic to traditional Judaism.
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