Announcing the New JPS TextBook Series, and Call to Prospective Authors

March, 2014

Dear Friends of JPS,

The Jewish Publication Society recently celebrated its 125th year and its second year in partnership with The University of Nebraska Press, which has enabled us to expand and accelerate our publishing program.

In December we published one of the biggest projects in our history Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture (Lawrence Schiffman, James Kugel, Louis Feldman and seventy contributors).

Over the next five years we will be publishing significant new volumes in The JPS Bible Commentary Series, on Song of Songs (Michael Fishbane), Lamentations (Ed Greenstein), and Psalms (Ben Sommer, Adele Berlin, Mark Brettler, Alan Cooper, Yair Zakovich, Avigdor Shinan).

Under consideration are additional volumes for Judges (Diane Sharon) and Joshua (Leonard Greenspoon). We are interested in soliciting proposals for the remainder of the early Prophets and Job.

In progress are the final two volumes in The Rubin JPS Miq'raot Gedolot (Michael Carasik) and Folktales of the Jews (Dan Ben-Amos).

We have announced the publication of several JPS Study Bibles, including The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah (Jeffrey Salkin). We are interested in soliciting proposals for The JPS Birthright Bible and The JPS Discussion Bible.

Finally, we are launching an ambitious new JPS Textbook Series, dedicated to the ever expanding field of college Judaic studies and adult education. We envision at least twenty volumes over the next decade, as outlined below. Many of these volumes are still in need of authors. At the same time, we welcome proposals for additions to the textbook series in Jewish thought and Jewish history. We are also considering textbook manuscripts suitable for older teens (confirmation and post-confirmation programs) and introductory adult education.

Please feel free to contact me with your ideas and comments. We believe there is a true need for outstanding Jewish studies textbooks, and would like to work with you to address this challenge. I'm very interested in talking with you.

Sincerely,