All the world written by Liz Garton Scanlon ; illustrated by Marla Frazee

"Rosh Hashanah is just one of two surviving Jewish new years from antiquity, the other being the month in which Passover falls. The two are exactly six months apart, proper symbolism of the age-old Jewish struggle to balance two contrasting principles: universalism and particularism. Passover's central theme is the particularistic tale of the Jewish People released from servitude in Egypt to fulfill its historic destiny. The message of Rosh Hashanah, by contrast, is the universalistic definition of that destiny, the role that every Jew must play simply by virtue of being human, and the role of Judaism in helping Jews play that role with proper passion and commitment. This interweaving of a universalistic purpose to Israel's mission along with the particularistic affirmation that Israel has such a mission in the first place occurs throughout the High Holy Day liturgy, particularly in the prayers represented in this fifth volume in the Prayers of Awe series. The title, All the World, derives from a famous translation of an early medieval poem that is part of the new year liturgy. It is juxtaposed to other prayers of a universalistic nature, particularly Uv'khen, literally, "And therefore," a regular addition to the central Jewish prayer, the Amidah. "And therefore" launches the ultimate Jewish question: What's the point of it all, which is to say, "And therefore, what?" It combines the particularistic concern for Israel as a People called by God with the universalistic proclamation that Israel is called for universal ends"--