Press Inquiries: Raquel Fairweather, Marketing and Sales Manager, CCAR Press, rfairweather@ccarnet.org
New York, NY— CCAR Press, a division of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, is pleased to announce that Inscribed: Encounters with the Ten Commandments has tied for the Silver Medal in the Religion category at the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Inscribed is edited by Rabbi Oren J. Hayon, Senior Rabbi at Congregation Emanu El in Houston, Texas, and features an introduction by Andrew Rehfeld, PhD, President of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion.
The Independent Publisher Book Awards, also known as the IPPY Awards, were established in 1996 in an effort to bring increased recognition to independent, university, and self-published titles. They honor works within a broad range of subject areas, and they aim to highlight the innovation and creativity found within the independent publishing world. This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the award contest, drawing over 4,500 entries for the approximately 430 medals bestowed upon independent authors and publishers.
Inscribed devotes multiple chapters to each of the Ten Commandments so that readers may more fully engage with the ways in which they have inspired contemporary laws, ethics, and moral guidelines. Chapters address topics such as “technology Shabbats,” caregiving, police violence, and journalism’s “fake news” phenomenon. The book emphasizes the Reform Movement’s belief that interpretations of the Torah must always remain relevant to the current moment.
“I’m so proud that Inscribed – and the twenty-two extraordinary authors whose contributions fill its pages – has been honored with this award,” said Rabbi Hayon. “The insightful chapters in Inscribed help bring us into a new relationship with the Ten Commandments and ensure that those ancient words remain powerfully relevant to the modern world. All of the contributors provide wise and articulate perspectives into the world of the Bible, and I am so pleased that they have been recognized and honored for their work.”
Contributors to Inscribed are both rabbis and scholars, including Rabbi Michael Marmur, PhD, former Dean and current Associate Professor of Jewish Theology at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem; Dr. Alan Morinis, founder of The Mussar Institute and author of the bestseller Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar; Dr. Batya Ungar-Sargon, Deputy Opinion Editor at Newsweek; and Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, the author of seventeen books on Jewish ethics and President and Dean of the Valley Beit Midrash.
“It is a privilege for one of our titles to receive this recognition from the Independent Publisher Book Awards,” said Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive of the CCAR. “I wish heartfelt congratulations to Rabbi Hayon and to all of Inscribed’s contributors. This accomplishment illustrates the deep value of their work and exemplifies the high standards we uphold at CCAR Press.”