Some first families live in white houses. Others live in palaces. Our Jewish first family lived in
Paradise, in the Garden of Eden.

Of course, the first family was unable to follow the rules and got itself evicted from Paradise.
That event also — in simplistic terms — defines one of the main differences between Judaism and
Christianity. The Fall, as it’s called in Christianity, is the reason for humanity’s suffering.

In Judaism, again in simplistic terms, the lack of discipline on Eve’s part allowed humans to
grow and use the gifts that God gave them.

As we begin to read our Jewish story again, readers might be interested in investigating how
thinkers interpret the stories in Genesis for both child and adult readers.

The following are some of the books on Genesis in our library:

Reading Genesis. A collection of essays by experts in fields such as psychology, literature,
and law sheds new light on the text of Genesis.
Feiler, Bruce. The First Love Story: Adam, Eve, and Us. The author explains how Adam and Eve
serve as models for relationships, family, and togetherness.
Finck, Liana. Let There be Light: the real story of her creation. This graphic novel version
reinvents the story of creation with God as a woman.
Kimmelman, Lesley. Eve and Adam and the Very First Day. (Juvenile)
Levine, Amy-Jill. The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same
Stories Differently.
Moyers, Bill. Genesis. Explores the contemporary relevance of the stories in the Bible’s first
book.
Rosenblatt, Naomi. Wrestling with Angels: What the First Family of Genesis Teaches Us About
Our Spiritual Identity, Sexuality, and Personal Relationships.
Sasso, Sandy. Adam and Eve’s First Sunset. (Juvenile)
Zevit, Ziony. What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden. Drawing on a variety of academic
disciplines, the author discusses what the story of Adam and Eve probably meant to the ancient
Israelites.