Did you know that:

Rav Yosef Karo was a young child when Columbus discovered America?

Rembrandt painted a portrait of the famous Dutch rabbi, Menasseh Ben Israel, whose family had escaped the Portuguese Inquisition?

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch was 53 years old when the American Civil War broke out?

If you didn't know, you're not alone. Many Jews today know little about Jewish history because they've been bored in classes and their texts lacked sparkle. But history doesn't have to be tedious.

A quick look at The Jewish Experience: 2,000 Years will convince you that the story of our proud heritage can be as relevant and current as today's newspaper.

The first thing you will notice is the abundant pictures and graphics lavishly illustrating the entire volume. We are invited to relive bygone years through a creative blend of significant milestones and little-known facts. Informative sidebars, "Did You Know That?" columns and special sections keep the reading fresh and interesting.

Noted educator Rabbi Nachman Zakon covers the past two thousand years with a journalistic eye, recounting the deeds of heroes, scoundrels and common folk. He is careful to place every event on the Jewish calendar with the corresponding Common Era date, so that historic Jewish experiences can be viewed in the context of world events.