History of Religion Books - Page 2

Jews, God, and History: 2nd Edition

Max I. Dimont

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Non-Lachrymose Jewish History; Nazi Genocide of Jews and Slavs; etc. 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This fact-filled book [review based on the 1962 edition] offers so much! One might be surprised to learn that the Karaite revolt was quite similar to the later Protestant Reformation (pp. 204-208), that the Hasmonean John Hyrcanus had converted the Idumeans and the Galileans to Judaism by force (p. 91, 98), and that some Jews burned Maimonides' works even before Christians ever burned a single copy of the Talmud. (p. 182, 240) Thereafter, many more unauthorized copies of the New Testament went up in flames than Talmuds, while Jewish translations of the Old Testament were never burned by Christians. (p. 240)

Ironically, early laws restricting Jewish life were commonly modeled after similar Old Testament and Talmudic laws that restricted non-Jews (p. 219), and the later Inquisition's authority for executing heretics (BTW rarely Jews, except Marranos: p. 226, 315) was based directly upon Deuteronomy 17:2-5. (p. 224) Jews generally chose to live apart from gentiles (p. 251, 254). Compulsory ghettoization didn't occur until much later, and then only in specific locations (p. 251, 255).

Dimont focuses on Jewish achievements and privileges (e. g., most medieval Jews were freer than most gentiles: p. 303), and puts pre-Nazi European Jewish sufferings in perspective: "It must not be supposed that the majority of Christians hated the Jews. Quite the contrary. Only a small segment were Jew-baiters. When left to themselves, Jew and Christian lived peacefully side by side...It must also be remembered that the ritual-murder charges, the Host-desecration libels, and pogroms took place over a period of seven hundred years and over an entire continent. By and large, most of the ghettos and shtetls were not affected by pogroms or general maraudings." (p. 258)

Compulsory ghettoization, and accusations of ritual murder, Host-desecration, well-poisoning, etc., didn't begin until about 1100 AD (p. 220), and usually were the most common and extreme in Germany and Austria. (pp. 239, 242, 246-247, 251, 254, 255) The first expulsion of Jews from a nation wasn't until 1290--from England (p. 229) The Crusaders, whose ranks included not only the devout but also criminally-minded adventurers, were equal-opportunity killers of Jews and non-Jews. (p. 220-221) Compulsory wearing of the yellow badge didn't begin until 1215 (p. 220) and didn't apply to Jews living in the shtetl. (p. 257)

Dimont (pp. 377-378) gives details on the anti-Christian character of Nazism, and rejects the emphasis upon "unequal victims": "If the Christian reader dismisses what had happened in Germany as something which affected a few million Jews only, he has not merely shown his contempt for the 7 million Christians but has betrayed his Christian heritage as well. And, if the Jewish reader forgets the 7 million Christians murdered by the Nazis, then he has not merely let 5 million Jews die in vain but has betrayed his Jewish heritage of compassion and justice." (p. 388)

Unfortunately, Dimont repeats Polonophobic whoppers--the "Polish nonhelp" to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the later "well-armed" Warsaw Polish insurgents (p. 384), and--even more unbelievable-- "Poles turning over" 2.8 million Jews to the Germans for extermination. (p. 386)

As for non-Jewish victims, Dimont writes: "The chilling reality is that when the Russians overran the concentration camps in Poland they found enough Zyklon B crystals to kill 20 million people. Yet there were no more than 3 million Jews left in Europe. The ratio of contemplated mass killing was no longer 1.4 Christians for every Jew, but 5.3 Christians for every Jew. Nazi future plans called for the killing of 10 million non-Germanic people every year." (p. 388).

Editorial Review:

From ancient Palestine through Europe and Asia, to America and modern Israel, Max I. Dimont shows how the saga of the Jews is interwoven with the story of virtually every nation on earth.

The Thirteenth Tribe

Arthur Koestler

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Total reviews: 55 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Genetic Studies Prove Koestler Correct: True Hebrews/Palestinians Are The SAME race 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Recent genetic studies have shown Koestler was correct. Genetic studies are continuing to prove conclusively that the Ashkenazi (common European/Western Jew) have no genetic connection with the semitic peoples of the middle east. In fact, the middle eastern Hebrews and the Palestinians are the SAME genetic race -- which is NOT related to the Ashkenazi Jews, who never occupied the middle east. Genetic studies also are proving that Ashkenazi Jews (Khazars) are not a semitic race.

Journal axes gene research on Jews and Palestinians
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/nov/25/medicalscience.genetics
Excerpts:
"In common with earlier studies, the team found no data to support the
idea that Jewish people were genetically distinct from other people in
the region.(middle east) In doing so, the team's research challenges claims that Jews are a special, chosen people and that Judaism can only be
inherited."

"Jews and Palestinians in the Middle East share a very similar gene
pool and must be considered closely related and not genetically
separate, the authors state. Rivalry between the two races is
therefore based 'in cultural and religious, but not in genetic
differences', they conclude."

Editorial Review:

Traces the history of the ancient Khazar Empire, a major but almost forgotten power in Eastern Europe, which in the Dark ages became converted to Judaism. Khazaria was finally wiped out by the forces of Ghengis Khan, but evidence indicates that the Khazars, themselves migrated to Poland and formed the cradle of Western Jewry.

The Pages In Between: A Holocaust Legacy of Two Families, One Home

Erin Einhorn

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In a unique, intensely moving memoir, Erin Einhorn finds the family in Poland who saved her mother from the holocaust. But instead of a joyful reunion, Erin unearths a dispute that forces her to navigate the increasingly bitter crossroads between memory and truth.

To a young newspaper reporter, it was the story of a lifetime: a Jewish infant born in the ghetto, saved from the Nazis by a Polish family, uprooted to Sweden after the war, repeatedly torn away from the people she knew as family -- all to take a transatlantic journey with a father she'd barely known toward a new life in the United States.

Who wouldn't want to tell that tale? Growing up in suburban Detroit, Erin Einhorn pestered her mother to share details about the tumultuous, wartime childhood she'd experienced. "I was always loved," was all her mother would say, over and over again. But, for Erin, that answer simply wasn't satisfactory. She boarded a plane to Poland with a singular mission: to uncover the truth of what happened to her mother and reunite the two families who once worked together to save a child. But when Erin finds Wieslaw Skowronski, the elderly son of the woman who sheltered her mother, she discovers that her search will involve much more than just her mother's childhood.

Sixty years prior, at the end of World War II, Wieslaw Skowronski claimed that Erin's grandfather had offered the Skowronskis his family home in exchange for hiding his daughter. But for both families, the details were murky. If the promise was real, fulfilling it would be arduous and expensive. To unravel the truth and resolve the decades-old land dispute, Erin must search through centuries of dusty records and maneuver an outdated, convoluted legal system.

As she tries to help the Skowronski family, Erin must also confront the heart-wrenching circumstances of her family's tragic past while coping with unexpected events in her own life that will alter her mission completely.

Six decades after two families were brought together by history, Erin is forced to separate the facts from the glimmers of fiction handed down in the stories of her ancestors. In this extraordinariy intimate memoir, journalist Erin Einhorn overcomes seemingly insurmountable barriers -- legal, financial, and emotional -- only to question her own motives and wonder how far she should go to right the wrongs of the past.

A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood

Raymond P. Scheindlin

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Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Jewish history is often told not as a narrative of real people with human problems and interests but as an idealized national myth," writes Raymond Scheinlin, in the introduction to his excellent A Short History of the Jewish People. Scheinlin is an observant Jew, but his book is not a history of the Jewish religion. It is a history of Jewish tribes around the world and the ways "they have interacted with the nations and cultures among whom they have lived, adapting to their environment while retaining a variety of continuities." The book's brevity precludes exhaustiveness, but its focus on particular Jewish communities and its disciplined analysis of their political successes and foibles give readers a firm grasp on the movements in Jewish history that have shaped the Middle East, Europe, and America. Amply illustrated with maps and photographs, the fluid prose of Scheinlin's History make this book a useful starting point for anyone seeking a secular history of Judaism that is neither skeptical nor hostile to religion. --Michael Joseph Gross

The Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation

Brad H. Young

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Fully one-third of JesusÂ' words in the Synoptic Gospels occur in parables. It could be said that knowing the parables is essential for understanding the person of Christ. In his newest work on the parables, Brad Young displays his unique perspective as a scholar steeped in both Jewish and Christian studies. While parables have timeless messages, reinterpretations in new contexts throughout the centuries have distorted the original meanings and undermined the essence of what Jesus intended for his initial listeners. Young examines the parables that best illustrate the parallels between the rabbinic and Gospel parables. Young challenges readers to remember that first-century Judaism was not merely the backdrop for JesusÂ' teachings but the very stage from which Jesus delivered the message of the kingdom. JesusÂ' ethics and theology can be properly understood only in the light of first-century Jewish teachings. Young focuses on the historical development and theological significance of parables in both traditions, then he examines five theological subjects that are dealt with in parables: prayer, grace, reconciliation, calling, and sovereignty.

"This great new book by Brad H. Young is a decisive step in the right direction. Like his previous books, this innovative work on the parables shows that Jesus is both a foundation of the Christian faith and at the same time an integral part of Second Temple period Judaism. Jewish thought is not—as is often claimed—merely a background for Jesus but is in reality the original context and natural framework of his message. Few people have recognized this basic fact, not only because of inveterate Christian inhibitions but also because it is a very rare case that a New Testament scholar can break the language barrier and move freely in the Hebrew and Aramaic sources of early Judaism proficiently, as Young is able to do. Similarly, Jewish scholars often do not use their advantage in this area of research and sometimes cannot move freely in the Christian material because even they are not always free from their own inherited inhibitions. All who are involved in the study of Judaism, however, as well as everyone seeking a better understanding of Jesus, will be challenged by Young's creative and solid research." (From the foreword)
—David Flusser, Professor Emeritus of Second Temple Period Judaism and Early Christianity, Hebrew University, Jerusalem

A Guide to Jewish Prayer

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

For readers who wish to learn about Jewish prayer, A Guide to Jewish Prayer is the first book to read, and the one that will be the cornerstone of any collection of books on the subject. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, a world- renowned scholar of Judaic studies and the editor and translator of Random House's 22-volume edition of the Talmud, has written this Guide in order to "open the gates of Jewish prayer for those who want to know and comprehend both its essence and its structure, and the numerous details concerning the various prayer services." Beginning with magisterial essays on the nature of prayer and the history of the Siddur (the common Jewish prayer book), Steinsaltz then moves to a detailed description of the prayer services conducted over the course of the Jewish year, and ends with a series of essays about communal prayer, including chapters on the synagogue, prayer accessories, and the music of prayer. With a comprehensive glossary and short biographies of the many rabbis who have influenced the history of Jewish prayer, Steinsaltz's Guide provides every necessary resource for understanding prayer, for every conceivable reader--from the curious gentile to the devoted Jew. -- Michael Joseph Gross

Jews and Power (Jewish Encounters)

Ruth R. Wisse

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Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Taking in everything from the Kingdom of David to the Oslo Accords, Ruth Wisse offers a radical new way to think about the Jewish relationship to power. Traditional Jews believed that upholding the covenant with God constituted a treaty with the most powerful force in the universe; this later transformed itself into a belief that, unburdened by a military, Jews could pursue their religious mission on a purely moral plain. Wisse, an eminent professor of comparative literature at Harvard, demonstrates how Jewish political weakness both increased Jewish vulnerability to scapegoating and violence, and unwittingly goaded power-seeking nations to cast Jews as perpetual targets.

Although she sees hope in the State of Israel, Wisse questions the way the strategies of the Diaspora continue to drive the Jewish state, echoing Abba Eban's observation that Israel was the only nation to win a war and then sue for peace. And then she draws a persuasive parallel to the United States today, as it struggles to figure out how a liberal democracy can face off against enemies who view Western morality as weakness. This deeply provocative book is sure to stir debate both inside and outside the Jewish world. Wisse's narrative offers a compelling argument that is rich with history and bristling with contemporary urgency.

Understanding Genesis (The heritage of Biblical Israel)

Nahum M. Sarna

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Well written, describing Genesis as a remarkable document . 5 out of 5 stars.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.

This book takes an exegetical approach to Genesis as a work created by writers who saw far beyond their contemporary culture to create an enduring statement about a singular God, his greatest creation (the human being) and the moral and ethical demands that God places upon us. He compares Genesis to other great creation myths, and shows two primary things; 1) that a the monotheistic belief places God above and beyond all of nature, which is radically different from other contemporaneous polytheistic religions, and 2) that there is an order, logic and morality in the world that people must follow in order to not be estranged from God and ultimately themselves and society. Law, justice, mercy, charity are values expressed in a book which was written at a time when these were radical ideas. The author's mastery of history and religion are forged into an engaging, powerful exposition of the profound meaning of Genesis and it's seminal importance in the history of human thought.

Editorial Review:

"This book...is designed to make the Bible of Israel intelligible, relevant, and hopefully, inspiring to a sophisticated generation, possessed of intellectual curiosity and ethical sensitivity...It is based on the belief that the study of the Book of Books must constitute a mature intellectual challenge, an exposure to the expanding universe of scientific biblical scholarship...Far from presenting a threat to faith, a challenge to the intellect may reinforce faith and purify it."--from the Introduction

Basic Judaism (Harvest Book.)

Milton Steinberg

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Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Solid Introduction to a Fascinating Faith 4 out of 5 stars.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.

For those looking for an in-depth analysis of one of the world's oldest religions, you're in the wrong place. But for anyone looking to gain a basic understanding of the tenets of Judaism would be unlikely to do better than this work.

Rabbi Steinberg lays out who the Jews are, what Judaism is, and some of the various interpretations of the faith using clear, concise language and a well-laid out chapter structure that walks the reader through the history and conceptions of Judaism as it has grown over the centuries. Although the book does not go into great depth in any one topic, the scope of the book gives the reader a fascinating perspective on an often misunderstood religion.

A reader who knows little of Judaism may or may not finish this book with a new respect for Judaism, but it will certainly ensure that the reader leaves it with a much greater understanding of it. Required reading for any hoping to gain some understanding of a the great religion that begat Christianity and Islam.

Editorial Review:

Rabbi Steinberg identifies seven strands that weave together to make up Judaism: God, morality, rite and custom, law, sacred literature, institutions, and the people. A classic work directed to both the Jewish and the non-Jewish reader.

American Judaism: A History

Jonathan D. Sarna

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Could not put it down 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Jonathan Sarna's book is the first American Jewish History that I could not put down. Should be required reading for all American Jews. I have read Jewish history and studied in college under Arthur Hertzberg, Arnie Eisen, Michael Stanislawski, so that little here was actually new to me. The book, however, put everything into proper perspective and traced trends in a logical readable way -- beautiful analysis of the origins, history and current status of the major movements of Judaism.

In case Dr. Sarna reads this -- here are my gripes: Personalities, such as Zalman Schachter-Shalomi merit too much of Sarna's attention. Similarly, Rebbetzin Jungreis is interesting but not far reaching in impact. Hadassah, and the extent to which it went hand in hand with Sisterhood's domination of suburban women's lives, barely gets passing mention. So too with the Soviet Jewry movement.

While Sarna does a beautiful job tracing the origins and sequelae of Orthodoxy's shift "to the right," he makes a few important omissions in describing other movements, such as Conservative Judaism. For example, he neglects to point out that the Movement's Law Committee had already approved Women's ordination before the Rabbinical Assembly voted to include women or the JTS faculty put it to a vote. Sarna suggests that the JTS faculty decision was purely expedient and not based on halachic considerations, which at least institutionally if not to the lay people, remains crucial. Similarly, at one point, Sarna notes that there is little distance today between left-wing Conservative and right-wing Reform. Quite true. But also worthy of note is the little distance between left-wing Orthodox "Modern orthodox" and right -wing Conservative, both of those last groups a vanishing breed.

Note too, Dr. Sarna, that Joe Leiberman carefully avoided describing himself as "Orthodox," preferring the word "observant."

All in all, an absolutely magnificent work.

Editorial Review:

This magisterial work chronicles the 350-year history of the Jewish religion in America. Tracing American Judaism from its origins in the colonial era through the present day, Jonathan Sarna explores the ways in which Judaism adapted in this new context. How did American culture - predominantly Protestant and overwhelmingly capitalist - affect Jewish religion and culture? And how did American Jews shape their own communities and faith in the new world? Jonathan Sarna, a preeminent scholar of American Judaism, tells the story of individuals struggling to remain Jewish while also becoming American. He offers a dynamic and timely history of assimilation and revitalisation, of faith lost and faith regained. The first comprehensive history of American Judaism in over fifty years, this book is both a celebration of 350 years of Jewish life in America and essential reading for anyone interested in American religion and life.