A self-consciously radical statement that is both astute and joyous.
A Talmudic scholar who is disenchanted with Israel’s current injustices against Palestinians vows to support Jewish identity and culture through diaspora.
Boyarin, who has authored many books about Judaism and comparative religion, believes that the Jewish identity is shaped less by ethnicity and nationality than by common narratives, languages, and practices. As a young man, the author was deeply engaged in the Zionist socialist youth movement, which imbued him with a deep sense of social justice for everyone. After serving in the Army Reserves in Israel, he lived and studied there for 20 years, raising a family. During that time, he began to realize that Israel was not committed to social justice. Living in the U.S. for the past 30 years, he is ever dedicated to Talmudic study and Jewish culture. In this “manifesto,” the author looks at how two ideals—a prosperous nation-state and commitment to social justice for all—can be achieved. Probing thorny issues with aplomb, Boyarin questions a variety of concepts of Judaism as a religion and Jews as a people. Ultimately, he demonstrates the significance of what binds all Jews and makes them what they are: “shared trials and tribulations…shared practices, shared languages, and other cultural forms.” He emphasizes the importance of the Talmud and the lively dialogue that it has engendered across time and space. “Ideas are generated out of quotations, quotations contested, amended, emended, combined, and renewed.” The author draws insightful comparisons to Black learning, identity, and isolation. As jazz is to Black vernacular, so is Talmudic diaspora learning to Jewish sociality. Boyarin is clearly committed to eliminating labels about religion and state, and he will inspire like-minded readers with his focus on “just Jews, singing, dancing, speaking, and writing in Hebrew, Yiddish, Judezmo, learning the Talmud in all sorts of ways, fighting together for justice for Palestinians and Black Lives Matter.”
A self-consciously radical statement that is both astute and joyous.Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 9780300251289
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Yale Univ.
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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