An evenhanded and loving portrait that will prove enlightening to Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike.
Jews today may not face sustained, overt anti-Semitism, but nevertheless all is not rosy for American Jewry—which is plagued, Freedman (Journalism/Columbia Univ.) claims, by infighting.
Any number of issues divides Jews in the US. Take gender: though Conservative and Reform Jews ordain women, they remain ambivalent about other feminist reforms. One California congregation Freedman profiled almost fell apart over the question of whether to incorporate the names of the matriarchs—Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah—into the section of the amidah (the centerpiece of Jewish liturgy) that refers to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jews are also divided over Israel: should land be traded for peace? Should the Palestinians have a state? And Jews disagree about tradition and assimilation. Secularists and Reform and Conservative Jews are often, according to the author, incredibly hostile to Orthodox Jews: one secular couple, for example, left their Long Island home because their neighbors had become Orthodox. Beachwood, Ohio (a largely-Jewish suburb of Cleveland), became the site of bitter fighting when local Orthodox Jews wanted to build a synagogue and day-school—the less observant Jewish residents were horrified at the prospect that their town would get a reputation as an Orthodox ghetto. And American Jews, like Israelis, are also split over the question of “Who is a Jew?” If one’s mother is not Jewish, must one undergo a formal conversion (as Orthodox law teaches), or does a Jewish father make one Jewish? Does a conversion presided over by a Reform or Conservative rabbi count?
An evenhanded and loving portrait that will prove enlightening to Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike.Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2000
ISBN: 0-684-85944-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2000
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
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
