This book was interesting. It compares a triving Jewish ...
581466
This book was interesting.  It compares a thriving Jewish Temple with an inner city Baptist Church that definitely was not thriving.  Very thought provoking.
1515043
This was a book I could not put down.  It's a story of a Jewish family who were able to escape Paris just before World War II.  I thought it was fascinating.
2193877
An interesting study of various topics in Jewish genetics, by a geneticist who was centrally involved in the research that underlies the book. First, it examines genetic evidence suggesting that a specific group of modern-day Jews (those identifying themselves as of priestly decent, many named Cohen or some variant therof) are in fact descended directly from the priests of ancient Israel. Second, he shows that there is indeed genetic evidence of Jewish descent for an African tribe whose legends claim such descent. Finally, he looks at the claim that a study of "Jewish diseases" like Tay-Sachs showed that Jews have genetic predisposition to high intelligence. This evidence he does not find convincing, arguing that there are several other possible explanations for Jewish intellectual achievement, and that much more study is needed. One of the virtues of this book is that it discusses what genetics cannot (at present) tell us, as well as at what it can. Another is that the book presents a clear exposition of how geneticists trace lines of descent -- material which at least one lay reader needs to have explained again and again. The weakness of the book -- it's a less than gripping read -- is the result of its virtues: it is a carefully scientific piece.
4164200
The remarkable thing about this book is just how unremarkable I found Messianic Judaism to be.  Messianism in Judaism follows the same patterns as the Messianic beliefs in the other Abrahamic religions.  These believers follow similar patterns in each religion, whether it be the pacifists of the ultra-Orthodox and Agudath Yisrael who believe it is a sin for anyone to do anything that may be percieved as forcing the end of times, to the Gush Emunim and the Rabbis Kook who believed that they were and are the instruments through which god would bring about the prophecied of the end times, to all those who believe somewhere between these two poles they have their similar counterparts in Christianity and Islam.  From the secularist point of view this is very interesting since the similarities between Messianic belief amongst many of the world's religion certainly says something for psychological need in many people to have this final reckoning.  It also says something about the indvidual beliefs between the utopian and dystopian views of the end times.

As to the book at hand, the author does a very good job detailing the different beliefs and the leaders of each group.  He goes through and provides numerous writings and quotes from leaders like both Kooks, Teitelbaum and Schneersohn and many other leading figures that explain their thinking.  Many of the most important thinkers, like the above, are gone over in detail and followed from their earliest confrontations with Zionism and how their beliefs developed over time as the reality of the Zionist movement grew over time into an actual state.  What is interesting in this is to see how someone like Zvi Yehuda Kook's thinking evolved from the early days before Zionism turned a movement into a state through to seemingly miraculous days of the 67 war to the more ambiguous days of the war of 73 and the Lebanon quagmire.  It is interesting to see how the ups and downs of Zionism and the Israeli state affect the different beliefs and changes the requirements for everyone to justify their particular brand of messianism.  What is equally interesting in the opposite way is to see those whose belief never changes one iota no matter what happens to the state of Israel.  Those whom wordly evidence doesn't affect the metaphysics at all.

What this book also does is show the drastic problems that the state of Israel faces with the religious extremism with their fellow Jews.  This book describes some of the very real fissures that exist within the state and with Jews throughout the world.  These fissures have a more pronounced affect on the state of Israel that does not have seperation of religion and state like most other Western nations, and considering Israels political structure that allows small radical groups to hold the majority of Israelis hostage because the major parties need the backing of small politcal groups to form and maintain coalitions to remain in power which means these radical groups have a disproportianate amount of influence compared to their electoral power.  This remains a huge problem for Israel.

While I liked the book and feel it was an important one to read for myself due to my interest in religious extremism and this area, the work is very detailed and focused on minutiae of Judaic law and philosophy.  It offers a much deeper look into the religious details and resources that enforced belief than affects of these beliefs on the state and Zionism itself.  I was looking for a more secular and mundane look at the real world affects of this belief rather than a deep disection of Messianism and its wellspring of such beliefs.  In the end there is a wealth of information in this book that will give the reader a greater understanding of Jewish religious extremist thought and philosophy.  The reader should be aware of what they are getting.  This is much more an exegesis of radicalism than a more secular look at the affect of that radicalism.
618959
I found reading this book extremely interesting as the author tells stories of the Baal Shem Tov by comparing Sidrah Weekly Portion occurrances. A few sentences explains the weekly portion followed by a story about the Baal Shem Tov. The stories are written well and with ease to the reader.
1071241
it is important to remember that the behavior of the Hasitic  Jews clashed with the LOCALS in Iowa  Much of their behavior would have gone unnoticed in New York.

This cloister treats all non Jews as outsiders and they are very difficult for other Jews to deal with also.  it was a little choppy but very interesting.
4695970
I enjoyed the book very much.  It was easy to read and very interesting how Jews lived, escaped and died during WWII. Jews have always been persecuted.  it was told from the eyes of a child who missed out on having a mother and father.  I was very sad for the author.
3798830
This book has a rather acerbic title, but the author did not create it...his publisher did. Although it doesn't make much of a case for leaving Christianity for Judaism, it does give an inside look at the life of the children of early Jewish Eastern European immigrants in New York City. Because that group is shrinking, it provides an important snapshot in Jewish American life.
Secondly, it illustrates the zeal of the new baal teshuvah (returnee to Jewish observance), one that is often short-lived once the bt sees the negative underbelly of Orthodox life. BT's and the formerly religious will understand and relate to the thinking of Shlomoh at this time in his life, as his passion and enthusiasm are typical.
It does not fulfill its intended purpose, but it does take the reader on an interesting sociological journey through the eyes of the protagonist.
Those who know Shlomoh today would not recognize the author of this book. It is but one of many steps in the evolution of a fully-developed and sophisticated human being.
1070970
Interesting book, though not what I expected from a Jonathan Kellerman novel.  Lots of interesting information about Jewish culture, though.
2957189
It was a different view of History brings out things that we're not in the history book and ties  a lot of things together. It showed the Christian side and honor the Jewish side of belief.
1421175
There is a curious line in Josephus The Antiquities of the Jews. It reads: so he [Ananus, high priest of Judea] assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others This is one of the few non-Biblical passages that give credence to the existence of an historical Jesus, and indeed, most historians are on board with the existence of a person named Jesus who lived and preached to Jews in Galilee and Judea. But what else can be gleaned from the historical record? And does this information change the way historians should view the life of Jesus? Reza Aslans believes so, and traces the life, teachings, and even his political agenda in Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.

Aslan finds, in a very close reading of the Biblical and historical source material, that a different picture of Jesus emerges. He places Jesus in the historical context of the age. First century BCE Jews rebelled against their Roman leaders, especially as they began to denigrate the holiness of the Temple of Jerusalem by appointing unqualified high priests. Those who advocated for a separate nation for the Jews became known as Zealots. Aslans contention is that Jesuss activities and sayings point to him being more a part of this movement that previously thought. Only after his crucifixion did he change the way in people believed and worshipped.

This book was interesting, but not in the way I thought it would be. While there is a good discussion on the life of Jesus, there is also a lot more on the history of ancient Judea and political movements of the day. Those who do not normally study in this era will pick a great deal of contextual information on Biblical history. Also, Aslans commentary on translation leads one to believe that the Biblical sources are not as cut and dry as they would seem to be. A curious and engaging book.
2902774
Much has been written about the Jews of Spain and much of it idealizes the experience and pretends that Al-Andalus, or Islamic Spain was a utopia for Jews.  Among these fantasy books are&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/God-s-Crucible-Islam-and-the-Making-of-Europe-570-1215/dp/0393064727/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Ornament-of-the-World-How-Muslims-Jews-and-Christians-Created-a-Culture-of-Tolerance-in-Medieval-Spain/dp/B00008RWBP/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain</a>.  However this book, which is scholarly and informative gives a much deeper understanding.  It is more than a history of the Sephardim of Spain, it is a history of the Sephardim and their 'experience'.

This amazing experience began in Spain under the Visigoths and early Islamic rulers between the 8th and 11th centuries.  But then a great decline set in after the Almohad(Almohades) invasion.  Around 1060 and after Jews began being persecuted by fanatical Islamic despots.  Pogroms were unleashed and Jewish geniouses such as Maimonidies had to flee.  Some Jews even fled to Christian Spain.

After 1492 and the expulsion of the Jews by the Catholic kings Ferdinand and Isabella the Sephardim wandered throughout the Islamic world and Christina Europe.  The found homes in Amsterdam, the new world and the Ottoman empire where their Ladino language lives on to this day.  The Sephardim that converted to Christianity were brutally persecuted in the inquistion, but their descendants to this day live throughout the Latin world.

A fascinating book.

Seth J. Frantzman
1873151
After living in India and visiting the famous Paradesi Synagogue, I was interested in learning more about the Cochin Jews.  This once thriving Jewish community has now diminished to less than ten Jews. Ruby of Cochin: An Indian Jewish Woman Remembers provides a first-hand account of life in Cochin during the first half of the twentieth century.

Ruby Daniels was born in 1912 and immigrated to Israel in 1951. With the assistance of Barbara C. Johnson, an anthropologist, Ruby describes what life was like during that era. A wide array of black and white photographs enhances this memoir.

Initially, I found it difficult to become engaged in Rubys story. The narrative was cluttered with facts and details, but at the same time included information that might be lost without her recollections. Once I started focusing on the major ideas, I began to see how important Rubys writing contributes to our understanding of Indian Jewry.

She candidly talked about the clashes between different groups of Jews, discrimination against women, and her experiences working for the Indian government and Womens Royal Indian Navy. The chapters that focus on traditions and customs enhance our understanding of Indian practices, superstitions, and ethnic songs. Apparently, Hindu superstitions permeated the neighboring Jewish community. The latter part of the book provides insight into why most of the Indian Jews immigrated to the Israel and Ruby shares her vivid memories of adjusting to life on a kibbutz.

In retrospect, I wish that I had read this book before visiting Jew Town in Cochin. Anyone planning to visit the Paradesi Synagogue should definitely read it as well as anyone interested in Indian Jewry or Jewish women around the world.
2237517
This was a well-written and captivating journey into another lifestyle. It really creates some wonderment about so-called different communities. Being Jewish, I could almost relate, but some people/sects in Judaism are just too bizarre. A thought provoking novel!!
2915537
I thought that this book was interesting.  I wondered how much of it at the beginning was true.  I suppose that if Mr. Halter did have the "Book of Abraham" available, he would be able to work off that.

This is a story of one family's trials through the ages, all documented in a scroll started in 70 AD when the patriarch was expelled from Jerusalem.  The book continues, with great detail, up through WW2.  I am hoping that the book "The Children of Abraham" continues the story and that it answers the questions I have at the end of this book.
2880706
This is an interesting book, originally written in German in 1935, by one of the most prominent Jewish Rabbis, philosophers and humanitarians of the twentieth century.  I liked this book, even if it was a bit dry. The book details the life and works of Moses ben Maimon or as he is better known - Maimonides.  Maimonidies was one of the most important Jewish philosophers and codifiers of Jewish law of the Middle Ages; a man whose books are still read today.  Maimonidies was a leader of the Jewish community in Egypt whose books and rulings were studied in all of the Middle East and in the Jewish communities of Europe.  The book discusses his most famous works - the Codex of Jewish Law (the Mishnah Torah) and his most important philosophical work - The Guide For The Perplexed, both of which are still in print in many languages.  He was also one of the most prominent physicians of his age - physician to Saladin and author of medical texts.  I learned about the family of Maimonides and how he took to medicine full time after the death of his younger brother, who had previously supported him in his studies of Jewish law and philosophy.

The book also describes the struggles between Sunni and Shiites and of the fanatical Almohades of Spain and Morocco and how this impacted the Jewish communities of Spain, Egypt and in the rest of the Middle East.  It describes persecution by the Almohades of the Jews and those Muslims who held a more liberal view of Islam.  In contrast, the Jews faired much better under the more tolerant regimes in Egypt, especially when Saladin conquered the area.

The book provided a good picture of the life times and writings of Maimonides.  I recommend it to those interested in philosophy and Judaica.
1027769
Such an interesting person. There was lots of things I did know about her. Who knew she wasn't Jewish? Read the book it will hold your interest.