The catchy, somewhat misleading, title draws you into the journey of a woman who at forty years old discovered the beauty of Judaism at her local Chabad house in Montreal, Canada. The first section of the book describes her“Journey to Observance” with some very personal details and descriptions of Jewish holidays. In “Lessons in Life and Death,” the second section, Tansky shares her feelings about prayer and death. The third part of the book chronicles travels to Chabad houses in Victoria, British Columbia; Sacramento, Alaska, Russia, Munich and outside of Durban, South Africa and offers praise for all the emissaries stationed in remote locations. She also details a trip to Israel. The last two sections, “The Rebbe’s Reach” and “Ripples” are short reflections. A glossary is included.

]]> http://jewishbookreview.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/girl-meets-god/feed/ 0 Jewish Book Maven GirlMeetsG-d_cover http://jewishbookreview.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/new-%d7%92%d7%a8%d7%96%d7%9f-the-first-hebrew-translation-of-gary-paulsens-hatchet/ http://jewishbookreview.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/new-%d7%92%d7%a8%d7%96%d7%9f-the-first-hebrew-translation-of-gary-paulsens-hatchet/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 06:52:48 +0000 Jewish Book Maven http://jewishbookreview.wordpress.com/?p=4523 ]]> by Gary Paulsen 
translated into Hebrew by Didi Hanoch
Publisher: Urim Publications
Softcover, 157 pages

On his way to visit his recently divorced father in the Canadian mountains, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is the only survivor when the single-engine plane crashes. His body battered, his clothes in shreds, Brian must now stay alive in the boundless Canadian wilderness.

More than a survival story, Hatchet is a tale of tough decisions. When all is stripped down to the barest essentials, Brian discovers some stark and simple truths: Self-pity doesn’t work. Despair doesn’t work. And if Brian is to survive physically as well as mentally, he must discover courage.

Honors and Praise for the English edition of Hatchet: 

* A Newbery Honor Book
* An ALA Notable Book
* Booklist Editor’s Choice
* SLJ 100 Books that Shaped the Century

“Brian Robeson, 13, is the only passenger on a small plane flying him to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness when the pilot has a heart attack and dies. The plane drifts off course and finally crashes into a small lake. Miraculously Brian is able to swim free of the plane, arriving on a sandy tree-lined shore with only his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present. The novel chronicles in gritty detail Brian’s mistakes, setbacks, and small triumphs as, with the help of the hatchet, he manages to survive the 54 days alone in the wilderness. Paulsen effectively shows readers how Brian learns patience to watch, listen, and think before he acts as he attempts to build a fire, to fish and hunt, and to make his home under a rock overhang safe and comfortable. An epilogue discussing the lasting effects of Brian’s stay in the wilderness and his dim chance of survival had winter come upon him before rescue adds credibility to the story. Paulsen tells a fine adventure story, but the sub-plot concerning Brian’s preoccupation with his parents’ divorce seems a bit forced and detracts from the book. As he did in Dogsong (Bradbury, 1985), Paulsen emphasizes character growth through a careful balancing of specific details of survival with the protagonist’s thoughts and emotions.”
-School Library Journal

“This is a spellbinding account…a winner.”
-Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Riveting.”
-Booklist, starred review

About the Author 

Gary Paulsen is one of the most honored writers of contemporary literature for young readers. He has written more than one hundred book for adults and young readers, and is the author of three Newbery Honor titles: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room. He divides his time among Alaska, New Mexico, Minnesota, and the Pacific.

Click here to read the first chapter of the book!

 Nevi’im and Ketuvim, the books of the Prophets and Holy Writings, together with the Five Books of Moses, comprise the broad canvas on which the history, destiny and spiritual mission of the Jewish people are limned. In this survey of Nevi’im and Ketuvim, Rabbi Hayyim Angel achieves a rare combination of breadth and depth. While focusing on broad themes and universal messages, the treatment is far from superficial or perfunctory. Rabbi Angel presents at least one chapter on each book of Nevi’im and Ketuvim, with each chapter analyzing in depth a representative aspect of the book. Using primarily peshat, the plain meaning of the text, Rabbi Angel marshals the Talmud and Midrash, traditional commentaries and modern scholarship in expressing a view of Scripture that is creative as well as subtle and nuanced. With his direct and engaging style, Rabbi Angel conveys his erudition and wealth of knowledge to the reader in a most enjoyable fashion. Here is a small sampling of Rabbi Angel’s thought-provoking conclusions:

Joshua’s flaws made him a more effective leader than Moses to bring the people into the land of Israel.

The Book of Jonah challenges us to be absolutely committed to God while respecting other people who espouse different beliefs.

The Book of Ecclesiastes, with all of its internal inconsistencies and its seeming contradictions with the Torah, uniquely reflects the paradoxical human condition. Its inclusion in Tanach elevates human perception to the realm of the sacred, joining revelation and received wisdom as aspects of religious truth.

 A prolific author, admired teacher and recognized scholar in the field of Tanach, Rabbi Angel compiled many of his scholarly articles to include in Visions From the Prophet and Counsel From the Elders. The result is that each chapter is a self-contained essay that can stand on its own, while the book as a whole is an integrated study of Nevi’im and Ketuvim which will delight and educate lay people and scholars alike.

Vision From the Prophet and Counsel From the Elders: A Survey of Nevi’im and Ketuvim presents a rewarding, comprehensive and enjoyable survey of Nevi’im and Ketuvim.

]]> http://jewishbookreview.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/a-review-of-visions-from-the-prophet-and-counsel-from-the-elders/feed/ 0 Jewish Book Maven visions http://jewishbookreview.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/vision-from-the-prophet-and-counsel-from-the-elders/ http://jewishbookreview.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/vision-from-the-prophet-and-counsel-from-the-elders/#comments Sun, 12 May 2013 10:39:38 +0000 Jewish Book Maven http://jewishbookreview.wordpress.com/?p=4461 ]]> by Gil Student

Torah expertise requires, at a minimum, mastery of the entire corpus of primary literature. Detailed familiarity with the texts is a necessary but insufficient requirement of Torah greatness. This includes the Bible, yeshiva curricula notwithstanding.

On the description of Moshe’s receipt of the tablets on Mt. Sinai, Rashi (Ex. 31:18) quotes a midrash that compares Moshe to a bride. Just like a bride wears 24 ornaments, so too a Torah scholar must master all 24 books of the Bible. Why, we can ask, does the midrash locate this sensible requirement in the second half of Shemos, which largely discusses the building of the Mishkan?

I suggest that the passage immediately preceding that verse discusses the obligation to observe Shabbos. The Mishnah (Shabbos 115a) states that you are forbidden to study Kesuvim, the third part of the Bible, on Shabbos because it detracts from attendance at the rabbi’s lecture. The Gemara (ibid., 116b) quotes a later debate whether the prohibition only applies to the location or the time of the lecture. Regardless, we see a clear limitation on Bible study.

You might have thought that this deemphasis on Bible study implies its unimportance. The midrash teaches us that we should not mistake practical priorities with abstract values. Even though local concerns require lowering the urgency of Bible study on Shabbos, in the end you cannot be a scholar without mastering the Bible. You might not find time to study Kesuvim on Shabbos but that is no excuse for ignorance.

We once discussed a chapter-by-chapter method to gaining familiarity with the Bible through the Nach Yomi Companion. OU Press (where I serve in an advisory capacity) has published another book that offers a very different kind of biblical overview. R. Hayyim Angel’s Vision From The Prophet And Counsel From The Elders: A Survey Of Nevi’im and Ketuvim provides an overview of Nakh, the Hebrew Bible excluding the Pentateuch. Meaningfully engaging the Prophets and Hagiographa in a single book is no small task. It requires a master pedagogue like R. Hayyim Angel, whose Yeshiva University classes on Bible are legendary. (See here for a review of one of his earlier books: link)

The Bible contains a variety of literature–books of prophecy, history, poetry and wisdom–posing a significant challenge to anyone wishing to survey it all in a single volume. R. Angel’s strategy is to explain some of the key themes in each book, occasionally discussing discrete sections within a book or analyzing specific texts. In this way, he allows readers access to some profundity and relevance of the Bible via deep commentarial study while still providing a brief overview to each book. As we have come to expect from R. Angel, the result is stunning.

R. Angel resists the urge to summarize the story of historical books like Joshua and Judges. He instead highlights key themes, such as the contrast between Moshe and Yehoshua, as they appear throughout the books, incidentally surveying broadly the texts. R. Angel’s first chapter on Judges explores the continuity between Joshua and Judges, how passages in the earlier book set the stage for the latter. His second chapter studies Gidon, marking him a transitional figure between the saintly judges in the first half of the book and the more challenging judges in the second half.

Some chapters focus on moral or theological topics, such as Joshua’s command to obliterate the Canaanites and Lamentations’ response to destruction. Learning the Bible without such studies misses the point. R. Angel accepts that some biblical characters are flawed, such as everyone but the title character in Ruth. I find this quickness to find fault a bit unsettling but recognize R. Angel’s care in reading the text.

The book of Jonah, when seen chapter by chapter, is “a larger-than-life story of every individual who seeks closeness to God” (p. 172) and the moral ambiguities encountered in confronting divine justice. R. Angel devotes considerable space to arguing that the traditional approach accepts multiple authorship of Psalms. In a bird’s-eye overview of the entire book, he suggests an order to the collection of prayers. “Psalms goes through a process of transition, bringing readers on a journey from a stable world, to instability, and then provides mechanisms for encouraging repentance, faith, and hope” (p. 240).

R. Angel’s measured approach, his commitment to the text without discarding tradition, his command of commentaries without sacrificing originality, invites readers of all backgrounds to engage the Bible with an open but reverent mind. This masterful volume is an essential book, a gateway to Torah, to wisdom and to understanding, whether you read it on Shabbos or during the week.

(Yes, I know that technically this book only addresses 19 of the 24 books of the Bible)

This review first appeared on Hirhurim – Musings 

Nechama Leibowitz was an intensely private individual. In the thousands—if not tens of thousands—of classes she taught and lectures she gave in a career that spanned over sixty years, she never allowed herself to be filmed or videoed, and very rarely permitted herself to be recorded on tape. (Rabbi Yasgur reports this idiosyncrasy in detail.) I was present on occasion when Nechama expelled someone from her lecture hall for concealing a tape recorder. It is due primarily to her students and correspondents, like Rabbi Benjamin Yasgur, that we are able to glimpse the person behind the public aura.

Nechama’s public reserve sheltered an unaffected private reticence. Nechama was always Nechama: not Dr. Leibowitz (PhD from the University of Marburg, Germany), not Professor Leibowitz (of Tel Aviv University); just Nechama. Perhaps the greatest tribute to her lies not so much in the publication of previously undisclosed insights and interpretations, as in the self-evident fact that Rabbi Yasgur is as finely attuned to the Torah text as Nechama encouraged her students to be, and that he is carrying her work forward through his exemplary service with his pulpits and pupils.

Rabbi Yasgur’s book provides insights into a score of Torah texts, punctuated by the records of exchanges he had with Nechama over those interpretations—in person or via correspondence. The Torah lessons, per se, need no further approbation. Instead, I would like to elaborate an insight the book offers into the master teacher herself. In expounding on the moral of the story of God’s visit to Abraham shortly after his circumcision, Rabbi Yasgur quotes Nechama as stating that, “it is more important to offer help… than Divine revelation.”

Nothing was of greater importance to Nechama than giving—particularly of herself. This is what impelled her to visit nearly every locale in Israel to offer Torah lessons in kibbutzim, army bases, universities, and synagogues alike. It also accounts for one of her favorite aphorisms about herself—one that I heard personally many times but have not yet seen reported in any of the annals of Nechama—and I offer it here in gratitude to Rabbi Yasgur for sharing his conversations with her. In explaining her compulsion to teach, Nechama would say: “More than the calf wants to suckle, the cow wants to nurse.”

This generosity of spirit also characterizes Rabbi Yasgur’s book.

This review first appeared on  JewishBookCouncil.org

A 2008 book, “A Circle in the Square: Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Reinvents the Synagogue” [Urim Publications], by Edward Abramson, an early member now living in Israel, offers a detailed and thoughtful look into the history of Lincoln Square and the lasting impact of the rabbi’s work.

Extreme religious pluralism is spiritual chaos, even when severely limited. If you accept as equally authoritative every Orthodox rabbi, even just the giants, then you will be forced to contend with their conflicting views and attitudes through either ignorance, dissonance or harmonistic gymnastics. The best citizen of a pluralistic society knows firmly his own approach and is therefore able to sift through the incompatible views he inevitably faces. Pluralism is politeness, not surrender.

I find that this is often lost in even Charedi circles. On one side we have extremists who denounce all who disagree with their narrow path. On the other we have syncretists who blend various traditions into a distorted and inconsistent whole. Politeness, some may call it political correctness, prevents the middle ground from stating publicly that what Rabbi X said is not “my approach.” But there are exceptions.

R. Yisroel Miller’s In Search of Torah Wisdom: Questions You Forgot to Ask Your Rebbi is a refreshing example of principled pluralism. He is a Litvak, a yeshiva devotee, unafraid to state his views but also uninterested in fighting. R. Miller was a long-time student of the Lakewood yeshiva and satellite kollel before becoming a community rabbi. He does not mention any family relation but he was clearly influenced by R. Avigdor Miller, as seen in his attitudes and many specific citations.

In this book, R. Miller discusses philosophical issues of communal importance, some of the touchpoints of controversy. He neither shies away from them nor uses them as opportunities to denounce others. Instead, he eloquently explains how an intelligent person can accept Da’as Torah, reject banned books, embrace Torah over science and treat biblical figures as saints (among many other topics). His views are nuanced and defy stereotypes but they are hardly progressive.

R. Miller adopts the views of the mussar yeshiva, unsurprising given his background. He sees Torah as the center of life, both as a subject of study and a focus of life. It also means that he reveals a somewhat condescending view toward those who are not Torah scholars or appreciate other values. Just consider the subtitle (“questions you forgot to ask your rebbi”), which implies that even many yeshiva graduates are ignorant of crucial philosophical issues. (I happen to agree and I recognize my condescending attitude.)

Chassidus has many positive aspects but also many negative, and R. Miller’s teachers considered the negative decisive. Religious Zionism? R. Miller’s critique points right to its flaws, with which I find trouble disagreeing although I don’t think the flaws undermine the entire enterprise. Secular education has value for earning a living and science, when taught by someone Orthodox, strengthens religious faith. But literature and language (beyond a basic capacity for clarity) are not in the Yeshiva tradition, R. Samson Raphael Hirsch notwithstanding.

I found R. Miller’s explanation of a Yeshiva prayer service particularly interesting. I cannot recall any book discussing this so frankly. When we pray, we strive for an atmosphere of pleading for our lives. In the Yeshiva world, “[t]hey worked to try to feel that they were standing and speaking before Hashem, and that Hashem was actually listening to every word…” (p. 87). But serious prayer is difficult and those who do not or cannot strive for such a lofty ideal have other ways to find meaning. Singing in shul is fine for some people but the Yeshiva world strives for a higher plane of spiritual connection. Condescending but honest and polite.

Chumros, stringencies in practice, are good but fraught with spiritual danger. They must be adopted carefully. Avoiding a Chillul Hashem through proper behavior is good but wrong. We act properly because we are a chosen people who maintain high standards because that is what God wants. Even though great rabbis in history offered reasons for specific commandments, that can only be at most a secondary subject of interest. We follow the Torah because God commanded us to.

Above all, R. Miller is charming and polite. His strong opinions are softened by his gentle demeanor. In doing so, he models better pluralistic behavior than the most open-minded activist. He does not say that everyone is right but that we can all live together without losing our distinctness. He will stick to his opinions but will do it pleasantly, so we can all live together in harmony. I don’t agree with much R. Miller writes but I greatly respect his gentle steadfastness. The best books are those with which you disagree, which challenge you and force you to respond. R. Miller’s book reminded me what I love about the Yeshiva world and why I cannot be a full part of it.

This review first appeared on the Hirhurim – Musings blog.

Nowolipie Street, a fantastic memoir of how one young Polish man’s life was changed forever by the horrific events of World War II, will deeply impact its readers. The author begins by tracing memories of his childhood, the early years of his education, and the years leading up to the Second World War. He then recounts his family’s heart-wrenching experiences.

The horrors of war are dramatically highlighted by Hen’s descriptions of the simple beauty of Polish urban daily life during the ’20s and ’30s. However, the author does not merely speak in generalities. Hen uses a generous smattering of anecdotes to give readers a glimpse into the life of his family. For instance, he writes, “When I was very young, the rhythm of life in our courtyard was determined by holidays. Later, in the thirties, more and more families surreptitiously began avoiding the tradition, and many forms of religious life disappeared.” In this way, Hen skillfully shows the reader the life of the average Jewish Pole during this time in history through the lens of his specific experience.

The author’s style is quiet and nostalgic. He effectively portrays the innocence of a Jewish Polish boy’s pre-war world and the drama of a child’s universe through charming descriptions of episodes of daily life. For instance, he tells of a play during which he was so taken by the stage set that he forgot to play his part and, instead, stood stock-still, amazed, in front of a surprised audience. He writes, “Eventually, I was jostled off the stage. Mother blushed for the shame of it all, and Mr. Director gave me a talking-to. I know I cried after that, defeated again. Life could be unbearable sometimes.” The emotion and pettiness of this story and others against the backdrop of the actual events that followed, highlights the tragedies Hen describes.

The author also effectively utilizes foreshadowing throughout his story. Dark premonitions scattered throughout pleasant scenes provide premonitions of the horrors to come and draw the reader into the emotion of the memoir. For instance, Hen describes his family’s dearly beloved vacation villa and the custodian, Józef, who cared for it. But he concludes the tale on a dark note, describing the family’s decision to sell their villa and noting, “Apparently, Józef was taken to Auschwitz, from which he never returned.”

Hen, the author of several other books and short stories and a Jewish survivor of World War II, has written a striking memoir. He brings together his artistic prowess and personal experience in this beautiful volume. Nowolipie Street is valuable as a historical account, and as a rich example of the genre.

This review first appeared on ForeWord Reviews.

I have had the pleasure of hearing Doron Kornbluth, author of  the newly released book, Why be Jewish, speak on several continents. Be it to seminary students in Jerusalem or a room comprised of mostly unaffiliated Persian Jews in Beverly Hills, I’ve always been impressed by his ability to not just captivate and inspire the audience—but to engage and empower them with something to think about as they walk home or drive off into the evening. Arguably most recognized for being the best-selling author of, Why Marry Jewish, Doron chose to tackle an even more fundamental question in his latest release.

Truth be told, this question is one that I presume any good Jew ponders at least once or twice throughout their lifetime!

Frankly, in our contemporary times, a question such as: why be Jewish? is more important to address and truly understand—before one even thinks of the subject of marriage! That said, as a husband, father, religious Jew, and Orthodox Rabbi, I was curious to see if this book was going to speak to me as well.

After reading this book cover to cover, I can report that Why be Jewish exceeded my expectations!

I credit this to the fact that Doron opted not to write this book as he had written his other works. First, the entire book is written in a  format that allows the reader to flip through the book and select a chapter or section that speaks to them. Second, each chapter is written as a different narrative and allows one to hear various perspectives about the choice and way in which ones Jewish pride developed. In so doing, this allows the reader to be exposed to a plethora of experiences from which they can relate to and grab a hold of as well! All in all, I found the writing style useful, not just because it will speak to a generation that is increasingly used to reading short blog posts and not long novels—but because if one chapter doesn’t relate to the reader or their life experiences—one is assured that there will be many other stories that do resonate with their upbringing.

While I do not take the author to task about some of the people he elected to write about in his book (see the comments here for instance), I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that even after discussing the cover of the book with the author, I still remain critical of its design on several fronts. Likewise, from a stylistic perspective, in as much as it makes it an enjoyable read (as opposed to setting an intellectual and intense mood throughout the work) I was initially confused as to how the book was written. The reader is forced to discover that the author apparently elected to write narratives of different people (there is no indication as to if they are fictional or not) and relate their story as to what makes them happy or inspired to simply be Jewish. In future printings, I believe that there should be some sort of explanation or preface so as to not leave the reader initially baffled.

Why be Jewish may never win any literary awards or be featured on the New York Times Bestseller List.  That said, I am confident that Why be Jewish is a book that a scholar or a layperson or a colleague or a student will enjoy—a sure sign of success. I would go so far as to say that  I would recommend that this book be required reading not simply to an NCSY or JSU teenager looking into Judaism but to every Yeshiva High School student on up—and certainly to anyone looking for Jewish inspiration.  Why be Jewish makes a good choice as a gift, especially as it is written without preference to any stream of Judaism.

This review first appeared on Rabbi Michael Green Online.

Why should anyone in today’s society care about marrying Jewish? Nowadays, a smoker marrying a non-smoker or a vegetarian marrying a carnivore is likely to raise more eyebrows than a Jew marrying a non-Jew. After all, isn’t anyone who refuses to interdate, and potentially intermarry, elitist? Or worse, aren’t they racist?
Friends and relatives hoping to dissuade intermarriage may give a variety of reasons: Jewish continuity; the prohibition against marrying out of the faith, as outlined in Deuteronomy, chapter 7; what would Bubby say?, et cetera.

Unfortunately, while these arguments may be quite compelling to the giver, the average person contemplating intermarriage doesn’t really care about Jewish continuity; Deuteronomy, chapter 7 or what Bubby would say, et cetera. Anyone seriously at risk of intermarriage is not likely to be swayed by someone quoting Rambam. (Would that it were that simple!) That’s why Doron Kornbluth is here to help.

Kornbluth is an author whose works on modern Jewish thought may already be familiar to readers. In addition to articles he has authored, Kornbluth edited Jewish Matters and co-edited Jewish Women Speak about Jewish Matters (with his wife, Sarah Tikvah Kornbluth). The genius behind Kornbluth’s approach here is that he doesn’t try to appeal to any particular sense of Jewish community (which is unlikely to be successful), or worse, Jewish guilt (which is undoubtedly doomed to failure). Rather, he takes the approach of “what’s in it for me?” demonstrating the potential repercussions intermarriage could have upon the intermarried themselves.

An example of Kornbluth’s approach at work: An argument that could be presented by someone contemplating intermarriage is the very basic question, “What difference does intermarriage make if neither partner is observant in their respective faiths?” With a simple word-association quiz, Kornbluth shows how even Jews who consider themselves unaffiliated may possess “innate negative reactions to much Christian imagery.” The same imagery, of course, may hold very positive connotations for their potential spouses. This exercise reveals some very strong, diametrically opposed emotional reactions that a couple might otherwise not discover until triggered by some event later in life. Baptizing a child, for example, can be very distasteful even to an unaffiliated Jew, but it may not be a topic of conversation until the couple is expecting.

This is by no means the only arrow in Kornbluth’s quiver. In another section, he demonstrates the complicating factor that the least religious time in most people’s lives typically coincides with the peak dating and courtship years. The result is that while religious differences may not be a problem for young lovers, future events from births to deaths often spark renewed religious zeal.

This later-in-life discovery of spirituality is not a uniquely Jewish phenomenon. Neither is the inherent difficulty of a“mixed” marriage. Higher divorce rates are clearly documented in such cases, regardless of whether the couples are Jewish/Christian, Hindu/Moslem or even Protestant/Catholic. Religion, which serves as a bond in some relationships, acts as a wedge in others.

Rather than relying strictly upon Jewish sources to emphasize these points, however, Kornbluth brings copious support from secular studies and non-Jewish clergy.
Again, this is a far more compelling approach for people on the verge of intermarriage. Remember: They already know that intermarriage is asur (prohibited); they don’t care. But in a society with an already staggering divorce rate, demonstrating that one is entering a demographic particularly susceptible to failed relationships may give one pause where traditional sources are ineffective.

Throughout the book, several such tracks are taken, any of which may be more persuasive to a particular reader. Cumulatively, they present a particularly forceful argument.
Perhaps the greatest coup is that Kornbluth is able to present his position (which also happens to be that of the Torah) in a manner that is non-threatening and inoffensive. Not only is the book food for thought for even the most assimilated of Jews, it can also be given to non-Jewish partners without serious risk of offending them. (There are, of course, people who are offended by any divergent position, no matter how it is presented; one can’t do much in such instances. But the average rational person is not likely to be put off by this book.)

Why Marry Jewish is one of the books I often present to teens graduating from the Orthodox Union’s youth group, NCSY (National Conference of Synagogue Youth). The reaction of the following young woman, now a student at the university of her home state, is not uncommon; she was just kind enough to commit it to writing:

“The book you sent me [Why Marry Jewish] is excellent. I have this guy friend who wants to date me. I explained the whole religious thing and he went off about how irrational that is and how he’d love me and wouldn’t “interfere” with my religion. I received the book on Saturday, and, of all things, he read it. It was amazing; he understood afterwards. I have to say, it came at a perfect time. It’s really good. I know you were hoping I’d never need it but it proved very useful.”

The last line of her note is very telling: I didn’t actually expect her to need it. While not from an Orthodox background, this is a girl from a home with strong Jewish values. Through her involvement in NCSY, she had also developed certain sensitivities to Torah. One would not have thought her seriously at risk of intermarriage. But the young man interested in dating her was apparently sincere and persistent. How does a modern Jew say no to an offer of honest affection? Why Marry Jewish not only presents the case to Jews who may need the facts, it can also convey the message to the non-Jewish significant other in terms that a young man or young woman in an already conflicted state may not be able to convey.

One quibble that readers of Jewish Action might have with Why Marry Jewish is precisely the thing that makes it so effective with its intended audience: the scarcity of traditional Jewish sources. Even when presenting our position to non-believers, we still feel better when we know we are grounded in Torah. Some Biblical sources do surface in the appendix, but they are interspersed among modern quotes from Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin, Herman Wouk and Reform Rabbi Janet Marder. Readers who desire more traditional resources will effectively be left to their own devices.

In 1972, CBS ran a short-lived sitcom called Bridget Loves Bernie. The comical premise was a (stereotypical) Catholic girl married to a(n equally stereotypical) Jewish boy. A mere thirty years ago, that was considered a provocative premise, and the show actually offended some viewers’ sensibilities. Intermarriage was a scandalous concept, but even then it was a threat to Jewish continuity (as well as a violation of Deuteronomy, chapter 7 and an affront to Bubby). Nowadays, society accepts intermarriage as the norm and condemns those who oppose it.

For too long we’ve been on the defensive when it comes to intermarriage. Why Marry Jewish gives those on the frontlines some much-needed ammunition to address this issue proactively.

This review first appeared in The Jewish Action.