Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
What does it mean to be a Jew? As intermarriage, political upheaval, and new forms of spirituality spread, venerable answers to this question have become unsettled. In Bad Jew, the legal scholar and columnist Noah Feldman draws on his Jewish studies scholarship and his religious education to offer a new account of Judaism in its contemporary varieties. How have Jews understood their relationship to God, to Israel, and to each other--and lived their lives accordingly? Writing sympathetically but incisively about diverse outlooks, Feldman clarifies what's at stake in the choice of how to be a Jew, and discusses the "theology of struggle" that lies at the heart of Jewish belief (and unbelief). He shows how the founding of Israel has transformed Jewish life over the last century--and explores the tricky consequences of that transformation for all Jews, including for those who insist that eternal Judaism should not be so intertwined with an actually existing state. And he examines the analogies between being Jewish and belonging to a large, messy family--a family that continues to struggle with God, or the idea of God, together.
Ranging from ancient rabbis and Maimonides to contemporary revisers of the faith, from messianic expectations to the old teaching that there is no such thing as a "bad Jew," Feldman's book offers a novel view of the rewards and dilemmas of contemporary Jewish life.
Synopsis
A leading thinker's witty, wide-ranging journey to understanding what it means to be a Jew today.
What does it mean to be a Jew? As intermarriage, political upheaval, and new forms of spirituality spread, venerable answers to this question have become unsettled. In Bad Jew, the legal scholar and columnist Noah Feldman draws on his Jewish studies scholarship and his religious education to offer a new account of Judaism in its contemporary varieties. How have Jews understood their relationship to God, to Israel, and to each other--and lived their lives accordingly? Writing sympathetically but incisively about diverse outlooks, Feldman clarifies what's at stake in the choice of how to be a Jew, and discusses the "theology of struggle" that lies at the heart of Jewish belief (and unbelief). He shows how the founding of Israel has transformed Jewish life over the last century--and explores the tricky consequences of that transformation for all Jews, including for those who insist that eternal Judaism should not be so intertwined with an actually existing state. And he examines the analogies between being Jewish and belonging to a large, messy family--a family that continues to struggle with God, or the idea of God, together.
Ranging from ancient rabbis and Maimonides to contemporary revisers of the faith, from messianic expectations to the old teaching that there is no such thing as a "bad Jew," Feldman's book offers a novel view of the rewards and dilemmas of contemporary Jewish life.
Synopsis
A leading public intellectual's timely reckoning with how Jews can and should make sense of their tradition and each other.
What does it mean to be a Jew? At a time of worldwide crisis, venerable answers to this question have become unsettled. In To Be a Jew Today, the legal scholar and columnist Noah Feldman draws on a lifelong engagement with his religion to offer a wide-ranging interpretation of Judaism in its current varieties. How do Jews today understand their relationship to God, to Israel, and to each other--and live their lives accordingly?
Writing sympathetically but incisively about diverse outlooks, Feldman clarifies what's at stake in the choice of how to be a Jew, and discusses the shared "theology of struggle" that Jews engage in as they wrestle with who God is, what God wants, or whether God exists. He shows how the founding of Israel has transformed Judaism itself over the last century--and explores the ongoing consequences of that transformation for all Jews, who find the meaning of their Jewishness and their views about Israel intertwined, no matter what those views are. And he examines the analogies between being Jewish and belonging to a large, messy family--a family that often makes its members crazy, but a family all the same. Written with learning, empathy and clarity, To Be a Jew Today is a critical resource for readers of all faiths.