Customer Reviews

Does the World Need the Jews

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After reading the first half of this book, I was almost ready for put it down for good. Gordis starts by going on (and on and on) about how if only Jews were different from everyone else they'd assimilate less and survive more - not necessarily a bad point, but one unlikely to change anyone's mind and one which has been made with more verve elsewhere. People who already agree with him are likely to learn nothing new and the people who don't are likely to say to themselves, "So what?"

But in the second half of this book Gordis goes from blandly asserting Jews should be "different" in some unspecified way, to explaining how modern Jews can use Jewish tradition to analyze specific issues like abortion - and when he does, this book comes to life (though I wish his treatment of social issues was a bit more detailed; for example, his treatment of capital punishment could be a bit more balanced).

And I especially liked his discussion of relations between the Diaspora and Israel; Gordis gives a balanced discussion both of traditional commentators who unequivocally assert that Jews belong in and those of who are more skeptical.

Not Gordis' very best book, but important and timely just the same. Worth being in your library.