The Jewish Political Tradition: Volume Two: Membership [Paperback]

Michael Walzer (Editor), Mr. Menachem Lorberbaum (Editor), Mr. Noam J. Zohar (Editor), Ari Ackerman (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Jewish Political Tradition | Publication Date: May 15, 2006

“The series to which this book belongs is unprecedented. . . . Every one of the chapters enacts a debate that should have a living resonance, not just for Jews, although obviously for them, but for everyone with a historical sense and a political conscience.”—Hilary Putnam, Boston Review

 “A vast and important resource which will be consulted for years to come by all interested in any aspect of Judaism and Jewish history.”—Ira Robinson, Journal of Religion & Culture (praise for the series)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A vast and important resource which will be consulted for years to come by all interested in any aspect of Judaism and Jewish history." Ira Robinson, Journal of Religion & Culture (praise for the series) "The series to which this book belongs is unprecedented... Every one of the chapters enacts a debate that should have a living resonance, not just for Jews, although obviously for them, but for everyone with a historical sense and a political conscience." Hilary Putnam, Boston Review"

From the Publisher

Also available: The Jewish Political Tradition, Volume 1: Authority --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (May 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300115733
• ISBN-13: 978-0300115734
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,533,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful analysis of "who is a Jew" and more, December 11, 2007

By 

israelmaven (Brookline, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Jewish Political Tradition: Volume Two: Membership (Paperback)

This book is a collaboration of two dozen very smart scholars -- mainly philosophers, lawyers and political scientists -- who mined the Jewish tradition for writings on the question of membership. It is a wonderful resource for exploring the nature of the perennial "who is a Jew" question as well as questions about conversion, gender inequality and heresy. The most politically relevant section is the final one, which looks at Jews' relationship with gentiles and closes with a fascinating review of sources considering the status of non-Jews in the State of Israel.

The book's selections are well-chosen and well-edited, though some seem cut a bit too short (inevitable, I suppose, in such a wide-ranging compendium). The interpretive essays on each reading are gems of insight that will keep you thinking and talking. The Jewish Political Tradition would be a wonderful book for discussion in an adult Jewish education class.