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Product Details
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Schocken; First American Edition edition (March 5, 2002)
Overall, Gilbert's comprehensive history is dense, yet readable, with the biggest rewards for me coming in the small details. He clearly proves that Jewish history takes place on a much larger stage and with a much grander scale than some might realize. His synopses of Biblical stories are masterfully interwoven with connections to Jewish traditions and practices, contemporary history and people, and even archeology, so that it is never a dry, �facts only� history. Indeed, one of the most fascinating elements of this book is Gilbert�s references to lesser-known Jewish communities, including Chinese Jews, Indian Jews, and my own personal favorite�the Alaskan Jews of Congregation Beth Shalom in Anchorage, who call themselves the Frozen Chosen. Also fascinating are references to Jewish individuals such as many Olympic medallists, other historical figures such as Mahatma Gandi�s secretary in South Africa, and his personal reflections on Jewish holidays and worship. These sorts of details are inspirational, fascinating, and compelling. While comprehensive, this book does have a weakness in that it is not always forthright about the differences between Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and other branches of Judaism regarding faith and practice. Gilbert only occasionally points out those differences, and therein lies the biggest question that this book would raise for a reader who is unfamiliar with the various movements and their traditions. Sometimes, Gilbert simply says �observant Jews,� but never quite explains what he really means by that, or what the different movements�Orthodox vs. Reform, for example�would mean by that.Read more ›
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Letters to Auntie Fori documents Jewish history, faith and tradition in the form of 141 fascinating letters to a woman in India BK Nehru who reveals she is a Jew born in Hungary who would like to know something about her people. Gilbert traces Jewish history and faith from the Creation until the year 2000. It is packed with some very interesting information written in a very interesting way. The way that Gilbert chose to present this history works very well. Gilbert tells Aunt Fori that after Cain slew Abel and G-D, who of course knew of Abel's murder asked Cain where Abel was, Cain answered "Am I my brother's keeper?" According to Jewish tradition the rest of the Bible explains how the answer is yes to teach us that we are all responsible for each other. We learn that the matriarch Rachel, known to the Jews as Rachel Imenu (Rachel our mother) weeps in prayer for the Jewish people. It was giving birth to Joseph's younger brother that Rachel died. Her tomb between Jerusalem and Bethlehem is a holy site fr the Jewish people and for Christians, and has been desecrated by Palestinian mobs several times (which makes it odd that Gilbert says that is also a Muslim holy site). In the section of King David, where Gilbert writes of the psalms David composed, we learn that Natan Scharansky, a Soviet dissident, imprisoned for many years by the Communists, found solace in a small book of psalms which he was able to keep with him, despite the hostility of his Soviet captors. Interesting lesser known facts include the popular legend among Iraqi Jews that King Hoshea of the northern kingdom of Israel was deported by the Assyrians further east all the way to Japan where he became the first Japanese Emperor Oshe, founder of the Japanese imperial house.Read more ›
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A Jewish friend loaned me this book, and I promptly fell in love with it. It's compiled from letters that Martin Gilbert sent to an elderly Indian citizen who'd just learned she was born Jewish in Hungary. I wanted to catch up on Bible history and culture, but I ended up learning so much more.
The letters are short, fascinating, easily readable, and together create a wonderful tapestry of Jewish history and culture, and indeed world history too. Starting with Genesis and creation, Gilbert traces the people of the Bible through fascinating retellings of familiar tales with a wealth of invaluable and fascinating context. As the Jewish people move out beyond their homeland, the letters follow, tracing paths through world history that shed light on life past and present. Jewish culture, and Jewish ties to their homeland, come vividly to life. Historical trials, spiritual study, scientific research, and the response of a people set apart to the changing world around them are all beautifully told, and all in bite-sized, letter-sized, easily digested and truly satisfying pieces.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to see their faith, whatever faith, through opened eyes, and to anyone curious and willing to learn, as I was, about Jewish interpretation of the Bible I love so well.
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This book provides the missing link to the full 5000 years of history--- A kind of "Cliff notes" but wonderful in terms of the ground covered. I recommend it highly to anyone wanting to get a good overview of 5000 years of Jewish history and traditions.
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