Customer Reviews

Menachem Begin: His Life and Legacy

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Hillel Seidman (the author) has experienced Jewish history as few others have. As a survivor of the Holocaust who was active in Polish politics before the war and Israeli after the war, he has a broad and encompassing perspective. As an added facet to his personality he was a religious leader as well. He has a story to tell.

His story is uniquely Jewish - and uniquely honest. He introduces us to former Prime Minister Menachem Begin from the perspective of a friend and follower. He isn't carefull about how he presents his story, he just lets it gush out as it comes to him. Many have written about Menachem Begin but none as compellingly honest as Dr. Hillel Seidman.

There are few Jews today who still share the "survivor" emotion and waultenschaung of Seidman and Begin - and that's a shame. The classical cliche about Jews is: "Two Jews? Three opinions!" Our infighting and devisiveness are legendary. Only one with a real "survivor" perspective is able to say, "Ahavat Yisrael above all".

I highly recommend this book. Meet Menachem Begin.

Seidman does a wonderful job recounting the life of Menachem Begin. He does so from first hand experience from his long standing friendship with Begin. He explodes the myth that Begin was merely a war-mongering radical, and explains what real Zionism meant to him. Explored is the genius that made Begin both poltically controversial and for most of his career unpopular: that is his ability to distinguish potential peace partners from intractible enemies. Begin is portrayed accurately as a true hero to the Jewish people.

A badly needed tribute to the original Likud leader, now sadly lost to history, infrequently remembered and rarely celebrated.

Although physically petite, Menachem Begin was a true giant among statesmen in general, and the Jewish people in particular. This book explains why.