Customer Reviews

Suddenly Jewish: Jews Raised as Gentiles Discover Their Jewish Roots (Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture and Life)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

SUDDENLY JEWISH catalogues the personal histories of people raised as non-Jews who learned as adults that they were actually Jewish. Ms. Kessel's theory is that one's religion is basic to one's identity, and she wanted to investigate the shock these people experienced when they found out they were fundamentally something different from what they had been taught.

Each of the stories is intriguing since each subject was forced into re-evaluating his identity upon learning this information. We all as children imagine we have been adopted and wonder who our "real" parents are; these people discovered that their histories had been adopted, and now were faced with learning who they really were.

SUDDENLLY JEWISH is different from so many of the narratives we've seen lately that focus on one individual ( like Kati Marton) learning he/she is "suddenly Jewish." This book is refreshing in that it covers the stories of many people--we get the highlights without all the filler.

I def. recommend it not only to people interested in Jewish topics, but to people interested in books on identity.

Barbara Kessel has written an amazing book about individuals who are raised as Gentiles and discover their Jewish roots. She manages to weave many diverse interviews into her book, and manages to somehow connect all these smoothly. The result is a fascinating look at how individuals were told of their Jewish roots, and the wide range of reactions to this news.

The entire book revolves around questions of identity. What is it to be a Jew? Can you be "half-Jewish"? Is Judaism a religion, a race, a culture - or all of the above? What if you know you are Jewish but you lack the documentation to prove it - do you convert? Why do some latch on to the revelation that they're Jewish, while others shrug and say that it doesn't change anything for them? Can you ever really BE Jewish if you were raised with Christian theology - or will you always be playing "catch-up" with Jews who went to Hebrew school and have a lifetime of memories of holidays and bar/bat mitzvahs?

This book was such an enticing read, I could hardly put it down. However, the most fascinating chapter for me was the last, for in it the author discusses the possibility of "collective unconscious" - that a group-specific unconscious memory from the Jews present at Sinai is passed through generations as sort of a genetic memory. This phenomenon could be one possible explanation for why one who seems drawn to Judaism later learns he has Jewish roots. Or maybe there's another reason for these "coincidences."

Barbara Kessel has written a compelling book on Judaism and identity. I highly recommend this book for anyone - Jewish or not. I see that it would also be helpful for anyone undergoing a conversion to another religion or one who is grappling with questions of identity.

An absolutely fascinating account of a contemporary Jewish experience whose collective reverberations are recorded here for the very first time! I had always assumed that these instances were few and far apart, and was staggered to read how much more commonplace they were than I originally thought.

Ms. Kessel buttresses the true accounts with sharp, penetrating insights of her own combined with gentle compassion and heartfelt wisdom.

A must-read for anyone interested in the question of what constitutes identity, and the endless human yearning for it.

While there are many works that address Jewish identity from any number of perspectives (sociological, theological, etc.), this work studies it from a new perspective: through the analysis of case studies of people who discovered their Jewish roots as adults. The author pays particular attention to the "crypto-Jews" who are descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jews, Holocaust survivors, and the "hidden children" of the Holocaust. She is non-judgemental in her approach, seeking to understand how each individual came into contact with his/her Judaism, and their reactions to their new status. The book's final chapter is an intelligent analysis of Jewish identity in light of the case studies presented.

Suddenly Jewish is an intriguing look into the struggles of building identity when you don't have the whole story. The author presents the issues in a way that the reader feels they are right in the mind of the person discovering their Jewishness. This book would be of interest to anyone interested in the study of identity building and human behavior. I found the book fascinating and had a hard time putting it down to go to sleep at night!

I am not the kind who reads a book in one sitting no matter how good, but I could not stop reading Suddenly Jewish. The stories were so moving, I felt I was meeting these people in person, and I deeply identified with the theme of how they desperately wanted to know who they really were. Reading this book, I felt as though I made dozens of new friends - intelligent, thoughtful, sensitive, likeable people. Read it!

The author introduces you into the inner lives of the interviewees with mastery ease.They share with her and the reader their traumatic experiences,meanwhile you follow intensely their voyage to the discovery of their selves.I just couldn't stop reading it.These stories made me weep and smile.The book it's about self negation,self disconnection and justified and unjustifed fears on one side but also about self discovery,renewal and bravery on the other side.

I very much enjoyed this work - a well sewn quilt of disparate pieces craftily held together by the author's commentary and observations. I was especially impressed by those who were moderate in their approach - such as Rosemary on page 94 "Israel didn't feel like home, but I was glad I went." (Maybe less "suddenly" than others.) I never can take fully seriously the "big bang theory" -- something like "I saw a corned beef sandwhich, and that moment I knew I was Jewish. I gave myself a bris, bought a black hat, a minivan and a yarmulke and ...."

Enjoy.

Barbara Kessel tells the story of one- hundred and sixty people she interviewed who ' discovered' their Jewishness. There are four categories, Crypto-Jews ( Sephardic Jews descendant from those driven from Spain during the Inquistion) hidden children( Children whose identity was disguised from them while they were hidden during the Holocaust) Survivors ( Children of Survivors of the Holocaust whose parents tried to hide their identity from them) and Adoptees.
As the Jewish people is a small people who has lost so many in history to persecution and assimilation there is a special sense of 'joy' at the return of those who could be conceived of as lost.
This is an important introductory work on an important subject.
One reader however wisely suggests another category of 'hidden Jews'. Those children of mixed marriages whose parents have raised them without any Jewish heritage or tradition. Certainly they present the largest number of those who might ' discover their identity' . Such discovery however in Jewish terms means more than saying 'Eureka' it involves a learning process by which the individual comes to understand Jewish teaching and law- and decides to practice it, and thus live Jewishly in a full way.

Reading "Suddenly Jewish" I found myself alternately laughing and crying. The stories were so moving. Each of the four categoris (Hidden Children of the Holocaust, Children of Holocaust Survivors, Adoptees, Crypto-Jews) was different but what they had in common was an insistence on truth. I believe that people have an inner voice telling them who they are, and this book confirmed my belief. It was a wonderful read,both serious and enormously entertaining.