Customer Reviews

What Do Jews Believe?: The Spiritual Foundations of Judaism

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David Ariel , in "What Do Jews Believe" gives a balanced account of the evolution of Jewish thought and beliefs, demonstrating that Judaism is a living, changing system, always renewing itself. Each chapter covers a different concept: God, the problem of good and evil, mitzvot, prayer, Jewish identity, and starting with the Torah, traces the development of those concepts in the Talmud and among the various sages and schools in Jewish history right up to the present. The book, though an overview, is by necessity deep reading , yet I can think of no other which has succeeded in presenting such an enormous and difficult topic so clearly and fairly. One is left with an awe of and appreciation for Judaism's capacity for creative diversity, while remaining grounded in scripture and history. I consider this book a must for one's personal library.

The most lucid explanation of the basic ideas of Judaism I've ever read. Reccomended for the scholar and the layman. Be sure to read the ethical will to Dr. Ariel's children.

I like the book because it presents belief and history across the spectrum of Jewish thought. It doesn't say some Jews believe this.. some Jews believe that. Ariel explains why Jews believe what they believe and those beliefs evolved.

First, I should point out that I am not Jewish; nor am I an expert on Judaism. I read this book because I wanted to learn more about Judaism. So, I am not qualified to comment on the accuracy of the information in this book; nor am I in a position to tell if the writing is objective or biased towards a particular viewpoint. All I can comment on is how informative and how "readable" the book is.

The aim of the book is to give an overview of Jewish religious doctrines, in all of their complexity and variations. And they ARE quite complex and varied. The author devotes a lot of space to discussing the various ways that Jews have understood their religion throughout history. He addresses the many doctrinal debates and competing perspectives within Judaism; and appears to do so fairly evenhandedly (though, again, I am not really in a position to judge his objectivity). The book is packed full of information. In fact, it almost has too much information (if that is possible). It's very informative; but it can be rather dense at times. I often found myself having to re-read certain paragraphs in order to fully digest the information. This is not light, casual reading for someone who is only mildly curious about Judaism. I would recommend it only for those who have a strong interest in the subject.

But it IS very informative. I feel that I have learned a lot about Judaism from reading it; so I'm glad I got the book. On the other hand, it's so densely packed with information that my brain just can't seem to process it all into an orderly framework. I'm still not quite sure I fully understand what Jews believe. But I know more than I did.

There are more than five million Jews in America, and everyone knows of many famous people in this society who are Jewish, but most people in the U.S. today probably do not know much about what Jews believe. I certainly didn't learn much about Judaism as I grew up in rural Michigan and rural Texas.

David Ariel has written this volume outlining basic Jewish beliefs. The author asserts that there is a rubric of "sacred myths" that unites all Jews, and that Judaism is a set of evolving beliefs about God and life. This book lays out Jewish views on creation, humanity, ethics, good and evil, the afterlife, the Torah, and many other topics. Also discussed is the Jewish view of the Messiah and how Judaism differs from Christianity.

"What Do Jews Believe" is a good, not-too-long, not-too-short volume that should satisfy non-Jews who would like to gain a basic understanding of Judaism.

This book is excellent for those who wish to understand the heart of Judaism. For the longest time, those who are not jews have greatly misunderstood the beliefs and practices of the jewish faith, leading to blood bath after blood bath. Ariel presents the variation and beauty of jewish beliefs spanning accross many centuries all the way upto to our own. His presentation is informative and concise so that it is easy to understand. A great read for anyone who is interested in Judaism or the beliefs of of jews.

This book was a simply fantastic read. I feel it really captures the development, and belief system of ancient and modern Judaism. Would recommend to anyone learning about Judaism.

Timely ! Came just as advertised and saved a lot of money. Used it immediately and the book was very menaingful and informative