What Is Judaism?: An Interpretation for the Present Age (Library of Jewish Philosophy) [Paperback]

Emil L. Fackenheim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999 | Series: Library of Jewish Philosophy

Emil Fackenheim is one of the country's most distinguished philosophers. In this highly readable volume, he presents both an introduction to Judaism and an analysis of its essence in light of the Holocaust and the creation of the state of Israel.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the wake of the Holocaust, the eminent philosopher (The Jewish Return into History: Reflections in the Age of Auschwitz & a New Jerusalem, etc.), a Holocaust survivor, seeks to "chart a path for a future Judaism." The disappointing result is a curious, neither seminal nor comprehensive, overview of Judaism past and present. Peppered with midrashic stories, the work wrestles with uncomfortable traditional concepts like that of the chosen people, and contrives links between historical episodes and the Holocaust (Nazism, for example, is described as a modern idolatry; during the three weeks preceding the Six-Day War, Jews, he claims, were threatened by a second Holocaust). Readers may find Fackenheim severe and condescending: he considers any human being to be less than human and any Jew less than Jewish who, aware of the Holocaust, has not imagined himself or herself in a cattlecar at least once; he gears the book toward "amcha," the "ordinary Jewish folk who may not be learned or saintly but are far from frivolous, unintelligent, unwilling to learn and . . . thoughtless"). Jewish Book Club alternate.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Author of nine books and over 100 articles, Fackenheim is one of the most distinguished Jewish philosophers of our time. In this lucid and readable volume he presents both an introduction to Judaism and an analysis of its essence in light of the Holocaust and the creation of the state of Israel. Beginning with the religious situation of the Jew today, he examines such concepts as Jewish peoplehood, Zionism, God, and the Bible; such issues as anti-Semitism, assimilation, and the relationship between Judaism and other religions; and the meaning of prayer, repentance, and the Messiah for today's Jew. Throughout, Fackenheim clarifies his points with both personal reminiscences and reference to the Midrash and Jewish legend. Highly recommended. Maurice Tuchman, Hebrew Coll. Lib., Brookline, Mass.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Syracuse Univ Pr (Sd); 1 edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815606230
• ISBN-13: 978-0815606239
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,420,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction in modern Judaism, April 2, 2000

By 

J. G. Butti (7776 AG Slagharen Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What Is Judaism?: An Interpretation for the Present Age (Library of Jewish Philosophy) (Paperback)

This is a book that should be thoroughly studied by everyone who wants to learn something not only about modern Judaism, but also about modern Christianity. It gives a broad introduction in aspects of jewish tradition and life nowadays, as well as it is an excellent example of modern jewish hermeneutics. This book should be required reading in every theological education.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Uneffective, February 12, 2006

By 

D. Mckenzie - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What Is Judaism?: An Interpretation for the Present Age (Library of Jewish Philosophy) (Paperback)

Possibly owing to fact that I have no religious background especially in Judaism, I found this book a disaster. You truly need to be Jewish to understand over half the book. He rarely if ever explains most of the hebrew terms he is using so you are left in the dark about there meaning and importance. He jumps around a lot and rarely seems to have a cohesive idea that is easily discerneable.