Customer Reviews

Why Be Jewish?

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

 

 

This little book is a beautiful read. He describes the essential ideas, attitudes, and perceptions of Judaism with eloquent, if not poetic, language that touches the heart. I am not religious or observant, but I am seeking to find my own spirituality within Judaism. This book goes straight to the heart of Juadaism. I highly recommend it.

I loved this book! In a very few pages, it gives you a sense of why the author, and by extension anyone else, would want to be a Jew. Moreover, the book is written in a beautifully lyric prose, which was beautiful & easy to read. I would love to mass produce this book & give it to every non-Orthodox Jew as well as anyone thinking of conversion. What a treat!

I read this book a long time ago, but I remember how much I liked it. If you ever need to tell somebody why you enjoy being Jewish, you should tell them to read this little book.

The author answers the question "Why Be Jewish?" in three organized and artfully written sections from a non-sectarian Jewish perspective. The reading is easy yet insightful and intelligent. I'd recommend this book to anyone considering conversion to Judaism as well as family and friends of the convert. (Of course, conversion to Judaism is a highly personal, serious task and is not encouraged.) Furthermore, the book does not replace a halachic (Jewish law) authority, and anyone with questions should contact their local orthodox rabbi.

Wolpe takes forever to answer the question, "Why Be Jewish." One must first plow through mounds of fluffy and cute prose -- much of it sounding like a bad imitation of Abraham Joshua Heschel. Wolpe waits until the last paragraph of the final chapter to answer the question, but give an answer that can only be described as insipid. Mr. Wolpe apparently believes that the reason to be Jewish is that one should be good and joyful and help the world and be one with God. Sorry, Mr. Wolpe, that is not a reason to be Jewish. That is a reason to be an ethical monotheist, which is all that Wolpe's "Judaism" amounts to. A banal and disappointing work.

If you like long-winded fluff, this book is for you. He says absolutely nothing that a person couldn't say about any other religion or philosophy. this book doesn't make me want to be Jewish.