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Title: One People, Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues That Divide Them by Ammiel Hirsch, Yosef Reinman, Yaakov Yosef Reinman ISBN: 0805241914 Publisher: Schocken Books Pub. Date: 20 August, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.43
Rating: 5
Summary: Great!
Comment: Excellent book. A must read for those interested in seeing how Reform and Judaism are truly two different religions.
Rating: 3
Summary: too one sided: not really a debate
Comment: This book was apparently supposed to be a debate between an Orthodox rabbi and a Reform rabbi. Although this book was certainly easy to read, it didn't quite live up to its promise, and here's why: only one side was debating the most important issues. The Orthodox rabbi (Reinman) was simply a better debater, because rather than being enmeshed in trivia, he consistently focused on the most important theological issues separating Orthodox from Reform, such as the divine authorship (or lack thereof) of the Torah and the divine role in post-Biblical Jewish law.
By contrast, the Reform rabbi (Hirsch) gave these issues short shrift, focusing to a much greater extent on the intracacies of Israeli politics and other matters that I (and Reinman) consider relatively trivial. For example, after Reinman spent six pages trying to debunk the idea that the Torah was written by multiple authors, Hirsch responds in a paragraph or two (p. 245). Reinman wrote the perfect response to Hirsch's discussion of the obnoxious behavior of some of Israel's Orthodox politicians: "I do not know much about what goes on in Israeli politics, nor do I care to find out. Spare me." ((p. 300).
It as almost as if Hirsch and Reinman were trying to prove entirely separate points: while Reinman tries to persuade us that we should all be Orthodox, Hirsch tries to persuade us that some Orthodox Jews don't live up to their ideals and others aren't particularly good citizens. As one or two other reviewers indicated, someone who read this book with minimal knowledge would certainly be swayed towards the Orthodox point of view, precisely because Reinman focuses on the key theological issues and Hirsch doesn't.
Does this mean Reinman is right? No, only that he was virtually unopposed on some issues. I dare say that the right opponent could have given Reinman a much more difficult time. (I am not knowledgeable enough to express an opinion as to who "the right opponent" would be).
A side point: on non-theological, non-halachic issues, Reinman's position should not be considered "THE Orthodox position." For example, many Orthodox Jews are far more supportive of Israel and of Zionism than is Reinman (who seems to believe that a somewhat secular Israel is only slightly, if at all, better than no Israel at all).
Rating: 5
Summary: Wonderful
Comment: It is a must for read for every jew if interested in staying jewish
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Title: The New Rabbi: A Congregation Searches for Its Leader by Stephen Fried ISBN: 0553801031 Publisher: Bantam Books Pub. Date: 13 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: A Book of Life: Embracing Judaism As a Spiritual Practice by Michael Strassfeld ISBN: 0805241248 Publisher: Schocken Books Pub. Date: 13 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $28.00 |
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Title: The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations by Jonathan Sacks ISBN: 0826414435 Publisher: Continuum Pub Group Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Michael B. Oren ISBN: 0195151747 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: June, 2002 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: If a Place Can Make You Cry: Dispatches from an Anxious State by Daniel Gordis ISBN: 1400046130 Publisher: Crown Pub Pub. Date: 15 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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