PRAISE FOR JEW VS. JEW
"Samuel Freedman's Jew vs. Jew is an able and fascinating account of the religious ferment, and the conflicts, among American Jews today. He has listened especially to the young adults in their living rooms and in their synagogues, so that he can tell us about their quarrels and their hopes. This is the book that I have long wanted to read."--Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, author of The Jews in America
"From Sam Freedman's eloquent and fair new book, there emerges a provocative picture of the Jewish community in America that has both flourished in the unprecedented freedom and acceptance this country has provided and been divided and diminished by that freedom. I read the book as a challenge to the religiously observant to remember two fundamental lessons Judaism teaches: love of, not just tolerance for, their fellow human beings and involvement in, not withdrawal from, the broader American community which has given them such an extraordinary opportunity to thrive."--Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
"In Jew vs. Jew, Sam Freedman gives an informed and sympathetic account with an eye for the telling detail. E. pluribus urnum, the noblest of American ideals, lands differently on every group included in the pluribus. This account of how it has landed on the Jews will be of interest to every reader concerned about the future of the ideal itself."--Jack Miles, author of God: A Biography, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
"Jew vs. Jew holds a mirror up to our community’s behavior, concerns, passions, and mishigas, revealing -- through riveting case histories and personal stories -- the issues and idiosyncracies that are tearing us apart. It is rare to encounter a book that is both fun to read and deeply sobering, a book that leaves one pondering whether there is such a thing as a Jewish soul, and, more importantly, a Jewish future."--Letty Cottin Pogrebin, author of Deborah, Golda, and Me
"After centuries of persecutions and pogroms, about one-half of the Jewish people in the world have finally found acceptance and prosperity in America. But their demons have not disappeared. This book dramatizes the agonies and the aspirations of those who were born into the faith of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This volume is filled with the moving personal stories of those who have to choose between faith and secularism. Jew vs. Jew is filled with insights and challenges for both believers and non-believers. It is meticulously researched, persuasively written, and amazingly readable."--Robert F. Drinan, S.J., Professor of Law, Georgetown University
"Samuel Freedman brings the abundances of his intelligence, integrity, and empathy to bear on the contradictory soul of the American Jew. The result is a book that is compellingly absorbing, salutarily disturbing, an inspiring model of informed objectivity and honesty."--Rebecca Goldstein, author of Mazel, winner of the National Jewish Book Award
Reviews of Jew Versus Jew