Jews Without Judaism: Conversations With an Unconventional Rabbi Paperback

Description: Jews Without Judaism: Conversations With an Unconventional Rabbi Paperback – April 1, 2002 by Daniel Friedman (Author) "It may fairly be said that religion plays virtually no part in the lives of most American Jews." So begins Daniel Friedman's provocative discussion of American Judaism. Friedman, a rabbi for almost forty years, has counseled thousands of Jews on the meaning of being Jewish. From this wealth of experience he has created this fascinating series of fictional conversations, each of them a distillation of many actual conversations. Should Jews marry outside the faith, and if so, what are the likely consequences? How should Jews cope with anti-Semitism, or evaluate their tense historical relationship with Christianity? Can one be Jewish without being religious; without belief in God; indeed, without Judaism? Are all values relative if one does not believe in God? In contemporary society these timely questions are of great importance to both practicing and nonpracticing Jews. Each of the fictional conversations thoroughly explores these issues with sensitivity and offers much valuable advice culled from Rabbi Friedman's many years of thinking about what it means to be Jewish in a secular age. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly The author of this primer on Jewish humanism is a founder of the Society for Humanistic Judaism and has served since 1965 as the rabbi of Congregation Beth Or, a humanistic temple in Deerfield, Ill. Espousing beliefs that are formally held by only a tiny segment of the Jewish community, Friedman has had many discussions about the unique views of Jewish humanism. In this book, he presents the essence of those deliberations in eight easy-to-read fictional "conversations," which express his understanding of an authentic Jewish stance on many issues that confront American Jews: intermarriage, observance, creation, spirituality, anti-Semitism, Jews and Christians, God, and differences among the Jewish denominations. Friedman consistently advocates a secular approach, denying the existence of an omnipotent God. The autonomous individual, rather than God, is foremost in his view. He insists that "religion plays virtually no part in the lives of most American Jews," even claiming that "Judaism, the religion, came to an end some two hundred years ago." Friedman notes that Jewish culture, history, traditions and holidays should be studied and appreciated from a naturalistic perspective. Although few Jews will agree with Friedman's opinions, he succeeds in clearly and persuasively presenting the attitudes of Jewish humanism. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Review "...a step in the right direction..." -- Humanist in Canada #145, Summer 2003 "excellent introduction to the ways in which being a Jew is readily compatible with being secular and even an atheist." -- About.com Product details Paperback: 108 pages Publisher: Prometheus Books (March 2002) Language: English ISBN-10: 1573929247 ISBN-13: 978-1573929240 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches Shipping Weight: 7 ounces Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars 7 customer reviews Listing and template services provided by inkFrog

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