A powerful look at Jewish politics and culture urges Jews not to abandon their liberal values despite the persistence and recent resurgence of anti-Semitism.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
A Painful Truth:
This is a short, well-written book, but it was not a quick read. Prof. Wisse pulls no punches and what she has to say hurts. Every Liberal Jew and every Liberal who is not a Jew should read this book. Liberals live in fantasy land. The world is not filled with reasonable folks just waiting to negotiate a "just peace", or anything else, for that matter. For much of humanity, hate is a steady diet and, as Prof. Wisse points out, when liberals deny what underlies much of human conduct, they are simply trying... more info
Telling it like it is to Jewish liberals:
The contemptible practice of selling one's own people out in order to court favor with others is sadly not strange to Jewish history. Ruth Wisse is a tremendously sensible and solid thinker who analyzes the condition of Jewish liberalism and finds it wanting. The case she makes for Jews having the courage to stand for their own interests especially in regard to the defense of Israel rather than curry favor in the eyes of those whose favor they will not have anyway, is very strong. I think that she also... more info
Still relevant after twelve years:
For quite a while, most Jews, especially European Jews, have been liberals. It is easy to understand why. As the author explains, liberals believe in a rational approach to political questions, individual freedom, progress, and cultural pluralism. Jewish emancipation appeared to require liberalism. Wisse points out that there is a problem with all this. Where were the liberals when Jews were slaughtered in World War Two? And where are they now, when antizionists threaten them? Just prior to World War... more info
