The purpose of this book is to stimulate imagination and activate energy and idealism in a Jewish contextto inspire the development of a 21st century Jewish paradigm as compelling as the 20th century Jewish paradigm that created the State of Israel and the extraordinary institutional structure of Diaspora Jewry. The 20th century model of Jewish life is no longer attractive or compelling for a growing number of young Jews (in Israel as well as in the Diaspora). The core theme of the book is that the global reality of the 21st century provides Israel and the Diaspora with the means to enable the self-actualization of the Jewish individual. The book suggests concrete ways and means by which the Jews might reinvent themselves and build a future that is noble and good, secure and flourishing, meaningful and worthwhile.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
A book all who care about the wellbeing of Israel and the Jewish people should read:
The author opens in his preface by saying, "The purpose of this book is to stimulate imagination and activate energy and idealism in a Jewish context". He hopes to provide a vision of the Jewish future which will as he says 'build a new Jewish paradigm for the twenty- first century'.
I read a lot of books on Jewish subjects and found the idealism and inventiveness of the effort made here truly refreshing. The book is rich in description and analyses of the Jewish and most specifically Israeli... more info
review from Progressive Jew:
Given the immense challenges facing the Jewish people today, a book entitled "The Optimistic Jew" would seem to be either a bad joke or wishful thinking. But it isn't. The title and the content grew from decades of deep thinking and study by futurist Tsvi Bisk, who points to a truly possible future for the Jews -- if we dare to hope for one and commit to making it happen. The author isn't stuck on his version of a future, and invites the reader to create a positive future that includes her/his own... more info
A Reason to be Optimistic:
With the sobering predictions from successive American Jewish population studies, it's easy to become pessimistic about whether it's going to be worth it in the long run to raise an increasingly smaller new generation with a strong Jewish identity. Is there a reason for paying thousands of dollars for a child's Jewish education? Unequivocally, yes, says Tsvi Bisk in his new book, The Optimistic Jew (Maxanna Press, 2007). Director of the Center for Strategic Futurist Thinking in Kfar Saba, Israel, Bisk... more info
