We shouldn't be afraid to argue

The JC- Book review

12 July 2007

What do Jews Believe, Edward Kessler, Granta Books

Jewish Thought- an Introduction, Oliver Leaman, Routledge

It is always entertaining to see what others think of us, but not half as much fun as when we write about ourselves. These two books attempt to work out what Jews think.

Kessler’s book is part of a series entitled, “What Do We Believe?” which covers the major religions plus, intriguingly, existentialists and Zionists. It is aimed at the beginner, asking in what way Jewish beliefs affect a Jewish way of life. Kessler does not apologise for portraying his people as so diverse as to be unclassifiable.

There are factual chapters on history, practice and the content of the Torah. But it is obvious he itches to get to what really engages him: snapshots of different Jewish approaches where both he and the reader can share the fun. He is nothing if not eccentric. His “Varieties of Belief” chapter gives pen portraits of the Chief Rabbi, Woody Allen and Andrea Dworkin. The Pesach story is told in rhyme. A quote about Isaiah, “the quintessential Jew”, carries the punchline: “his full name was Isaiah Berlin”.

Leaman’s fresh, dynamic and beautifully researched book is a more philosophical endeavour, written for the more informed and academic reader. His interest is in exploring debate. Maimonides and Levinas are the important voices for him. But he confronts the same dilemmas as Kessler: what do Jews actually think and believe?

For Leaman, Judaism’s uniqueness lies in its having no defining principles. Instead, he sees its development growing around core controversies, which re-emerge over time, and it is the continual re-engagement with these that define Judaism.

Every statement leads to a counter-statement and at times his ever-deepening wells of argument are exhausting. His challenging conclusion is that all we have for the future is “a continuing dialogue with the texts and an avoidance of fear”.

We cannot pin down the dogma of Judaism. What we need to do is learn to stop worrying about that and celebrate it instead — with more argument and debate.