Can Judaism be saved from its most dangerous currents?
That’s the question Rabbi Arthur Green poses in this urgent exploration of the spiritual and ethical challenges facing Judaism today. Green examines the tension between universalist values and exclusivist tendencies across Jewish history, showing this tension’s roots in biblical, rabbinic, mystical, and Hasidic teachings.
Green challenges us to confront the darker currents within Jewish history and thought while embracing the universal truths of freedom, equality, and human dignity that lie at the heart of the Torah. He envisions a Judaism that transcends narrow nationalism and exclusivity, offering a path of service to humanity and the world.
Can Judaism Be Saved? invites readers to engage in a bold and necessary conversation about the future of Jewish identity, the role of Israel, and the moral responsibilities of the Jewish people.
“Art Green has long been one of the most significant spiritual teachers of our generation. His towering scholarship is matched by his creative leadership. He has now added a prophetic voice to his spiritual mission by offering a searing critique of the religious pretenses of the current Israeli government of messianists and racists, grounding his critique in Jewish texts and theology, in Jewish history and memory. His Torah is a convincing religious and political alternative to the teachings of Rav Kook and Rabbi Meir Kahane’s fanatical followers. He writes with clarity and precision, with the urgency required by the religious crisis that implicates both Judaism and the Jewish people. He offers an alternative vision that is compelling and humanistic, deeply rooted in Jewish teachings and in the best that Judaism has to offer to its adherents — and to the world.”
–Dr. Michael Berenbaum, Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, American Jewish University, editor, A Shattered World: Jews and Israel After October 7
“At a moment when so many Jews are disillusioned with the presentation of Judaism in American Jewish life and with the political direction of the Israeli government, Arthur Green, one of our great scholars and teachers, shows us a different path: how Judaism’s religious teachings can lead us to a Zionism of peace and a commitment to foster diversity and overcome exclusivity.”
–Dr. Susannah Heschel, Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, author, The Aryan Jesus: Christian Theologians and the Bible in Nazi Germany
“This is an enormously courageous and important book. With characteristic eloquence, spiritual depth, and intellectual honesty, Green deals with the urgent religious and political crisis that now faces us. He reminds us of the theological and moral hazards of reducing Judaism to national identity or sovereignty, and, drawing upon a lifetime of rich experience and considered reflection, he outlines a path for renewing Jewish life after October 7th. Green’s work is more than a must-read: it will be an indispensable companion for anyone grappling with the meaning of spiritual and civic engagement in our day.”
–Rabbi Dr. Ariel Evan Mayse, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Stanford University, author, Laws of the Spirit: Ritual, Mysticism, and the Commandments in Early Hasidism
Rabbi Dr. Arthur Green is a historian of Jewish mysticism and a theologian. Green retired in 2022 as rector of the Hebrew College Rabbinical School, which he founded in 2003. His most recent works include a translation of the Hasidic classic, The Light of the Eyes (Stanford, 2020), and Judaism for the World: Reflections on God, Life, and Love (Yale, National Jewish Book Award, 2020)
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