Linked

Linked by Gordon Korman

After a swastika appears in a rural middle school, the school adopts special training classes. After more swastikas appear, the school attracts the notice of a popular vlogger. The talk of anti-semitism also is the opening for a popular boy (Link) to learn from his mother that grandma was an orphan in Europe because her family was killed in the holocaust. The family only found this Jewish ancestry recently. The boys talks to the one Jewish girl at school (who is there because her parents are working on a nearby dinosaur dig). After that discussion, he decides to work towards a Bar Mitzvah at a synagogue in a nearby town. He also attracts other students to a student council meeting where they decide to make a paper chain with a link representing every Jew that died in the holocaust. The project ends up attracting worldwide attention due to the vlogger who has now set up shop in town. They do complete the chain and eventually caught a girl who had done all but the first swastika. However, the vlogger then has one more bombshell. Link, the boy undergoing a bar mitzvah, was the one that painted the first swastika. He is suspended. He is very repentant and makes peace with the school and Jewish community and has all attend his ceremony. 

While Link is well-developed and undergoes realistic growth, other characters are caricatured. The swastika girl suddenly gets a bit of history only to be an unrepentant racist who happens to leave town after getting suspended. (She obviously had spent a lot of effort planning all of these - why is she such a throwaway.) The vlogger was needlessly demonized. Individual students were playing towards type (art club, jock, student government, etc.) rather than being more fully developed. Did the author intend to paint a color character with a black and white supporting cast?

The Wondering Jew: Israel and the Search for Jewish Identity

The Wondering Jew: Israel and the Search for Jewish Identity

This book is an interesting take on religiosity, secularism and the longing for a Jewish identity. The book provides background on Jewish history with the various thinkers. Zionism started as a primarily secular movement to bring together Jewish people. However, they needed buy-in from the Orthodox. This resulted in the orthodox group getting significant influence and control of modern Israel. Today there remain various conflicts between the secular and religious identity. 

Judaism has managed to endure as a significant people and religion for much longer than any of its counterparts. Part of this is due to the study and evolution of the religious teachings. Different interpretations were layered on top of initial writings. These helped the religion adapt to the times. Recently, the orthodox movement has focussed more on keeping to teachings without evolution. The author sees secularism as an attempt to "evolve" Judaism. However, secularists suffer from being too focussed on secularism. They are afraid to look at the past teachings for fear of becoming "religious." There is plenty that both sides can learn from each other. The religion can succeed by adapting to modernity while keeping true to itself. Secularists can be happier by adopting appropriate religion to their life. (The religious tend to be happier.) 

One example that is given is the response to technology. The internet is not mentioned in any Jewish teachings. However, it has a significant impact in our lives. Adopting a "digital sabbath" where people avoid being connected for a day is something that believers and non-believers can adopt.

Jewish identity is different in Israel than in diaspora. In Israel, one is exposed to Judaism all the time. In the diaspora, one needs to work to maintain the Jewish identity. There are different challenges and benefits to each.

Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth

Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth by Jodi Magness

Masada is a legendary Jewish outpost where the people died by suicide rather than be subjugated by the Romans. Or did they? The only source we have for this is the historian Josephus. Archeologists have attempted to gain further insight by exploring the area. Archeology has verified some of the general account, but not necessarily the details. The area was difficult to explore, with a fairly hostile deserrt climate. This has left some areas preserved.

The book explores the archeology and geography of Masada as well as giving a historical background.

The Invention of the Jewish People

The Invention of the Jewish People by Shlomo Sand

Zionists focussed on the return of the "Jewish people". They were viewed as one unchanging homogenous group that traced back to the times of Moses and Abraham. The author attempts to unravel the true history of the Jews. He found little research confirming the events of the Old Testament. He also found that Judaism was a proselytizing religion, with people in many areas converting en masse. Much of the book is spent covering some of these groups. It remains possible that many of the current Jews come from other homelands, while some of the Muslim Palestinians may be descendants of Jews. The takeaway from the author is not to abandon Israel, but instead to treat it as a state for Israelis. He feels that the people should be able to claim Israeli citizenship regardless of their mother's religion. He also finds it ironic that Jews are trying to perform genetic tests to identify "Jewishness". There was been significant movement and intermarriage among all the world's people. The national "myths" associated with countries may not have any genetic ties to the current residents. Does that matter?

The Source: A Novel

The Source: A Novel by James A. Michener

The Source is a very long novel that attempts to tell the history of Israel and Judaism by focussing on one small city. It is framed by the story of an archeological dig. As they uncover more, the story goes into the stories of the lives of those living in the region. It begins with prehistoric times, goes to the birth of Judaism, the many conflicts, the rise of Christianity and finally to the modern Arab-Israeli conflict. It portrays Judaism as not being a static religion, but instead once that has changed to help maintain internal cohesion rather than widespread social acceptance. Christianity and Islam can be seen as branches that have changed instead to be "universal".

Bibi: My Story

Bibi: My Story by Benjamin Netanyahu

You don't have to go very far into this book to understand the way Israel has been responding to Gaza. Netanyahu has grown up as a strong supporter of Israel. Growing up, he lived for two stints in the United States. However, is love was for Israel. He served in the elite part of the Israeli military, and participated in many special operations. His brothers also served, with one dying in a hostage rescue situation. He views Israel as the Jewish homeland. The Jewish have lived there for Millenia. The Arabs had come in a few centuries ago to colonize the land. "Palestinian" was a term to refer to the Jewish residents of the area. The Arabs had later adopted it as their own. He sees the best peace solution as something that starts with the greater Arab world. The residents of Gaza and the west bank may follow.

Aside from the politics, he covers much of his history and his unexpected rise to political power. We also get an understanding of the complex mess that is Israeli politics. 

Moshkeleh the Thief: A Rediscovered Novel

Moshkeleh the Thief: A Rediscovered Novel by Sholom Aleichem

This is a short, self-deprecating novel that give insights into the lives of Eastern European Jews from a century ago. Moshkeleh is a known as the thief and is somewhat outcast from Jewish society. However, people still come ot him when they have problems. The beautiful daughter of a bartender ran away and took up with a Christian in a monastery. The relatives ask Moshkeleh to go bring her back. Little do they know that he has had a crush on her. He goes to the monastery, saying he is an outcast and wants to join them. He meets the girl (who is somewhat homesick) and takes her away. They get married and move elsewhere. She writes back to family to tell them the news. In the story, the author makes plenty of interjections about the story and Jewish life in general during the story.  

Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities

 Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities by Emily Tamkin

American Jews are white, but also a minority. Jewish people will often identify other Jews as "Bad Jews" for different reasons. Neo-cons will see the typical Democrat Jews as going against Jewish needs. Orthodox, Reform and Conservative Jews all have things to criticize for other types of Jews. There is concern about Jews intermarrying and losing their Jewishness. Israelis and Jews from other countries are significantly different from other Jews. Many Jews want to assimilate into American culture and be seen as Americans with a different religion. However, there are also desires to follow other cultures (like blacks) and advocate for the strong Jewish identity. (Jews have been significantly over-represented in the civil rights movement.) Things are complicated. Jews have taken advantage of education opportunities and grown to significant leadership roles in society, yet 20% of Jews live in poverty. Jews have taken hold of the suburban dream, yet are still a bit different. Tropes of rich and stingy Jews remain with concerns of Jews trying to buy religions. Jews are fairly integrated into society, yet still apart. The Jewish place in American (and Jewish) culture is complicated.

The Modern Scholar: The Dead Sea Scrolls: The Truth behind the Mystique

The Modern Scholar: The Dead Sea Scrolls: The Truth behind the Mystique by Lawrence H. Schiffman

There is as much mythology as fact involved with the Dead Sea Scrolls. There was some knowledge of the scrolls before they came to light. A boy did discover them when exploring will wandering in the area - however, he was of a family of relic hunters. The scrolls do have early Jewish history with Messianic prophecies. However, there is no identification of the New Testament data there. The "scrolls" are actually primarily fragments in various conditions.

The Dead Sea Scrolls do give us a view of a Jewish sect from a few millennia ago. They had many of the same records of the Old Testament. The condition was fairly similar to what we have today. They also had their own commentary and historical views. The scrolls allow us to view the society as they saw themselves back then without the interference of historical change. This provides interesting insights that are interesting to Jews and Christians. The professor in these lectures is clearly excited about the scrolls and presents a "big picture" view of some of the scrolls and what they can tell us, without going into excessive detail.

Subculture Vulture: A Memoir in Six Scenes

Subculture Vulture: A Memoir in Six Scenes by Moshe Kasher

Moshe Kasher creates a memoir of his life in "six scenes" which cover subcultures that he has been involved in phases of his life. He was an alcoholic at as a teen and become sober through AA. He was later involved in the Bay Area rave scene, both DJing promoting and selling ecstacy. Burning Man became another key part of his identity as he was involved as an attendee, and an employee. He was raised Jewish, which was an important part of his life (his father became orthodox after his parents divorced.) His parents were deaf, while he and his brother could hear, making him part of the deaf community and involved in translation efforts. Finally, he worked his way up through the comedy scene and has become involved in the comedy scene. There were challenges in each of the areas, as well as plenty of humorous anecdotes. The story of his deaf dad beating up the son of the mafioso stuck in my mind. (The result was the mafioso coming out and punishing his kid for getting beat up by a deaf Jew.) The book reads like a long comedy routine by a stand-up, complete with plenty of self-effacing vulgarity.

Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis

Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis by Susan Hood and Greg Dawson

As the Nazis were coming through Ukraine, the Jewish families were in danger. In the case of two girls, their family had sacrificed themselves so that they could live. The girls assumed new identities as orphans so they could get papers that would not identify them as Jewish. They fled from their town and were close to safety. However, the Nazis heard their talent playing instruments. They ended up performing for officers and were afraid of being identified. Luckily they survived the ordeal and ended up moving to the United States after the war. They kept their story to themselves until one grandchild asked them for their story. That ended up resulting in this book. This is concise personal account of the holocaust in Ukraine.

The Modern Scholar: The History of Ancient Israel: From the Patriarchs Through the Romans

The Modern Scholar: The History of Ancient Israel: From the Patriarchs Through the Romans by Eric H. Cline

The land of Israel has been fought over for a long millenia. In Jewish people have documented their experience extensively in the Hebrew Bible. However, there focus was on the religious message rather than the historical details. Many events occurred long before they were documented. The stories were told primarily to promote religious belief. How much can be relied on as historical fact? Scholars have been all over the place on the factuality, with some saying it is purely allegorical, while others treating it more literally. Eric Cline comes down in the middle. There may be some of both. 

We have found a few records corresponding to some events. However, it may be impossible to validate the historicity of events. The area has been built up numerous times. Some areas are also forbidden to sacred and important to be dug up by archeologists. The Dead Sea scrolls have provided some help. There may also be connections between Christianity and the "mystery religions" of Rome.

Jews, God, and History

Jews, God, and History by Max I. Dimont

This book shows the history of the Jews in context of the greater world. The Jews developed a strong culture, but never developed a lasting civilization. This may be part of the reason why they have survived so long. They have been able to live in many civilizations and take active roles. There were backgrounds in Jewish sects that would later be the roots of Christianity. Similar Jewish influences can be found in Islam. The religion has changed and adapted with the times, while keeping many constants and a strong affinity. 

Jews in the Garden: A Holocaust Survivor, the Fate of His Family, and the Secret History of Poland in World War II

A farmer hid a group of Jews in his farmhouse. They survived almost until the liberation of Poland. However, a group came and and sought out the Jews shortly before the liberators game. This group was not made up of Germans, but instead local Poles. They killed the Jews and attempted to take their riches. Only one young girl survived. Little is known about her fate. This book covers the quest ( a half decade later) to find this missing relative. In process it also unearths details about Poland's past and current conditions.

Poland had a huge Jewish population before World War II. Jews had lived in Poland for centuries and numbered more than 10% of the population. In Warsaw, they made up one third of the population. Now there are just a few thousand Jews in the country. Many were killed during the Holocaust. Poles continue to look down on Jews even though very few remain in the country. Poland also feels that it was victimized in World War II and does not want to admit complacency in killing of Jews. Digging into details of the history of Polish atrocities can be quite the challenge.

Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn

This "concise" history is a 16 hour audiobook. It isn't exactly "concise", but is a good length for what it covers. The book doesn't try to discuss the early history of Israel, instead focussing on modern Israel and the background that caused it to arise. 

A century ago, Jews were facing escalating persecution. A dedicated homeland seemed the ideal solution. There were still debates as to whether it should be a Jewish state, or a Jewish population in an existing state. The location was also up for grabs. Argentina and the historic Israel (which was part of the of the Ottoman empire) were the leaders. Theodor Herzl was an intellectual leader of Zionism. 

Jewish immigration started to take place under the Ottomans and later the British mandates. However, even these groups were limited. Many immigrant ships were turned away during the rise of fascism in Europe. Jews fleeing persecution were turned away from both American and Middle Eastern locations. This further demonstrated the need for a Jewish homeland. (Israel would later adopt a policy that any Jew could freely settle in Israel - and they used the same "blood" test that the Nazi's used for identifying Jews.)

Israel had a diverse population of Jews from all over the world. The European Jews has thought of themselves as superior. However, Jews from everywhere were permitted. This policy encouraged many of the most persecuted or least well to do Jews to immigrate. Often, even the well-to-do immigrants would have difficulty coming in with their assets. This did result in some issues as some non-European Jews felt like they were second class citizens. The most significant Jewish group that is missing is American Jews - they tend to be most comfortable staying in the US.

 Israel took some time to adopt an identity. Many initial immigrants were "back to the earth" communal farmers. Later immigrants changed the character. The boundaries, population and even religious character of the country were continually evolving. Politically, there are many parties and a degree of coalition building is required. The policies have changed as different leaders assumed the mantle. There was significant criticism when Israel accepted German reparations. (Though these reparations arrived at a time of great need for Isreal.)

Israel had conflicts from the get-go. The Arab community didn't like the idea of Israel's existence. There were divisions in Jewish leadership as to whether freedom should be gained on the battlefield or diplomacy. The battlefield hand was forced. Israel had some unexpected success in repelling the initial Arab attacks. This led to some cockiness that nearly led to the defeat in the Yom Kippur war.

Jews have a significant degree of self reflection. They analyze the mistakes and attempt to grown from them.  The Palestinian situation is difficult. As a democracy, Israel wants to make sure there are not too many Arabs to outvote the Jewish population. The status of Arabs are accidents of the past. A family may be split between Israeli Arabs and Palestinian refugees. Many Arab countries in the region would like to have Israel out of the picture. However, they don't want to take responsibility for Palestine and the refugees. They find it more valuable to use Palestinians as propaganda tools than to actually try to improve the condition of the Palestinians. Anti-semitism can easily be disguised as "Palestinian rights".  

The author notes that Israel is the one place where people speak the same language and practice the same location that they did 3000 years ago. It is a significant "restoration". Israel has grown and had a great success. However, there remains significant danger and volatility.  This book is a good history of the the last century from a moderate pro-Israel perspective. 

A History of the Jews

Paul Johnson's History of the Jews is hampered by a less-than ideal narration of the audiobook. It is a long history, covering the entire history of the Jews, from the biblical times to modern Israel. However, the coverage is more focussed on modern times (as more data is available.) The Jews have held together after significant times. Christianity sprung out of Judaism. Islam was also had Jewish ties. (The author proposes that there was an attempt to bring a monotheistic religion to the Arabs. The difference ended up being too great to be supported by the Jews, and thus a new religion was needed.) There have been additional modern variation of Judaism, yet they have not separated out into different religions.

Jews have historically been very literate and have significant impact in urban areas and learned careers. They have often been discriminated against, but still tolerated out of need. (Interpretations of prohibitions of usury had led to Jews being the money lenders.) Despite (and perhaps because of) the significant role of Jews in society, they have been forced out to ghettos and even exterminated. Yet, they have continued to be resilient. Jews were drawn to Marxism. When they were prohibited from integrating with Russian Marxists, they did it on their own (and thus became key Zionists) In Germany, Jews were among the chief intellectuals and scientists. Germany was one of the most educated society, yet still became prejudiced towards Jews and spawned the haulacost. 

The end of World War II was one of the few points that a Jewish could be supported by European powers. There was guilt from the treatment during the war and  policy hadn't turned fully towards local determination. The state of Israel was created. The state of Palestine was refused. Israel settled Jewish refugees. The Arab countries never settled the Palestinian refugees, and they remain multi-generational refugees.

At times, Jews have been the vanguard of humanity. At other times, they have appeared to be backwards traditionalists. They have survived and played a significant role in society despite their small numbers.

Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth

Israel is an interesting, misunderstood location. It is not a purely Jewish state, though it is overwhelmingly Jewish. There are people practicing different religions freely in the country. There are also Arabs and other ethnicities living there with full rights.

The region that Israel occupied had been claimed as a Jewish homeland a few thousand years ago. However, for the past few millennia it had been been a backwater province of various empires. The land was less than ideal and was occupied by various people that had primary affinity to their local group. There was no state in the region and almost no regional identity. In the early 1900s, Zionism took root. Jews fled persecution in Europe and moved to the region.  They bought land from the local residents and some set up communal living situations. (They had adopted many of the Russian communist beliefs.)

In the late Britain abandoned the region and the UN proposed two states - one for Jews and one for the others in the region. The Jews agreed to their state. The nearby Arab countries would have nothing of that and refused to accept the Jewish state. They also proceeded to immediately attack to the new country of Israel. The Arabs lost. Much of that land still remains in a state of limbo. It has been controlled by various parties in the region, but has for the most part remained stateless.

Pakistan is an interesting parallel to Israel. It was formed around the same time as Israel. After the formation, there was a significant exodus of non-Muslim residents from their native land. The Hindu population went from well over 13% of the population to just over 0% of the population. Laws have significantly impact on human rights. In Israel, a quarter of the population is non-Jewish, with more human rights.

There remain many groups that seek the annihilation of Jews and Israel. Often these operate under the auspices of "Palestinian rights". They have been able to influence youth to adopt their cause in the name of "human rights" (Even though the endgame would result in loss of rights for many.) They have criticized "apartheid regimes" in the West Bank and refused to allow investment in the region. This has hurt the economy and occupants of those occupied territories, but not impacted Israel. 

The UN has supported multigenerational refugees. Palestinian rulers have been unwilling to follow through on steps for peace. Leaders have often become rich while collecting aid money. Gaza has adopted a form of fundamentalist Sharia law. Neither Egypt nor Israel wants Gaza. However, the area has not done well on self rule. It is still heavily reliant on aid.

The author of this book advocates a liberal pro-Zionism viewpoint. Jews were being attacked. They returned to their homeland and built up a successful state. Would there be such conflict if it were a backwater orthodox theocracy?  Israel has made plenty of mistakes, but it has also been highly successful on the world stage. The country is secular, with respect for different religions.  Orthodox Judaism is actual a challenge in the region. The Orthodox are exempt from military service, rely heavily on welfare and have huge families. Will they dominate the country?  Most of the Jews and Arabs in the region have no problems with each other. However, the extremist, especially those supported by outsiders have created many problems.

The Books of Jacob: A Novel

Jacob Frank was a Jew living in 18th century Poland. He was a proclaimed Messiah who lead a group of people. This book is a fictionalized account of his life and times. He would seemingly convert to Islam and Christianity. His brand of beliefs would alienate the other Jews and not fully accepted by Christians. His followers tended to stick together rather than become part of the general Christian culture. They did not feel obligated to follow the previous rules. "Illegitimate" children were common. The book is very long, but does provide an interesting view of life in 18th century Poland.