jewsANDwords

I just finished this book, Jews and Words by Amos Oz and Fanio Oz-Salzberger. Although it is only it is only 232 small pages, it was a "stretch" book for me.

The book is essentially a series of non-fiction essays by a Jewish father and daughter. Both are writers and secular Jews. I heard an interview with them on NPR in December and was intrigued. I was struck by how much these self-proclaimed atheists mentioned God and the Bible in a positive way. And since Jesus was a Jew....

Fortunately, our library obtained a copy. Even though it was a 14 day load period (as a new book), I was able to renew it twice (that's 6 weeks total for anyone deficient in math) in order to finish it.  It is not easy to read this kind of writing. Lots of references to the Talmud, Mishnah, Bible, and esoteric (for me) Jewish writings both modern and ancient.

The book is divided into four (4) main sections. It also has a Preface, Acknowledgments, Epilogue, Sources, and Index.   The major sections are:

1. Continuity
2. Vocal Women
3. Time and Timelessness
4. Each  Person has a Name.

Within each major section were little essays, about 1-3 pages long. No footnotes but the Sources section in the back contained a list of references. This is a wealth of resources. If I wanted to devote more time to this, I would surf the web and check out some of these. However, I've already spent 6 weeks and that has been a stretch for me.

I'm glad I did it. I feel a sense of accomplishment, like I've broadened my horizons, my perspectives. It felt sort of like talking with a Jewish neighbor. Pleasant and somewhat mysterious due to the unknown references but also familiar due to the references to the Bible (OT). As you might guess, the views tend toward the liberal side but not much was spent on politics.

If you're feeling kind of adventurous, you might check out the link above to the NPR and listen to the interview and/or skim the highlights. Perhaps afterwards you'll feel a sense of having touched a foreign place.