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Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew
From two New York Times bestselling authors, a timely, disarmingly honest, and thought-provoking investigation into antisemitism that connects the dots between the tropes and hatred of the past to our current complicated moment. For Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tishby no question about Jews is off-limits. They go there. They cover Jews and money. Jews and power. Jews and privilege. Jews and white privilege. The Black and Jewish struggle. Emmanuel asks, Did Jews kill Jesus? To which Noa responds, “Why are Jewish people history’s favorite scapegoat?” They unpack Judaism Is it a religion, culture, a peoplehood, or a race? Are you antisemitic if you’re anti-Zionist? The questions—and answers—might make you squirm, but together, they explain the tropes, stereotypes, and catalysts of antisemitism in America today. The topics are complicated and Acho and Tishby bring vastly different perspectives. Tishby is an outspoken Israeli American. Acho is a mild-mannered son of a Nigerian American pastor. But they share a an uncanny ability to make complicated ideas easy to understand so anyone can follow the straight line from the past to our immediate moment—and then see around corners. Acho and Tishby are united by the core belief that hatred toward one group is never if you see the smoke of bigotry in one place, expect that we will all be in the fire. Informative and accessible, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew has a unique Acho asks questions and Tishby answers them with deeply personal, historical, and political responses. This book will enable anyone to explain—and identify—what Jewish hatred looks like. It is a much-needed lexicon for this fraught moment in Jewish history. As Acho says, “Proximity breeds care and distance breeds fear.”
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Published April 30, 2024
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About the author
Emmanuel Acho
6 books375 followersEmmanuel Chinedum Acho is a Nigerian-American former linebacker who played in the National Football League and is currently working as an analyst for Fox Sports 1. He played college football at Texas before being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 511 reviews
May 4, 2024
Informational
I read this book because I was so shocked by the killing of innocent people on October 7th and all the college protest that is happening all over. My goal was to get a better understanding why this was happening. A lot of my questions were answered. It was done very well and at times very raw. I think, my only questions are now is what is the Palestinian suffering and why are they tolerating Hamas in their country? I am not understanding why Palestinians are not pressuring Hamas to release the hostages and end this war, however the supporters are trying to pressure the US to end a war that the US didn’t start. I would make this a recommended read.
I read this book because I was so shocked by the killing of innocent people on October 7th and all the college protest that is happening all over. My goal was to get a better understanding why this was happening. A lot of my questions were answered. It was done very well and at times very raw. I think, my only questions are now is what is the Palestinian suffering and why are they tolerating Hamas in their country? I am not understanding why Palestinians are not pressuring Hamas to release the hostages and end this war, however the supporters are trying to pressure the US to end a war that the US didn’t start. I would make this a recommended read.
May 13, 2024
This book is an EXCELLENT resource for combatting anti-semitism and getting a summary of the Jewish struggle for existence throughout history. I’m giving it a 1/5 stars because the authors seemingly don’t notice (or care?) that their conversation is remarkably hypocritical.
I almost didn’t give this book a chance because she starts it off with a clear reference to “barbaric monsters” who enact terrible things on Isr@el. My gut told me that it set the tone for the pub, and I fought the discomfort of that alienating phrase to learn, hoping that at least the exact same actions taken by Isr@el would be equally described and called out.
That did not happen. Not once.
Here is what I learned:
The explanation of the Holocaust is clear, heartfelt and worth listening to. The silence about how Isr@eli officials are currently enacting the Nazi playbook on P@lestinians, step by horrid step as Tishby herself articulates in these chapters, is remarkably cold.
The articulation that the global diaspora of Jews deserve safety and a right to life/existence is 100% valid and well supported. The silence around the P@lestinian diaspora deserving safety and a right to life/existence is 100% awkward at best, cruel and dismissive generally, and intentional at worst.
The content about evaluating perspectives to see if they are hiding hatred via the following benchmarks: 1) demonization; 2) double standards; or 3) delegitimization is a great self reflection tool for literally everyone! We should use this ALL THE TIME. The failure to take this evaluative principle and apply it to the “conversation” published here, I.e. in how P@lestinians are referenced, treated, and/or portrayed by Tishby herself, is remarkably obvious.
I also found it so uncomfortable that she attributes horrors and actions to H@mas while we have Isr@eli published documents proving that these claims were lies and/or enacted by the IOF? (You can Google about the beheaded babies, the number of insurgents, the deaths attributed to friendly fire on Oct 7, the ways Isr@el has been telling on themselves etc and you will find it… despite this she references them). Then any claim to point this out is dismissed by a suggestion that this is anti-semitism in action. These aren’t even anti-Semitic journalists reports - these are IOF official documents. At what point is it not a twisting of truth to blame Isr@el but a revealing of manipulated truth by Isr@el to enact crimes against humanity? So 🤷🏻♀️ those heartstring sections really felt manipulative. (Note: this book was published SINCE those documents were released. Not a case of timeline.)
Plus we have a plea from Tishby to not refer to things as being done “by Isr@el” or saying things that suggest Isr@elis as a whole are doing bad things - but in her history lesson, Tishby uses the generalized term for other nations actions to imply complicity of their entire populace. “Germans” “Brits” etc. Same hypocrisy, different chapter.
I could go on. Read this if you want a basic history of the Holocaust and to build your knowledge of or empathy towards Jewish experience and suffering throughout history. It is actually good for that. Do not read if you are hoping for a book that articulates the pain Jewish people felt on October 7 and the pain P@lestinians have been feeling since.
It is tragic that Tishby (and by proxy, Acho) fail to apply their own rhetoric for reducing hate in the world by spreading understanding FOR ALL PEOPLE GROUPS. #notsurprisedbutstilldisappointed
May anti-semitism be dispelled in all forces, may we fight it every single day. May we also dispel the double standards that an historically oppressed people has a right to exist that is stronger than another group. It’s backwards thinking that perpetuates horrors.
#freep@lestine from surveillance, checkpoints, snipers, bombings, drones, arrest and charge without trial, IOF abuse of power, no access to medical care, displacement, malnutrition due to politically engineered starvation, fear of colonialist expansion via theft of their homes and all belongings at gunpoint. Free the truth.
I almost didn’t give this book a chance because she starts it off with a clear reference to “barbaric monsters” who enact terrible things on Isr@el. My gut told me that it set the tone for the pub, and I fought the discomfort of that alienating phrase to learn, hoping that at least the exact same actions taken by Isr@el would be equally described and called out.
That did not happen. Not once.
Here is what I learned:
The explanation of the Holocaust is clear, heartfelt and worth listening to. The silence about how Isr@eli officials are currently enacting the Nazi playbook on P@lestinians, step by horrid step as Tishby herself articulates in these chapters, is remarkably cold.
The articulation that the global diaspora of Jews deserve safety and a right to life/existence is 100% valid and well supported. The silence around the P@lestinian diaspora deserving safety and a right to life/existence is 100% awkward at best, cruel and dismissive generally, and intentional at worst.
The content about evaluating perspectives to see if they are hiding hatred via the following benchmarks: 1) demonization; 2) double standards; or 3) delegitimization is a great self reflection tool for literally everyone! We should use this ALL THE TIME. The failure to take this evaluative principle and apply it to the “conversation” published here, I.e. in how P@lestinians are referenced, treated, and/or portrayed by Tishby herself, is remarkably obvious.
I also found it so uncomfortable that she attributes horrors and actions to H@mas while we have Isr@eli published documents proving that these claims were lies and/or enacted by the IOF? (You can Google about the beheaded babies, the number of insurgents, the deaths attributed to friendly fire on Oct 7, the ways Isr@el has been telling on themselves etc and you will find it… despite this she references them). Then any claim to point this out is dismissed by a suggestion that this is anti-semitism in action. These aren’t even anti-Semitic journalists reports - these are IOF official documents. At what point is it not a twisting of truth to blame Isr@el but a revealing of manipulated truth by Isr@el to enact crimes against humanity? So 🤷🏻♀️ those heartstring sections really felt manipulative. (Note: this book was published SINCE those documents were released. Not a case of timeline.)
Plus we have a plea from Tishby to not refer to things as being done “by Isr@el” or saying things that suggest Isr@elis as a whole are doing bad things - but in her history lesson, Tishby uses the generalized term for other nations actions to imply complicity of their entire populace. “Germans” “Brits” etc. Same hypocrisy, different chapter.
I could go on. Read this if you want a basic history of the Holocaust and to build your knowledge of or empathy towards Jewish experience and suffering throughout history. It is actually good for that. Do not read if you are hoping for a book that articulates the pain Jewish people felt on October 7 and the pain P@lestinians have been feeling since.
It is tragic that Tishby (and by proxy, Acho) fail to apply their own rhetoric for reducing hate in the world by spreading understanding FOR ALL PEOPLE GROUPS. #notsurprisedbutstilldisappointed
May anti-semitism be dispelled in all forces, may we fight it every single day. May we also dispel the double standards that an historically oppressed people has a right to exist that is stronger than another group. It’s backwards thinking that perpetuates horrors.
#freep@lestine from surveillance, checkpoints, snipers, bombings, drones, arrest and charge without trial, IOF abuse of power, no access to medical care, displacement, malnutrition due to politically engineered starvation, fear of colonialist expansion via theft of their homes and all belongings at gunpoint. Free the truth.
May 8, 2024
I highly, highly recommend this book for anyone who is curious about the onslaught of antisemitism and why so many college students are setting up encampments in protest of Israel specifically and Jews in general. This is an age-old issue with new characters, and the authors address why and how this is happening now. Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tishby have such a great rapport and reading the book feels like the reader is right there with them as they discuss these uncomfortable, but necessary conversations. A must-read!
July 2, 2024
I'm only two-thirds into this, but this is not a good book. I'm writing as an American Jew, and I have lived in Israel. The premise of a book is a solid one; one explainer/advocate for Black culture and society (Emmanuel Acho, a Nigerian-American former professional football player) in conversation with an Israeli-American explainer/advocate for Jewish and Israeli culture, working through the legacy of antisemitism, prejudice, stereotyping, etc.
But it's all wrong. First, Noa Tishby is (by training and by trade) an Israeli apologist and public relations expert. This is probably the wrong take for a book called "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew," since it would be more apt to call it "Conversations with an Israeli." It would be more interesting and on-point to have a prominent American Jewish writer or explainer in this role, since the focus is too heavily on Israel, its relations with the Palestinians, its conflicts, etc. versus the lived experience of millions of American Jewish people. A conversation on American Black-Jewish relations would be really valuable, and this ain't it.
I think the publication was rushed following the October 7 Hamas attack, and the copyediting is notably sloppy. Particularly egregiously given that one of the authors is Israeli, the Hebrew text (when it appears) is entered backward, indicating that the printer copied/pasted Hebrew text into an English-language word processing document and then it was entered left-right instead of right-left. That's just appalling. Any knowledgeable Jew reading the book would immediately have questions about the overall attention to detail, given screwups like this.
Anyway the whole thing is kinda meh. Tishby spends much of her text arguing for Jewish peoplehood and the connection between thousands of years of Jewish history and the current national identity of the state of Israel, which is fine, but Acho doesn't really interrogate her to the extent that would be helpful on the current status of Israeli-Arab citizens, the settlements in the West Bank, etc. Any reasonable person already agrees that the Hamas attack on October 7 was horrific; extremists are already being condemned etc. So Tishby makes an effort to call out both leftists who back Hamas through a simplistic colonizer/indigenous or white/person of color dichotomy, and of course, Christian or Muslim extremists for their eliminationist rhetoric about Jews in the Middle East. But, like a lot of folks recently, I feel she engages in false-equivalency arguments about lefty anti-Zionism and murderous antisemitism on the right.
But it's all wrong. First, Noa Tishby is (by training and by trade) an Israeli apologist and public relations expert. This is probably the wrong take for a book called "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew," since it would be more apt to call it "Conversations with an Israeli." It would be more interesting and on-point to have a prominent American Jewish writer or explainer in this role, since the focus is too heavily on Israel, its relations with the Palestinians, its conflicts, etc. versus the lived experience of millions of American Jewish people. A conversation on American Black-Jewish relations would be really valuable, and this ain't it.
I think the publication was rushed following the October 7 Hamas attack, and the copyediting is notably sloppy. Particularly egregiously given that one of the authors is Israeli, the Hebrew text (when it appears) is entered backward, indicating that the printer copied/pasted Hebrew text into an English-language word processing document and then it was entered left-right instead of right-left. That's just appalling. Any knowledgeable Jew reading the book would immediately have questions about the overall attention to detail, given screwups like this.
Anyway the whole thing is kinda meh. Tishby spends much of her text arguing for Jewish peoplehood and the connection between thousands of years of Jewish history and the current national identity of the state of Israel, which is fine, but Acho doesn't really interrogate her to the extent that would be helpful on the current status of Israeli-Arab citizens, the settlements in the West Bank, etc. Any reasonable person already agrees that the Hamas attack on October 7 was horrific; extremists are already being condemned etc. So Tishby makes an effort to call out both leftists who back Hamas through a simplistic colonizer/indigenous or white/person of color dichotomy, and of course, Christian or Muslim extremists for their eliminationist rhetoric about Jews in the Middle East. But, like a lot of folks recently, I feel she engages in false-equivalency arguments about lefty anti-Zionism and murderous antisemitism on the right.
May 10, 2024
The book's main topics cover antisemitism, the Holocaust, power, money, and white privilege, Zionism and Israel, and the Black and Jewish struggle. The author addresses all the tough questions and discusses how we can work to do this together. It was like the author reached out and hugged an entire group of people. The coauthors also confront their own issues. In Chapter One, they discuss how this book happened. However, in chapter 16, they talk about how the book almost fell apart due to a disagreement. But this book did happen, so we also see how two people with different backgrounds can disagree on a significant issue and still find love and have a relationship.
There is so much information distilled into shorter bits that people can understand and then provides analogies to make it relatable. It also addresses any question you may have about a Jewish person walking society. At the end of reading this book, I had tears in my eyes because I felt like there was so much hope all of a sudden at a time when it often felt like there was no way out.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
There is so much information distilled into shorter bits that people can understand and then provides analogies to make it relatable. It also addresses any question you may have about a Jewish person walking society. At the end of reading this book, I had tears in my eyes because I felt like there was so much hope all of a sudden at a time when it often felt like there was no way out.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
July 6, 2024
I’ll just say this: I am not Black and I am not Jewish, so I don’t have a lot to relate to when it comes to that. Who am I to dismiss other people’s experiences or points of view when it comes to their own life experiences? Who are people to dismiss me and my life? The only thing I can do is hear people out and let people speak, regardless of differences. I don’t have to agree with every thing said, and trust me, I don’t. However, people everywhere regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or lifestyle need to be having open and challenging conversations. This book is a good example of that.
If you are looking to educate yourself on what antisemitism looks & sounds like, you’ll find helpful information here. If you want a step-by-step history of the holocaust, how it came to be and how literally it absolutely CAN happen again, you’ll find good information here. If you want to learn the facts and debunk myths about Israel, Palestine, Gaza, terrorist groups, Jewish history, antisemitism, and Zionism then you absolutely will find good information here.
There is really only one flaw, for me, about this book and it might not even be that big a flaw. Maybe I’m just overthinking it. It’s just a vibe I got. At times, I felt like Acho and Tishby were trying to one-up each other when it came down to who was the most persecuted, the blacks or the Jews. And at times it felt like between the two of them there was some serious finger pointing. I didn’t really think that was necessary. But hey, they might say that I’m privileged to not understand that, and maybe I am. However, I still think they both handle the uncomfortable moments with forgiveness and openness so I applaud them for that.
I don’t pretend to know all the answers people are seeking when it comes to hard topics, obviously. But I will always respect when two different sides of the table come together to have the tough conversations and learn something new about the other and find common ground. I think Acho and Tishby did a great job of that, at the very least.
If you are looking to educate yourself on what antisemitism looks & sounds like, you’ll find helpful information here. If you want a step-by-step history of the holocaust, how it came to be and how literally it absolutely CAN happen again, you’ll find good information here. If you want to learn the facts and debunk myths about Israel, Palestine, Gaza, terrorist groups, Jewish history, antisemitism, and Zionism then you absolutely will find good information here.
There is really only one flaw, for me, about this book and it might not even be that big a flaw. Maybe I’m just overthinking it. It’s just a vibe I got. At times, I felt like Acho and Tishby were trying to one-up each other when it came down to who was the most persecuted, the blacks or the Jews. And at times it felt like between the two of them there was some serious finger pointing. I didn’t really think that was necessary. But hey, they might say that I’m privileged to not understand that, and maybe I am. However, I still think they both handle the uncomfortable moments with forgiveness and openness so I applaud them for that.
I don’t pretend to know all the answers people are seeking when it comes to hard topics, obviously. But I will always respect when two different sides of the table come together to have the tough conversations and learn something new about the other and find common ground. I think Acho and Tishby did a great job of that, at the very least.
May 9, 2024
A must read.
June 6, 2024
An exceptional and timely book. Two friends, Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tisby have an ongoing and at times uncomfortable conversation about Jews, Israel, antisemitism, Zionism, and what it means to be a Jew in these difficult times, among other issues. Acho is well known for his book and series “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man“. Tishby was Israel’s former Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization, and the author of “Israel: A Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth”. (Also an excellent book!)
They were friends before October 7, 2023 and have been planning to write this book before then. The book almost got derailed by a misunderstanding, but then they worked it out, knowing that this book was needed more than ever. They talk about really uncomfortable topics and work their way through them. Probably 75% of the book is Tishby talking, as she clarifies issues that are hard to understand about Jews and Israel.
This book is a must read: for Jews, who want to know more about their heritage and the world we live in now; and for non-Jews, who have misconceptions about Jews and especially about the events of 10/7/23 and it’s aftermath.
Since 10/7/23, I’ve been grateful to find out who my real friends are, and sadly, who they are not (and who I no longer consider friends.)
An absolute recommend and must read for everyone.
They were friends before October 7, 2023 and have been planning to write this book before then. The book almost got derailed by a misunderstanding, but then they worked it out, knowing that this book was needed more than ever. They talk about really uncomfortable topics and work their way through them. Probably 75% of the book is Tishby talking, as she clarifies issues that are hard to understand about Jews and Israel.
This book is a must read: for Jews, who want to know more about their heritage and the world we live in now; and for non-Jews, who have misconceptions about Jews and especially about the events of 10/7/23 and it’s aftermath.
Since 10/7/23, I’ve been grateful to find out who my real friends are, and sadly, who they are not (and who I no longer consider friends.)
An absolute recommend and must read for everyone.
June 17, 2024
I have forever found all things Jewish fascinating. It always intrigued me being an ethnoreligion and I have found it both wildly interesting and confusing. Emmanuel Acho asks some questionably uncomfortable questions to Noa Tishby, an Israeli activist, and she answers them without pause.
This book took me quite a while to get through given the amount of context. I found myself doing a lot of side googling which lead into deep dives. There were some part I had to read multiple times to comprehend.
If you want to understand the pain and suffering felt by Jewish people over the course of history, this book helps to break that down. Including the most recent tragedy to hit the Jewish community that took place on October 7th 2023. You will also learn a deeper history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and understand what it means to be a Zionist. A term I formally thought was a negative one.
If you want to take the time to learn and broaden your perspective regarding all things Jewish, this book is for you.
This book took me quite a while to get through given the amount of context. I found myself doing a lot of side googling which lead into deep dives. There were some part I had to read multiple times to comprehend.
If you want to understand the pain and suffering felt by Jewish people over the course of history, this book helps to break that down. Including the most recent tragedy to hit the Jewish community that took place on October 7th 2023. You will also learn a deeper history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and understand what it means to be a Zionist. A term I formally thought was a negative one.
If you want to take the time to learn and broaden your perspective regarding all things Jewish, this book is for you.
December 8, 2024
While I don't fully agree with everything discussed in this book (and both Acho and Tishby acknowledge and respect that, nor do they always agree with each other) and while I wish that it explored more aspects of being a Jew, I appreciate the concept of this book, the hard conversations and openmindedness and honesty.
May 27, 2024
This publisher should be ashamed of publishing a writer who openly supports war criminals.
June 15, 2024
This book has sat with me. I know a lot did the history and some of the earlier chapters are more for people who know less about Judaism - but the deeper in to the book, the deeper and more relevant it gets (in these turbulent times). IF ANY OF MY FRIENDS WANT TO READ THIS BOOK - I will buy it for you!!!!!!! 💕💕
August 23, 2024
I’ve been meaning to get around to this book for a while, yet I managed to read this at exactly the right time for this to be most impactful to me personally. And I’ll explain how I personally related to this book, but first I want to talk about my thoughts about the book itself.
I read this in audiobook format, and it was narrated by both authors. Sometimes they have short, snappy interactions, and at other times, Acho would ask a question, Tishby would give a really thorough answer, and then Acho would talk about how her answer might challenge his understanding, lead to more questions, make perfect sense, or not make any sense and need some clarification on one side or the other. It felt like exactly what the title promises—uncomfortable conversations with a Jew, and far too many people haven’t had the chance to have any contact with a Jewish person, let alone the opportunity to get into these uncomfortable conversations. The friendship between these two is obvious, and their interactions felt like one of those podcasts where the hosts clearly have a friendship and a mutual respect for each other. This mutual respect as well as a desire to learn paired with a willingness (and ability/knowledge) to educate and discuss is essential in having these uncomfortable conversations.
These two people are probably the best people possible to write this book. Noa Tishby is one of the leading Israeli and Jewish activists around the world. She formerly worked as Israel’s Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, and tirelessly offers information and education on social media. I loved her previous book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, and figured this would be just as good. Emmanuel Acho is a new name to me, but I was so impressed by his understanding, knowledge, and willingness to ‘get uncomfortable,’
Literally no topic was off the table for these two. Acho was willing to ask any question, and Tishby had no problem answering any of them. This isn’t going to be new information for any Jewish person who is aware of the history and customs of their people, but I think it might help some people understand more about Jewish people, especially those who haven’t had much access to information about us, or have only heard misinformation that’s been circulating for nearly 2 millennia. These two discuss “the Jewish race,” the Holocaust, are Jewish people white, Jews and privilege, Jews and (conditional) white privilege, whether you can be anti-Zionist without being antisemitic, various tropes about Jewish people (Jews are rich, Jews are powerful, Jews run Hollywood), and even October 7th and Jewish fears that the Holocaust could happen again.
One of my favorite aspects of this book is how Acho brings up how the book almost didn’t occur, due to a major disagreement. But in true uncomfortable conversations fashion, Acho and Tishby talked out their differences. Sometimes they would agree to disagree on topics, but they always listened to each other respectfully and were willing to talk things out.
As for my personal epiphany while reading this book, I realized that right around when this book came out, I was deepening a friendship with someone I had met through a totally different common interest. And one night we were talking, and it came out that she was anti-Zionist, and I was worried about telling her that I was Zionist, since I’ve lost so many friends because of it. Luckily, both of us valued the friendship enough and were willing to have the first of many uncomfortable conversations to hear each other out and extend the right to agree to disagree. Ultimately, we’ve both learned from this conversation and many others, touching on so many different topics that we’ve even been brave enough to branch out into talking about politics. And if you know me, you know that I don’t talk about politics with almost anyone. I’m so grateful to have a friend to have uncomfortable conversations with, and it’s helped me grow so much.
Overall, this is the kind of book that I just want to buy in bulk and hand out to everyone I know. Instead, I’ll have to settle for writing a rave review of this book and running to get Acho’s previous book—Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. Stay tuned to see how that one is.
I read this in audiobook format, and it was narrated by both authors. Sometimes they have short, snappy interactions, and at other times, Acho would ask a question, Tishby would give a really thorough answer, and then Acho would talk about how her answer might challenge his understanding, lead to more questions, make perfect sense, or not make any sense and need some clarification on one side or the other. It felt like exactly what the title promises—uncomfortable conversations with a Jew, and far too many people haven’t had the chance to have any contact with a Jewish person, let alone the opportunity to get into these uncomfortable conversations. The friendship between these two is obvious, and their interactions felt like one of those podcasts where the hosts clearly have a friendship and a mutual respect for each other. This mutual respect as well as a desire to learn paired with a willingness (and ability/knowledge) to educate and discuss is essential in having these uncomfortable conversations.
These two people are probably the best people possible to write this book. Noa Tishby is one of the leading Israeli and Jewish activists around the world. She formerly worked as Israel’s Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, and tirelessly offers information and education on social media. I loved her previous book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, and figured this would be just as good. Emmanuel Acho is a new name to me, but I was so impressed by his understanding, knowledge, and willingness to ‘get uncomfortable,’
Literally no topic was off the table for these two. Acho was willing to ask any question, and Tishby had no problem answering any of them. This isn’t going to be new information for any Jewish person who is aware of the history and customs of their people, but I think it might help some people understand more about Jewish people, especially those who haven’t had much access to information about us, or have only heard misinformation that’s been circulating for nearly 2 millennia. These two discuss “the Jewish race,” the Holocaust, are Jewish people white, Jews and privilege, Jews and (conditional) white privilege, whether you can be anti-Zionist without being antisemitic, various tropes about Jewish people (Jews are rich, Jews are powerful, Jews run Hollywood), and even October 7th and Jewish fears that the Holocaust could happen again.
One of my favorite aspects of this book is how Acho brings up how the book almost didn’t occur, due to a major disagreement. But in true uncomfortable conversations fashion, Acho and Tishby talked out their differences. Sometimes they would agree to disagree on topics, but they always listened to each other respectfully and were willing to talk things out.
As for my personal epiphany while reading this book, I realized that right around when this book came out, I was deepening a friendship with someone I had met through a totally different common interest. And one night we were talking, and it came out that she was anti-Zionist, and I was worried about telling her that I was Zionist, since I’ve lost so many friends because of it. Luckily, both of us valued the friendship enough and were willing to have the first of many uncomfortable conversations to hear each other out and extend the right to agree to disagree. Ultimately, we’ve both learned from this conversation and many others, touching on so many different topics that we’ve even been brave enough to branch out into talking about politics. And if you know me, you know that I don’t talk about politics with almost anyone. I’m so grateful to have a friend to have uncomfortable conversations with, and it’s helped me grow so much.
Overall, this is the kind of book that I just want to buy in bulk and hand out to everyone I know. Instead, I’ll have to settle for writing a rave review of this book and running to get Acho’s previous book—Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. Stay tuned to see how that one is.
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October 13, 20243.5
This book is a good introduction to issues facing Jewish people, especially for someone who isn’t Jewish and doesn’t know much about the historical precedence of prejudice that Jews have faced for centuries. It isn’t a complete resource by any means, but the conversations had by the authors brought up some really good dialogue.
I really wish there was more information about the experiences of Jews of Color worldwide, as well as bringing in stories of those who have converted to Judaism. I also felt that there were some double standards promoted in the book, where the authors discuss not attributing actions or decisions of the Israeli government or military to the Jewish population as a whole, but then they do exactly this when talking about atrocities done against Jewish people at the hands of other people. There were a few other inconsistencies I saw while reading, which felt disappointing.
I think the book did a good job in its effort to combat anti-semitism, and I appreciate that the authors included information about the Palestinian refugee camps that have existed since the 1940s. I also appreciated the dialogue stating full stop that Palestinians and Jewish people all deserve to exist freely in a place that is safe for them. Some of the information specifically concerning more recent disagreements about Israel and Palestine have more nuance than what I felt was presented though, and I would have liked to see some of these tackled in more depth to address these.
This book is a good introduction to issues facing Jewish people, especially for someone who isn’t Jewish and doesn’t know much about the historical precedence of prejudice that Jews have faced for centuries. It isn’t a complete resource by any means, but the conversations had by the authors brought up some really good dialogue.
I really wish there was more information about the experiences of Jews of Color worldwide, as well as bringing in stories of those who have converted to Judaism. I also felt that there were some double standards promoted in the book, where the authors discuss not attributing actions or decisions of the Israeli government or military to the Jewish population as a whole, but then they do exactly this when talking about atrocities done against Jewish people at the hands of other people. There were a few other inconsistencies I saw while reading, which felt disappointing.
I think the book did a good job in its effort to combat anti-semitism, and I appreciate that the authors included information about the Palestinian refugee camps that have existed since the 1940s. I also appreciated the dialogue stating full stop that Palestinians and Jewish people all deserve to exist freely in a place that is safe for them. Some of the information specifically concerning more recent disagreements about Israel and Palestine have more nuance than what I felt was presented though, and I would have liked to see some of these tackled in more depth to address these.
May 5, 2024
A must read. Very informative, easy to digest/understand.
May 6, 2024
A must read
October 31, 2024
Noa Tishby does a remarkable job -- her phenomenal responses to some (frankly weird) questions is the saving grace of this book. Emmanuel Acho's obsession with race (eg: arguing that Jews are white and therefore part of the oppressive class) is grating and in itself racist, but typical. That said, still definitely worth reading, especially her responses to the new post-October 7 reality.
May 6, 2024
listened to this on audio in a few hours. really well done
June 19, 2024
This book couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Truly covers all relevant uncomfortable topics with grace. Noa and Emmanuel have written a necessary and timely book.
August 9, 2024
muy interesante y bueno y cierto y urgente
pero mucha de la info creo que la leí también en el otro de Noa
así me pareció
pero mucha de la info creo que la leí también en el otro de Noa
así me pareció
September 24, 2024
Extremely hypocritical and over-generalistic. Acho is an amazing speaker and I loved his other books and episodes. However, from the very beginning Tishby has struck down the idea of something and then turned around and done it herself. She begs readers to not say crimes committed "By Isreal" but states the Holocaust done by "The Germans". Within this same country-wide generalization, she says multiple times that people are not their government and are not every policy. But then calls out Communism and British occupation as being done by "The Brits" and "Russians". Tishby is quick to say "If you haven't stepped on a college campus in 20 years" and specifically sates multiple times that anti-Zionism is specific to the entirety of Gen-Z.
She claims that people need to stop using the "From River to See" and "Zionism/Anti-Zionism" phrases because omg did you know its origin is not that? But then dozens upon dozens of times refers to Muslim extremism as "Jihadi". Not even Jihadi terrorism. If you want to use your claim that modern reclaiming of words/phrases is unacceptable because of its history, her rules should mean her usage for Jihadi is racist and anti-muslim, the swastika shouldn't be offensive, and the US government shouldn't be allowed to make rules or taxes for Washington, D.C. Obviously that is not the case, but they are extreme examples of how historically and evolutionarily wrong her claims that anyone Anti-Zionist wants to "exterminate all Jews" (ch. 19).
While I mostly loved her explanation for the Holocaust, I sat there for almost three chapters asking myself "Is she seriously saying the Holocaust and its aftermath was only about/harmful to Jewish people?" She only mentions the other millions of lives lost in other groups in one sentence as an afterthought of their lives. She literally called the Romani traveler groups "Gypsies". She mentions repeatedly that modern-day issues such as Isreal V. Palestine being a direct cause of "never caring about anti-semitism" after the Holocaust, but fails to keep in mind that quite literally every single group affected by the Holocaust was brushed under a rug. Homosexuals were literally transported to death camps in modern-day Russia but yes, let us only call USSR policies out on the changing of names (which every country did mostly for personal protection like Witness Protection Program would do, no matter how anti-semetic it ended up being).
Tishby tells Acho over the span of two chapters that him having a conversation with an Anti-Zionist against her wishes is anti-semetic and wrong, but then tells both Acho and the reader that anyone listening to "Hamas lies" / "Palestenian propaganda" is "rooting for the erradication of Jews". Uh. What. She herself refuses to call out Isralie crimes and says point blank that no one "pushed Hamas to breaking point" and calls AOC and the UN anti-semetic, but yes let us only listen to her advice? I'm sorry but absolutely not is that an acceptable claim. She says people not practicing Judaism are purposely erasing Jewish history but her claims of refusing to understand why someone would so much as want a conversation with both parties is erasure all the same. She pushes that we shouldn't erase history, but 80 years later our children would be anti-muslim or ultra-pro-Isreal and would likely say that Israel was attacked unprovoked with this kind of narrative.
She says it is disgusting that people will boycott anything anti-Israel because of the conflict and claims that they would prefer sweatshops etc. However, a quick conversation with anyone boycotting places such as Starbucks are also boycotting anything that doesn't fit within their motifs. She claims that AOC and the entirity of college students boycott Israel but talk about it on Tik Tok, and a comparison like that is extreme, mislead, and not even the same wave-length. People boycott places like Starbucks because their products aren't worth the silencing of their employees' personal opinions regarding politics (which was against the constitution) that have resulted in mass genocide but oh no we instead need to ban Tik Tok for its crimes of... what? Being Singaporian?
While I think this book is a must-read because part of learning history is hearing every perspective and opinion, Tishby does a hypocritical spread of misinformation and generalizations about both the Holocaust and the Palestenian/Israeli conflict. I do not recommend reading this unless you want to be softly yelled at and called anti-semetic for 320 straight pages. When you think you will agree with something she says or Acho brings up a valid point, do yourself a favor and take a deep breath because she will literally say nuh-uh no you in educated phrasing.Both sides are definitely war criminals on different levels, but holy hell the lack of accountability and outright denial of Israeli genocide made me want to slam my head into a wall
She claims that people need to stop using the "From River to See" and "Zionism/Anti-Zionism" phrases because omg did you know its origin is not that? But then dozens upon dozens of times refers to Muslim extremism as "Jihadi". Not even Jihadi terrorism. If you want to use your claim that modern reclaiming of words/phrases is unacceptable because of its history, her rules should mean her usage for Jihadi is racist and anti-muslim, the swastika shouldn't be offensive, and the US government shouldn't be allowed to make rules or taxes for Washington, D.C. Obviously that is not the case, but they are extreme examples of how historically and evolutionarily wrong her claims that anyone Anti-Zionist wants to "exterminate all Jews" (ch. 19).
While I mostly loved her explanation for the Holocaust, I sat there for almost three chapters asking myself "Is she seriously saying the Holocaust and its aftermath was only about/harmful to Jewish people?" She only mentions the other millions of lives lost in other groups in one sentence as an afterthought of their lives. She literally called the Romani traveler groups "Gypsies". She mentions repeatedly that modern-day issues such as Isreal V. Palestine being a direct cause of "never caring about anti-semitism" after the Holocaust, but fails to keep in mind that quite literally every single group affected by the Holocaust was brushed under a rug. Homosexuals were literally transported to death camps in modern-day Russia but yes, let us only call USSR policies out on the changing of names (which every country did mostly for personal protection like Witness Protection Program would do, no matter how anti-semetic it ended up being).
Tishby tells Acho over the span of two chapters that him having a conversation with an Anti-Zionist against her wishes is anti-semetic and wrong, but then tells both Acho and the reader that anyone listening to "Hamas lies" / "Palestenian propaganda" is "rooting for the erradication of Jews". Uh. What. She herself refuses to call out Isralie crimes and says point blank that no one "pushed Hamas to breaking point" and calls AOC and the UN anti-semetic, but yes let us only listen to her advice? I'm sorry but absolutely not is that an acceptable claim. She says people not practicing Judaism are purposely erasing Jewish history but her claims of refusing to understand why someone would so much as want a conversation with both parties is erasure all the same. She pushes that we shouldn't erase history, but 80 years later our children would be anti-muslim or ultra-pro-Isreal and would likely say that Israel was attacked unprovoked with this kind of narrative.
She says it is disgusting that people will boycott anything anti-Israel because of the conflict and claims that they would prefer sweatshops etc. However, a quick conversation with anyone boycotting places such as Starbucks are also boycotting anything that doesn't fit within their motifs. She claims that AOC and the entirity of college students boycott Israel but talk about it on Tik Tok, and a comparison like that is extreme, mislead, and not even the same wave-length. People boycott places like Starbucks because their products aren't worth the silencing of their employees' personal opinions regarding politics (which was against the constitution) that have resulted in mass genocide but oh no we instead need to ban Tik Tok for its crimes of... what? Being Singaporian?
While I think this book is a must-read because part of learning history is hearing every perspective and opinion, Tishby does a hypocritical spread of misinformation and generalizations about both the Holocaust and the Palestenian/Israeli conflict. I do not recommend reading this unless you want to be softly yelled at and called anti-semetic for 320 straight pages. When you think you will agree with something she says or Acho brings up a valid point, do yourself a favor and take a deep breath because she will literally say nuh-uh no you in educated phrasing.Both sides are definitely war criminals on different levels, but holy hell the lack of accountability and outright denial of Israeli genocide made me want to slam my head into a wall
April 4, 2025
This book should actually be called "Monologues by the Former Israel-appointed Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel"
Emmanuel Acho rarely, if ever, enters a single point of discussion with the ability to form a well-informed, poignant, or targeted question. That does not make for an uncomfortable conversation, rather it offers a platform for a prominent Israeli activist to perpetuate pro-Israel-at-all-costs ideologies.
I give this more than a single star because it genuinely does give a great insight into the Jewish psyche and teachings we are raised with. Noa here provides a mass-consumable source for understanding the conflict happening within every individual Jew today. However, it does little to challenge the systemic dehumanization of Palestinians that draws support from international Zionists for extreme acts of violence against them. It offers up example after example of violence used against Jews to justify the use of Jewish violence, but does little questioning and at times even takes a reductionist approach to the level of violence used by the Israeli state.
One of the most infuriating moments of the book for me was when discussing Emmanuel's desire to collect thoughts and conduct an interview with a Palestinian representative. Noa held her own ideas hostage and refused to engage in this "uncomfortable" conversation until Emmanuel was eventually convinced by her and his own agents that conducting such an interview would essentially be career suicide. Why? Why does he not touch on this to even the smallest extent? Why exactly would engaging in a discussion with a victim of state violence (regardless of your stance on who's to blame, many Palestinians very much so ARE victims) be so damaging? This question remains entirely unanswered. The presentation of the Palestinian struggle is ultimately reduced to brief statements of empathy surrounded by overwhelming finger-pointing and whataboutisms.
Right now, left-leaning young Americans are noticing that Zionism is a form of nationalism. They are pointing to a long history of nationalism using its guise of cultural preservation to legitimize cultural division and oppression. They are questioning whether it's proper to support nationalist ideology, not whether it's proper to support the Jewish right to exist. And I think this is a good opportunity for American Jews, as well as international Jews, to seriously question this themselves.
Two stars.
P.S. this is clearly a cash grab by printing this rather than just releasing it as a podcast. It feels barely-edited and has very little value in print.
P.P.S. I loathe the amount of self back-patting performed by Emmanuel and Noa for publishing this book. The constant "I love this question" and "I'm so glad we can disagree and remain friends" clearly conveys what these two expect as the impact of this reductionist distillation of ideas. Shut up about how groundbreaking you are and maybe start doing some serious uncomfortable questioning about the long-term future of our people
Emmanuel Acho rarely, if ever, enters a single point of discussion with the ability to form a well-informed, poignant, or targeted question. That does not make for an uncomfortable conversation, rather it offers a platform for a prominent Israeli activist to perpetuate pro-Israel-at-all-costs ideologies.
I give this more than a single star because it genuinely does give a great insight into the Jewish psyche and teachings we are raised with. Noa here provides a mass-consumable source for understanding the conflict happening within every individual Jew today. However, it does little to challenge the systemic dehumanization of Palestinians that draws support from international Zionists for extreme acts of violence against them. It offers up example after example of violence used against Jews to justify the use of Jewish violence, but does little questioning and at times even takes a reductionist approach to the level of violence used by the Israeli state.
One of the most infuriating moments of the book for me was when discussing Emmanuel's desire to collect thoughts and conduct an interview with a Palestinian representative. Noa held her own ideas hostage and refused to engage in this "uncomfortable" conversation until Emmanuel was eventually convinced by her and his own agents that conducting such an interview would essentially be career suicide. Why? Why does he not touch on this to even the smallest extent? Why exactly would engaging in a discussion with a victim of state violence (regardless of your stance on who's to blame, many Palestinians very much so ARE victims) be so damaging? This question remains entirely unanswered. The presentation of the Palestinian struggle is ultimately reduced to brief statements of empathy surrounded by overwhelming finger-pointing and whataboutisms.
Right now, left-leaning young Americans are noticing that Zionism is a form of nationalism. They are pointing to a long history of nationalism using its guise of cultural preservation to legitimize cultural division and oppression. They are questioning whether it's proper to support nationalist ideology, not whether it's proper to support the Jewish right to exist. And I think this is a good opportunity for American Jews, as well as international Jews, to seriously question this themselves.
Two stars.
P.S. this is clearly a cash grab by printing this rather than just releasing it as a podcast. It feels barely-edited and has very little value in print.
P.P.S. I loathe the amount of self back-patting performed by Emmanuel and Noa for publishing this book. The constant "I love this question" and "I'm so glad we can disagree and remain friends" clearly conveys what these two expect as the impact of this reductionist distillation of ideas. Shut up about how groundbreaking you are and maybe start doing some serious uncomfortable questioning about the long-term future of our people
May 22, 2024
Required reading!!!
May 19, 2024
A million stars ⭐️
May 15, 2024
heavily focused (rightly so) on understanding the events surrounding oct 7th, but ultimately a really good conversation that is an excellent start to doing the work that we did post George Floyd with Emmanuel’s other book, now learning context to help support both Jews and Palestinian civilians is crucial to increase understanding and humanity in an increasingly inhumane situation.
May 16, 2024
I wish everyone would read this, Jews and non Jews. It meant so much to have a non Jew’s allyship as part of this book.
May 17, 2024
Excellent book
May 29, 2024
This is an interesting conversation—and, yes, uncomfortable. But it is enlightening to see how conversations late at night can get, where you ask the hard questions and the other person lets down their social shield and purely expresses what we all really want to know but are afraid to ask.
Emmanuel Acho has written other books, including Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, and he has a podcast similarly named. But with what happened in the East on October 7th, many of us are confused about the whole thing. We think we understand Israel's stand and possibly Palastine's, but what was the third people, Hamas? And what was all of that?
I thought I needed to hear it from someone close to the source, Noa Tishby, rather than the opinions of the crowd. This book explores this topic and many of the misconceptions about the Jewish people.
I was fortunate enough to pick this up on Libby. I highly suggest the audio version, as it gives you the full experience of the conversation between Noa and Emmanual. I will be looking up more by both authors, Quite interesting!
Emmanuel Acho has written other books, including Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, and he has a podcast similarly named. But with what happened in the East on October 7th, many of us are confused about the whole thing. We think we understand Israel's stand and possibly Palastine's, but what was the third people, Hamas? And what was all of that?
I thought I needed to hear it from someone close to the source, Noa Tishby, rather than the opinions of the crowd. This book explores this topic and many of the misconceptions about the Jewish people.
I was fortunate enough to pick this up on Libby. I highly suggest the audio version, as it gives you the full experience of the conversation between Noa and Emmanual. I will be looking up more by both authors, Quite interesting!
May 5, 2024
I wish all non Jewish people would read this book. Thank you for keeping the awkward chapters and thank you both for this amazing collaboration. 💙💙
May 10, 2024
A book as a conversation isn’t my favorite form and this seemingly had more of an agenda that I imagine will be read mostly by people who feel similar to the authors. The bestselling book list looks like it heavily leans towards over representation of Judaism often without much of it long lasting.
The historical elements and explanations were my favorite parts.
The historical elements and explanations were my favorite parts.
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