Whose Torah?: A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism

by Rebecca Alpert

Rabbi Rebecca Alpert is a leading voice in progressive Judaism. A crusader for reform within the Jewish community, she was one of the first women in Jewish history to be ordained a rabbi. Alpert is a celebrated teacher, an expert on Jewish American religious history, and a key public advocate for progressive social issues in contemporary Jewish life.

In Whose Torah?, Alpert sketches a compelling portrait of the progressive values that belong to the core of Judaism today. Reaching deeply into the sources of Jewish tradition, she highlights with unflinching moral clarity the textual basis for a truly just vision of life for all who care about sexual, economic, and racial justice and for those who would oppose all forms of discrimination, unjust war, and the destruction of the environment. Alpert also carefully considers what it means to be Jewish in contemporary America—offering both a passionate and deeply learned defense of progressive Jewish identity.

Whose Torah? will be an essential intellectual resource for progressive Jews and for anyone searching for the religious underpinnings of contemporary progressive politics.

Genres: Judaism, Nonfiction, Religion, Jewish, Spirituality, Sexuality, Politics

164 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2008

Reviews

[Magdalena O! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Alpert's lucid writing style in explaining Jewish actions related to tzedakah, as well as explaining the term from various perspectives historically and currently.

The book's title should have been tzedek, tzedek, tirdof as it seems that phrase is what is focused on throughout the entire book. Perhaps that is precisely what progressive judaism rests on.

For anyone wanting a quick introduction to judaism that isnt Zionist or overly prescriptive-- highly recommend this.

While Alpert doesnt directly critique Zionism or Israel wholesale, she makes an even more compelling arguments using the Torah. She also outlines her transformative trip to Palestine, highlighting her anti Zionist politics without saying so. This seems strategic and I really appreciate it, as this evidence based observation and analysis is what could sway the progressive jews that still support Israel's occupation (they exist!)

I'm going to use a lot of this book going forward.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book that tries to define being Jewish in a more inclusive way than most. I like that she relates things like social and environmental justice to being a good Jew and I'm glad she is not a Zionist. At times she does sound like she's trying too hard to disprove stereotypes, but whatever.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly enjoyed this. It was a quick read and while it is a little dated now, I thought it did a good job talking about how things have gotten more progressive and how each movement has evolved.

But.

There is a single line of semi-acknowledgement in it that I think is probably going to make people throw it in the trash. And maybe that’s why I don’t see this book on any reading lists when it otherwise was great?

Hint: It’s about Messianics.

[Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thinking about how some of the chapters focused closely on close readings of Jewish texts while others linked back to precedents in previous activism. I think the mix created a really interesting balance.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

At just over 150 pages, this slim volume really is the “concise guide to progressive Judaism” it claims to be.

As progressive Jews, we are often made to feel that the social justice issues and values we champion are not a part of Judaism itself; not something Jews should be concerning themselves with. Instead, we are led to believe that these are simply democratic, liberal, secular or Western values that have been adopted en masse by assimilated Jews as an alternative to Judaism. Judaism, so we are told, is about piety, ritual, observance and Torah study, as well as identity and survival, but certainly not about justice. It deals with our relationship to God, not our relationship to one another, to humanity as a whole and to the planet that sustains all life.

It is therefore inspirational to read a book that convincingly asserts that these issues (concern with issues around sexuality, gender, race, war, poverty and the environment) do actually go to the heart of what Judaism is all about, far more so than do the minutiae of ritual observance.

As a teenager growing up in the affluent northern suburbs of Johannesburg during the 70s, the genteel anti-Semitism I encountered resulted in my being heavily influenced by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, founder of the JDL. In Kahane’s view, there was (is?) only one authentic Judaism; the Judaism of Orthodoxy (even ultra-Orthodoxy). Reading “Whose Torah?” has played an crucial role in helping me to at last shake off the mental and psychological shackles of that worldview, and finally accept that there is no one true Judaism, but multiple Judaisms. It also helped me to realise that concern for social justice is part of our legacy to the Western World, not something we picked up along the way.

My quibbles? The issue of the Black anti-Semitism that went hand-in-hand with Jewish involvement in Civil Rights was not discussed. As regards Israel and the Middle East, there is little recognition that the Palestinians are a party to the conflict, not its innocent victims. One side cannot simply “declare peace”, nor did I get a sense of how human rights can be safeguarded in the middle of a civil war. (And sometimes, even when we act justly, we can still receive a slap in the face in return.)

The “Whose Religion?” series would benefit from a companion volume that focuses more on the theology and rituals that should be core to progressive Judaism in the 21st Century, i.e. what are the bedrock beliefs we should grapple with, and how should they be reflected in our customs, traditions and rituals? Or perhaps such a companion volume already exists?

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought I already wrote a review for this. This is a very slim volume that gives a quick overview of what it means to really pursue justice - an inherent part of Judaism, though not always tied to social, economic, and ecological justice as shown here. A fantastic guide for progressives, or those interested in a general understanding of how Torah can be used to justify progressive politics and global equity. It's a very tidy reclamation of oft-maligned visions of what Judaism really is, and Alpert is wise to focus on commonality and shared values rather than to fight against the conservatism or the observant.

I think it is too general to be of use to very progressive Jews who already take these issues to heart, but for anyone with an open mind about Judaism and an interest in how it aligns with modern movements, this is a very fine introduction. Her writing style is engaging.

[char · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really nice primer on progressive Judaism, with quick overviews on how the Torah and other writings support activism in a variety of different fields (eg environmentalism, feminism). However, it doesn't go too into depth on any of these issues, and the focus on featuring organizations that support these causes will probably eventually become outdated as these organizations change. Still, it's a really nice introduction.

[Jennifer]

Good book. She explains the issues and the Jewish connections and approaches well, but of course I'm a very liberal Jew...