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What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew about Judaism
"From the Sabbath to circumcision, from Hanukkah to the Holocaust, from bar mitzvah to bagel, how do Jewish religion, history, holidays, lifestyles, and culture make Jews different, and why is that difference so distinctive that we carry it from birth to the grave?" This accessible introduction to Judaism and Jewish life is especially for Christian readers interested in the deep connections and distinct differences between their faith and Judaism, but it is also for Jews looking for ways to understand their religion--and explain it to others. First released in 2002 and now in an updated edition.
244 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2004
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163 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 29, 2009
A basic overview and easy read that covered many topics. However, it left me asking more questions than it actually answered. The author is more concerned with building bridges than educating. That's not a bad thing, I just wanted the info.
July 21, 2017
This is definitely a beginner level book. I wanted to say (a) I am not an idiot, and (b) Did the author mainly research Catholicism for the book throughout? There are Christian religions that are completely different, you know, Mr. Schoen.
June 18, 2015
Read this for my Comparative World Religions class and actually enjoyed it. Yep, you read that right. A school book was good. It was a really helpful but not too in-depth overview of Judaism. I liked the "just the basics" approach the author used because I didn't feel overwhelmed with information. The author also had a really relaxed conversational tone that I liked. I did notice that a lot of the Christian/Judaism comparisons were actually geared towards Catholics instead of all denominations. The inclusion of more denominations would've been helpful in gaining a better understanding, but I was okay with the Catholic-centric-ness because it was about what the author knew from his own experiences in Christianity. Verdict: 3 stars. Informative book that is interesting enough to keep you awake while reading.
February 10, 2009
This was required reading for a class I took on Judaism. For someone with no background in Christianity or Judaism, some of the comparisons to Christianity and references to (what I'm guessing were) well-known Biblical stories were a little over my head.
Overall, this book provided a great introduction to Judaism. It was written in a very conversational style, with many anecdotes and personal insights thrown in, which made it easy and enjoyable to read. I also liked the way it was organized-- short chapters, each dedicated to a specific concept, idea, practice or ritual.
From Moses to the Holocaust, Gefilte Fish to circumcision, this book provides a very broad-level overview of what it means to be Jewish.
Overall, this book provided a great introduction to Judaism. It was written in a very conversational style, with many anecdotes and personal insights thrown in, which made it easy and enjoyable to read. I also liked the way it was organized-- short chapters, each dedicated to a specific concept, idea, practice or ritual.
From Moses to the Holocaust, Gefilte Fish to circumcision, this book provides a very broad-level overview of what it means to be Jewish.
November 26, 2011
Judaism is not the enemy. In fact, they are co-journers with us in the pursuit of God. All Christians should be more familiar with the culture and practices of our Jewish brothers and sisters.
What is the significance of bar and bat mitzvahs? Is Hanukkah really the "Jewish Christmas"? What can you expect if you are invited to a Passover seder? Is a rabbi simply a Jewish priest? Author Robert Schoen addresses these questions and many more in this inviting introduction to Judaism and Jewish life. This concise and entertaining overview explains the differences and highlights the similarities between Judaism and Christianity. This book covers everything from Jewish ceremonies, holidays, and festivals to religious texts, symbols, and kosher food.
What is the significance of bar and bat mitzvahs? Is Hanukkah really the "Jewish Christmas"? What can you expect if you are invited to a Passover seder? Is a rabbi simply a Jewish priest? Author Robert Schoen addresses these questions and many more in this inviting introduction to Judaism and Jewish life. This concise and entertaining overview explains the differences and highlights the similarities between Judaism and Christianity. This book covers everything from Jewish ceremonies, holidays, and festivals to religious texts, symbols, and kosher food.
June 9, 2015
Robert Schoen brings his witty insight to the public in demystifying American Judaism to the average man in the street. Mr. Schoen's insights into the human condition, American culture, and American Christianity's lack of understanding of Judaism is refreshing. He tackles topics in a refreshingly upbeat manner and, no surprise isn't as familiar with Christianity as Christians think they are with Judaism! One's understanding of others is often tempered by who and how many of the "others" we personally know. I highly recommend this book for its personal style and insight into a much maligned segment of American society.
October 22, 2012
My non-Jewish mother-in-law asked me for a good book on Judaism (since I'm Jewish), so after some recommendations from friends, I checked this one out to see if it was the right one to give her to start. I highly recommend it. It is straightforward, and easy to read, and also quite comprehensive. It really would be a great book for folks who want to learn more about Judaism. It is specifically focused towards Christians, with explanations of the similarities and differences of Jewish and Christian religious services, and more. I think it will be the perfect book to give my Catholic mother-in-law for her to learn more about my Judaism.
March 3, 2013
Incredibly shallow, and for intro books of its type, there are a lot of better ones out there. Poor portrayal of every single stream of Judaism. The author himself doesn't seem to know much. This is the most superficial book on the topic I think I've seen - just a list of holidays and so on, minimal explanation of meaning, no explanation of culture. Boring writing. Better options include "To Life" by Harold Kushner, any of Anita Diamant's books, or even Telushkin or Doyin. I'd expect even something like the For Dummies series would be better.
September 2, 2014
This was a very eye-opening book for me. While I feel I know a lot about Jewish culture because of being a student and follower of the Bible, it answered some questions I had in a simple, non-condescending way. Mr. Schoen knows his subject well and he obviously loves his non-Jewish / Christian friends as well. He's written a straight-forward but enjoyable book.
I will be putting this in the Village Library for any Village people who are interested or I'm sure, you can get this at Amazon or other book selling places. I got it at the Jewish Museum in San Francisco.
I will be putting this in the Village Library for any Village people who are interested or I'm sure, you can get this at Amazon or other book selling places. I got it at the Jewish Museum in San Francisco.
January 19, 2015
If you knew nothing about Judaism this would be the introduction for you. In simple terms it explains why one thing is part of Judaism and another is not; why Jews behave in one way and eschew another. If you've been invited to a Bar Mitzvah or a Jewish wedding, you will have enough information to understand the ritual and ceremony.
Yet that very simplicity is its drawback, too. It fails (being beyond the scope of the book) to involve the reader in the beauty and grandeur and history that is the Jewish heritage.
Yet that very simplicity is its drawback, too. It fails (being beyond the scope of the book) to involve the reader in the beauty and grandeur and history that is the Jewish heritage.
Currently reading
June 1, 2011Starting off pretty good...very informative. The only thing I would note is that when he mentions "Christians" he seems to be speaking mainly of very traditional denominations. He talks about different forms of Judaism, from Orthodox to Reformists. It would have been interesting (when he compared/contrasted the different worship styles) had he mentioned different Christian denominations as he did with Judaism to see how they compared.
July 9, 2007
A clear, popular-style introduction to the teachings, customs, and culture of the Jewish people and their faith. One cannot fully understand Jesus Christ and Christianity without understanding the Jewish roots of our faith, and I recommend this to anyone who would like to begin learning more about our Jewish brothers and sisters.
September 16, 2015
Great reference book for beginners in Judaism both Jews and non-Jews alike. Schoen gave a very fair understanding of the basics of Judaism. Obviously, a book like this can't go into much depth as there is a lot of ground to cover. Also, I know you aren't supposed to judge a book this way, but I love the cover art.
January 6, 2015
Libro interesante para conocer sobre la religión judía y como se lleva en la actualidad, sólo una observación, al hablar sobre la religión cristiana se enfoca sólo en una de ella, lo cual puede ser un poco tedioso si no se está familiarizado con dicha religión, fuera de ahí es muy interesante en cuanto a la religión judía y su forma y tradiciones de adoración
February 14, 2016
I read this book because my daughter recommended it to me and lent me a copy. Thank you Leah! I knew a little about Judaism from friends and reading the Bible but I learned so much more. The author has a sense of humor and keeps things down to earth and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book.
February 5, 2009
I really enjoyed reading this book and learning more about the Judaism. It's so interesting to see how their beliefs compare with mine, especially since Christianity stems from Judaism. I'm actually going to read a section of the book for my seminary lesson tomorrow! :)
January 28, 2011
Very informative text, this is better than the Idiot's Guide and Judaism for Dummies book!
August 10, 2011
Didn't finish. A bit too lightweight for my taste.
July 7, 2011
I'd describe it as "Judaism for Dummies" - this is a light read; can be finished in one sitting.
August 30, 2011
Interesting book to help me to better understand many of the customs of my friends. Easy to read.
August 19, 2012
Great book to loan to friends/family who don't know much about Judaism. It helped calm many fears in my family.
December 23, 2012
A quick and easy read. This book gave some basic information about Judaism, and even contained a few little tidbits that were new to my Jewish boyfriend...
January 4, 2013
Very good for people with absolutely no prior exposure to Judaism but I was hoping for something more in-depth and theological in nature.
April 12, 2014
A good primer - though often not very detailed.
November 12, 2014
Read: Sept. 2014. Very beginner. I didn't really like the way the author wrote.
April 1, 2016
Fascinating read for those who, like me, know nothing about Judaism. Excellent primer and an easy read.
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April 12, 2025Robert Schoen says that he wrote this book because he has Christian friends, and they have questions. I am a Christian person, but I considered myself pretty well informed about Judaism. I did learn some things, though, although this is a simple and straightforward book.
It starts by talking about the various branches of Judaism: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative. Who’s in charge? No one. There is no equivalent of the Pope, no central authority. The forms of worship are described. The scriptures. The Sabbath. The various holidays. Various life events such as weddings, circumcisions, bar and bat mitzvahs, funerals. Keeping kosher, or not. Other traditional Jewish foods, and dress.
I was about halfway through the book before I realized one of the reasons why it is so breezy and easy to read. For the most part, it doesn’t discuss what Jews believe, but what Jews do. What is it like to live as a Jew?
When I was a child, my parents had a series of books on world religions. I tried to read them, as I read almost every book in my parents’ library, age-appropriate or not. Those books were dense and difficult (at least for a child), with excerpts from theological texts from the major figures of each religion.
In contrast, in Schoen’s book, a chapter called “Creation, Heaven, Hell, and Life After Death” is all of three pages, and doesn’t show up until page 189. Is there a life after death? Hard to say, but also, don’t really care, as that isn’t the point. The point is to live a good life in the here and now.
The author addresses the state of Israel, and since it’s in the news, and you will want to know, I will tell you. The short version: It’s complicated. Some Orthodox Jews don’t even support the existence of the state of Israel, nor the use of Hebrew in daily life, since that is the holy language. Schoen seems unnerved by the militarization of Israel: soldiers everywhere, all the time. He says, in spite of that, “I believe that not only the Jews of Israel, but the Jews throughout the world pray for peace—shalom—as much if not more than any other people.” I can’t speak for the Jews of Israel, but I believe that to be true of the American Jews I have known.
The last words of the book (besides the glossary of Yiddish and Hebrew words) are “Let us work together to make this often-troubled world one of peace and harmony. Shalom!”
It starts by talking about the various branches of Judaism: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative. Who’s in charge? No one. There is no equivalent of the Pope, no central authority. The forms of worship are described. The scriptures. The Sabbath. The various holidays. Various life events such as weddings, circumcisions, bar and bat mitzvahs, funerals. Keeping kosher, or not. Other traditional Jewish foods, and dress.
I was about halfway through the book before I realized one of the reasons why it is so breezy and easy to read. For the most part, it doesn’t discuss what Jews believe, but what Jews do. What is it like to live as a Jew?
When I was a child, my parents had a series of books on world religions. I tried to read them, as I read almost every book in my parents’ library, age-appropriate or not. Those books were dense and difficult (at least for a child), with excerpts from theological texts from the major figures of each religion.
In contrast, in Schoen’s book, a chapter called “Creation, Heaven, Hell, and Life After Death” is all of three pages, and doesn’t show up until page 189. Is there a life after death? Hard to say, but also, don’t really care, as that isn’t the point. The point is to live a good life in the here and now.
The author addresses the state of Israel, and since it’s in the news, and you will want to know, I will tell you. The short version: It’s complicated. Some Orthodox Jews don’t even support the existence of the state of Israel, nor the use of Hebrew in daily life, since that is the holy language. Schoen seems unnerved by the militarization of Israel: soldiers everywhere, all the time. He says, in spite of that, “I believe that not only the Jews of Israel, but the Jews throughout the world pray for peace—shalom—as much if not more than any other people.” I can’t speak for the Jews of Israel, but I believe that to be true of the American Jews I have known.
The last words of the book (besides the glossary of Yiddish and Hebrew words) are “Let us work together to make this often-troubled world one of peace and harmony. Shalom!”
December 12, 2023
I read this book before giving it to Christian family. It's ok as a *very* basic intro, but it feels quite outdated, though it was revised in 2004. For example, it claims that the majority of converts to Judaism convert for marriage, but that's not the case, and now 1 in 6 American Jews are converts. It also feels quite outdated with regards to its depiction of Reform Judaism and the role of women in Judaism, and uses language like "alternative lifestyle" for the LGBTQ+ community. We need someone to write an updated version of this book, but it's an adequate place to start, for friends and family with zero prior knowledge of Judaism.
June 15, 2022
An amazing overview of current Jewish religious culture and identity. I will say it does make references to Christianity that you have to have actively been a part of to get the references though. (So I also had to look up those as well)
You will probably want to learn Hebrew or yiddish after this cause it's so engaging.
You will probably want to learn Hebrew or yiddish after this cause it's so engaging.
August 13, 2022
I had a lot of fun with this one! It’s written in a conversational style and the content never gets super in depth. I think that’s great for an intro text anyway. Definitely one I would consider recommending to friends and family who have zero prior knowledge
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews