Jews: The Essence and Character of a People

In a deeply felt, controversial study, the authors (Hertzberg teaches humanities at New York University, and Hirt-Manheimer is editor of Reform Judaism magazine) contend that there is a definable Jewish character that has been manifested in Jews over the centuries. They identify three core components of this reputed personality profile: the self-image of affirming Jews as a chosen people; Jews as a house divided, a fractious group with a history of internal strife; and Jews as the quintessential outsiders in Western civilization. The third characteristic, they argue, is at the root of anti-Semitism: the Jewish people, who, as persistent dissenters in the societies in which they have lived, challenge the majority's beliefs, behavior and prejudices. Hertzberg and Hirt-Manheimer defend their thesis with an unconventional, selective history of Judaism. Their portrait gallery of modern Jews--Moses Mendelssohn, Martin Buber, Freud, Marx, Trotsky, Heine, Herzl, Kafka--serves as a prism for their exploration of Jews' ambivalence over what it means to be Jewish. In one interesting passage, the authors question whether ""the Orthodox establishment [can] really claim that its version of Judaism is the only effective antidote to assimilation."" Their provocative approach to understanding Jewish identity is certain to stir debate. $40,000 ad/promo; author tour. (June)