What do you think?
Rate this book
This is My God: A Guidebook to Judaism
The contemporary novelist illuminates the history, doctrines, traditions, rituals, and future of Judaism
395 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
About the author
Herman Wouk
194 books1,093 followersHerman Wouk was a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish American author with a number of notable novels to his credit, including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.
Herman Wouk was born in New York City into a Jewish family that had emigrated from Russia. After a childhood and adolescence in the Bronx and a high school diploma from Townsend Harris High School, he earned a B.A. from Columbia University in 1934, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and studied under philosopher Irwin Edman. Soon thereafter, he became a radio dramatist, working in David Freedman's "Joke Factory" and later with Fred Allen for five years and then, in 1941, for the United States government, writing radio spots to sell war bonds. He lived a fairly secular lifestyle in his early 20s before deciding to return to a more traditional Jewish way of life, modeled after that of his grandfather, in his mid-20s.
Wouk joined the United States Navy and served in the Pacific Theater, an experience he later characterized as educational; "I learned about machinery, I learned how men behaved under pressure, and I learned about Americans." Wouk served as an officer aboard two destroyer minesweepers (DMS), the USS Zane and USS Southard, becoming executive officer of the latter. He started writing a novel, Aurora Dawn, during off-duty hours aboard ship. Wouk sent a copy of the opening chapters to Irwin Edman who quoted a few pages verbatim to a New York editor. The result was a publisher's contract sent to Wouk's ship, then off the coast of Okinawa. The novel was published in 1947 and became a Book of the Month Club main selection. His second novel, City Boy, proved to be a commercial disappointment at the time of its initial publication in 1948.
While writing his next novel, Wouk read each chapter as it was completed to his wife, who remarked at one point that if they didn't like this one, he'd better take up another line of work (a line he would give to the character of the editor Jeannie Fry in his 1962 novel Youngblood Hawke). The novel, The Caine Mutiny (1951), went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. A huge best-seller, drawing from his wartime experiences aboard minesweepers during World War II, The Caine Mutiny was adapted by the author into a Broadway play called The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and was later made into a film, with Humphrey Bogart portraying Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg, captain of the fictional USS Caine. Some Navy personnel complained at the time that Wouk had taken every twitch of every commanding officer in the Navy and put them all into one character, but Captain Queeg has endured as one of the great characters in American fiction.
He married Betty Sarah Brown in 1945, with whom he had three sons: Abraham, Nathanial, and Joseph. He became a fulltime writer in 1946 to support his growing family. His first-born son, Abraham Isaac Wouk, died in a tragic accident as a child; Wouk later dedicated War and Remembrance (1978) to him with the Biblical words, "He will destroy death forever."
In 1998, Wouk received the Guardian of Zion Award.
Herman Wouk died in his sleep in his home in Palm Springs, California, on May 17, 2019, at the age of 103, ten days before his 104th birthday.
Herman Wouk was born in New York City into a Jewish family that had emigrated from Russia. After a childhood and adolescence in the Bronx and a high school diploma from Townsend Harris High School, he earned a B.A. from Columbia University in 1934, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and studied under philosopher Irwin Edman. Soon thereafter, he became a radio dramatist, working in David Freedman's "Joke Factory" and later with Fred Allen for five years and then, in 1941, for the United States government, writing radio spots to sell war bonds. He lived a fairly secular lifestyle in his early 20s before deciding to return to a more traditional Jewish way of life, modeled after that of his grandfather, in his mid-20s.
Wouk joined the United States Navy and served in the Pacific Theater, an experience he later characterized as educational; "I learned about machinery, I learned how men behaved under pressure, and I learned about Americans." Wouk served as an officer aboard two destroyer minesweepers (DMS), the USS Zane and USS Southard, becoming executive officer of the latter. He started writing a novel, Aurora Dawn, during off-duty hours aboard ship. Wouk sent a copy of the opening chapters to Irwin Edman who quoted a few pages verbatim to a New York editor. The result was a publisher's contract sent to Wouk's ship, then off the coast of Okinawa. The novel was published in 1947 and became a Book of the Month Club main selection. His second novel, City Boy, proved to be a commercial disappointment at the time of its initial publication in 1948.
While writing his next novel, Wouk read each chapter as it was completed to his wife, who remarked at one point that if they didn't like this one, he'd better take up another line of work (a line he would give to the character of the editor Jeannie Fry in his 1962 novel Youngblood Hawke). The novel, The Caine Mutiny (1951), went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. A huge best-seller, drawing from his wartime experiences aboard minesweepers during World War II, The Caine Mutiny was adapted by the author into a Broadway play called The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and was later made into a film, with Humphrey Bogart portraying Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg, captain of the fictional USS Caine. Some Navy personnel complained at the time that Wouk had taken every twitch of every commanding officer in the Navy and put them all into one character, but Captain Queeg has endured as one of the great characters in American fiction.
He married Betty Sarah Brown in 1945, with whom he had three sons: Abraham, Nathanial, and Joseph. He became a fulltime writer in 1946 to support his growing family. His first-born son, Abraham Isaac Wouk, died in a tragic accident as a child; Wouk later dedicated War and Remembrance (1978) to him with the Biblical words, "He will destroy death forever."
In 1998, Wouk received the Guardian of Zion Award.
Herman Wouk died in his sleep in his home in Palm Springs, California, on May 17, 2019, at the age of 103, ten days before his 104th birthday.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
January 27, 2024
This is the perfect starting point for anyone-Jew or gentile -who wants to learn about Judaism. It is thoughtful, insightful, entertaining and sensitively explains Judaism to a broad readership
This is not simply a guide to the Jewish religion .Herman Wouk-a well known novelist and playwright - is clearly a man of the world but is also an observant Jew
He speaks about his own illuminating insights and experiences
Written in 1959 it is still equally relevant today as then . He points out the contradiction of leftwing secularists who claim that their rejection of religion is a result of the conformity in inherent therein , when their own entire ways of life and thought processes are based on conformity
He explains a conversation he had with a radical young student thus:
`She had been reading sociology and was full of terms like anomy , other-directedness , acculturation and similar jaw-breakers which she got off with athletic ease. The burden of her tale was that Judaism meant ritualism , and ritualism meant conformity which was a great evil.
`The interesting thing about my charming enlightener while she delivered her polemic against conformity , was dressed in a garb as ceremonious as a bishop's from the correct wrinkles in her sweater sleeves to the prescribed smudge on her saddle shoes. She spoke her piece for autonomy in a vocabulary of the teens as rigid , as circumscribed , as repetitious , as marked in intonation , as a litany'
His social commentary is one of observation rather than of judgement and he states for example that while his preference is for Orthodox Judaism he is unable to join the wringing chorus of denunciation of Reform and Conservative Judaism of some fellow Orthodox Jews.He also refuses to pass judgement on the 'assimilators' while fully voicing his grave concerns about the threat of assimilation to Judaism
He also points out the common roots of Christianity and Judaism and in a discussion .A good example is his discussion of the Jewish Festival of Lights : Hanukkah , which falls in the same month as Christmas and is often celebrated so that Jewish children do not have to feel that they are missing out on the Christmas enjoyed by their Christian peers
Hanukkah is observed in remembrance of the defeat by the Israelites of the Greek and Syrian overlords led by Antiochus who aimed to obliterate the Jewish faith.
Wouk reminds us what the real point of contact between the two festivals is :
' Had Antiochus succeeded in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus , there would have been no Christmas .The feast of Nativity rests on the victory of Hanukkah'
Overall this is an explanation of the religion for anyone interested to learn whatever their faith or orientation.
This is not simply a guide to the Jewish religion .Herman Wouk-a well known novelist and playwright - is clearly a man of the world but is also an observant Jew
He speaks about his own illuminating insights and experiences
Written in 1959 it is still equally relevant today as then . He points out the contradiction of leftwing secularists who claim that their rejection of religion is a result of the conformity in inherent therein , when their own entire ways of life and thought processes are based on conformity
He explains a conversation he had with a radical young student thus:
`She had been reading sociology and was full of terms like anomy , other-directedness , acculturation and similar jaw-breakers which she got off with athletic ease. The burden of her tale was that Judaism meant ritualism , and ritualism meant conformity which was a great evil.
`The interesting thing about my charming enlightener while she delivered her polemic against conformity , was dressed in a garb as ceremonious as a bishop's from the correct wrinkles in her sweater sleeves to the prescribed smudge on her saddle shoes. She spoke her piece for autonomy in a vocabulary of the teens as rigid , as circumscribed , as repetitious , as marked in intonation , as a litany'
His social commentary is one of observation rather than of judgement and he states for example that while his preference is for Orthodox Judaism he is unable to join the wringing chorus of denunciation of Reform and Conservative Judaism of some fellow Orthodox Jews.He also refuses to pass judgement on the 'assimilators' while fully voicing his grave concerns about the threat of assimilation to Judaism
He also points out the common roots of Christianity and Judaism and in a discussion .A good example is his discussion of the Jewish Festival of Lights : Hanukkah , which falls in the same month as Christmas and is often celebrated so that Jewish children do not have to feel that they are missing out on the Christmas enjoyed by their Christian peers
Hanukkah is observed in remembrance of the defeat by the Israelites of the Greek and Syrian overlords led by Antiochus who aimed to obliterate the Jewish faith.
Wouk reminds us what the real point of contact between the two festivals is :
' Had Antiochus succeeded in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus , there would have been no Christmas .The feast of Nativity rests on the victory of Hanukkah'
Overall this is an explanation of the religion for anyone interested to learn whatever their faith or orientation.
December 21, 2020
This is the perfect starting point for anyone-Jew or of any other faith -who wants to learn about Judaism. It is thoughtful, insightful, entertaining and sensitively explains Judaism to a broad readership
This is not simply a guide to the Jewish religion .Herman Wouk-a well known novelist and playwright - is clearly a man of the world but is also an observant Jew
He speaks about his own illuminating insights and experiences
Written in 1959 it is still equally relevant today as then . He points out the contradiction of leftwing secularists who claim that their rejection of religion is a result of the conformity in inherent therein , when their own entire ways of life and thought processes are based on conformity
He explains a conversation he had with a radical young student thus:
`She had been reading sociology and was full of terms like anomy , other-directedness , acculturation and similar jaw-breakers which she got off with athletic ease. The burden of her tale was that Judaism meant ritualism , and ritualism meant conformity which was a great evil.
`The interesting thing about my charming enlightener while she delivered her polemic against conformity , was dressed in a garb as ceremonious as a bishop's from the correct wrinkles in her sweater sleeves to the prescribed smudge on her saddle shoes. She spoke her piece for autonomy in a vocabulary of the teens as rigid , as circumscribed , as repetitious , as marked in intonation , as a litany'
His social commentary is one of observation rather than of judgement and he states for example that while his preference is for Orthodox Judaism he is unable to join the wringing chorus of denunciation of Reform and Conservative Judaism of some fellow Orthodox Jews.He also refuses to pass judgement on the 'assimilators' while fully voicing his grave concerns about the threat of assimilation to Judaism
He also points out the common roots of Christianity and Judaism and in a discussion .A good example is his discussion of the Jewish Festival of Lights : Hanukkah , which falls in the same month as Christmas and is often celebrated so that Jewish children do not have to feel that they are missing out on the Christmas enjoyed by their Christian peers
Hanukkah is observed in remembrance of the defeat by the Israelites of the Greek and Syrian overlords led by Antiochus who aimed to obliterate the Jewish faith.
Wouk reminds us what the real point of contact between the two festivals is :
' Had Antiochus succeeded in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus , there would have been no Christmas .The feast of Nativity rests on the victory of Hanukkah'
Overall this is an explanation of the religion for anyone interested to learn whatever their faith or orientation.
This is not simply a guide to the Jewish religion .Herman Wouk-a well known novelist and playwright - is clearly a man of the world but is also an observant Jew
He speaks about his own illuminating insights and experiences
Written in 1959 it is still equally relevant today as then . He points out the contradiction of leftwing secularists who claim that their rejection of religion is a result of the conformity in inherent therein , when their own entire ways of life and thought processes are based on conformity
He explains a conversation he had with a radical young student thus:
`She had been reading sociology and was full of terms like anomy , other-directedness , acculturation and similar jaw-breakers which she got off with athletic ease. The burden of her tale was that Judaism meant ritualism , and ritualism meant conformity which was a great evil.
`The interesting thing about my charming enlightener while she delivered her polemic against conformity , was dressed in a garb as ceremonious as a bishop's from the correct wrinkles in her sweater sleeves to the prescribed smudge on her saddle shoes. She spoke her piece for autonomy in a vocabulary of the teens as rigid , as circumscribed , as repetitious , as marked in intonation , as a litany'
His social commentary is one of observation rather than of judgement and he states for example that while his preference is for Orthodox Judaism he is unable to join the wringing chorus of denunciation of Reform and Conservative Judaism of some fellow Orthodox Jews.He also refuses to pass judgement on the 'assimilators' while fully voicing his grave concerns about the threat of assimilation to Judaism
He also points out the common roots of Christianity and Judaism and in a discussion .A good example is his discussion of the Jewish Festival of Lights : Hanukkah , which falls in the same month as Christmas and is often celebrated so that Jewish children do not have to feel that they are missing out on the Christmas enjoyed by their Christian peers
Hanukkah is observed in remembrance of the defeat by the Israelites of the Greek and Syrian overlords led by Antiochus who aimed to obliterate the Jewish faith.
Wouk reminds us what the real point of contact between the two festivals is :
' Had Antiochus succeeded in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus , there would have been no Christmas .The feast of Nativity rests on the victory of Hanukkah'
Overall this is an explanation of the religion for anyone interested to learn whatever their faith or orientation.
January 10, 2008
Probably my first formal introduction to Judaism. I read this in seventh grade.
Bought for 25-cents from the withdrawn section at the library.
A favorite quote:
“Religious people tend to encounter, among those who are not, a cemented certainty that belief in God is a crutch for the weak and the fearful. It would be just as silly to assert that disbelief in God is a crutch for the immoral and the ill-read.....Now the belief in God may turn out at the last trump to be a mistake. Meantime, let us be quite clear, it is not merely the comfort of the simple--though it is that too, much to its glory--it is a formidable intellectual position with which most of the first-class minds of the human race, century in and century out, have concurred, each in his own way.....We live in a time when non-belief is in fashion; it has been for about one hundred years. Hence the regular pulsing of rationalist books from popular book clubs and paperback publishers. But this popularity of one point of view should be enough to make any serious man suspicious. Sheep are sheep, whether they are all leaping over the fence or all huddling in the fold.....It is becoming all too clear that--speaking of crutches--Freud can be a crutch, Marx can be a crutch, rationalism can be a crutch, and atheism can be two canes and a pair of iron braces. We none of us have all the answers, nor are we likely to have. But in the country of the halt, the man who is surest he has no limp may be the worst-crippled." -- Herman Wouk, from This Is My God: The Jewish Way of Life
Bought for 25-cents from the withdrawn section at the library.
A favorite quote:
“Religious people tend to encounter, among those who are not, a cemented certainty that belief in God is a crutch for the weak and the fearful. It would be just as silly to assert that disbelief in God is a crutch for the immoral and the ill-read.....Now the belief in God may turn out at the last trump to be a mistake. Meantime, let us be quite clear, it is not merely the comfort of the simple--though it is that too, much to its glory--it is a formidable intellectual position with which most of the first-class minds of the human race, century in and century out, have concurred, each in his own way.....We live in a time when non-belief is in fashion; it has been for about one hundred years. Hence the regular pulsing of rationalist books from popular book clubs and paperback publishers. But this popularity of one point of view should be enough to make any serious man suspicious. Sheep are sheep, whether they are all leaping over the fence or all huddling in the fold.....It is becoming all too clear that--speaking of crutches--Freud can be a crutch, Marx can be a crutch, rationalism can be a crutch, and atheism can be two canes and a pair of iron braces. We none of us have all the answers, nor are we likely to have. But in the country of the halt, the man who is surest he has no limp may be the worst-crippled." -- Herman Wouk, from This Is My God: The Jewish Way of Life
November 17, 2015
This is the perfect starting point for anyone-Jew or Christian -who wants to learn about Judaism. It is thoughtful, insightful, entertaining and sensitively explains Judaism to a broad readership
This is not simply a guide to the Jewish religion .Herman Wouk-a well known novelist and playwright - is clearly a man of the world but is also an observant Jew
He speaks about his own illuminating insights and experiences
Written in 1959 it is still equally relevant today as then . He points out the contradiction of leftwing secularists who claim that their rejection of religion is a result of the conformity in inherent therein , when their own entire ways of life and thought processes are based on conformity
He explains a conversation he had with a radical young student thus:
`She had been reading sociology and was full of terms like anomy , other-directedness , acculturation and similar jaw-breakers which she got off with athletic ease. The burden of her tale was that Judaism meant ritualism , and ritualism meant conformity which was a great evil.
`The interesting thing about my charming enlightener while she delivered her polemic against conformity , was dressed in a garb as ceremonious as a bishop's from the correct wrinkles in her sweater sleeves to the prescribed smudge on her saddle shoes. She spoke her piece for autonomy in a vocabulary of the teens as rigid , as circumscribed , as repetitious , as marked in intonation , as a litany'
His social commentary is one of observation rather than of judgement and he states for example that while his preference is for Orthodox Judaism he is unable to join the wringing chorus of denunciation of Reform and Conservative Judaism of some fellow Orthodox Jews.He also refuses to pass judgement on the 'assimilators' while fully voicing his grave concerns about the threat of assimilation to Judaism
He also points out the common roots of Christianity and Judaism and in a discussion .A good example is his discussion of the Jewish Festival of Lights : Hanukkah , which falls in the same month as Christmas and is often celebrated so that Jewish children do not have to feel that they are missing out on the Christmas enjoyed by their Christian peers
Hanukkah is observed in remembrance of the defeat by the Israelites of the Greek and Syrian overlords led by Antiochus who aimed to obliterate the Jewish faith.
Wouk reminds us what the real point of contact between the two festivals is :
' Had Antiochus succeeded in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus , there would have been no Christmas .The feast of Nativity rests on the victory of Hanukkah'
Overall this is an explanation of the religion for anyone interested to learn whatever their faith or orientation.
This is not simply a guide to the Jewish religion .Herman Wouk-a well known novelist and playwright - is clearly a man of the world but is also an observant Jew
He speaks about his own illuminating insights and experiences
Written in 1959 it is still equally relevant today as then . He points out the contradiction of leftwing secularists who claim that their rejection of religion is a result of the conformity in inherent therein , when their own entire ways of life and thought processes are based on conformity
He explains a conversation he had with a radical young student thus:
`She had been reading sociology and was full of terms like anomy , other-directedness , acculturation and similar jaw-breakers which she got off with athletic ease. The burden of her tale was that Judaism meant ritualism , and ritualism meant conformity which was a great evil.
`The interesting thing about my charming enlightener while she delivered her polemic against conformity , was dressed in a garb as ceremonious as a bishop's from the correct wrinkles in her sweater sleeves to the prescribed smudge on her saddle shoes. She spoke her piece for autonomy in a vocabulary of the teens as rigid , as circumscribed , as repetitious , as marked in intonation , as a litany'
His social commentary is one of observation rather than of judgement and he states for example that while his preference is for Orthodox Judaism he is unable to join the wringing chorus of denunciation of Reform and Conservative Judaism of some fellow Orthodox Jews.He also refuses to pass judgement on the 'assimilators' while fully voicing his grave concerns about the threat of assimilation to Judaism
He also points out the common roots of Christianity and Judaism and in a discussion .A good example is his discussion of the Jewish Festival of Lights : Hanukkah , which falls in the same month as Christmas and is often celebrated so that Jewish children do not have to feel that they are missing out on the Christmas enjoyed by their Christian peers
Hanukkah is observed in remembrance of the defeat by the Israelites of the Greek and Syrian overlords led by Antiochus who aimed to obliterate the Jewish faith.
Wouk reminds us what the real point of contact between the two festivals is :
' Had Antiochus succeeded in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus , there would have been no Christmas .The feast of Nativity rests on the victory of Hanukkah'
Overall this is an explanation of the religion for anyone interested to learn whatever their faith or orientation.
March 3, 2022
Herman Wouk's appeal for Orthodox Judaism is sincere, but ultimately uneven. He's at his finest when he's arguing against the naturalistic atheism that's come in and out of fashion, but is now absolutely dominant in the western world. He reminds us that naturalism can be just another form of received dogma, and there are matters for which science offers only axioms. He finds Judaism to be in accord with his values and his heritage. And it's a proven winner: Its rituals keep divinity constantly in mind, and they've managed to preserve a scattered and persecuted nation since the dawn of history. Wouk sometimes finds himself writing transparent apologetics (e.g., his argument about why a mohel is more suited to perform a circumcision than a modern medical doctor), and his ideas about women and gay people are clearly from another era. But in other respects his insights are prescient coming from the late 1950s. He recognizes that post-Enlightenment Jewish sects, having abandoned the traditional dominance of the law, can't stand on their own without infusions of drop-outs from orthodoxy. He accepts that the non-Haredi orthodox, for their part, can't simply assume the dominance of law, and must meet Western modernity half way through an education that combines religious and secular studies. And he foresees that Zionism without religion will create just another nationalism in a world of nationalisms. So, in sum - this book is still worth a look.
June 14, 2011
JUDAISM FOR EVERYONE
A formidable book, written for everyone, from the pious Chassidim who seems to know all about Judaism to the secular Wall Street Jewish Banker who is far from his faith but feels every now and then the sweet but stern internal calling of his demanding heritage
The best chapters,in my opinion, are related to the experiences related to the secular Jewish people when they got involved in the Jewish religious rituals at the synagogue or at home during childhood, "one feels like he is telling ones own experiences when he was a Jewish kid, so unexplained and uneasy situations at that time become hilarious
Generally speaking, Wouk, who is observant, tried to be very open avoiding dogma and intended to convey to the Jewish reader the precious value of his 4000 years heritage and a way to learn how to feel proud about it.
Wouk did not forget the non-Jewish reader either, he wrote this book with simple concepts and language so anyone interested about Judaism can get a good basic introduction through these pages
A formidable book, written for everyone, from the pious Chassidim who seems to know all about Judaism to the secular Wall Street Jewish Banker who is far from his faith but feels every now and then the sweet but stern internal calling of his demanding heritage
The best chapters,in my opinion, are related to the experiences related to the secular Jewish people when they got involved in the Jewish religious rituals at the synagogue or at home during childhood, "one feels like he is telling ones own experiences when he was a Jewish kid, so unexplained and uneasy situations at that time become hilarious
Generally speaking, Wouk, who is observant, tried to be very open avoiding dogma and intended to convey to the Jewish reader the precious value of his 4000 years heritage and a way to learn how to feel proud about it.
Wouk did not forget the non-Jewish reader either, he wrote this book with simple concepts and language so anyone interested about Judaism can get a good basic introduction through these pages
March 29, 2014
This is an excellent book! I learned so much from it, and not just about the Judaism. I learned about principles that help one lead a good life, not always an easy life, but a life of value and depth. And yes, I learned a lot about judaism. Wouk is a thinker of the highest caliber and has a wonderful way of expressing his points. Still, this was not an easy read for me, nor was it a fast read, but the further I got into it the less that mattered. I was enjoying the journey through this book and was sad when I came to the end.
June 1, 2016
This was a good book to understand about the Jewish Way Of Living. Although, written work on Judaism can go into volumes of work, with this as a concise work of writing the author has done a pretty good job.
The book is divided into four sections:
1. THE REMARKABLE SURVIVAL OF THE JEWS deals with who the Jews are and their symbols.
2. THE FAITH deals with the Sabbath, information on the various Nature Festivals (the Calendar, Passover, Sukkoth), the High Holy Days, the Minor Holy Days (Tisha B'Av, Purim, Hanuka); on the significance of the Prayers, the Synagogue, and the Worshippers; Symbols of Food, Clothing, and Shelter; Birth and Beginnings (Circumcision, Bar/Bat MItzvah); Love and Marriage; and Death.
3. THE LAW deals with information related to the Torah, the Talmud, a section on "Jewish Common Law", and the times "From the Talmud to the Present".
4. THE PRESENT deals with Orthodoxy, Dissent, and Israel (as in the time of the book's writing, as in 1959).
The book does a good job of introducing to a reader (Jewish and non-Jewish) what the Jewish Way of Life is, what this religion brings about from within a human being. The author has at times within the book justified well with his reasoning on his faith in God, when in conflict with ideas of contemporary irreligious reasonings.
A good book, could have been even better. :)
The book is divided into four sections:
1. THE REMARKABLE SURVIVAL OF THE JEWS deals with who the Jews are and their symbols.
2. THE FAITH deals with the Sabbath, information on the various Nature Festivals (the Calendar, Passover, Sukkoth), the High Holy Days, the Minor Holy Days (Tisha B'Av, Purim, Hanuka); on the significance of the Prayers, the Synagogue, and the Worshippers; Symbols of Food, Clothing, and Shelter; Birth and Beginnings (Circumcision, Bar/Bat MItzvah); Love and Marriage; and Death.
3. THE LAW deals with information related to the Torah, the Talmud, a section on "Jewish Common Law", and the times "From the Talmud to the Present".
4. THE PRESENT deals with Orthodoxy, Dissent, and Israel (as in the time of the book's writing, as in 1959).
The book does a good job of introducing to a reader (Jewish and non-Jewish) what the Jewish Way of Life is, what this religion brings about from within a human being. The author has at times within the book justified well with his reasoning on his faith in God, when in conflict with ideas of contemporary irreligious reasonings.
A good book, could have been even better. :)
February 5, 2009
Herman Wouk was a literary giant of the post World War II fiction genre. But at one point, in the later days of his life, he sat down and wrote a book from his heart about his religion. It is undoubtedly the simplest yet most comprehensive work on Judaism that it has been my pleasure to read. Written as a devouit believer who felt that hsi religion was something that far transcended the Holacaust, having meaning and merit for all peoples to understand and admire. Using all of his writers skills he lays out the beliefs and rituals of the Jewish peoples in terms to which all peoples can relate. I have been a great admirer of the Jewish peoples ever since my school years and cherish the friendships I have had and still have with my Jewsih brethern. Upon reading you may well feel the same.
June 12, 2017
Herman Wouk is known for such Naval adventure novels as "War and Remembrance", "The Caine Mutiny" and "The Winds of War." Wouk's experience as a naval officer shaped his self-image and his writing, but another huge influence on Wouk was his Orthodox Jewish faith. In other novels such as "Marjorie Morningstar" and "Inside/Outside", Wouk delves into the experience of growing up Jewish in New York. In this, the only work of non-fiction Wouk ever published, he delves into the Jewish faith and explains it to the non-practicing Jew and the non-Jew.
This work is exceptionally written because it was obviously the work of a man whose faith was important to him. As a non-Jew myself, I was struck by the familiarity and affection that Wouk had, not just for the scriptures which he quoted profusely, but also for the traditions, the feast days, the prayers, the rituals, and especially the community that comprise what it means to be a Jew.
In this work, Wouk examines a belief in God in general, and then explores the specifically Jewish experience of God. He takes the faith in chunks, talks about scriptures, the Talmud, the festivals, the celebrations, the Sabbath, the history of Judaism and the community. Perhaps a similar work written by a scholar or Rabbi would have been more informative, but Wouk's enthusiasm for his faith makes this work very memorable. My only criticism of the work is Wouk's equating Orthodoxy with Zionism, which I guess was understandable in the 1950s, during the Arab-Israeli wars when this work was first written.
I would highly recommend this work to anyone interested in the Jewish faith or the practice of Orthodox Judaism.
This work is exceptionally written because it was obviously the work of a man whose faith was important to him. As a non-Jew myself, I was struck by the familiarity and affection that Wouk had, not just for the scriptures which he quoted profusely, but also for the traditions, the feast days, the prayers, the rituals, and especially the community that comprise what it means to be a Jew.
In this work, Wouk examines a belief in God in general, and then explores the specifically Jewish experience of God. He takes the faith in chunks, talks about scriptures, the Talmud, the festivals, the celebrations, the Sabbath, the history of Judaism and the community. Perhaps a similar work written by a scholar or Rabbi would have been more informative, but Wouk's enthusiasm for his faith makes this work very memorable. My only criticism of the work is Wouk's equating Orthodoxy with Zionism, which I guess was understandable in the 1950s, during the Arab-Israeli wars when this work was first written.
I would highly recommend this work to anyone interested in the Jewish faith or the practice of Orthodox Judaism.
June 11, 2022
I've always had a great respect for Judaism, but never felt I knew much about it. Wouk gave insight and explanation of Judaism from both research and his personal experience. Very informative and readable.
May 26, 2008
This book summarizes the Jewish religion, written "for people who have at least an open mind on God, and who would like to know something about the Jewish way to him." In it, Wouk reminds me of C.S. Lewis, using a clear, conversational writing style and employing numerous analogies to make his points accessible. He even engages in a great deal of apology, although he insists that Jews do not seek to convert anyone. The book is aimed at non-practicing Jews and gentiles who are "curious about the old Hebrew faith." It is the former group, however, at which Wouk levels most of his discussion, and he seems deeply concerned about the subtle pressures of conformity faced by American Jews, pressures which, he argues, have had a greater affect than persecution. I love his repsonse to those who call religion a "crutch."
June 17, 2017
I picked this book out on recommendation of my pastor because he referenced a story from it once in a conversation we had. The book is a primer on Judaism as it existed in the 1960's when Israel was new and the holocaust was an event fresh in the minds of Jews. Herman Wouk, a playwright and novelist, writes a general outline of the parts of the Jewish Faith he believes to be important, but he ends up giving a description of what is beautiful in Judaism. His description of his celebration of the Sabbath would make anyone want to copy this pattern, he makes the Talmud sound so full of wonder that you want to start learning Hebrew. At every page even if you have no interest in religion, Wouk helps you to understand what is beautiful about it and worth preserving. I think that's a great accomplishment for an author.
June 8, 2022
I skipped a lot of the explanatory notes (read some of them in real time) but even still this is perhaps the best, most-honest introduction to Judaism available today.
February 16, 2024
A wonderful insight into Jewish history and culture past and present. I set out to read this initially for a class, but ended up loving it as it helped me to better understand how my religion (Mormon) is tied into the Jewish religion as Christ was Jewish.
November 21, 2009
Would love to see this packaged with The Will to Live On.
May 24, 2018
An excellent overview of Judaism past and present (well, present-ish), in brief chapters that allowed for reading in bits whenever I had a few moments. Well written and informative.
October 20, 2023
stunning writing. almost made me want to convert. jk. but really good fr.
December 8, 2017
A couple of months ago, I was talking to my nephew and he told me he was a Jew.
I asked if he had ever been to a synagogue. No. I asked if he had ever read the Torah or the Talmud. No. I asked if he had ever read the complete Old Testament from the Bible. No. I asked if he had ever spoken to a Rabbi about the Jewish faith. No.
After chuckling, I asked him why he thought he was Jewish. He advised me that Jesus was Jewish and he was a follower of Jesus, so he was Jewish, too. Needless to say (after another chuckle), I advised him that declaring yourself to be of a certain faith does not “make” you a member of that faith if you do nothing else to demonstrate your beliefs.
Later, though, it occurred to me that I know almost nothing about the Jewish faith either. Yes, I’ve read some of the Old Testament, but I’ve never read any of the Torah and would not be able to tell you the first thing about any differences between it and the Old Testament. So, when I was visiting my local second hand book shop and I stumbled upon a copy of a book which professed to be an “everymans” guide to orthodox Judaism, I picked it up and added it to the reading list. As it happens, I rested the book close to my computer and it “called” to me repeatedly – so I bumped it up the list. I finished it last week and the rest of this posting is my review…
The book is titled: “This Is My God” (1988©), and was written by Herman Wouk. The book was originally published back in 1959, but this is a republishing with a chapter update about Israel (the nation-state). Mr. Wouk wrote the book because a friend came up to him and said his son knew next to nothing about Judaism and the friend knew Wouk to be a practicing Jew and could he recommend a good “starter” book for him to give to his son with the hope the son might gain some appreciation for their heritage.
Now Wouk admits to not being a Rabbi (a teacher of the Torah) and could not think of (or find) such a book – even after asking around himself – so he decided to write one. After about a year or so of intense research, he did. And this book is the result of Wouk’s effort.
I have not read any of Wouk’s other works, but he is a terrific writer! The book is obviously a very simplistic introduction to Judaism. That does not mean it is not worth reading. It merely recognize’s there are whole libraries devoted to the various aspects of Judaism and anything other than an overview would have taken many, many volumes. Having said this, I felt reading this book was an insightful introduction to this faith upon which my own was based. Indeed, it is the faith on which both Christianity and Islam are based. All three faiths are the “children” of Abraham.
Although I don’t usually attribute such sentiments to books, this book has been a blessing to my own personal faith. (I am a practicing Roman Catholic.) Wouk’s words are kind and wise, yet humble and moving. And most of all, they are educational. There were several times I said to myself, “Wow! I never knew that!” or “So that’s why…”
Two quick examples are: there is no requirement for a person to be a Jew to enter Heaven. One only needs to live a good life to be judged worthy of Heaven. And second, not all the stories in the Bible are about Jews. Some “holy” men are not Jews at all. Job for example. This was a real “Wow!” moment for me as I’d always just assumed Job was Hebrew. Wouk explains why this is not so, but I still could hardly believe it so I had to do some additional research on the internet. As near as I can tell, there is no proof he (Job) existed let alone that he was Jewish. Like I said, the book is full of little “gems” to help you explore your faith (if you are a Christian).
The book is a fast read at only a little over two hundred and eighty pages and is so well written it doesn’t even feel that long. There is a fifty page “Notes” area which has clarifications and recommendations for further readings and an eight page Glossary at the very end.
So, final recommendation: Highly recommended! You will, of course, see several quotes from this book over the next few months as I try to share some of Wouk’s writing with you…
So I called up my nephew to thank him for “prompting” me to learn about Judaism as the basis of my own faith. His response: “Uncle Kevin, I never meant for you to read a book about it!” I guess he just doesn’t know me that well…
I asked if he had ever been to a synagogue. No. I asked if he had ever read the Torah or the Talmud. No. I asked if he had ever read the complete Old Testament from the Bible. No. I asked if he had ever spoken to a Rabbi about the Jewish faith. No.
After chuckling, I asked him why he thought he was Jewish. He advised me that Jesus was Jewish and he was a follower of Jesus, so he was Jewish, too. Needless to say (after another chuckle), I advised him that declaring yourself to be of a certain faith does not “make” you a member of that faith if you do nothing else to demonstrate your beliefs.
Later, though, it occurred to me that I know almost nothing about the Jewish faith either. Yes, I’ve read some of the Old Testament, but I’ve never read any of the Torah and would not be able to tell you the first thing about any differences between it and the Old Testament. So, when I was visiting my local second hand book shop and I stumbled upon a copy of a book which professed to be an “everymans” guide to orthodox Judaism, I picked it up and added it to the reading list. As it happens, I rested the book close to my computer and it “called” to me repeatedly – so I bumped it up the list. I finished it last week and the rest of this posting is my review…
The book is titled: “This Is My God” (1988©), and was written by Herman Wouk. The book was originally published back in 1959, but this is a republishing with a chapter update about Israel (the nation-state). Mr. Wouk wrote the book because a friend came up to him and said his son knew next to nothing about Judaism and the friend knew Wouk to be a practicing Jew and could he recommend a good “starter” book for him to give to his son with the hope the son might gain some appreciation for their heritage.
Now Wouk admits to not being a Rabbi (a teacher of the Torah) and could not think of (or find) such a book – even after asking around himself – so he decided to write one. After about a year or so of intense research, he did. And this book is the result of Wouk’s effort.
I have not read any of Wouk’s other works, but he is a terrific writer! The book is obviously a very simplistic introduction to Judaism. That does not mean it is not worth reading. It merely recognize’s there are whole libraries devoted to the various aspects of Judaism and anything other than an overview would have taken many, many volumes. Having said this, I felt reading this book was an insightful introduction to this faith upon which my own was based. Indeed, it is the faith on which both Christianity and Islam are based. All three faiths are the “children” of Abraham.
Although I don’t usually attribute such sentiments to books, this book has been a blessing to my own personal faith. (I am a practicing Roman Catholic.) Wouk’s words are kind and wise, yet humble and moving. And most of all, they are educational. There were several times I said to myself, “Wow! I never knew that!” or “So that’s why…”
Two quick examples are: there is no requirement for a person to be a Jew to enter Heaven. One only needs to live a good life to be judged worthy of Heaven. And second, not all the stories in the Bible are about Jews. Some “holy” men are not Jews at all. Job for example. This was a real “Wow!” moment for me as I’d always just assumed Job was Hebrew. Wouk explains why this is not so, but I still could hardly believe it so I had to do some additional research on the internet. As near as I can tell, there is no proof he (Job) existed let alone that he was Jewish. Like I said, the book is full of little “gems” to help you explore your faith (if you are a Christian).
The book is a fast read at only a little over two hundred and eighty pages and is so well written it doesn’t even feel that long. There is a fifty page “Notes” area which has clarifications and recommendations for further readings and an eight page Glossary at the very end.
So, final recommendation: Highly recommended! You will, of course, see several quotes from this book over the next few months as I try to share some of Wouk’s writing with you…
So I called up my nephew to thank him for “prompting” me to learn about Judaism as the basis of my own faith. His response: “Uncle Kevin, I never meant for you to read a book about it!” I guess he just doesn’t know me that well…
March 8, 2024
Slow read for me but I loved this book.
June 16, 2016
I read this years ago. In 1999, I was on a search for a spiritual community. I visited a local Unitarian Universalist Society one Sunday. It seemed entirely directed at me. It was a Jewish themed service; I was a Judeophile. The reading was from my favorite chapter in this book about the Sabbath and Herman leaving the theatre and the director and producer freaking out because there was still a problem in the second act. He went home, cleaned up, prepared, enjoyed his family and the food, slept, studied Torah, played with his children, and went back Saturday night. The problem with the second act was still there, but he was the only one there relaxed, rested, and energized to do something to fix it. The sermon was okay. The minister used Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical lyrics move along the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors. Eh. But when she was done, she opened a discussion with the congregation. A woman had a comment about how women were portrayed in the bible. Well, the minister stood up in the pulpit and said that the bible was not her favorite book to teach from. THAT DID IT! I signed up right then and there! I was a UU!
January 26, 2018
Although Wouk initially wrote for a more casual Jewish audience, I admire this book from my point of view as a Christian. Wouk's passion for his faith's traditions and beliefs, and above all, his God, is contagious. It was a timely, energetic reminder for the parts of my own religion that I tend to be more casual towards.
Wouk originally wrote the book in 1959, and has added a few footnotes to update his more recent commentary and his very brief history of the state of Israel (although his last update is from 1987). The age of the book, and his Modern Orthodox perspective, definitely show.
As a complete novice to the vast study of Judaism I can't comment on the accuracy or the scope of Wouk's work. My one criticism, however, is he sometimes treats women as an afterthought. In one case he excludes women by saying that a traditional Jew prays three times a day, then revealing two chapters later that women aren't expected to perform these scheduled prayers. It's condescending, however innocent and inadvertent.
Overall a fantastic book though.
Wouk originally wrote the book in 1959, and has added a few footnotes to update his more recent commentary and his very brief history of the state of Israel (although his last update is from 1987). The age of the book, and his Modern Orthodox perspective, definitely show.
As a complete novice to the vast study of Judaism I can't comment on the accuracy or the scope of Wouk's work. My one criticism, however, is he sometimes treats women as an afterthought. In one case he excludes women by saying that a traditional Jew prays three times a day, then revealing two chapters later that women aren't expected to perform these scheduled prayers. It's condescending, however innocent and inadvertent.
Overall a fantastic book though.
May 19, 2009
An introduction to the Jewish faith written for secular Jews and curious others.
This was interesting. What struck me the most was the focus on how you act, rather than what you believe. (Basically pretty much the exact opposite of the religion I grew up in.) And then, perhaps as a result of that, the much greater emphasis on the common law coming about as a great conversation/debate that spans centuries. It was also interesting how the author would sometimes referred to a commentary author who had written centuries earlier as if he were a close personal friend - presumably from spending so much time reading his words, and being immersed in this overall conversation.
Since I don't know much about the Jewish faith I can't speak to this book's accuracy, but I can say it was very well-written, clear, and interesting to read.
This was interesting. What struck me the most was the focus on how you act, rather than what you believe. (Basically pretty much the exact opposite of the religion I grew up in.) And then, perhaps as a result of that, the much greater emphasis on the common law coming about as a great conversation/debate that spans centuries. It was also interesting how the author would sometimes referred to a commentary author who had written centuries earlier as if he were a close personal friend - presumably from spending so much time reading his words, and being immersed in this overall conversation.
Since I don't know much about the Jewish faith I can't speak to this book's accuracy, but I can say it was very well-written, clear, and interesting to read.
January 8, 2015
This was a great book. It was recommended to me by one of my wife's orthodox colleagues as a good basic primer on the Jewish faith. Of course, even the updated version I read is a couple decades old at this point, and so I am sure that the information is not completely up to date in terms of modern practice. Nevertheless, it was a very interesting and informative read. As a Christian, my entire religion is based on the faith and scripture of Jews, and so I find it unfortunate that so many Christians know so little about Judaism. Judaism is a massive subject, and condensing the millennia of Jewish thought into a single volume is no small feat. Needless to say, this book only scratches the surface of Jewish culture, history, faith, and practice, but it is a great starting point for anyone who wants to know more about the subject.
June 10, 2021
I'll admit, I initially read this book for my Introduction to Judaism and Islam class at my university. Before reading Wouk's work, I did not know a whole lot about Judaism. However, I feel like I gained a better grasp of the religion after finishing.
Wouk provides a wonderful explanation of Judaism. It is tailored to those who may not know a whole lot about Judaism, which is perfect for those willing to understand it more. Wouk incorporates his own experiences into his work, which makes the book more relatable. If you are looking to learn more about Judaism, I highly recommend grabbing this book and giving it a try.
Wouk provides a wonderful explanation of Judaism. It is tailored to those who may not know a whole lot about Judaism, which is perfect for those willing to understand it more. Wouk incorporates his own experiences into his work, which makes the book more relatable. If you are looking to learn more about Judaism, I highly recommend grabbing this book and giving it a try.
December 18, 2008
Okay - I didn't actually read the large print version - my eyes aren't that bad yet. :-) You might remember Herman Wouk as the writer of Winds of War and such. This is a great book for the lay person of non-Jewish background who is interested in understanding the Jewish faith.
Wouk wrote this orginally in 1959 after a secular friend asked him if he knew any good books about Hanukah as he wanted his son to learn about his heritage. It is an enjoable read written with a light hand and no small amount of warmth and affection. Wouk makes the inscruitable very understandable.
Wouk wrote this orginally in 1959 after a secular friend asked him if he knew any good books about Hanukah as he wanted his son to learn about his heritage. It is an enjoable read written with a light hand and no small amount of warmth and affection. Wouk makes the inscruitable very understandable.
Read
October 17, 2018If you only ever read one book on Judaism, make it this one. Wouk is both a very eloquent writer and a devout Orthodox Jew whose stated purpose is to introduce Jewish religion and culture to both Gentiles and Jews who didn't grow up as part of the community. Fair warning that the book was written in the 50s, and so some of the cultural context is a bit outdated, but that's a very minor quibble with a clearly-written and insightful book. It was assigned as a textbook for my Survey of Judaism class, but I probably would have picked it up for my own reading anyway at some point.
June 10, 2016
I read this book for a world religions class in college ten years ago. After college I sold or gave away most of my textbooks and required reading books, except this one. I found it to be well-written and an enjoyable read. I love learning about religions that aren't my own but sometimes the books written on them are a little dull -this one was not. I appreciated the author's explanations, examples and personal experinces. It's a book I would, and should, read again.
August 25, 2021
For what it claims to be, an introduction to the lived experience of Modern Orthodox Judaism, it completely succeeds. It is well-written. It is well-informed. And though it is written from an insider perspective, it has very little polemics.
It was written in the 1950s, and that shows. The concept that Jew means able-bodied, cishet Jewish man is certainly not unique to Mr. Wouk. But this remains an excellent gateway into Jewish practice and thought.
It was written in the 1950s, and that shows. The concept that Jew means able-bodied, cishet Jewish man is certainly not unique to Mr. Wouk. But this remains an excellent gateway into Jewish practice and thought.
January 1, 2023
An absolute gem of a book to learn more about Judaism. Herman Wouk was able to take his skills in writing to a new format of non-fiction religious texts and I was captivated almost the entire book.
I think at times he was a bit heavy on the issue of separating men and women in a synagogue, the content was neatly formatted and easy to follow. I would recommend this book as the best place to start learning more about our Jewish brothers and sisters.
I think at times he was a bit heavy on the issue of separating men and women in a synagogue, the content was neatly formatted and easy to follow. I would recommend this book as the best place to start learning more about our Jewish brothers and sisters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews