Presence

I'll be interested to hear what you've been getting in response to the book. I read it and thought it was an unusual and interesting look at the interaction between two different views of Judaism. It's disappointing that so many Orthodox Jews are so afraid of a dialogue between the two groups. When I read the book, I agreed sometimes with R. Reinman and sometimes with Hirsch. Either way, I think it's important for each individual to develop an informed understanding of the issues before deciding that he agrees with one ideology or the other. It's a bit scary to me that opponents of the book would be so insecure about their own views as to want to stifle a free flow of discussion; after all, if the orthodox are completely right and the reform are completely misguided, the orthodox will lose nothing by allowing "undecideds" to learn about the differences and similarities and to draw their own conclusions.

Anyway, will be very interested to read your post on the controversy.

I had a pretty similar reaction to the book as Rob. However, I doubt that anyone using this book as a basis for deciding which ideology to follow. I think books like this (and others) are important because communication is vital in keeping our people together. We know that their are major differences and disagreements between and within the different factions of Judaism, but the key is to remember that we must continue to look at ourselves as one people. That is what this book tried to do and it is a shame so much controversy was sparked.

As a Shomrei member, I was extremely pleased to see this book chosen. I think it is sad when Orthodox Jews close themselves off from other Jews. I think dialogue is healthy and can often reaffirm our beliefs. I think those who close themselves off from learning about other belief systems are those who are not sure about what they themselves believe.