The Future Jew

By Michael Carin

The Future Jew argues a startling thesis: The Jewish people have not yet responded decisively to the Holocaust. They have failed to recognize the event as a radical turning point in their history.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 096885690X
• ISBN13: 9780968856901
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: M R W Pr
• Length: 273 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.9" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Will the Future Jew be secular?

The Future Jew is premised on the Holocaust being as important a turning point in Judaism as was the exodus from Egypt. But in examining the Holocaust, many Jews will turn away from God and become more secular. Yet, author Michael Carin believes that these secular Jews will remain Jews, and he gives the example of the secular Humanistic Judaism movement. The book is basically divided into three parts: stories about the Holocaust and individual victims, Carin's discussion of secularism, and an interview with a hypothetical future Rabbi of the secular movement. The ideas presented by Carin are very interesting and he writes in a conversational manner which is very easy to follow. One of the strong points of the book is that it reinforces the notion that someone can feel Jewish, be Jewish yet secular at the same time, that is Judaism is a national identity, not a religious one. Two websites might be valuable to help put this book into context, Carin's own site http://www.thefuturejew.com/ and the Society for Humanistic Judaism at http://www.shj.org/.

Abolishing God to redeem the six million

The book very vividly portrays the Holocaust, and juxtaposes the question: How can Jews go on believing in God after such an event? "The Future Jew" is extremely valuable for the very cogent manner in which it puts that question, but it is even MORE valuable for the document that lives and breathes at its center, namely the chapter entitled "Holocaust Haggadah." The Holocaust Haggadah tells the story of the extermination of the six million, and does so in the context of a Holocaust "seder." Marvellously written!

A Humanist Prescription

Carin has taken a brave step in making an argument against divinity to a people steeped in a religious tradition. "The Future Jew" is a thought-provoking prescription for Jews to adhere to their humanist traditions while living increasingly secular lives. The core of Carin's argument is that the Holocaust has yet to be fully integrated into the observance of the Jewish faith and his response to this is to propose a manner in which Jews might live in the future. The center piece of the book is the moving Holocaust Haggadah, and Carin's preamble and postscript to this work shows a thoughtful approach, in the best humanist traditions. Carin can at times sound more the reporter than the advocate, but his genuine belief in a secular and humanist approach comes through sincerely. There are moments of beautiful prose, exercised with intelligent restraint. Highly reccomended.