For such a time as this : on being Jewish today / Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, PhD.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cosgrove, Elliot J., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Jews--Identity.

Jews.

Judaism--21st century.

Judaism.

Antisemitism--History--21st century.

Antisemitism.

antisemitism.

Genre:

Informational works.

Instructional and educational works.

Physical Description:

xxvi, 212 pages ; 22 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Being Jewish today

Place of Publication:

New York : Harvest, an imprint of William Morrow, [2024]

Summary:

"For Jews today, the attack on Israel on October 7th has drawn a clear and irreversible demarcation in time. On that day, the Jewish community woke up to an unrecognizable new reality, witnessing the stark rise in antisemitism, the world's oldest hatred, in its wake. But even in this dark hour, the Jewish community is experiencing something profound and beautiful: a deep, abiding connection to community, culture, and faith. Drawing on the rich trove of Jewish history and tradition, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, one of today's most influential thought leaders and spiritual guides, helps readers make sense of this fraught time. With warmth and wisdom, Rabbi Cosgrove explores the challenging questions embedded in the soul of contemporary Jewry. Where did all this antisemitism come from, and was it always there? How have Israel and Zionism shaped American Judaism, and what binds us and divides us today? How do we practice Judaism and understand our place in a world that has, without fail, in every century, turned against us? Knitting together storytelling with ancient teachings, Rabbi Cosgrove helps us navigate and understand the landscape of this new reality, turning over questions that have no clear or easy answer in the way only a very good rabbi can. For thousands of years, the Jewish people have wrestled with what it means to be Jewish. In this often divisive era, Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us of how we can come together despite--and even because of--our differences. For Such a Time as This is a guide for a new generation that is reconciling the past with the present and facing the unknown future with courage, spirit, and unwavering hope" -- From jacket flyleaf.

For Jews today, the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, a vicious assault that killed more Jews in one day than any time since the Holocaust, has drawn a clear and irreversible demarcation in time. The Jewish community woke to an unrecognizable new reality on the 7th, witnessing first the horror and sheer brutality of the atrocities in Israel, followed immediately by the stark and unprecedented rise in antisemitism in its aftermath. In the wake of what is often referred to as the world's oldest hate, American Jews are experiencing a shared and disorienting whiplash, wondering where this antisemitism came from and, more pressingly, for a people whose existence is marked by generations of trauma, where it might lead. But the Jewish community is also experiencing something profound and beautiful in this existential moment: even in this dark hour, they are discovering a deep, abiding connection to community, culture, and faith. Drawing on the rich trove of Jewish history and tradition, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, one of today's most influential spiritual guides and thought leaders, helps listeners make sense of this fraught and trying time.-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: The wake-up call

Part one: What was. Living the Hyphen: The heart of the Jewish identity

The invisible thread: Jewish faith and our ancestral homeland

The two worlds of Judaism: Israel, the diaspora, and the divisions within

Empathy and vigilance: The two responses to Jewish trauma

Antisemitism: A modern look at the world's oldest hate

Part two: What is. Grief, clarity, solidarity: Anchors for this moment in time

The tribal moment: What it means to be Jewish today

For such a time as this: Esther, a hero for our moment

Kiy'mu v'kiblu: Affirming and accepting our Jewish identity

Empathy or revenge: Choosing a path of peace

Sinat hinam: Why our greatest risk is the enemy within

Part three: What might be. The day after: Toward a dialogue of peace

The generational divide: On bridging the politics of Zionism

The broken and the whole: A new vision of Zionism and American Judaism

To begin again: Stepping toward the promised land.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-212).

ISBN:

9780063417472

0063417472

OCLC:

1453491774