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The Promise

by Chaim Potok

4.03 · rating details · 4,606 ratings · 261 reviews

"A superb mirror of a place, a time, and a group of people who capture our immediate interest and hold it tightly."
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
Young Reuven Malter is unsure of himself and his place in life. An unconventional scholar, he struggles for recognition from his teachers. With his old friend Danny Saunders--who himself had abandoned the legacy as the chosen...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published November 8th 2005 by Anchor (first published September 15th 1969)

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Oct 23, 2008

John rated it

Recommends it for: Those seeking to reconcile religion with modernity.

Recommended to John by: My sweet mom.

For all those struggling through religious issues (especially my LDS friends) -- this book will put so much into perspective.

This book explains everything. And it has the potential to change a great deal.

I cannot recommend highly enough.

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Aug 25, 2008

Tora rated it

Shelves: fiction

I thought The Chosen couldn't be beat, but this one did it. Chaim Potok draws you into the lives of the characters; Reuven's internal struggle to figure out just "what kind" of Jew he is while still remaining true to the faith he learned from his father, Danny's empathy with Michael's suffering and his desire to prove that choosing psychology was the right thing to do... but most of all it is tragic to see how much humans tear each other apart - in this book it's between Hasidic and ot...more

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Dec 09, 2007

Lynn rated it

Recommends it for: people who liked "The Chosen"

Shelves: american-history, literary-fiction, spiritual, historical-fiction

I first read this book in the late '90s, when I just wanted to see what "happened next" to Reuven and Danny from The Chosen, one of my favorites from American lit back in high school. A recent reread has shown me how timeless this work really is.

This is the story of a young man of faith who is thrown in with religious fanatics, and men who've lost belief in God, in the tumultuous decade after the Holocaust. He can understand, but not quite accept, both points of view, and ...more

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Apr 20, 2010

Joyce Lagow rated it

· review of another edition

The sequel to The Chosen follows Reuven Malter as he studies for ordination (smicha). It s the summer of 1950, 5 years after the end of World War II. On vacation, Reuven continues dating Rachel Gordon, the niece of a famous Jewish teacher and author who is considered heretical by the more traditional wing of Orthodox Jewry. Rachel, along with her 14 year old cousin Michael, is also vacationing at the same area as Reuven and his father. Rachel persuades Reuven to accompany her and and her 14...moreThe sequel to The Chosen follows Reuven Malter as he studies for ordination (smicha). It s the summer of 1950, 5 years after the end of World War II. On vacation, Reuven continues dating Rachel Gordon, the niece of a famous Jewish teacher and author who is considered heretical by the more traditional wing of Orthodox Jewry. Rachel, along with her 14 year old cousin Michael, is also vacationing at the same area as Reuven and his father. Rachel persuades Reuven to accompany her and and her 14 year old cousin Michael to a county fair. But the fair is in reality a carnival, and Michael, cleverly caught by a huckster in a con game run by an old Jewish man and realizing that the game is crooked, turns violent; Reuven and Rachel restrain him. Learning that Michael ha emotional problems, Reuven lout of compassion and a sincere liking for Michael, invites Michael to go sailing with him, and the boy forms a close bond with the quietly empathetic Reuven. [return][return]Back in New York, Reuven starts a Talmudic class under Rav Kalman, an extremely conservative teacher who is a survivor of the Shoah. Kalman is one of many such teachers brought over to the US as a way of preserving the Eastern European Jewish remnant; they and the Hasidim, also survivors, re changing radically both the daily life and the atmosphere in the yeshivas of the Orthodox Jewish community. Reuven immediately is repelled by what he sees as Kalamn s fanaticism and rigidity, but the class he is taking is required for ordination, and he has to not just endure but win Rav Kalman s approval if he wishes to obtain smicha.[return][return]Meanwhile, the Gordon family has requested that Reuven introduce them to Danny Saunders, who, even though he is still in graduate school at Columbia, is gaining a reputation as a brilliant clinical psychologist. Danny, Reuven s oldest and best friend, becomes involved in Michael s care as Michael s condition deteriorates.[return][return]These two main threads Reuven s struggle with Rav Kalman and Danny s treatment of Michael--become entangled. [return][return]The most remarkable thing about Chaim Potok's works is that he is concerned, not with the world without but totally with the world within Orthodox Judaism. The US can go through a world war, McCarthy can wreak his destruction from which we still have not completely recovered, but these are events that have meaning, yes, but are tangential to the world in which Reuven , his father, Rav Kalman, Danny, and others live. It is a world concerned nearly totally with morality--different views of how to live it, but that's the topic, and nothing else really matters.[return][return]Potok's language is gentle and utterly beautiful. It's a style that is dreamlike except when discussing Torah, and then a clean austerity enters. Potok is incredibly good at showing a gentile world what such Torah study is and what it means especially to Orthodox Jewry. Just as in other religions, there are struggles within the Orthodox world; Potok shows compassionate understanding for all sides involved. It is remarkable writing, done with great insight.[return][return]The resolution of the plot is utterly gripping; I have been less fascinated by best-selling thrillers or police procedurals. Again, Potok knows and loves the world of which he is writing and has the remarkable ability to make that world come alive and be real for those of us who would otherwise never know it existed.[return][return]Highly recommended.(less)

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Dec 17, 2008

Nola rated it

Recommends it for: anyone willing to examine their religious standing

Recommended to Nola by: Potok

Shelves: fiction-drama, to-review

I cannot even begin to process the things I have enjoyed or picked up from this book. I marked several passages as I read that were especially thought provoking, but that doesn't even begin to cover the entirety of the novel.

I honestly felt like I shortchanged "The Promise." When I read "The Chosen," I did so with a pen and paper, taking notes, and I took so much from it. With "The Promise," I was more casual in my reading, didn't take any notes, and my ...more

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Dec 12, 2008

Jenny rated it

This novel is set in the 50s, in the era of Joseph McCarthy, but it deals with another area of reactionary thought. It's about the Orthodox Jewish community in NYC, and how it is changed by the concentration camp survivors who make their way there after WWII.

The narrator, Reuven Malter, is a Talmudic student who is caught between the orthodox European Jews (who, after so much loss, can't accept any threat to their traditions) and the more liberal threads developing in the U....more

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Nov 02, 2011

Jessie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adult

The Promise is the second in the series by Chaim Potok. It starts with The Chosen. On the cover of the book it says, "The powerful bestselling classic of a young man's quest for meaning and fulfillment in a perilously changing world." Jews from concentration camps come over to America and teach in the old school method. Jews that have already been here teach with another method. I'm astounded by how much studying they do. I'm learning about Jews. I guess that I thought all Jews ...more

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Jan 31, 2012

Flavia Gaia rated it

The Promise is a novel written by Chaim Potok and published as a sequel to The Chosen, published two years earlier. It was originally published by Alfred A. Knopf in New York. Although not quite as impressive as The Chosen, The Promise is still laudable, skillfully woven to a depth which many modern books tend to lack.
The Chosen takes place in Brooklyn, New York, amongst the various Jewish sects which resided there in the 1940’s. The book begins with Reuven Malter, a Jewish student and son ...moreThe Promise is a novel written by Chaim Potok and published as a sequel to The Chosen, published two years earlier. It was originally published by Alfred A. Knopf in New York. Although not quite as impressive as The Chosen, The Promise is still laudable, skillfully woven to a depth which many modern books tend to lack.
The Chosen takes place in Brooklyn, New York, amongst the various Jewish sects which resided there in the 1940’s. The book begins with Reuven Malter, a Jewish student and son of prominent Talmud commentator David Malter, as 15 years old. For his entire life he has lived among the Hasidim, an extremely orthodox sect, and not known Danny Saunders, who lives 5 blocks away, and is the genius son of a Hasidic rabbi, Reb Saunders. Playing against each other in a baseball game, they meet and become friends, encouraged by David Malter. They grow together and Reuven learns of Danny’s strong wish to pass the role of rabbi onto his sickly younger brother and become a psychologist, while Reuven works toward becoming a rabbi himself. Various conflicts among Judaism, World War II, Hitler, and the Holocaust affect their lives. Danny’s religion and his father also take a toll on Reuven’s life, as he finds a deeply rooted struggle between father and son.
In The Promise, Reuven and Danny are both studying, Reuven for his smicha and a degree in philosophy, and Danny for a degree in psychology. They come into contact with a mentally sick boy, Michael. Michael is the son of Abraham Gordon, whose writings have caused much controversy among Jewish Talmudists.
Whereas the Torah is a book of law and prophecy given to Moses by God Himself, the Talmud contains the various interpretations of the Torah by ancient scholars. Therefore while it is a sacred book, it contradicts itself and is subject to emendation, and is constantly causing controversy among the modern Talmudists.
Reuven must work toward his smicha under a strict Rav Kalman (‘Rav’ being a title for those who have earned smicha, and are qualified to teach Talmud), who is extremely orthodox and feels that it is as much his duty to guard “the spark” as it is the Hasid’s. ‘The spark’ represents something along the lines of Yiddishkeit, or Judaism, and the ancient teachings and privilege to teach. He is against both Reuven’s father and Abraham Gordon, and Reuven still must work to earn smicha beneath him. During this, Danny is placed in charge of the treatment of Michael, and resorts to a desperate experiment in order to coerce Michael to talk in therapy.
The writing style is not overly descriptive, but simply tells the truth, which is what makes The Promise so successful. Certain scenes are so utterly realistic the reader is left with a hurting heart for the pain or rejoicing for the success of the characters. Also, Potok seemed to concentrate more on what happens around Reuven (as the story is told from Reuven’s point of view in first person) rather than what Reuven himself is doing; unlike some books, which are constantly sentences beginning with “I” (“I could smell this…” or “I walked there…”) This made the book not so simplistic to read, and also not so repetitive. It was interesting and very realistic.
While there wasn’t a lot of description per say, the descriptions were extremely realistic and artful. Again, they did not try to harangue the reader, but simply told the truth, which is what captures the reader’s attention.
Symbolism was prominent in this book, especially in nature. Various symbols were clouds, trees, stars, colors, and each played a secretive role in the lives of the characters. The reader is forced to question, and thus gains wisdom from the book.
The Jewish lives are portrayed as wonderful and challenging, and the dedication to religion astonishing to the laymen. Not only does the reader gain wisdom from the various themes, he/she also develops an appreciation for the rich religion and its ardent followers, and their mastery and dedication to scholarship. While entertaining, this book is also enlightening.
Chaim Potok’s The Promise masterfully illustrates the passion of Jewish scholars in America. In a seemingly simple way, it bares the truth, while intertwining classic themes and archetypes that each reader can interpret differently. Potok’s writing breaks away from the monotonous and overly descriptive pieces so highly praised today, giving the reader a new viewpoint many authors today are unable to achieve. A modern classic, The Promise will leave readers both enlightened at the wisdom and breathless at the sincerity of this piece.
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Dec 10, 2008

Emily rated it

I love reading Potok’s books for a variety of reasons, the least of which is that I always learn a tremendous amount about Judaism. I also like reading him from a Christian perspective and often wonder what he would make of messianic Jews (the Jews for Jesus folks). The Promise left me with many thoughts, not the least of which was what was the promise? Potok’s struggle to reconcile the various approaches to Judaism in 20th century America is insightful and refreshing. And it’s not limited to J...moreI love reading Potok’s books for a variety of reasons, the least of which is that I always learn a tremendous amount about Judaism. I also like reading him from a Christian perspective and often wonder what he would make of messianic Jews (the Jews for Jesus folks). The Promise left me with many thoughts, not the least of which was what was the promise? Potok’s struggle to reconcile the various approaches to Judaism in 20th century America is insightful and refreshing. And it’s not limited to Judaism. I think there is much to be gleaned here that is applicable to us even within mainstream Christian denominations.
In a lot of ways the Michael character represents the end result of what happened to the Jews in the 20th century. He finally blows up in anger at his parents for belonging to a religion where they are open to attacks, anti-Semitism, and victimization. In his final breakdown he screams that he hates religion because of what it does to people. Michael’s rage and mental illness are symbolic of not only what did happen to the Jews in the 20th century, but what happened when Jews could not accept the events of the holocaust and choose to walk away from the idea of God. I think it is also symbolic of what happens when there is legalism and instead of love (but that’s my Christian bias). Michael’s father ethnically and religiously identifies as a Jew, but asserts there is no God. Likewise, many Jews walked away from their faith, away from the idea of a God who created the universe (like Abraham Gordon) because of what Hitler did to the Jews in World War II. They could no longer comprehend that a loving God would allow that kind of suffering. Of course, they also don’t accept Christ’s ultimate suffering on the cross either.
The movement from Orthodox to reformed Jew is played out in Abraham Gordon’s character. Reuven and his father are also a part of this movement in a small way. They reformed the way the Talmud is studied, which became an instant threat to the Orthodox way of studying. I also enjoyed the way Potok paralleled what was happening with the Jewish community with what was happening in the American secular political world with his references to McCarthyism. That the sort of rigid witch hunting legalism that forbade the yeshiva students from even studying in the Jewish theological seminary is and was a rampant human universal even outside of the Jewish community. Reuven’s own struggle to maintain his theology and identity as a yeshiva student is all too poignant.
I like the way Potok ends his theological debate with Danny’s and Rachel’s marriage. The beauty of Rachel and Danny’s relationship points to the evolution of marrying (literally) old traditions to new ideas. Of course, the success of that remains to be seen, but the continued mixing of old and new traditions within 21st century Judaism is one of Potok’s main points throughout the novel. All in all I loved it, and feel the better for having read it.
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Jul 16, 2010

Christina rated it

upon rereading (the chosen) for about the third time and reading the sequel (the promise) for the first time, i think chaim potok is now one of my favorite authors. a great storyteller. with seemingly simple sentences and straightforward descriptions, draws us into reuven and danny's world: a time and place and religion: brooklyn, world war i and ii, orthodox judaism. books that many may not pick up for the synopsis alone, but the stories resonate because they are really about friendship (how di...more

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Aug 29, 2009

Kirei rated it

Shelves: teens-and-adults

I started reading this and at the beginning didn't love it, but then midway through I realized it was the sequel to "The Chosen" which I've never read. So I think I missed some nuances of the storyline.

But anyway the book got better and proved to be interesting. The "Michael" storyline started to bore me, although it did wrap up nicely. The "Judaism/Rav Kalman" storyline fascinated me.

I can't say I necessarily liked the characters, althoug...more

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Mar 02, 2010

Jason rated it

Potok's novel is set in the years after WWII when the bright and inquisitive minds of a new American Jewish generation clash with those of their tormented and grief-stricken elders. The former are adventurous and creative in their Talmidic studies. The latter are adamantly orthodox, their adherence to strict Biblical interpretation tempered by the blood spilled in its defense. These two generations share a love for their religion and a promise to pass on their people's traditions. But will t...more

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Dec 21, 2010

Cathy rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 02, 2012

Amanda rated it

A friend had recommended "The Chosen," which is the prequel to "The Promise." So after finishing the first, she lent me the second with a warning that she didn't like it as well. I found I like "The Promise" even better. The mental illness of a boy juxtaposed with the Jewish situation in America following WWII set an interest backdrop for the story. There were a lot of themes running through the novel, but it didn't become cumbersome or confusing. I would recommend ...more

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Feb 27, 2009

Anna rated it

I read someone's review prior to reading this that stated that The Promise was even better than The Chosen. It is not. It is a very good book though. It was nice to see what happened to Danny and Reuven after all the adolescent drama of The Chosen.
The same reviewer also stated that they couldn't wait to read Davita's Harp and "finish the trilogy." I read the description of Davita's Harp and it doesn't appear to have anything to do with The Chosen or The Promise, so now I am a...more

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Jan 09, 2009

Jorgina rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: classic, theology

not sure i will finish this one, it is a hard beginning.
But well worth the struggle. An amazing book. I did not think "The Chosen" needed a sequel but, having read this, I am convinced it was very necessary. Mr. Potok's story-telling style of explaining Hebrew culture in 3 different factions of the Jewish faith added so much to this father/son conflict. The reintroduction of the rich characters was like hearing from old friends. I learned so much about child/parent relatio...more

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Aug 11, 2010

Travis rated it

· review of another edition

I was a little disappointed with this book. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but, I think my expectations were unrealistically high because of how much I loved The Chosen. This is a sequel to that book, and while interesting, I felt like it didn't ever reach that same level of dramatic pitch. I was engaged, but not riveted or amazed. But, that's okay. I have decided to read all of Potok's books, because I just really like his subject matter, and I think he is a masterful story-teller. I'm...more

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Jun 04, 2009

Celeste rated it

Shelves: fiction

I did not like this book as much as The Chosen, which this book is the sequel to. There is a lot more detail about the Jewish culture and the division of the different factions after World War II. That part was just plain sad, leaving me with a feeling of discomfort at the viciousness they attacked each other. One would think that they would band together, rather than split apart after all that the Jewish culture has been through.

The most difficult time I had with this book was the t...more

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Mar 27, 2009

Michele Torrey rated it

"The Promise" is a poignant story about a young Jewish man living in New York City during the aftermath of WWII. Studying to be a rabbi, Reuven Malter finds himself caught between conservative and liberal Judaism, a tension that has especial relevance today both inside and outside the Jewish religion. The vivid cast of characters and the compelling storyline render Judaism, in all its theological shades and complexities, both understandable and sympathetic to the post-modern reader, an...more

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Jul 30, 2011

Vince Rioux rated it

A powerful story about identity and truth that had initial trouble transitioning out of the rich and layered intimacy found in its prequel, "The Chosen." Once Danny was engaged as a therapy resource for Michael, the troubled nose bleeding adolescent, the story came together for me. Potok skillfully wove the relevant aspects of the Malter, Gordon, and Saunders families to push forward a case for examining and questioning personal identity; how it often rubs against the grain of expect...more

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Jan 02, 2012

Gala rated it

This book, and its predecessor, "The Chosen," are fascinating in the way that text (Torah, in this case) becomes a forceful character as active as any of the human players. Having grown up inside a culture of The Book (the Christian canon, which is also Jewish in origin, of course), I loved how Potok's two volumes display the way that a sacred text operates inside lives, families and institutions. The tensions, the harmonies, the disagreements, the acquiescence, the variances of faith ...more

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Aug 15, 2009

Marvin rated it

Shelves: religion

At first, I thought this sequel to the marvelous The Chosen was going to less satisfying, but I eventually got caught up in it, and I marveled, as before, at Potok's respect for the life of the mind and his amazing respect for very different approaches to the life of the mind in a world of conflict that makes the fundamentalist/modernist conflict among American Protestants seem simple and mild. At the same time, he tells a great story, though the technical aspects of this one probably make it so...more

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Sep 09, 2011

Ariel rated it

An excellent book. I was pleased to read more about Danny and Reuven, the two protagonists of "The Chosen." I was surprised that it delved so deeply into psychology and the feelings children, sons especially, may have for how their parents to lead their religious lives -- or more broadly how the parents may define themselves within their communities. At one point Michael says, "It's may name, too!" And in fact, although Michael -- the son of a very liberal/secular Jew -- migh...moreAn excellent book. I was pleased to read more about Danny and Reuven, the two protagonists of "The Chosen." I was surprised that it delved so deeply into psychology and the feelings children, sons especially, may have for how their parents to lead their religious lives -- or more broadly how the parents may define themselves within their communities. At one point Michael says, "It's may name, too!" And in fact, although Michael -- the son of a very liberal/secular Jew -- might represent the extreme case of emotional/psychological disturbance based on how his father chose to define himself as a Jew, and the way that reflected on the entire family, Reuven and Danny both experience similar dynamics with their own father's. I'm impressed by Potok's ability to portray each set of characters (the Gordons, the Malters, the Saunders)who's Jewish beliefs and practices very significantly along a the spectrum of Judaism, with equal respect and validity. There is no character or set of characters who are "correct" in this book. You see the strict and unbending nature of Rav Kalman's lessons, but are also given his background as a survivor of the Maidanek death camp struggling hard to make sense of the new "world" to which he has arrived in 1950s America -- and fighting to hold on desperately to the only thing that his given his life meaning: Torah. You see the Gordons who have lost their faith in "superstitions" and "rituals," but who still love the Jewish people and hold onto their observance and practice in their own way. And of course the most beautiful and poignant aspect of the novel is the pairing of Rachel and Danny, each seeking to understand the other individual by stretchi9ng him/herself closer towards the other's set of values and beliefs. In this book, Potok also demonstrates the intricacy, the rigor, as well as the beauty involved in study and debate of Talmud, a topic for which he seems to have a very strong background. This is something that few, if any, other author could do as well. Potok is able to make this topic something compelling and appealing, and to demonstrate how this in its own way can be an expression of an individual’s personality, as with Reuven's smicha examination and the respect that Danny wins from Rav Kalman in his defense of Reuven breaking the "cherem". A beautiful and touching novel. I highly recommend it.(less)

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Apr 05, 2009

Amy rated it

I was anxious to pursue Danny and Reuven's characters in this sequel to The Chosen. After reading both books back to back, I can hardly remember where one started and the other stopped. These are not books that are fast-paced or "exciting", but you know you're encountering something of substance.

The Promise is the story of Reuven's turmoil over finding his place among Jewish fundamentalists, moderates, and liberals. Each position is well-represented by different characte...more

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Sep 18, 2008

Reshma rated it

I read this book immediately after I read The Chosen. As a sequel, the reader expects from The Promise "more of the same" or even less. While the novel is not as deep thematically and symbolically as the first book, it maintains the warmth and genuineness of The Chosen. I read this book becasue I fell in love with the main characters, Danny and Reuven. The Promise is again written from the point of view of Reuven, but seems to talk less about Danny and more about the newly introduc...more

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Dec 18, 2008

Trish rated it

Couldn't wait to buy this as it was the continuation of Reuven Malter's adventures as begun in The Chosen. Somewhat disappointed, mainly due to Potok's writing style in this one. Lots of run-on sentences, a style I didn't quite get and found distracting. It was worth a read and it was enough of a page-turner to keep me going all the way through, but I was somewhat annoyed. Guess I expected to be as blown away as I'd been by The Chosen. Oh well -- not bad, though!

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Jan 02, 2012

Virginia Jacobs rated it

Chaim Potok is a tremendous writer. The one criticism I have is that I wish there were a glossary of his Jewish words in his book. Usually, he defines the word the first time it is used, but there are a lot of them that are unfamiliar enough to me that I don't remember them.

I had no idea that becoming a rabbi was such an ordeal, but I guess I hadn't really thought about it too much. It is interesting to watch Reuven and Danny grow and mature, and to watch their friendship grow, to...more

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Jul 30, 2010

Michelle Jones rated it

This is the first Chaim Potok book that I didn’t absolutely love. I enjoyed it, but I just didn’t love it. I read it just as quickly as I read other Potok books and I was just as engrossed but now that I’ve finished it I’m not as sad that I’m done. That being said I’m thinking about the book a lot now that it’s finished so, love it or not, it’s clearly left me with a great deal to think about and that, typically, is the mark of a good book.

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Oct 27, 2010

Daniel Sihombing rated it

Shelves: novel

The sequel for 'The Chosen', 'The Promise' tells us about the university life of Danny Saunders and his best-friend, Reuven Malter. While Reuven is studying for ordination in a Jewish Theological Seminary, Danny does his graduate study in Columbia University for psychology. Having, again, struggles in facing the many faces of religion, they finally found meaning in all they have in helping a mentally-problem son of a 'heretic'. What a novel!

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Sep 14, 2009

Michelle rated it

Shelves: novels

Another re-read for me. I keep coming back to Potok and learning more each time I do--something that cannot be said for more than a handful of 20th century authors. When Chaim Potok passed away, I remember being heartbroken that there would never be a continuation of the stories of these characters; I had kept hoping against hope. :-) IMO this book is a work of near genius; on the nth read, I still had trouble putting it down.

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About Chaim Potok

American author and rabbi. Herman Harold Potok was born in the Bronx to Jewish immigrants from Poland.

His parents, Benjamin Max (d. 1958) and Mollie (Friedman) Potok (d. 1985), gave him a Hebrew name, Chaim Tzvi. His Orthodox education taught him Talmud as well as secular studies.

He decided to become a writer as a teenager, after reading Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisite...more

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