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To Heal the World?: How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel
A critique of the Jewish social justice movement and its presumed theological basis in the concept of tikkun olam or "healing the world."
A devastating critique of the presumed theological basis of the Jewish social justice movement--the concept of healing the world.
The concept that rests at the core of Jewish leftists' belief systems is called tikkun olam, or healing the world. Believers in this notion claim that the Bible asks for more than piety and moral behavior; Jews must also endeavor to make the world a better place. This idea has led to overwhelming Jewish participation in the social justice movement, as such actions are believed to be biblically mandated. There's only one problem: the Bible says no such thing.
Tikkun Olam, an invention of the Jewish left, has diluted millennia of Jewish practice and belief into a vague feel-good religion of social justice. In To Heal the World, Jonathan Neumann uses religious and political history to debunk this pernicious idea, and to show how the bible was twisted by Jewish liberals to support a radical left-wing agenda.
Neumann explains how the Jewish Renewal movement aligned itself with the New Left of the 1960s, and redirected the perspective of the Jewish community towards liberalism and social justice. He exposes the key figures responsible for this effort, shows that it lacks any real biblical basis, and outlines the debilitating effect it has had on Judaism itself.
A devastating critique of the presumed theological basis of the Jewish social justice movement--the concept of healing the world.
The concept that rests at the core of Jewish leftists' belief systems is called tikkun olam, or healing the world. Believers in this notion claim that the Bible asks for more than piety and moral behavior; Jews must also endeavor to make the world a better place. This idea has led to overwhelming Jewish participation in the social justice movement, as such actions are believed to be biblically mandated. There's only one problem: the Bible says no such thing.
Tikkun Olam, an invention of the Jewish left, has diluted millennia of Jewish practice and belief into a vague feel-good religion of social justice. In To Heal the World, Jonathan Neumann uses religious and political history to debunk this pernicious idea, and to show how the bible was twisted by Jewish liberals to support a radical left-wing agenda.
Neumann explains how the Jewish Renewal movement aligned itself with the New Left of the 1960s, and redirected the perspective of the Jewish community towards liberalism and social justice. He exposes the key figures responsible for this effort, shows that it lacks any real biblical basis, and outlines the debilitating effect it has had on Judaism itself.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published June 26, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 8, 2018
30 years ago I left Conservative Judaism. A lot of it was seeing how the movement was distancing itself from traditional sources or taking them totally out of context. Either you're in or you're out. So, when I saw Neumann's book (and his article in the NY Post) I picked it up with trepidation.
I'm not going to pull punches, it's a depressing read for anyone who has any feeling for Judaism. Seeing the destruction of American Judaism first hand has been difficult for me. I thought I'd be able to separate myself by moving to Israel and a more traditional/Orthodox lifestyle. It's worked for me and my immediate family, but I see what happened to my siblings and their families.
An eye opening book that should be required reading for every Jewish parent in America.
I'm not going to pull punches, it's a depressing read for anyone who has any feeling for Judaism. Seeing the destruction of American Judaism first hand has been difficult for me. I thought I'd be able to separate myself by moving to Israel and a more traditional/Orthodox lifestyle. It's worked for me and my immediate family, but I see what happened to my siblings and their families.
An eye opening book that should be required reading for every Jewish parent in America.
September 4, 2018
Tikkun olamis Hebrew for “to heal the world.” It has become a popular catchphrase among leftwing American Jewish rabbis and social activists. According to them, it is an ancient teaching of Judaism, and therefore a religious foundation for their politics.
The only problem is that it isn’t. At least that’s what Jonathan Neumann concludes in To Heal the World. He argues that tikkun olamprovides a religious covering for a political ideology that has been arrived at via nonreligious means. And that political ideology is “social justice.”
Here’s how Neumann defines that political ideology:
"Social justice is a political philosophy that advocates the redistribution of income—and sometimes even wealth and other property—in order to achieve economic egalitarianism…. In more recent decades, social justice has also come to include an agenda of permissive social policies that leave lifestyle questions to the discretion of the individual and promote gender diversity; an approach to foreign and defense policy that emphasizes multilateral diplomacy over military strength; a preference for comprehensive alternatives to the use of fossil fuels and nuclear energy for the sake of the environment; and other attitudes and policies associated predominantly with today’s left-wing political parties…. Over the past several years, campus radicals have tried to impose even more extreme conceptions of social justice on their universities through protests over safe spaces and microaggressions, and increasingly perceive social justice through the prism of intersectionality, which portrays society as the Manichean struggle for justice by powerless victims against oppressive power-holders."
Neumann rightly thinks this definition is noncontroversial: “your own experience ought to confirm it: just ask yourself what you think of when you hear the phrase ‘social justice,’ and which politicians you think are more likely to refer to it.”
To Heal the Worlddoesn’t offer a comprehensive critique of social-justice policies, although Neumann clearly sails on the starboard side of the political ship. Instead, the book deconstructs the notion that tikkun-olam-as-social-justice bears any necessary relationship to Judaism. Indeed, it argues that the social justice scheme promulgated by the Jewish left “corrupts Judaism and endangers Israel,” in the lapidary words of the subtitle.
Here’s how Neumann’s argument unfolds: After defining the problem in the book’s Introduction, chapters 1 and 2 describe, respectively, the emergence of the Jewish Left out of Reform Judaism and the increasing use of tikkun olamto describe its agenda. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, European Jews began to experience increasing freedom from the legal restraints and social prejudices that had hitherto been placed on their communities by Christian states. In consequence, some of them began to shed the particularistic rituals of traditional Judaism and emphasize Judaism’s universalistic ethics, which looked surprisingly Kantian. In postwar America, this commitment to universalistic ethics came to be expressed as tikkun olam. The takeaway from Neumann’s historical narrative is twofold: First, Reform Judaism’s relationship to traditional Judaism was critical from the beginning. It sought at its inception to distance itself from Judaism as it had been practiced historically. Second, its universalizing mode rendered Jewish particularism highly problematic, including its longings for Zion.
In the early to mid-twentieth century, Reform Judaism rethought both these points, and sought to root its thinking in Tanakh (the Hebrew acronym for what Christians call the Old Testament), as well as to give qualified support to the nascent Jewish state. Chapters 3 through 7 examine the progressive Jewish use of the biblical narratives of creation, Abraham, Joseph, Exodus, and the prophets to underwrite their political ideology. In each case, Neumann shows that the tikkun olam/social justice readings of the relevant passages are problematic, both because they are bad textual readings (“eisegesis” rather than “exegesis”) and because they bear so little relationship to traditional Jewish interpretation. Whatever else they are, Neumann contends, they are problematic as Jewishreadings of the text.
Indeed, chapter 8 argues that the Jewish Left’s use of tikkun olamitself is problematic. The phrase is taken from the Aleynu, a prayer offered in Judaism’s three daily services. Tikkun olamdoesn’t appear in the Bible, its use in the Talmud and Midrash is rare and suggests something far less totalizing than social justice, and its appearance in the Kabbalah takes the concept in a different direction than where the Jewish Left goes with it. Recognizing these deficiencies, some progressive Jews have stopped using tikkun olamas an organizing concept altogether. The first paragraph of chapter 9 summarizes Neumann’s case against the Jewish Left to this point: “What the Bible says and what the Jewish social justice movement thinks it says diverge…. And tikkun olam itself has never meant what American Jews now understand the term to mean.”
That tension between social justice and traditional Judaism is the subject of chapter 10, “Social Justice vs. Israel.” Historically, Judaism is a particularistic religion, a “Chosen People” with a “Promised Land.” Given the Jewish Left’s historical roots in Reform Judaism, and given Reform Judaism’s tendency to universalism rather than particularism, it was almost inevitable that there would be a clash between the demands of “social justice” and the hopes for a renewed Jewish nation in Israel. After the Holocaust, that tension was tamped down for a time, but one doesn’t have to look too hard today to find leftwing Jewish critics of the entire Zionist project.
Indeed, the assumptions of tikkun olam/social justice Judaism problematizes the very existence of a Jewish identity, as chapter 11 makes clear. If the essence of Judaism is universalistic ethics, then why be Jewish at all? Judaism as such—its history, traditions, rituals, etc.—provide nothing more than illustrations of moral themes that can be derived from sources other than the Bible. And if the State of Israel itself constitutes an existential social-justice problem, why be a Jew at all?
For Neumann, tikkun olamundermines Jewish Peoplehood and forecasts the redundancy of the Jews: “Social justice has no need for Jews: by its logic, they need not concern themselves with perpetuating their people, need not limit themselves to Jewish partners, and need not raise their children to be Jewish. They need only work to repair the world—a pursuit that eventually involves their very dissolution into the rest of humanity.”
In chapter 12, Neumann suggests an alternative: “Jews can reimagine the possibility that their ancient heritage has something unique to say—something greater than a mere echo of the political and cultural fads of our time.” This is particularism for the sake of universalism, and it finds precedent deep in the Bible and Jewish tradition: “through your [i.e., Abraham’s] offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Genesis 22:18).
As a Gentile and a Christian, I’m not sure what to make of Neumann’s final proposal. What fascinates me about To Heal the Worldis the parallel that leftwing Judaism and tikkun olamhas with liberal Protestantism and the “Social Gospel.” Neumann makes this parallel explicit, arguing that Reform Judaism drew a part of its inspiration from the Social Gospel movement. If so, that raises the question in my mind whether the relationship between the Social Gospel and traditional Christianity is as biblically and theologically problematic as the relationship between tikkun olamand traditional Judaism.
But that’s a question for another day and another book.
Book Reviewed
Jonathan Neumann, To Heal the World: How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel(New York: All Points Books, 2018).
P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
The only problem is that it isn’t. At least that’s what Jonathan Neumann concludes in To Heal the World. He argues that tikkun olamprovides a religious covering for a political ideology that has been arrived at via nonreligious means. And that political ideology is “social justice.”
Here’s how Neumann defines that political ideology:
"Social justice is a political philosophy that advocates the redistribution of income—and sometimes even wealth and other property—in order to achieve economic egalitarianism…. In more recent decades, social justice has also come to include an agenda of permissive social policies that leave lifestyle questions to the discretion of the individual and promote gender diversity; an approach to foreign and defense policy that emphasizes multilateral diplomacy over military strength; a preference for comprehensive alternatives to the use of fossil fuels and nuclear energy for the sake of the environment; and other attitudes and policies associated predominantly with today’s left-wing political parties…. Over the past several years, campus radicals have tried to impose even more extreme conceptions of social justice on their universities through protests over safe spaces and microaggressions, and increasingly perceive social justice through the prism of intersectionality, which portrays society as the Manichean struggle for justice by powerless victims against oppressive power-holders."
Neumann rightly thinks this definition is noncontroversial: “your own experience ought to confirm it: just ask yourself what you think of when you hear the phrase ‘social justice,’ and which politicians you think are more likely to refer to it.”
To Heal the Worlddoesn’t offer a comprehensive critique of social-justice policies, although Neumann clearly sails on the starboard side of the political ship. Instead, the book deconstructs the notion that tikkun-olam-as-social-justice bears any necessary relationship to Judaism. Indeed, it argues that the social justice scheme promulgated by the Jewish left “corrupts Judaism and endangers Israel,” in the lapidary words of the subtitle.
Here’s how Neumann’s argument unfolds: After defining the problem in the book’s Introduction, chapters 1 and 2 describe, respectively, the emergence of the Jewish Left out of Reform Judaism and the increasing use of tikkun olamto describe its agenda. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, European Jews began to experience increasing freedom from the legal restraints and social prejudices that had hitherto been placed on their communities by Christian states. In consequence, some of them began to shed the particularistic rituals of traditional Judaism and emphasize Judaism’s universalistic ethics, which looked surprisingly Kantian. In postwar America, this commitment to universalistic ethics came to be expressed as tikkun olam. The takeaway from Neumann’s historical narrative is twofold: First, Reform Judaism’s relationship to traditional Judaism was critical from the beginning. It sought at its inception to distance itself from Judaism as it had been practiced historically. Second, its universalizing mode rendered Jewish particularism highly problematic, including its longings for Zion.
In the early to mid-twentieth century, Reform Judaism rethought both these points, and sought to root its thinking in Tanakh (the Hebrew acronym for what Christians call the Old Testament), as well as to give qualified support to the nascent Jewish state. Chapters 3 through 7 examine the progressive Jewish use of the biblical narratives of creation, Abraham, Joseph, Exodus, and the prophets to underwrite their political ideology. In each case, Neumann shows that the tikkun olam/social justice readings of the relevant passages are problematic, both because they are bad textual readings (“eisegesis” rather than “exegesis”) and because they bear so little relationship to traditional Jewish interpretation. Whatever else they are, Neumann contends, they are problematic as Jewishreadings of the text.
Indeed, chapter 8 argues that the Jewish Left’s use of tikkun olamitself is problematic. The phrase is taken from the Aleynu, a prayer offered in Judaism’s three daily services. Tikkun olamdoesn’t appear in the Bible, its use in the Talmud and Midrash is rare and suggests something far less totalizing than social justice, and its appearance in the Kabbalah takes the concept in a different direction than where the Jewish Left goes with it. Recognizing these deficiencies, some progressive Jews have stopped using tikkun olamas an organizing concept altogether. The first paragraph of chapter 9 summarizes Neumann’s case against the Jewish Left to this point: “What the Bible says and what the Jewish social justice movement thinks it says diverge…. And tikkun olam itself has never meant what American Jews now understand the term to mean.”
That tension between social justice and traditional Judaism is the subject of chapter 10, “Social Justice vs. Israel.” Historically, Judaism is a particularistic religion, a “Chosen People” with a “Promised Land.” Given the Jewish Left’s historical roots in Reform Judaism, and given Reform Judaism’s tendency to universalism rather than particularism, it was almost inevitable that there would be a clash between the demands of “social justice” and the hopes for a renewed Jewish nation in Israel. After the Holocaust, that tension was tamped down for a time, but one doesn’t have to look too hard today to find leftwing Jewish critics of the entire Zionist project.
Indeed, the assumptions of tikkun olam/social justice Judaism problematizes the very existence of a Jewish identity, as chapter 11 makes clear. If the essence of Judaism is universalistic ethics, then why be Jewish at all? Judaism as such—its history, traditions, rituals, etc.—provide nothing more than illustrations of moral themes that can be derived from sources other than the Bible. And if the State of Israel itself constitutes an existential social-justice problem, why be a Jew at all?
For Neumann, tikkun olamundermines Jewish Peoplehood and forecasts the redundancy of the Jews: “Social justice has no need for Jews: by its logic, they need not concern themselves with perpetuating their people, need not limit themselves to Jewish partners, and need not raise their children to be Jewish. They need only work to repair the world—a pursuit that eventually involves their very dissolution into the rest of humanity.”
In chapter 12, Neumann suggests an alternative: “Jews can reimagine the possibility that their ancient heritage has something unique to say—something greater than a mere echo of the political and cultural fads of our time.” This is particularism for the sake of universalism, and it finds precedent deep in the Bible and Jewish tradition: “through your [i.e., Abraham’s] offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Genesis 22:18).
As a Gentile and a Christian, I’m not sure what to make of Neumann’s final proposal. What fascinates me about To Heal the Worldis the parallel that leftwing Judaism and tikkun olamhas with liberal Protestantism and the “Social Gospel.” Neumann makes this parallel explicit, arguing that Reform Judaism drew a part of its inspiration from the Social Gospel movement. If so, that raises the question in my mind whether the relationship between the Social Gospel and traditional Christianity is as biblically and theologically problematic as the relationship between tikkun olamand traditional Judaism.
But that’s a question for another day and another book.
Book Reviewed
Jonathan Neumann, To Heal the World: How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel(New York: All Points Books, 2018).
P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
February 7, 2019
An interesting analysis of the American Jewish left and its detrimental effect on the Jewish community. Many of the instances of activism Neumann highlights really are shocking perversions of traditional Jewish customs. My main criticism however is in his tone; I am amenable to it, but its caustic nature will do little to convince others of his overall point, which I think is a strong one. A dissenting observer would open the book, find needless references to President Obama, sarcastic asides etc and close it. I understand it is a polemic, but at the same time it is worth remembering one's purpose. In most cases however, it is not to persuade but to sell books. Thus is the plight of our current climate.
July 19, 2019
Jews are lost in a miasma of social justice warriors. Action, action, action - all supported as healing the world and all somehow identical with leading edge Democratic Party/Leftist ideals. Evidently, being a good Jew means being a good leftist. Are they really identical? Seemingly a silly question, but MOST non-Orthodox Jews and many Orthodox Jews would be hard pressed to ID the differences.
Considering leftist ideals are not the same as being pro-Jewish, or to put it mildly, are somewhat anti-Jewish, the equivalence isn't necessarily a good thing.
Mr. Neumann spends the first half the book identifying biblical sections (Tanakh) that are used to support social justice concerns (tikkun olam) and then showing that they are incorrectly being used as support. In short, social justice is politics, not Judaism and not truly supported by Judaism either.
One concept left out is that Social Justice Warrior Jews accept the Leftist view that people are born naturally good, not the Christian view on Original Sin, not the Jewish view of "neutral," where people must be taught to be good with the realization that people are made of "crooked timber." As result, "bad things" are always blamed as being caused by an oppressive system.
The second half shows the devastation wrought by making social justice the PURPOSE of Judaism. It becomes an idol (my words). Mr. Neumann identifies how many of the precepts of Reform Judaism inherently treat 'love of Jews' as being non-universal and somehow wrong. The problem with Jewish social justice is that it creates a universal out of the particular of Judaism. Bluntly, from a social justice frame, who needs to be Jewish!? Protest for 'universal' causes and you're ipso facto a great Jew or simply a great human being (my words). Who needs Jewish children - as long as everyone is a good person. You can say that's OK, but Leftists don't allow other groups to say this. If any other person leaves a group, he or she is often considered a traitor.
Ironies abound. Social Justice Jews fight for the particulars of others, but deny those of Jews. For example, support for Israel, home of 1/2 of the world's Jews, shouldn't be so nuanced, so wimpy.
Many social justice Jews are not self-haters, but self-abnegators - often quietly, without reflection.
Judaism is the religion of the people of Israel, which means Jews have religious, ethnic and national aspects. Too much of one is a life out of balance. Jewish Social Warriors are out of balance. It's as if Jewish ethnicity = social justice (my words); which is a weird formulation. They could form a new version of Judaism, but it would wither without a center that recognizes people as they really are, not the stereotypes of the oppressed (my words).
Neumann forces you to confront the Jewish Zeitgeist (my words) and its inappropriateness. He praises acts of kindness, but not social justice. There is a difference.
Considering leftist ideals are not the same as being pro-Jewish, or to put it mildly, are somewhat anti-Jewish, the equivalence isn't necessarily a good thing.
Mr. Neumann spends the first half the book identifying biblical sections (Tanakh) that are used to support social justice concerns (tikkun olam) and then showing that they are incorrectly being used as support. In short, social justice is politics, not Judaism and not truly supported by Judaism either.
One concept left out is that Social Justice Warrior Jews accept the Leftist view that people are born naturally good, not the Christian view on Original Sin, not the Jewish view of "neutral," where people must be taught to be good with the realization that people are made of "crooked timber." As result, "bad things" are always blamed as being caused by an oppressive system.
The second half shows the devastation wrought by making social justice the PURPOSE of Judaism. It becomes an idol (my words). Mr. Neumann identifies how many of the precepts of Reform Judaism inherently treat 'love of Jews' as being non-universal and somehow wrong. The problem with Jewish social justice is that it creates a universal out of the particular of Judaism. Bluntly, from a social justice frame, who needs to be Jewish!? Protest for 'universal' causes and you're ipso facto a great Jew or simply a great human being (my words). Who needs Jewish children - as long as everyone is a good person. You can say that's OK, but Leftists don't allow other groups to say this. If any other person leaves a group, he or she is often considered a traitor.
Ironies abound. Social Justice Jews fight for the particulars of others, but deny those of Jews. For example, support for Israel, home of 1/2 of the world's Jews, shouldn't be so nuanced, so wimpy.
Many social justice Jews are not self-haters, but self-abnegators - often quietly, without reflection.
Judaism is the religion of the people of Israel, which means Jews have religious, ethnic and national aspects. Too much of one is a life out of balance. Jewish Social Warriors are out of balance. It's as if Jewish ethnicity = social justice (my words); which is a weird formulation. They could form a new version of Judaism, but it would wither without a center that recognizes people as they really are, not the stereotypes of the oppressed (my words).
Neumann forces you to confront the Jewish Zeitgeist (my words) and its inappropriateness. He praises acts of kindness, but not social justice. There is a difference.
October 20, 2020
I was skeptical as soon as I saw this dude's SMIRK on his author bio pic and also in the beginning he kept reminding us how the left wants SOCIALISM so I was like wtf am I reading. But then it got better. I have to admit I agree with the premise. As a wise (conservative) rabbi once said, "social action isn't jewish. Social action is social action" and I have seen the effects of so called ethical monotheism and it's not really the most vibrant form of religion I have to say. But I don't really know who he thought his audience was, apparently he writes for Commentary magazine which is "neo conservative" whatever that means, and then I went on their website to see what their deal was and this book TOTALLY reads like he passed it around to his buds at Commentary before publishing it and they were like "hey you should remind the reader ever couple pages that social justice is a LIBERAL agenda and make sure you say liberal a lot". Also he quotes his fellow bloggers a lot so it's pretty obvious he did do that
But anyway, his method of "debunking" is just talking about how tikkun olam isn't in the bible or whatever for like five chapters, it was like a "logical induction" type of argument, but the whole time I couldn't help thinking, the problem is, the social justice people just literally do not care if they are legitimately following traditional judaism (he often says that..."traditional judaism"... Let me just tell you the social justice people do. Not. Care) so his argument was kind of like...well intentioned but I don't think it would really CHANGE anyone's mind who's already super into social justice being their #1 life goal but it was interesting anyway I thought.
Anyway it reads like a snarky libertarian dudes blog post but unfortunately I agreed with him anyway lol. I'm surprised it got good reviews here though
But anyway, his method of "debunking" is just talking about how tikkun olam isn't in the bible or whatever for like five chapters, it was like a "logical induction" type of argument, but the whole time I couldn't help thinking, the problem is, the social justice people just literally do not care if they are legitimately following traditional judaism (he often says that..."traditional judaism"... Let me just tell you the social justice people do. Not. Care) so his argument was kind of like...well intentioned but I don't think it would really CHANGE anyone's mind who's already super into social justice being their #1 life goal but it was interesting anyway I thought.
Anyway it reads like a snarky libertarian dudes blog post but unfortunately I agreed with him anyway lol. I'm surprised it got good reviews here though
December 11, 2025
Didn't expect this but... I actually loved this.
The Jewish left has long claimed that its commitment to progressive social causes is required by the religious precept Tikkun Olam ("To Heal the World"). Neumann successfully argues that this is basically a modern evolution of the religion that is not required by Judaism in and of itself, but rather is a manifestation of the electoral politics of American Jews. He brings an in-depth historical analysis and his writing is relatively complex.
I am sure there are religious sources that disagree with him, but I haven't read any, and I am not sure if they would be mainstream or fringe voices. At the very least, he presents an incredibly formidable introductory argument.
This coming from someone that deeply agrees with the Jewish left's social causes. FWIW.
Rating: 4, maybe 4.5. Read it earlier this summer; I wish I remembered more detail.
The Jewish left has long claimed that its commitment to progressive social causes is required by the religious precept Tikkun Olam ("To Heal the World"). Neumann successfully argues that this is basically a modern evolution of the religion that is not required by Judaism in and of itself, but rather is a manifestation of the electoral politics of American Jews. He brings an in-depth historical analysis and his writing is relatively complex.
I am sure there are religious sources that disagree with him, but I haven't read any, and I am not sure if they would be mainstream or fringe voices. At the very least, he presents an incredibly formidable introductory argument.
This coming from someone that deeply agrees with the Jewish left's social causes. FWIW.
Rating: 4, maybe 4.5. Read it earlier this summer; I wish I remembered more detail.
September 30, 2024
There are valid points made. But overall this book gives off severe vibes of Ayn Rand. And in response to the question of should we be working on trying to make the world a better place, his answer is “am I the rest of the world’s keeper?”.
And all this from the other side of the pond.
And all this from the other side of the pond.
May 18, 2020
This book is timely and highly useful for its rebuttals to liberal Jewish ideologies, which, to stay relevant, have reinvented themselves from watered down Reform/Conservative to radicalism with a horrendously version of tikkun olam.
The author explores these movements' rabbis and leaders --their left-wing backgrounds and their agendas. Their aim, to present Judaism as a universal, rather than parochial and national religion, involves misappropriating biblical and classical texts and giving them a weird spin. For example, the story of Joseph, who as viceroy of Egypt guided her people through famine, is supposed to be a lesson in the superiority of communism, where government would run everything and take over the means of production. Never mind that the people sold themselves into slavery to stave off starvation. Passover becomes a celebration, not of the liberation of Jews from Egypt, but freedom for all oppressed or marginalized peoples of the world.
Tikkun olam itself is taken out of context, and was never a major theme in Judaism. According to our Sages, healing the world involves correction of inner flaws and serving the Al-mighty through the 613 mitzvoth, the commandments of the Torah. Thus they can make the world a better place. To the left, however, tikkun olam means environmentalism, women's empowerment, minority rights -- anything but G-d and the covenant specifically made with the Jewish people. (Gentiles, however, do have their own obligation to keep the seven Noachide laws.)
The so-called marginalized seemed to dominate the liberal ranks, and their ideologies are long on deviance, and short on morality or probably even monotheism, as these people are actually embarrassed about belief in a Higher Power and pull Torah commentary out of a hat to promote or defend their behavior. These movements have basically been co-opted by the feminist, LGBT, and pro-Palestinian factions who resent anything patriarchal, let alone "white" (as in Ashkenaz or Indo-European).
The Jewish left is a danger to Israel on many levels -- militarily, economically, and spiritually. They are in the forefront in the BDS movement which seeks to undermine Israel's security. But worse, their philosophy, like a cancer, is spreading and infecting the young, not only in Israel but in the Diaspora as well. This book is essential for learning how to rebut some highly dangerous and distorted arguments.
The author explores these movements' rabbis and leaders --their left-wing backgrounds and their agendas. Their aim, to present Judaism as a universal, rather than parochial and national religion, involves misappropriating biblical and classical texts and giving them a weird spin. For example, the story of Joseph, who as viceroy of Egypt guided her people through famine, is supposed to be a lesson in the superiority of communism, where government would run everything and take over the means of production. Never mind that the people sold themselves into slavery to stave off starvation. Passover becomes a celebration, not of the liberation of Jews from Egypt, but freedom for all oppressed or marginalized peoples of the world.
Tikkun olam itself is taken out of context, and was never a major theme in Judaism. According to our Sages, healing the world involves correction of inner flaws and serving the Al-mighty through the 613 mitzvoth, the commandments of the Torah. Thus they can make the world a better place. To the left, however, tikkun olam means environmentalism, women's empowerment, minority rights -- anything but G-d and the covenant specifically made with the Jewish people. (Gentiles, however, do have their own obligation to keep the seven Noachide laws.)
The so-called marginalized seemed to dominate the liberal ranks, and their ideologies are long on deviance, and short on morality or probably even monotheism, as these people are actually embarrassed about belief in a Higher Power and pull Torah commentary out of a hat to promote or defend their behavior. These movements have basically been co-opted by the feminist, LGBT, and pro-Palestinian factions who resent anything patriarchal, let alone "white" (as in Ashkenaz or Indo-European).
The Jewish left is a danger to Israel on many levels -- militarily, economically, and spiritually. They are in the forefront in the BDS movement which seeks to undermine Israel's security. But worse, their philosophy, like a cancer, is spreading and infecting the young, not only in Israel but in the Diaspora as well. This book is essential for learning how to rebut some highly dangerous and distorted arguments.
January 10, 2023
A tough one to review, as I have many conflicting thoughts. Not the easiest of reads stylistically and substantively - and by that I mean this wasn’t a book “I couldn’t put down” nor was it a book I found myself fully understanding without re-reading and thinking about the passages. I guess the book can be summed up as the battle of American Jews who believe in universalism (and its liberal ideology of social justice/tikkun olam) vs. the core principles of the Jewish religion, which call for particularism. The author rips to shreds the bastardization of Jewish texts to support tikkun olam. However, knowing (and being surrounded) by many “social justice” Jews personally, I don’t think they rely on these texts at all. Yes, it is convenient how they reconcile their political ideology with their religion, but even if the textual basis wasn’t there, they would still be social justice warriors - more than Judaism, that is their “religion.” It’s a bit of a depressing read, and I am a little torn: are we better off without the 75% of American Jews who are “tikkun olam” believers but at least have a vestige of connection with Jewry? Or, are we better off without them connected to Jewry in any way, and leaving them to focus solely and independently on social justice while the remaining 25% remaining are more particularistic to the Jewish rituals and laws? I don’t know. But, more than ever, having read this book I know us American Jews have a problem.
December 19, 2020
This was an excellent book.
The author did a great job in laying out the position of the left and their reading of the various scriptures which they believe obligate Jews to Repair the World (Tikkun Olam). He then refutes every argument of the left and explains what the scriptures mean in the context of traditional Judaism. This was a very detailed discussion of the scriptures and the context in which they appear. A very complex subject indeed. The author also has a very good handle on the politics of the social justice warriors in today’s society. Finally, he presented many of the organizations (not for profits, media, etc...) that support the use of Tikkun Olam as a sword in their political arsenal to seek social justice.
In short, the Bible does not obligated Jews to Repair the World, it’s not even mentioned in the Bible. The Talmud and other oral and written laws are also silent on this topic. It is only through the twisting of words and meanings do liberal American Jews make any connection to what they are seeking, which is that Judaism requires of them to seek social justice. It’s just not true.
Being a Jew means (1) living in the land of Israel and (2) to live out the covenant between Israel and God through the performance of those commandments that pertain to a Jew’s relationship to God and those that pertain to relations between Jews.
The author did a great job in laying out the position of the left and their reading of the various scriptures which they believe obligate Jews to Repair the World (Tikkun Olam). He then refutes every argument of the left and explains what the scriptures mean in the context of traditional Judaism. This was a very detailed discussion of the scriptures and the context in which they appear. A very complex subject indeed. The author also has a very good handle on the politics of the social justice warriors in today’s society. Finally, he presented many of the organizations (not for profits, media, etc...) that support the use of Tikkun Olam as a sword in their political arsenal to seek social justice.
In short, the Bible does not obligated Jews to Repair the World, it’s not even mentioned in the Bible. The Talmud and other oral and written laws are also silent on this topic. It is only through the twisting of words and meanings do liberal American Jews make any connection to what they are seeking, which is that Judaism requires of them to seek social justice. It’s just not true.
Being a Jew means (1) living in the land of Israel and (2) to live out the covenant between Israel and God through the performance of those commandments that pertain to a Jew’s relationship to God and those that pertain to relations between Jews.
March 11, 2019
Neumann comes from outside of the "hood", and it seems to me that he is falling into a familiar trap of painting the whole with too big a brush - there are variations of grey in there and not all is of one opinion. Yes, I think that the Left have leaned way too far, but it is not clear to me that it is as nefarious as he depicts it. Corrupt? Hi-jacked? Not clear as YET to me either. Doomed to a dismal future as Judaism in the US? Yes. IMO it is going to devolve into something very different and not quite Jewish.
Having finally reached the end, I am pleased to find that his conclusions coincide with me. I only wish that some of the end argument could have been proposed earlier.
Having finally reached the end, I am pleased to find that his conclusions coincide with me. I only wish that some of the end argument could have been proposed earlier.
May 30, 2019
Essential for American Jews
I was shocked just how deeply ingrained using religion as a means to a political end has pervaded Judaism. I was aware of American Judaism’s tendency to lean left, but the utter corruption of our Torah and our rituals deeply disturbed me.
Neumann presents his arguments in a well structured style though the transition from point to counterpoint can be a bit rough in some places. I also find his analysis of Genesis (particularly Joseph’s story) and Pirkei Avos a little shallow.
Still this is a book American Jews need in a age or rapid assimilation, abuse of religion, and rising antisemetism
I was shocked just how deeply ingrained using religion as a means to a political end has pervaded Judaism. I was aware of American Judaism’s tendency to lean left, but the utter corruption of our Torah and our rituals deeply disturbed me.
Neumann presents his arguments in a well structured style though the transition from point to counterpoint can be a bit rough in some places. I also find his analysis of Genesis (particularly Joseph’s story) and Pirkei Avos a little shallow.
Still this is a book American Jews need in a age or rapid assimilation, abuse of religion, and rising antisemetism
August 13, 2019
Some may be put off by the antagonistic tone, but there are some very good - and necessary - critiques of leftist Jewish thought here.
December 10, 2019
Exceptional and brilliant.
March 9, 2020
Devastating attack on the concept of Tikkun Olam as a substitute for actual Judaism
January 17, 2021
Extremely powerful book. Well written and researched.
February 4, 2021
Excellent book. Good to see I'm not the only Jewish person who thinks contemporary American Judaism is one and the same as the DNC.
March 6, 2022
Every Jew should read this book
September 3, 2019
I found two critical reviews that capture my feelings about this really terrible book.
Short: https://momentmag.com/book-review-to-...
Long: https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts...
Short: https://momentmag.com/book-review-to-...
Long: https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts...
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