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Pathways through Jewish History
A chronological survey of Jewish civilization, from earliest times to the Sinai Campaign of 1956.
- GenresHistory
410 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 16, 2024
A really great handbook for beginners in Jewish history or for young people learning about Jewish history. Takes us from the beginnings of the Jewish nation with the patriarch Abraham and his entry into the Promised Land of Canaan in 1900 BCE up the the situation in Israel in 1980.
Interesting documentation of the revolts and divisions of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and the political and religious struggles in these kingdoms. Followed by the re-establishment of the Commonwealth of Judea after the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests.
Greek and Roman occupation including the resistance of the national liberators of Israel such as the Maccabees , the Zealots and Shimon Bar Kochba.
A very well rounded portrait of the Diaspora (exile)including chapters on the Jews in Arab lands. and the dhimmni status they suffered there. The author covers the social, religious, economic and political life of the Jews of Europe , Islamic lands and later America during the exile and includes chapters on the writing of the Talmud, and the various schisms in Judaism such as between the Talmudists and Karaites , the Chassidim and Mitnagdim and the Orthodox, Reform and Conservative (Masorti) streams of Judaism after the Haskalah (enlightenment).
The chapters on the Twentieth century take us to both the greatest tragedy and the greatest triumph of the Jewish people since the Roman destruction of Judea and Jerusalem and expulsion of the Jews from their homeland. The Nazi Holocaust (Shoah) being the greatest tragedy and the re-establishment of the Jewish State in 1948 which saw the Jewish Nation rise as a phoenix out of the ashes.
Penetrating analysis of the Arab-Israel conflict includes observations of one of the major reasons violently resisted the Jewish return to the Holy Land.
The democracy and social progress which the Jews had brought to Palestine was viewed with great anxiety by the rich Arab landowners . They feared that their own impoverished peasantry would demand the same type of equality and therefore Arab propagandists stirred up hatred against the Jews and instigated violent pogroms against the Jews in Palestine the 1920's and 1930's before teaming up with the the Nazis to disseminate more anti-Jewish propaganda to the Arabs and work to extend the Nazi final solution to Palestine.
The last chapter is about the the modern State of Israel today. Interesting when reading on PLO terror attacks on Jewish civilians (mostly women and children) in the 1970's and note how the world made a lot more sense then. In those days a large portion of the world were enraged about the terrorist horrors perpetrated against the Israeli people. Today public opinion is shaped by the propagandists who demonize Israel for coming under attack and defending itself. After the killing and maiming of thousands of Israelis by Arab terrorists in the 2000-2005 terror war known by the Arabs as the 'second intifada) Israell built a peaceful security fence to protect her people and the international left, media and academia vilified Israel for this labeling it in Orwellian fashion 'The Apartheid Wall'
Interesting documentation of the revolts and divisions of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and the political and religious struggles in these kingdoms. Followed by the re-establishment of the Commonwealth of Judea after the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests.
Greek and Roman occupation including the resistance of the national liberators of Israel such as the Maccabees , the Zealots and Shimon Bar Kochba.
A very well rounded portrait of the Diaspora (exile)including chapters on the Jews in Arab lands. and the dhimmni status they suffered there. The author covers the social, religious, economic and political life of the Jews of Europe , Islamic lands and later America during the exile and includes chapters on the writing of the Talmud, and the various schisms in Judaism such as between the Talmudists and Karaites , the Chassidim and Mitnagdim and the Orthodox, Reform and Conservative (Masorti) streams of Judaism after the Haskalah (enlightenment).
The chapters on the Twentieth century take us to both the greatest tragedy and the greatest triumph of the Jewish people since the Roman destruction of Judea and Jerusalem and expulsion of the Jews from their homeland. The Nazi Holocaust (Shoah) being the greatest tragedy and the re-establishment of the Jewish State in 1948 which saw the Jewish Nation rise as a phoenix out of the ashes.
Penetrating analysis of the Arab-Israel conflict includes observations of one of the major reasons violently resisted the Jewish return to the Holy Land.
The democracy and social progress which the Jews had brought to Palestine was viewed with great anxiety by the rich Arab landowners . They feared that their own impoverished peasantry would demand the same type of equality and therefore Arab propagandists stirred up hatred against the Jews and instigated violent pogroms against the Jews in Palestine the 1920's and 1930's before teaming up with the the Nazis to disseminate more anti-Jewish propaganda to the Arabs and work to extend the Nazi final solution to Palestine.
The last chapter is about the the modern State of Israel today. Interesting when reading on PLO terror attacks on Jewish civilians (mostly women and children) in the 1970's and note how the world made a lot more sense then. In those days a large portion of the world were enraged about the terrorist horrors perpetrated against the Israeli people. Today public opinion is shaped by the propagandists who demonize Israel for coming under attack and defending itself. After the killing and maiming of thousands of Israelis by Arab terrorists in the 2000-2005 terror war known by the Arabs as the 'second intifada) Israell built a peaceful security fence to protect her people and the international left, media and academia vilified Israel for this labeling it in Orwellian fashion 'The Apartheid Wall'
September 2, 2020
Great intro to Jewish history.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews