Kosher Jesus
Shmuley Boteach s answer to Jews For Jesus is to write a book that might well have been entitled Jesus For Jews. Always controversial, Shmuley s new book will stimulate debate among Jews, between Christians and Jews and by all people who care about ultimate issues of faith. Written with Shmuley s usual candor, humor and accessibility, Kosher Jesus is sure to change and open minds. What more can you ask of a book.Alan Dershowitz, author of Trials of ZionFor years I've been asking my friend Shmuley to write this book. Kosher Jesus is one of his most important, thought-provoking, and stimulating books. I celebrate this book and its potential to provoke dialog and elevate our high ideals of unity and understanding.Cory A. Booker, Mayor of NewarkTalking openly and honestly about Jesus and how others view him can only bring people together. This book is a must-read for anyone willing to venture slightly out of their comfort zone in their journey toward real understanding and peace.Glenn Beck, #1 New York Times bestselling author and founder of GBTV.comIt is tragic that two great religions that worship the same God, cherish the same Scriptures and affirm the same moral code have been so antagonistic to each other for so long. May this book help to heal that breach. --Rabbi Harold Kushner, Author of When Bad Things Happen To Good PeopleShmuley in his own unique, iconoclastic, and controversial way, hits a home run with his new courageous book, Kosher Jesus. While showing understanding for the negative stereotypes many Jews especially European born have of Jesus, Christians and Christianity, he cuts through those perceptions and urges Jews and Christians to take a fresh look at the person of Jesus and to reclaim him for themselves in a truer, more genuine form. The mostly negative views Jews and Christians have had of one another over the centuries were certainly shaped by the fratricide that marked our relationship. It is high time they be revisited. Undoubtedly, not a few Rabbis will be outraged by this book. But certainly this Rabbi a colleague, friend, admirer, and fan of Shmuley will defend his thesis and many, if not most, of his points and view the opposition as Shmuley s red badge of courage. Given the advances that have been made in Christian-Jewish dialogue since the 1960s it is essential that both communities take another look at this central subject. And this book does just that. Kosher Jesus is essential reading for anyone seeking a truer understanding of who Jesus the Jew from Nazareth really was and the enormous contribution he made to the world. This courageous and thought provoking book is a breath of fresh air and major contribution to Jewish and Christian perceptions of Jesus. I hope it s read widely and changes attitudes in both communities.Rabbi Yechiel Z. Eckstein, Founder and President, International Fellowship of Christians and JewsRabbi Boteach (Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy) is one of the more high-profile religious figures in the country and has an admitted knack for self-promotion. His latest book reviews the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth from the perspective of both Jewish understandings and contemporary scholarship and identifies Jesus as a Jewish leader, patriot, and even martyr. Many Christian scholars of the New Testament now would agree with him that Jesus lived and died a Jew and that our reconstruction of him as the founder of a new faith is dubious and posthumous, so no surprises there, but Boteach s name and the skill of his argument should draw readers in. Verdict Don t be misled by the media fizz around his name; Boteach writes with clarity, force, and intelligence, and his Kosher Jesus is an excellent resource for parish libraries, Jewish worship communities, individual seekers, and all interested in the historical Jesus. --Graham Christian, Pelham, MA --Library Journal Xpress Reviews: Nonfiction | First Look at New Books, January 27, 2012This informed and cogent primer on Jesus of Nazareth, Boteach, rabbi and author of the international bestseller Kosher Sex, takes a brave stab at re-evaluating Jesus through an intensive look at the New Testament and historical documents. In what is sure to be controversial, Boteach asserts that contradictions in the New Testament regarding who bears responsibility for Jesus crucifixion, Jesus feelings toward the Jews as well as issues like Jesus divinity and the question of Judas existence, prove that editors of early texts chose to distort that Jesus was, in fact, a beloved member of the Jewish community who rebelled against Roman brutality, not Jewish law. Boteach reiterates that although he does not believe in Jesus as Messiah, he hopes that a new look at Jesus as a man who lived and died as an observant Jew will help eliminate anti-Semitism, establish good will between the faiths and strengthen Judeo-Christian values. This well-researched analysis will certainly reopen intrafaith and interfaith dialogue. --Publishers Weekly