Salo Baron: Architect of Jewish History by Robert Liberles

When enrolled at the university, I had a visiting professor of Jewish history, Abraham Halkin, who required the reading of certain volumes of Salo Baron's Social and Religious History of the Jews. I developed somewhat of close relationship with the teacher to the extent that he would ask me questions from time to time like, "what did you think of the text that I assigned?"  I responded frankly, "Although the material is quite substantial, I found the style difficult to understand."  He exhibited surprise, saying that he had helped the author with the style to make the language more accessible since English was not Baron's first language. This was the first time I was introduced to Salo Baron's scholarship.  Dr. Halkin was my introduction to the old school professor who was fluent in all the romance and Semitic languages along with German, Russian, and Yiddish. During a course of Spanish Jewish history, I witnessed an exchange that took place basically in Arabic when the professor was challenged by two students who were conversant in the Koran. They expected to fluster the teacher with their command of Islam's holy text, however, the professor retorted and rejoined their challenges until the students in frustration removed themselves from the class seeing that they could not dislodge the professor from his seat of authority.  I imagined that Baron must have been similar to Halkin: both born in Eastern Europe, both fluent in many languages and both settled in the American Academy as American professors.

Although Liberles does not mention Halkin as one of Baron's colleagues, nevertheless, there is indeed a sense that Baron had problems with English.  There is a brutal exchange with his publisher that paints Baron in a petty, unreasonable light.  Liberles' study, however, of Baron and his scholarship is a crushing critical study of the emergence of "anti-Lachrymose" Jewish history.  It is the story of Baron's emphatic effort to down play the tragedies of Jewish history and see the unfolding of Jewish history through external economic, social and religious contexts.  

[I am reminded of an exchange with another teacher of Jewish history at a conference when the teacher expressed envy that I could teach Jewish History without "burning out"!  I asked what do you mean and she explained that for her, Jewish History is just one tragedy after another!  Its too much to bear! she said.  I responded by saying how can a study of the personalities of Jewish history burn one out? Rashi, Rabbeinu Tam, Rambam, Ramban etc. are all extraordinary inspiring people! One need not dwell on tragedies to see the profundity of Jewish History!]

One learns of Baron's tumultuous invitation to Columbia University as the first chair in Jewish History placed in the History department.  There is irony in the fact the president of the university is very receptive to establishing a Jewish chair on the one hand but is instrumental in creating a Jewish quota system to limit the number of Jewish students to the university.

The bulk of Baron's scholarship is produced before WWII.  One learns that his innate optimism colors his attitude toward Nazism and woefully misreads the brutality of the Nazis.  Being a great historian does not mean one is a good prophet.  

One reads about the the biting criticism from contemporary historians that Baron often made sweeping generalizations without proper foundations from sources.  The most devastating critique comes from Solomon Zeitlin claiming that Baron cited from secondary sources (Jewish Encyclopedia) when original sources were available casting doubt on Baron's competency!  Zeitlin also stings Baron saying that to claim Maimonides held certain economic views in an Islamic environment when those views are universally held by the rabbis of the Mishnah, is to grossly mislead his reader.  

Yitzchak Baer of Hebrew University formidably disagrees with Baron on elements that moved the Jewish community. Baron favors external forces whereas, Baer stresses internal Jewish elements.  Baron downplays anti-Semitism as the primary mover in the great migration of Eastern European Jewry to the west.  He claims the economic stress, depressions of the communities were more fundamental.  Most historians find this claim incredulous in its suppression of the great Anti-Semitism of the Tzar.

He is the last of the singular historians in the class of Gaetz and Dubnow. I have always enjoyed Baron's history because of his respect toward the tradition and his view that the future of Judaism is more dependent on the religious community than its secular manifestation.[Ironically he himself never went to synagogue nor led a religious lifestyle except conducting a Passover Seder.] He is instrumental in the plethora of Jewish Studies departments all over America and as such is considered the progenitor of the scholarship that has made himself outdated! 

The (guilty) Conscience of a Conservative by Craig Schiller

Although published before the Reagan years, this book puts into perspective why the former governor of California and eventual president of the USA initially lost in the 70's but became a very popular president in the 80's.  Rabbi Schiller explains that if the image of the Conservative could be stripped of the stereotypes of crony capitalist, hater of the poor or destroyer of welfare programs and resonate with regular Americans whom Rabbi Schiller claims are sincerely conservative then the White House would be held by more conservative candidates.

The rabbi points out that there was a bipartisan approval for Social Security which means that even conservatives believe in the appropriateness to aid those that can't afford care.  They do not believe in the fraudulent opportunities that a central government creates.

This book is really a primer in conservative politics. One learns that Conservative thinking is not monolithic.  There are many different kinds of conservatives from the deeply religious, to the completely secular or historical.  Rabbi Schiller makes the case that religious people are naturally politically conservative because of the role that religion and tradition play in their lives.  Keeping tradition and skirting change is a key element in being religious and being politically conservative.

Over the years, I have found myself drifting to right in politics.  Most recently, however, I have acutely felt the unreasonable encroachments of a big centralized government.  The more the government encroaches, the more one's liberty is curtailed.  Phone data collection strikes me as Orwellian.  The notion of prosecuting journalists for doing their job violates freedom of speech.

Rabbi Schiller calls upon Conservatives to go back to the unifying roots of free market capitalism with limited but solid social programs that everyone can support.  The face of the evil amoral capitalist as the Conservative is the creation of the left's propaganda.  The rabbi calls for better communication of the values with which most Americans identify.

Living on the Black: two pitchers, two teams, one season to remember by John Feinstein

This book is a record of the 2007th season that highlights the careers of pitchers Tom Glavine of the NY Mets and Mike Mussina of the NY Yankees.  It is the season that Glavine got his 300th win insuring him for the Hall of Fame but the Mets shut down and lost after being in the lead of the Pennant drive .  This book is for the aficionado who has the patience to plow through 500 plus pages.  I felt the book could have been curtailed to 300 pages and still captured the essence of two very intelligent, mature pitchers.

Pitching is not only very taxing but requires great concentration to pinpoint accurate throws.  Both Glavine and Mussina work the corners of the plate; hence the title "Living on the Black" which refers the black outline of Home plate.  What makes this record worthwhile is not necessarily the description of the baseball but rather the introduction to these two men as likable, smart, and mature individuals.  It is a book that introduces the protagonists not as 'jocks'.

Ted Williams used to say that Pitchers were stupid because they tend to repeat pitches.  He would take note of a particular pitches in particular situations and expect them when the situation repeated itself and then would crack a base hit as a result! The success, however, of these two pitchers lie in the fact that their selection varied and were not repetitive and placement was consistently at the corners of the plate making hitting more difficult.

When reading such a book, I can not help but recall my own experience in organized baseball in High School.  The challenge between hitter and pitcher is great and palpable: the hitter is going smack the ball unless the pitcher places the ball where the hitter can't hit it.  I recall one particular hitter, a very successful powerful one.  I placed two pitches 'up and in' which this fellow crushed both foul by pulling the ball and then I came in with a low and away screw ball that tailed away from hitter striking him out with a weak swing!(Didn't even waist a pitch!)  On the other hand, there was another fellow whom always seemed to expect my pitches and as a result he was always getting base hits!

Mr. Feinstein's writing is fluid and his knowledge of baseball comes through with enthusiasm for the game that I believe mirrors life very well.

Anti-Judaism The Western Tradition by David Nirenberg

Professor David Nirenberg of the University of Chicago has re-framed Antisemitism in the context of the Western tradition as a natural progression in the history of ideas.  He starts with pre-Christian and pre-Islamic eras to show that an animus toward not just Jews but also "Judaism" has existed from the beginning of the emergence of Western Thought.  He describes personages, Manetho and Apion (from ancient Greece and ancient Rome respectively) as harboring anti-Jewish opinions.  He shows his power of exegesis in explaining the disagreements of the emerging Christian church and how the Jewish rejection of Jesus translates into a progression of thought that counters a Jewish world outlook. Christianity defines itself in contradistinction to Judaism.  Its philosophy develops turning away from the Jewish path.  Similarly, the professor shows a similar pattern occurs with the rise of Mohammed and the advent of Islam.  Jewish rejection of Mohammed develops into deep animus toward the Jewish religion.  Professor Nirenberg guides the reader through the ages showing with virtuoso power of interpretation how during the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the Renascence and the Enlightenment Jewish constructs are created and perceptions of Judaism set up only to be torn down.  The author often notes that these constructs are often devoid of real Jews.  A simple example would be that Jewish Law represents material and Christian Love represents spiritual, the "Jewish" temporal pitted against the "Christian" eternal, one being of course superior to the other.  Throughout our Western tradition Jewish constructs or "Judaism" are set up only to be torn down or at least held as a example of what is least desired.

What I found annoying about the Professor's style was his determination to state almost constantly that his interest was not to evaluate the truth of these Jewish constructs nor to state whether these constructs had any relevance to real Jews, but rather to take seriously the existence of such perceptions.  Reality in many ways is determined by perception.  His style for me was so difficult, I had trouble understanding where the author stood on the issue of Antisemitism.  His determined effort to preface Church fathers with Saint or never allowing the name Jesus to dangle alone without the Christian assumption of his being gave me pause to wonder whether the author was taking sides in the discussion of Anti Judaism by being a Christian or merely a secular scholar who was just using common terminology.

I sensed some opinions and prejudices.  Why the author needed to inject that a Palestinian narrative was understandable based on his exegesis of the progression of Anti Judaism seemed unnecessary and the praise of Edward Said seemed gratuitous.  When referring to actual Jewish communities from Eastern Europe migrating to the USA, the author calls them "yammering in Yiddish" to emphasize their strangeness and only glossing over the reasons for the migrations by saying they left for "a variety of reasons"  Why the author restrained himself from commenting on the difficult animus coming from the Czar was baffling to me.{Or perhaps Czarist animus was omitted because old fashioned antisemitism stemming from "Deicide hatred" does not fit the author's thesis}

It was only in the epilogue that the author's intent became more clear to me.  He lamented the lack of critical reflection about the Jewish constructs and "Judaism".  That the university, a place for free expression of ideas could be so marred by antisemitism and anti Judaism.  He called for critical reflection.  Unfortunately for me, this read was frustrating.  No doubt one could discern great learning and understanding, even profound exegesis of the Western Tradition by the author.  I expected, however, to hear outrage or condemnation or at least where the thinkers of the past got Judaism wrong, so that one could not go away from reading the book being complacent about the existence of Antisemitism.

My own thoughts on the subject are somewhat basic without claiming the authority of a professional historian.  I am not surprised at the animus toward "Judaism"nor did I ever think that Professor Nirenberg's thesis could not be easily proven.   Jewish civilization poses a unique manifestation in the history of the world.  In ancient Greece, Hellenism swept the world with everyone assimilating to Greek ways until Hellenism comes to the land of Israel.  Upheaval ensues because of Jewish rejection of Hellenism (even though the Jewish world suffered a rupture of civil war about the adoption of Hellenistic ways)  Separateness out of rejection results in animus.  The same happened with ancient Rome.  Who had the audacity to reject the Roman juggernaut?  Even Josephus thought that his own people were on a suicide course. The Jews revolt and reject Rome and although defeated, the Jewish people do not go off into the sunset. The Roman reaction is cruel and violent destroying and negating the Jewish identity of Israel no longer calling it "Judea" but rather "Palestine".  In their exile they, the Jewish people continue to be separate rejecting the outside or at least adapting to the outside without divorcing there own value system.  Why such a small insignificant people command such attention in the world?  Because the Western tradition defines itself in contradistinction to that small civilization of the Jews.  The Jews refuse to be Christian or Muslim much like they reject Hellenic and Roman civilizations.  The key is not what the Jewish people do but the absence of doing the expected. For example, the Jewish community in Brooklyn NY is one that rejects the outside and instead of being left alone with a "live and let live" attitude. animus can be sensed against them by the surrounding non Jewish communities. Separateness out of rejection results in animus.  Such animus is irrational because the Jewish people do not do anything to deserve the animus.  Although simply stated, the sentence is quite complex psychologically.  One can see this theme in Luther's life (he expected them to do something - convert) and even in Voltaire's life (the Jews refuse to "be human" like everyone else).  The hatred is not rational because it is based on someone else's expectation.  It is not a legitimate reaction to an actual salvo of invective. The animus morphs, however, into thoughts and ideas of us/them, good/ bad, ideal/wanting  etc.  {The Biblical book of Esther expresses this idea.}

There is irony in the fact that Marx called the USA "Jewish", negatively addressing the nature of capitalism.   The USA is one of the least Antisemitic countries founded on the principle of "live and let live" in terms of religious freedom.  In the USA, there has been little animus by comparison of Europe against the Jews because "separateness" in America is a value.  The USA is a salad bowl of culture, of ethnic diversity: its ok to be different.

Driving Mr. Yogi by Harvey Araton

Driving Mr. Yogi is a story of friendship between two former Major League baseball players.  One who played in the late 1970's and the other who played in the 1950's and 60's.  More importantly it is a warm introduction to the oldest living NY Yankee, Yogi Berra.  What makes this a delightful read is that the subject is a great personality.  In an age of great wealth, great egos and arrogance that comes with great wealth, the reader is introduced to a warm unaffected personality in Yogi Berra.  The book centers around the seasons that Yogi Berra, retiree joined the Yankees in their Spring Training facility in Florida with Ron Guidry being Berra's personal driver.

It is a story of the reconciliation of George Steinbrenner, the contentious Yankee owner with an impulsive tendency to fire managers in an unreasonable manner.  When he fired Berra, he did not give him the courtesy of a personal meeting but rather assigned an underling to the task.  Berra's reaction was a demonstration of protest by boycotting the Yankee organization until amends would be made.  It would take a 14 year boycott of the organization before Mr. Steinbrenner approached Yogi Berra at his museum and learning center to apologize.

What makes Berra a great man is his ability to forgive and forget because after that apology Berra conducted himself as if the "Boss" was a close friend.  He stayed at the owners Hotel in Florida and enjoyed the occasions during which they met and dined.

Talking Baseball is Berra's life.  He can talk to anyone!  He has no pretenses.  He can talk to those in the hair salon in the same manner he  talks to people at a restaurant.  He rarely refuses an autograph - only when mobbed with unreasonable fans at a restaurant will he refuse by getting up and finding and another place to eat with little interruption.  In Florida, he would rotate restaurants with Mr. Guidry so that fans would not congregate to disturb.

Yogi Berra observed talent and his role in Tampa was to give his impressions of the young players and enjoy the general environment of Baseball.  He did not impose his views but rather responded when asked, being a true gentleman.  He gave hitting tips to slumping players effectively.  He befriended difficult people easily because of his affability. (When Derek Jeter struck out on a high pitch out of the strike zone, Yogi asked him why he swung at such a bad pitch?  As Jeter quipped "But you swung at the those pitches!" Berra rejoined adroitly "Yea, but I HIT them!")

In a world of ego maniacs, hedonism and culture lacking values, Yogi Berra stands out as an example of the simple values of friendship, loyalty, modesty and lack of pretensions.

Unschooling Rules by Clark Aldrich

This contribution toward education undermines the traditions and models of the current "educational industrial complex".  The book encourages parents to take control over their children's education and take advantage of the explosion of new technologies and social networks.  It attacks traditional school as antiquated, inefficient, and too expensive.  According to the book, traditional school caters to the common denominators and not to the individual, tests don't work, and homework is a waste of time that could be utilized for 'real learning'.  The concept being a "drop off" parent can be devastating to a child's development and the author encourages that care givers be those that love the child like a grandparent instead of a hired nanny.

The author is a believer in observation and discovery and informal outdoor education (one learns so much more at a summer camp then during a whole year at school).  He believes that observing animals as microcosms is more valuable than listening to a teacher drone on about societies.

Mr. Aldrich encapsulates and conceptualizes learning to three directions: Learn to be, learn to do and learn to know.  These three concepts will guide anyone's curricula of study.  We want our children, for example, to be good citizens, morally and ethically aware.  We want our children to be able to do things, developing skills to succeed.  Knowledge is required for both.  If one would use these three concepts as their guide one will discover traditional school is not at all necessary.

Mr. Aldrich claims that our grandparent's generation got it right when the core learning consisted of 'reading, writing and arithmetic'.  Those three areas are essential to success in life.  One needs to be able to research a subject of interest, one needs to be able to correspond socially and one needs to be able to make purchases and balance a checkbook.  He encourages projects likes creating a business or creating or planning an event to replace classroom learning because that is what happens in real life! The amount of time spent learning literature is waste for most and should be only be encouraged to those that LOVE literature.  Calculus should be part of History and only a math subject for those that show LOVE of mathematics.   Math should include 'the spread sheet' as a requirement because it is essential in every business.  He claims the ideal classroom size is 5 students not 25.  The interaction of 5 is so much more intimate and real then organizing 25 people.

This book is really for those committed to homeschooling, those willing to devote much time to the development of one's child's growth.  Those parents willing to remove their child from the common educational industrial complex and allow the child freedom to explore the world on one's own terms. [My wife and I pulled our children out of their elementary school one year to homeschool them until we were satisfied that the school changed sufficiently.  That year we connected with an accredited Charter School, homeschooled them and admittedly our children learned more in one year then their previous years of schooling. Socially, however, our children felt they suffered, they felt isolated from their friends and missed the school culture to which they were already accustomed and they were happy to return to their school.] Although Mr. Aldrich would like to see a major change to traditional school, he understands that the majors changes he encourages are not going to happen in the near future.  His ideas nevertheless should be taken into account by every educator.

I am personally taken by his three concepts of learning (to be, to do and to know) because they immediately remind me of a Torah education of the most traditional kind.  A Torah observant person learns to Be a good Yehudi, he learns to Do the mitzvos and is devoted to (as the Rambam says) KNOW Hashem.  The traditional Yeshiva model fits perfectly into Mr. Aldrich's conclusions about education.  Traditional Yeshiva students are actually well educated for success because they have mastered the skills behind learning to be, learning to do and learning to know!  With the conclusions of Mr. Aldrich, one should not be so quick to dismiss traditional Yeshiva education.

Our Crowd by Stephen Birmingham

This richly researched study of an American Jewish aristocracy shows that the USA is truly a land of opportunity, and reinforces the idea that assimilation, the disappearance of Jewish identity is associated with its high society and culture.  Mr. Birmingham traces the fantastic rise of some prominent 19th century German Jewish immigrants from poor beginnings to astronomical wealth.  It is a study of timing and opportunity, being in the right place at the right time with the appropriate ambition and talent.  The family names of Seligman, Lehman, Guggenheim, Schiff, Loeb and Warburg are highlighted in this very readable study.

The Lehmans started out in the South as cotton brokers and survived the Civil War to eventually develop a commodity trading house that evolved into the investment house of Lehman Bros.  The Guggenheims started out peddlers and sold successfully copper polish and eventually developed the mining business in states like Colorado.  Jacob Schiff as a young German immigrant joined the investment banking of Kuhn, Loeb and eventually eclipsed the founders' success as a result of his vision of the railroad industry and representing one the most successful railroad barons.  Joseph Seligman and his brothers started out as pre-Civil War peddlers, yet developed an investment banking house that practically mirrors the famous and most powerful Rothschilds by placing brothers strategically in European cities.

Jacob Schiff's leadership in the Jewish community is so profound that he becomes the address for philanthropy during the wave of massive Eastern European immigration of 1880's through almost the first quarter of the twentieth century.  His rigid principles and integrity serve him well.  WWI, however becomes a curious dilemma for him when he makes a stipulation that his loan to Britain and its allies may not in anyway be utilized by Czarist Russia.  Schiff, angry at Russia's treatment of Jews had loaned money to Japan to successfully win its war against Russia earlier. He can not bring himself to see that such a hard line stipulation would be interpreted as German sympathies.  He is falsely accused of hoping for a German victory.

Otto Kahn, also a partner of Kuhn, Loeb, is an example of opulence and the culture of New York City because he nurses to health the NYC opera company.  According to the book, the street, 5th Ave. of NYC basically begins as a row of Jewish built mansions.

In most of these cases Jewish identity becomes blurred or becomes unimportant with the generations that inherit the incredible wealth.  The lure of materialism and hedonism along with the desire for social acceptance seem to ravage these once religiously identified orthodox Jewish families to become a secular almost Protestant group - when asked about her Jewish identity, one heiress replied that perhaps she was once married by a rabbi.

This book, nevertheless, demonstrates that the USA has been a tremendous land of opportunity open to all and lacks the profound anti-Semitism of European history.  This book shows that some prominent Jews play a key role in building up its cities and developing the culture of America.