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earthie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
I truly found this book both enlightening and sobering at once. It made me feel more connected to my feelings of today, as well as my relationship with my past - my intergenerational past filled with heartbreaking tragedy and resilient community.
This book put words to the things that I have been feeling and trying to not feel all at once. It made me feel a far-distant home and as I finish this book in the evening of Seattle, I wonder about those across the world waking as I say the evening shema.
This is a book I would recommend to everyone with the dad awareness that those whom most need to read it never will.
The audiobook I found to be phenomenal, but I could see how it would be difficult to physically read as I found myself drifting off at times in my own thoughts, including investigating name changes in my own family history.
I think the reviews that accuse the author of her bias and not understanding the placement of Jews from an intersectional perspective are being overly critical of a piece of literature in a way that, ironically, would not (and has not) been done by writers of other identities. See, Barbara Smith literally stating that she is an antisemite in "Yours in Struggle" (though then going on to praise Jewish feminism's position: supporting Israel & criticizing it's government publicly and loudly). Horn does, in fact, ignore some aspects of intersectionality -- but this is a book of short essays, not a place where one can have nuance for every single point of argument. To address every single potential point or counter-argument would result not in a book of short essays, but a Talmudic conversation of conversations -- perhaps one we should have, but with respect for one another and a base understanding that no one is supportive of killing children (which Horn also addresses this point, in how she must caveat anything she says to ensure folk do not assume her evil while others are given the benefit of the doubt in not being evil).
The argument that whiteness is ignored, I would partially agree on -- in the sense that Horn does not go out of her way to discuss race (even when talking about Chinese Jews). She focuses more on the religious aspect of Judaism and physical markers of the religion, rather than physically unchangeable markers of Judaism - what some of the critics would consider as a stereotypical Long Island Jew who benefits from certain privileges based on being white-passing, versus the Ethiopian Jews and other MENA Jews that the author talks about, who I would guess would not benefit from that same white privilege the critics so gracefully blanket all Jews with. And lastly, if your critique of this book includes your inability to even finish a book (or get more than a chapter in) before leaving a review calling the author a dirty Zionist, you might want to take a look at a mirror about your own antisemitic beliefs and try to comprehend the views and points of others without aligning every piece of media you read with whatever single hot-button issue it is that today is disturbing.
I went to the comments section filled with dread and was met with sorrow from both those failing to see the point and from those seeing the point and feeling the same communal sadness.
This book put words to the things that I have been feeling and trying to not feel all at once. It made me feel a far-distant home and as I finish this book in the evening of Seattle, I wonder about those across the world waking as I say the evening shema.
This is a book I would recommend to everyone with the dad awareness that those whom most need to read it never will.
The audiobook I found to be phenomenal, but I could see how it would be difficult to physically read as I found myself drifting off at times in my own thoughts, including investigating name changes in my own family history.
I think the reviews that accuse the author of her bias and not understanding the placement of Jews from an intersectional perspective are being overly critical of a piece of literature in a way that, ironically, would not (and has not) been done by writers of other identities. See, Barbara Smith literally stating that she is an antisemite in "Yours in Struggle" (though then going on to praise Jewish feminism's position: supporting Israel & criticizing it's government publicly and loudly). Horn does, in fact, ignore some aspects of intersectionality -- but this is a book of short essays, not a place where one can have nuance for every single point of argument. To address every single potential point or counter-argument would result not in a book of short essays, but a Talmudic conversation of conversations -- perhaps one we should have, but with respect for one another and a base understanding that no one is supportive of killing children (which Horn also addresses this point, in how she must caveat anything she says to ensure folk do not assume her evil while others are given the benefit of the doubt in not being evil).
The argument that whiteness is ignored, I would partially agree on -- in the sense that Horn does not go out of her way to discuss race (even when talking about Chinese Jews). She focuses more on the religious aspect of Judaism and physical markers of the religion, rather than physically unchangeable markers of Judaism - what some of the critics would consider as a stereotypical Long Island Jew who benefits from certain privileges based on being white-passing, versus the Ethiopian Jews and other MENA Jews that the author talks about, who I would guess would not benefit from that same white privilege the critics so gracefully blanket all Jews with. And lastly, if your critique of this book includes your inability to even finish a book (or get more than a chapter in) before leaving a review calling the author a dirty Zionist, you might want to take a look at a mirror about your own antisemitic beliefs and try to comprehend the views and points of others without aligning every piece of media you read with whatever single hot-button issue it is that today is disturbing.
I went to the comments section filled with dread and was met with sorrow from both those failing to see the point and from those seeing the point and feeling the same communal sadness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, Trafficking, Child death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Deportation, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Suicide and Excrement
unsuccessfulbookclub's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Genocide, Murder, Violence, Xenophobia, War, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Grief, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
razzberry_pi's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
2.25
Some of the chapters, specifically "Everyone's (Second) Favourite Dead Jew", "On Rescuing Jews and Others", and "Dead American Jews, Part Three: Turning the Page" were interesting and well researched explanations of the Christian obsession with dead jews.
However, a large majority of the chapters are tainted by the authors very clear pro-Israel feelings. On multiple occasions she conflates antisemitism and antizionism, including comparing the BDS movement to Nazi Germany while refusing to make the same comparison with mass shooters. Additionally, the author makes some shitty comments less/dif erently observant jews, impling that they are essentially collaborators with antisemites and degrading yhe the jewish people.
However, a large majority of the chapters are tainted by the authors very clear pro-Israel feelings. On multiple occasions she conflates antisemitism and antizionism, including comparing the BDS movement to Nazi Germany while refusing to make the same comparison with mass shooters. Additionally, the author makes some shitty comments less/dif erently observant jews, impling that they are essentially collaborators with antisemites and degrading yhe the jewish people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, Genocide, Torture, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexism, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Xenophobia, and War
aschraiber's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Genocide
Moderate: War
ecn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, and War
gabuwu's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
A harrowing but important book examining the modern relation of how most modern non-jews knowledge of judaism comes from our deaths, not our living culture and the way that lack of knowledge fuels antisemitism. I had to sit down and just listen while listening to via audiobook, it was so gripping I couldn't do much of anything else whilst listening.
I appreciated the authors discussions on modern, ancient, and relatively recent antisemitism as well. I honestly question how much the people who rail against the authors seemingly pro-zionist leanings actually read the same book as I did, as it profoundly demonstrated exactly why zionism is a necessary ideology to modern jewish survival.
I appreciated the authors discussions on modern, ancient, and relatively recent antisemitism as well. I honestly question how much the people who rail against the authors seemingly pro-zionist leanings actually read the same book as I did, as it profoundly demonstrated exactly why zionism is a necessary ideology to modern jewish survival.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, War, and Genocide
belle2008's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, and War
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