Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism

This text is written in a very accessible manner and as Judaism stands on the brink of possibly becoming irrelevant, Douglas Rushkoff takes aim at the problems and offers solutions based on Judaism's core values and teachings. Of particular significance is the fact that the problems and solutions discussed in the book are applicable to any faith tradition and of help to anyone's personal search. Highly recommended.

In the world which I inhabit, that of progressive secular college educated types, the bible is about as popular to read as the latest Rush Limbaugh book. I understand how this happened. The religious traditions and interests of the Christian churches and Jewish synagogues are antiquated. These religions no longer speak to the fears and concerns of modern people. That's what makes Nothing Sacred so refreshing. Douglas Rushkoff takes the basic ingredients of Judaism and reinterprets it to speak to the contemporary. Rushkoff's basics for Judaism is abstract mono-theism, iconoclasm and social justice. He makes a compelling case for this foundation. The author then gives a brief history of how each ingredient has been interpreted and re-interpreted throughout history. The last section, he lays out his ideas on how to make Judaism (and in my opinion, Christianity) valid today. A few notes, Rushkoff is best known for his books on marketing, culture, market research. This book reflects that, in how he is arguing for Judaism to abandon a Microsoft business plan, for one more like Wikipedia. Also, the author notes how many Jews are turning to Buddhism and other eastern religions. I believe this is because it doesn't come with the historical baggage of Abrahamic religions (church scandals, sex scandals, fascism, holocaust, inquisition, etc. all in the name of god). Also, when these religions are introduced to westerners, the introductions don't include all of their baggage. Therefore, westerners are welcome to read what they want into zen tales or the Tao Te Ching. Rushkoff is really pushing for the same kind of fresh look at the Torah, minus our baggage. To sum up, I didn't think someone could inspire me to want to read the old testament...but Rushkoff has.

This, of course, is not the only book to stress (sad that it needs stressing, these days) the humanity and wisdom of Judaism and its influence in making the modern progressive world. For me it's sad that the book needed to be written at all, but with the increase of Jewish (and fundamentalist Christian) zealotry and the apparent decrease in the intellectual tradition, these things have to be restated. In a changing world people always tend to fall back on know-nothingism, on 'faith' (that is, blinkered fundamentalism) and on anti-intellectualism. Both traditions have existed in Judaism since time began, it seems, but until recently the best tradition, the liberal tradition, has dominated America and Western Europe. Now it seems the old, fearful tradition is beginning to dominate US politics, if not the politics of the rest of the world, and that can only be a bad thing for the world and for Judaism. At a time when Israel's policies have fueled the incipient anti-Semitism of Middle America, we should be reaching out and speaking out, emphasising the great tradition of humane and progressive decency which is the core of real Judaism, not shaking our fists at our enemies and calling for God to strike them dead. Let those of us who respect and revere the great Judaic traditions of liberal thought and humane action emphasise what we stand for. One of the ways of doing this would be to buy this book, perhaps together with Martin Gilbert's Letters to Auntie Fori, and give it to as many non-Jewish friends as possible. Meanwhile we can only continue to assert our own broad-mindedness and traditions of liberal activism which helped create the best elements in modern America and, indeed, much of the world.

I think Howard Rheingold (Smart Mobs, Virtual Community) said it better than I can. Here's his review of this book:"I read Nothing Sacred reluctantly, from a stance of deep skepticism, and learned to my delight and enlightenment, that this is truly a Jewish approach. Rushkoff uses millennia of Jewish teachings to reveal that God is indeed to be questioned not obeyed, created not worshipped, continually revised, reconsidered, and debated - not graven in stone. I truly believe this book might end up as one of the most important works of Jewish literature, worthy of comparison with Maimonides and Buber. Many will be outraged and even furious at Rushkoff for daring to revise the Jewish tradition of self-questioning. I thank him for helping me feel like a Jew again." So when you read reviews like the fundamentalist, below, or even the orthodox extremists in some of the editorial reviews above, remember that they feel their God is being attacked and can't defend himself. Then they go nuts, and make stuff up. The reviewer from JPost suggests that Rushkoff is promoting a Socialist Presidential candidate - when there' s no mention in this book of anything of the kind. Indeed, this book is worthy of comparison with Spinoza and Maimonides, who were also persecuted by the corrupt Jewish establishment for trying to share with the world that Judaism is actually a universal truth and not a racist sect. Or, at least it was meant to be.

Scholars who call for a reexamination of a religion or tradition in order to preserve or strengthen it often call for a stricter interpretation of scripture, a stronger commitment to observance of ritual, or perhaps an infusion of spirituality or the mystical. However Douglas Rushkoff, in his evaluation of and suggestions for the future of Judaism, questions its current manifestation in its entirety. He asks if the Judaism that is practiced in modern homes, temples and synagogues, the Judaism that is promoted by modern Jewish organizations, is in fact a viable and authentic Judaism at all. In NOTHING SACRED: The Truth About Judaism, Rushkoff takes the difficult stance that today's Judaism has strayed far from the principle themes and values that are actually the core of the tradition.Rushkoff asserts that, as Jewish communities bemoan the loss of Jews through assimilation and intermarriage, and as the religion is split into factions divided over levels of religious observance, Jews labeled as "lapsed" or "secular" are in reality the ones carrying on the tradition in its purest, healthiest form. Three core values, according to Rushkoff, are at the center of Judaism: iconoclasm, abstract monotheism, and social justice. Through an examination of Jewish history and philosophy, he convincingly demonstrates how these three values are the foundation of Judaism and are most crucial. This rethinking of Jewish history and belief led Rushkoff to conclude that Judaism grew from an Egyptian labor movement that transformed itself over time and through contact with other cultures. Transformation, then, should be welcomed as a vital and positive force, not something negative or threatening. Transformation can refresh and revitalize Judaism.Thus, Rushkoff proposes that the best and perhaps only path to the survival of Judaism, which feels itself to be in crisis in many ways, is a renaissance, where the central values are explored, internalized and appreciated above ritual in its variety of forms. He is not suggesting that Judaism discard all the cultural developments of the last two thousand years --- in fact, Torah is essential to his understanding of the tradition and for its continuation. However, a shift in perspective would allow creativity of thought, expression and self-understanding, and would open up Judaism to the so-called lapsed Jews and potentially introduce non-Jews to the Jewish worldview. Rushkoff therefore suggests what he calls "open-source" Judaism, which would operate similarly to open-source software; one would be free to take the ideas one needs, modify them in order to personalize them, and would then be encouraged to leave his or her own ideas, insights, and interpretations for others to explore. This is not cafeteria-style religion, however. Each person would be responsible for learning as much as possible about the religion and culture; the Jewish tradition of learning would not only continue but also become stronger and more personal.Al