Real Jews: Secular Versus Ultra- Orthodox: The Struggle for Jewish Identity in Israel

This book explores the divide between the Ultra-Orthodox religious Israelis and their secular counterparts in the young nation. The author leaves no stone unturned in the delivery and the average reader is given enough detail to feel like an expert on the subject by the end of the book. I recommend this book especially to anyone with a monolithic impression of Israel, as most Westerners with an opinion seem to have. Israeli society is far more complex than most of the world realizes and there is a lot of (some might say self-induced) tension beneath the surface. Israel occupies a prominent place in world opinion. It is largely hated by Europeans and other Western sophisticates, despite having a very liberal society. Conversely it is loved by many American Evangelicals and others, who believe that it to be a religious (Biblical) state, despite the open hatred and fear in Israel of its most religious members. This book explains why that fear exists and why, for example, the ultra-religious do not serve in the army. The author take pains to remain neutral in the debate, while at the same time plunging directly into the fray and asking tough question of both sides.

What a thrilling cliffhanger! No, no. REAL JEWS is not a novel; it's a real picture of human nature that serves as the engine driving people to act in their own "best" interests. Efron has delved into the mind of the Chiloni, into his psyche and unearthed not only how he sees the Charedi, but also shines the light on why he sees him that way. When I finished reading I was left with the feeling that, the Chiloni, in Kafkaesque fashion, is trapped in his own historical web and is almost compelled to see the Charedi as a parasitic, greedy, self-righteous primitive buffoon. He sees him as the "Tartuffe, Shylock, Falstaff, and Ruth" of society. He does so, in Dr. Efron's view, because the Charedi now has become the "other" antagonist (replacing the traditional anti-Semite) against whom the modern Zionist Jew reacts in his attempt to find his place in the world. The artistry of the writer develops the picture to the ultimate that it carries the reader with that argument as if it were the last word. But alas! Like a magician, he flips over the coin and uncovers the weaknesses imbedded therein. He demonstrates that what the Secular Jew accuses the Ultra-Orthodox Jew of doing is the blemish that stains the accuser himself, the Chiloni. Noah Efron demonstrates that there exists a different set of values and rationale that motivates the Charedi Jew, and that the fear the secular Jew experiences toward the ultra-Orthodox is based more on irrationality and anticipation, and his failure to accept that the ultra-Orthodox act in the same self-interest as much as the secular Jew does. In this turn again he delves into the mind of the Charedi Jew and unearths not only how he acts and how he sees the secular Jew, but also why he sees him that way. It's a tearful commentary to read the last paragraph of the author's book.........."My grandparents did not live to see the self-assurance of secular Israel disintegrate. They did not live to be hated by people whom they loved so deeply, and for this I am relieved. Even in these very troubled times, I sometimes think that this relief saddens me most of all." The unique quality I find in this work, REAL JEWS, is not merely the purposeful concealment of the author's viewpoint, but the clarity of the presentation of all sides of the argument. It is left to the reader to weigh them and to evaluate their merits. Noah Efron enhances his integrity in this effort as an "honest broker". This achievement is in line with Jewish juridical procedure. It is axiomatic in Halacha, that if one cannot see all sides of an argument he does not see a complete picture of the event. It is for this reason the Talmud states in Sanhedrin 17a that in a capital case if all 23 judges vote guilty, the accused is not executed. This is based on a premise that if no one can present an opposing argument in defense of the accused, then there is a blinding, incomplete vision of the event, and society may not take a life without a clear decisi

This books sets out to answer the question 'why do secular Israelis fear/dislike ultra-orthodox Jews so very much?'. I thought I knew a fair amount about this issue, and wasn't all that interested in learning more, but the book really surprised me -- it made me laugh and think, and I found myself citing it to many others. The story is extremely well-told and compelling. Efron makes it easy to empathise with every side by illustrating each issue with personal anecdotes from his own life between the seams, as a yarmulke-wearing Jew living in a secular neighbourhood of Tel Aviv, teaching in a religious Jewish University but with a profoundly critical and feminist world view. Buy this book if you know only a little about the issue, but especially if you think you already know all the answers!

This is an excellent and very balanced book which demonstrates that much of the dislike and fear of the Haredim ("Ultra-Orthodox")is a result of ignorance and a certain degree of bigotry on the part of secular Israelis. Efron reports on both sides of many issues which divide the 2 communities and shows how misunderstandings arise on both sides, how differences stem from differing world views and how, in some cases such as the army draft, one can use the statistics to prove both sides of the argument, for and against the status quo. I found the book informative, readable, honest and (as far as I can judge) unbiased. We see both sides "warts and all" and I came away with sympathy for some views on either side and the profound hope that, in the not-too-distant future, talk of secular and religious "sides" in Israel will disappear in a new mutual understanding and respect.

This is an important book for anyone interested in Israeli society and its future. Well researched, well written, and well balanced, the book puts the tensions between secular and Haredi Jews in historical and sociological perspective. The outlook for reducing these tensions is not optimistic, but perhaps this book will promote more understanding than currently exists.