Whose Torah?: A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism

Alpert, Rebecca T. "Whose Torah: A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism", New Press, 2008. What the Old Testament Really Says Amos Lassen Rebecca Alpert is one of the first women to be ordained a Rabbi and has written wifely. Her new book "Whose Torah" is part of the "Whose Religion" series published by the New Press and in it the author looks at some of the major issues of modern times and shows how the Old Testament deals with them. It is a way to look at how the Jewish people have adapted to changing times. She examines the ways the Jewish people have used their traditions to seek and to find justice in areas such as race, sexuality, gender, environment, poverty and war and peace. She has a lot to say and much of what she says is illuminating. I consider myself to be quite well read about my religion as well as a practicing Jew but Alpert has a great deal to tell me. I found her chapters on sexuality and gender to be true eye openers. One of the main tenets of Judaism is the pursuit of justice and Alpert looks at everything with that in mind. She shows how members of the progressive Jewish community reshape questions about peace and activism. It is amazing and enlightening to see how progressive Jews have been (even the Orthodox branch) about some of the issues. Alpert manages to mix religious values with progressive politics as she throws out the preconceived ideas that religions are inherently conservative. I think that reading the 164 pages of "Whose Torah" taught me a great deal more than spending hours pondering the religious tests. But reading this book did something else for me. It caused me to go to the original texts and look for the answers and more than that--it made me think.