News & Reviews
The New York Times Book Review has designated The Chosen Wars as an Editor’s Choice: “American Judaism underwent a radical shift in the 19th century, adapting its rituals and its theology alike for an open, modern society. Weisman offers a thorough and fascinating history of these decades, which gave birth to the liberal branches of Judaism and allowed Jews to feel at home and thrive in America.”
See my discussion of the attack on Jews in Pittsburgh on Morning Joe on October 29.
See the great Washington Post review: a “well-documented and compelling book… a series of visionary, courageous, often problematic and egotistical men propel Weisman’s story…. a story that is both sobering and inspirational.”
Also a terrific review in the Wall Street Journal: “Mr. Weisman’s meticulously researched and fluently argued book is a compelling story of a glorious past.”
See my interview in Publishers Weekly: “I wrote this book to show that … Jews can draw strength from their history and the courageous figures of the past.”
See my interview with Time Magazine online: “What People Get Wrong About the History of American Judaism Before the Civil War”
What people are saying about The Chosen Wars: How Judaism Became an American Religion:
Publishers Weekly: The Chosen Wars: How Judaism Became an American Religion
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The Christian Science Monitor: “In uncovering the conflicts of the past, Weisman deepens our understanding of the ongoing conflicts of the present.”
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Kirkus Reviews: “Religious history that should interest Jews and non-Jews alike.”
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New York Journal of Books: “Weisman here gives a solid outline of the history of Jewish divisiveness that anyone can follow…in a fast paced, clear prose that tells and teaches much but in a casual read..” [Link to the full review will be available soon.]
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Washington Independent Review of Books: “The Chosen Wars is no doubt the most significant contribution to writings about the Jewish experience in the United States since Jonathan D. Sarna’s American Judaism: A History (2004).” Full review
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The Jewish Journal (Los Angeles): “Only rarely does an author succeed in writing a book that reframes how we perceive our own history. The Chosen Wars … is one such book, and it could not arrive at a more appropriate time in that history.” Full review
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“The rise of Judaism in America is an astonishing, underappreciated history with remarkable and eccentric personalities. Steve Weisman explains a lot about our country, about the Jewish people and tells a really great story.” — Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple, author of David: The Divided Heart
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“An incredible saga. Steve Weisman has excavated Jewish American history with narrative flair and wisdom. The Chosen Wars will become a fixture on the shelves of the diaspora and beyond.” — Franklin Foer, author of World Without Mind
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“A popular, readable account of the outsized personalities and dramatic conflicts that produced a distinctively American Judaism over the course of the Nineteenth Century. The Chosen Wars draws upon recent scholarship to produce a history that is as unforgettable as it is relevant to our times.” — Jonathan D. Sarna, University Professor, Brandeis University and author of American Judaism: A History
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Steven Weisman has written a vivid, informed, and affectionate account of one of the greatest adventures of the Jewish soul in America. There is grandeur in this tale of tradition and reform, even if there is also a brawl in a synagogue. (Tradition pulls no punches!) And there is, in Weisman’s artful telling, a certain tenderness: The Chosen Wars is the fine work of a man discovering his own history, his own blessings. — Leon Wieseltier, author of Kaddish
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“The Chosen Wars is filled with light for dark times. It is an important and engaging narrative about the evolution of American Judaism. Gone are the old myths and suspicions, and in their place is a profound meditation on the nature of Jewish identity.” — Amanda Foreman, New York Times bestselling author of A World on Fire
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“The Chosen Wars is a uniquely American story about how minority religious communities have grappled with the tension between being, as Weisman puts it, ‘a part’ of and yet ‘apart’ from our wider society. It’s a book full of life about a living tradition.” — E.J. Dionne, Jr., New York Times bestselling author of Why the Right Went Wrong and co-author of One Nation After Trump
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“Steve Weisman shares important observations about the American Jewish past and the way it shaped and continues to shape today’s Jewish communities. The Chosen Wars offers a framework to view a complex, often contentious but ever proud people struggle with tradition and innovation on a new and captivating shore.” — Erica Brown, author of Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet
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“The fascinating saga of Jews in America has been told many times but seldom if ever with the narrative power and analytic acuity this fine book displays. Anyone interested in the intricate history of religion in the USA will find this volume endlessly informative.” — Harvey Cox, Hollis Professor of Divinity Emeritus, Harvard University, author of The Future of Faith