For such a time as this On being Jewish today

Rabbi Cosgrove (coeditor of Jewish Theology in Our Time) grapples in this rigorous outing with the implications of the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel for the American Jewish community. He recounts how his Sabbath was interrupted by a call from his sister-in-law in Israel who reported the then-ongoing assault, the confusion that followed, and how he began fund-raising for Israeli communities during that day's services. Broadening his discussion, Cosgrove draws on a theory from Rabbi David Hartman to delineate a shift that he feels has occurred after October 7. Prior to the assault, he writes, American Jews were "Genesis Jews," whose religious identity derived from "positive Jewish identification." But the shock of October 7 and the subsequent spike in antisemitic incidents transformed many American Jews into "Exodus Jews," whose Jewish identity is "defined by others, by those who ignore our pain, exclude us, hate us... and in some cases kill us." The challenge, Cosgrove explains, is to integrate these identities. While the larger implications of the Israel-Hamas war are sometimes glossed over, Cosgrove expertly navigates salient questions about Jewish faith and identity against a backdrop of rising antisemitism, while stressing throughout that "this thing we are fighting for, Jews and Judaism... is a joy, a privilege, and a blessing to... all people." This is an eye-opener. (Sept.)

A distinguished New York City rabbi reflects on being Jewish during a time of renewed hostility between Palestinians and Jews. The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel turned Cosgrove's life and the lives of his fellow clergy "upside-down." Furthermore, "in the week that followed (and before any Israeli counterattacks), over 150 anti-Israel rallies were held across the United States." Cosgrove was suddenly confronted with difficult questions about the nature of "diaspora Jewry's obligations to Israel" in a post-Shoah world. Jews living outside of Israel often live in a state of cultural tension characterized by "the disorienting struggle to integrate…multiple selves" and multiple ways of expressing affiliation with Judaism. Complicating the situation is the conflicted political situation in Israel, which has manifested in assassinations--like that of Yitzhak Rabin, who championed a framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict--and, in more contemporary times, a hard turn toward militant authoritarianism. The author notes that many among the younger generations of diaspora Jews feel that "the Israel they love does not love them back, or even care that [they] exist." At the same time, anyone attempting to speak about Jewish issues in the U.S., even nonpolitical ones, may find themselves shut down--as Cosgrove was at a university lecture after the Hamas attack in 2023. Part of what makes this book so compelling is the author's willingness to criticize Israel for being antidemocratic in its hardline Zionism while also expressing his deep and abiding love for it. In a world where diatribe trumps civil discourse, Cosgrove's moderate, carefully reasoned approach, grounded in both history and biblical scholarship, is a welcome balm. "God knows, we are all in need of a place to start," he writes. "Wholeness and brokenness, every step of the way, on our journey toward the Promised Land." Searching, soulful reading for exceedingly difficult times. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.