Being Jewish Today

Tony Bayfield

'A deeply humane, learned and personal reflection on Jewish identity' Rowan Williams'This inspiring book has made me a better Jew, one who understands more, who knows more' Daniel Finkelstein'This remarkable book takes us on a journey: geographic, historical, cultural, philosophical, political, autobiographical and, yes, religious' Michael MarmotBeing Jewish Today gives an account of both the journey of a particular British Jew and the journey of millions of women and men through today's perplexing and difficult world. With honesty and integrity Rabbi Tony Bayfield breaks new ground in exploring the meaning of Jewish identity and its relationship to Jewish tradition and belief. He does so from the perspective of a person fully integrated into the modern Western world. The rigorous questions he asks of his Jewishness, Judaism and the Jewish God are therefore substantially the same as those asked by individuals of all faiths and none.Beginning with an account of the journey of Jewish people and thought from ancient times to the present day, Bayfield goes on to consider Jewish identity, Israel as land and the scourge of anti-Semitism. He then turns to the twin concerns of Torah: Halakhah - practice, and Aggadah - ethics, along with the matter of belief in a world faced with global extinction. Finally, in addressing the manifest injustice of life, Rabbi Bayfield confronts the widely evaded questions of universal suffering and divine inaction.Drawing on key religious and secular thinkers who contribute to the force of his argument, Bayfield's masterful, challenging and urgent book will appeal to all Jews, whether religious or cultural, and to anyone curious about the nature of Judaism and religion today.

This book speaks to the experience of being a Jew in the modern world, against a backdrop of rising anti-semitism and an uncertain political and cultural climate

Preface: Our starting point: journeying through a shared worldPART ONE - BEING BOTH JEW AND JEWISH TODAY: YOU CAN'T IGNORE THE CONTEXT1 The particular journey2 The shared contextPART TWO - BEING A JEW TODAY: IDENTITY AND PEOPLEHOOD3 Israel as People4 Israel as LandPART THREE - JUDAISM TODAY: LIGHT AND WEIGHT5 Torah: Judaism's unique selling point6 Covenant theology: Halakhah, law7 Covenant theology: Aggadah, ethicsPART FOUR - JEWISH FAITH TODAY: GOD, SUFFERING AND SILENCE8 Fragments after the devastation9 My God, my god - what kind of God are you?10 Life beyond death: Individual survival and messianic hopeGlossaryJewish thinkers contributing to this bookNotesAcknowledgementsIndexA Note on the AuthorCover Artwork: Mark Rothko, Untitled, c.1950-2