Description

Judaism Is About Love offers a groundbreaking and enlightening exploration of Jewish life and theology, restoring the overlooked centrality of love within the Jewish tradition.

Throughout history, a deep misunderstanding has profoundly influenced Western thought: Christianity has been characterized as the religion of love, and Judaism as one defined exclusively by law. Rabbi Shai Held, one of today’s leading Jewish intellectuals in America, challenges this long-standing misconception, offering a compelling, deeply reasoned account demonstrating that love is just as fundamental to Judaism as it is to Christianity.

Combining rigorous scholarship, respect for tradition, and an authentic commitment to living Judaism, Held passionately advocates for an understanding of Judaism deeply rooted in love. He powerfully illustrates how love shapes Judaism’s distinct perspectives across multiple domains—including justice and protest, grace, family relationships, obligations to neighbors and even adversaries, and the meaning of chosenness.

Judaism Is About Love reclaims and illuminates the authentic essence of Judaism, offering readers a profoundly hopeful and healing reinterpretation of what it truly means to embody Jewish faith and practice.