A learned yet accessible Jewish reflection on Genesis and Exodus.
In this nonfiction book, a rabbi revisits ancient texts to find spiritual direction for contemporary life.
According to Fuchs, this work is “the result of more than forty-five years of thought, writing and revision.” The volume’s origins can be traced to 1974 when the Baltimore Board of Rabbis, Conservative and Reform invited the author to teach an introductory course on Judaism to potential converts. With a subsequent half century behind the pulpit, in addition to a prolific career as an influential Jewish lecturer, author, TV commentator, and president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, Fuchs offers readers a sage approach to reading the Bible that rejects religious fundamentalism that holds “that every word reflects unerring historical truth” as well as skeptics who view Jewish Scripture “as little more than fairy tales.” Instead, the author explores a third way, one that reads the Bible not as a historical or literal text, but as moral and ethical instructions. Moving chronologically across the books of Genesis and Exodus, Fuchs begins with the Creation story, wherein he is not concerned with what the narrative tells readers about evolutionary science and “how the world was created.” Instead, he stresses, “it offers invaluable insight as to why.” Emphasizing “sacred time,” the book delivers short chapters that are often no longer than three or four pages, and are designed not to be read cover to cover but to be contemplated. At just 124 pages, this volume gives lay readers a clear account that expertly balances erudite analysis of Scripture with a jargon-free prose that teaches the fundamentals of Judaism without dumbing down its content or belittling the audience. Whether readers are intimately familiar with or brand new to the Tower of Babel, Abraham, Moses, Jethro, and the wandering of the Israelites through the desert, Fuchs delivers wisdom born of a lifetime of study. But curiously for a book that emphasizes the timelessness of biblical morality, it fails to meaningfully apply the stories to today’s pressing social issues, from gay rights to abortion.
A learned yet accessible Jewish reflection on Genesis and Exodus.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-956381-02-3
Page Count: 124
Publisher: Mazo Publishers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
It’s not Shakespeare, not by a long shot. But at least it’s not James Franco.
A noted actor turns to verse: “Poems are a Saturday in the middle of the week.”
McConaughey, author of the gracefully written memoir Greenlights, has been writing poems since his teens, closing with one “written in an Australian bathtub” that reads just as a poem by an 18-year-old (Rimbaud excepted) should read: “Ignorant minds of the fortunate man / Blind of the fate shaping every land.” McConaughey is fearless in his commitment to the rhyme, no matter how slight the result (“Oops, took a quick peek at the sky before I got my glasses, / now I can’t see shit, sure hope this passes”). And, sad to say, the slight is what is most on display throughout, punctuated by some odd koanlike aperçus: “Eating all we can / at the all-we-can-eat buffet, / gives us a 3.8 education / and a 4.2 GPA.” “Never give up your right to do the next right thing. This is how we find our way home.” “Memory never forgets. Even though we do.” The prayer portion of the program is deeply felt, but it’s just as sentimental; only when he writes of life-changing events—a court appearance to file a restraining order against a stalker, his decision to quit smoking weed—do we catch a glimpse of the effortlessly fluent, effortlessly charming McConaughey as exemplified by the David Wooderson (“alright, alright, alright”) of Dazed and Confused. The rest is mostly a soufflé in verse. McConaughey’s heart is very clearly in the right place, but on the whole the book suggests an old saw: Don’t give up your day job.
It’s not Shakespeare, not by a long shot. But at least it’s not James Franco.Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781984862105
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
