Joseph Telushkin

Explores the life and teachings of one of the greatest rabbis of the Talmudic era, who emphasized ethical and moral living as an essential element of Jewish life.

If Not Now, When?

Hillel

Donald

I was totally unfamiliar with Telushkin before reading this book, but apparently he's generally a sort of pop theology type writer. There are some elements of that here (the book is not technical at all), but this book is not lazy pop theology: Telushkin knows his shit and cites everything. It can get repetitive at times (he makes his point about conversion over and over again), but it covers a lot of ground. He makes a strong argument for ethics being the defining characteristic of religiosity, rather than ritual observance. Highly recommended.

Hillel If Not Now, When?

Reviews