Orthodoxy Awakens: The Belkin Era and Yeshiva University

Rating:
Summary: A Valuable Contribution
Review: Through this well written work Geller makes a valuuable contribution to our understanding of the evolution of Orthodoxy in America. Especially important is the context into which he puts Yeshiva Univerisity's stance, which, through the lens of today's yeshiva-oriented orthodoxy, might appear as comprimising. He makes us relive the balancing act performed by those pioneers who struggled with the task of bringing Judaism to an environment without the luxury of a firm orthodox infrastructure or its social acceptance.

The chip on Geller's shoulder toward Agudah style Orthodoxy is apparent on more than a few occasions as is his dreamy wistfulness regarding how centrist orthodoxy might have "prevailed" if not for this or that. (I find it interesting that what in fact has prevailed is, in Geller's mind, deficient compared to centrist Orthodoxy). But that partisanship is OK. It is even welcome. It contributes to the candor and sense of reality that makes the book all the more readable (unlike this review).

I especially enjoyed the juicy tidbits about Rabbis Belkin, Soloveitchik, Shkop, Revel and others; the type of which we are deprived by the biographies so popular by the heimish today. As a student of yeshivish humor I love the quip uttered by Rabbi Belkin demostrating his disdain for the level of scholarship of his staff compared to those of Europeran yeshivos, "I can shake any building in Washington Heights and one or two Roshei Yeshiva will fall out". It made the whole book worth reading.

I recommend this book to all those interested in gaining perspective and raw facts on Orthodoxy in America. It will provide some insight to those wondering how modern Orthodoxy became what it is today. Also, I think it is valuable for yeshivish types to read this book to appreciate that the compromises made by YU were not that dissimilar from the compromises that today's yeshivish-endorsed kiruv movement makes as a matter of course. Also at 18 bucks on Amazon it is a bargain that any kind of orthoodox person can (and should) appreciate.