November 2023 MBR The Judaic Studies Shelf

The Judaic Studies Shelf

Frayed: The Disputes Unraveling Religious Zionists
Yair Ettinger
Toby Press
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
www.korenpub.com
9781592645848, $29.95, HC, 278pp

https://www.amazon.com/Frayed-Disputes-Unraveling-Religious-Zionists/dp/1592645844

Synopsis: Religious Zionists are an increasingly influential part of Israeli society, and their influence is felt across the societal spectrum. They are a significant force in almost every sector of Israel, including the media and legal, military, and financial spheres. Their growing prominence, however, has created its own set of challenges.

Deep ideological disagreements are dividing the Religious Zionist community from within. The political and theological glue that once unified the Religious Zionist world no longer exists, and ideological debates are creating the grounds for a possible political and social split within the Religious Zionist community. What are the larger ideas that are causing this internal tension? Who are the Religious Zionist leaders at the forefront of this divide? Is this a uniquely Israeli phenomenon or are there parallel conflicts in English-speaking Modern Orthodox communities across the globe?

With the publication of "Frayed: The Disputes Unraveling Religious Zionists", Yair Ettinger analyzes and discusses these issues. Ettinger takes his readers, both religious and secular, on an intellectual journey into the world of Religious Zionism. "Frayed" looks at burning issues such as the role of women in Jewish life, the scope of rabbinic authority, and the impact that the disengagement from Gaza has had on the community's relationship to the state. Along the way, readers will get an inside look at the rabbis, politicians, female scholars, yeshivot, seminaries, synagogues, halakhic rulings, and internet forums that are reshaping the face of Religious Zionism.

Critique: A seminal and ground breaking study of the influence and impact of Religious Zionism upon the people and state of Israel, "Frayed: The Disputes Unraveling Religious Zionists" will be of special and particular value with readers having an interest in Contemporary Israeli Politics and a uniquely special pick for personal reading lists, as well as professional, community, college, and university library Judaic/Israeli Zionism History collections.

Editorial Note: Yair Ettinger (https://www.hartman.org.il/person/yair-ettinger) is a former Kogod Research Fellow at Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and an Israeli journalist whose work focuses primarily on religious affairs, the religious and Haredi communities, and their politics. Previously, he covered issues relating to Palestinian citizens of Israel and was a foreign affairs correspondent in Paris.

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