The Jewish Intellectual Tradition

What can libraries of the past and present tell us about the intellectual traditions and values that influenced their users? In The Jewish Intellectual Tradition: A History of Learning and Achievement, Alan Kadish, Michael Shmidman, and Simcha Fishbane take readers on a journey through six (mostly historical) libraries of and for Jewish intellectuals, presenting their changing contents and contexts. Based on the books held in these libraries, the authors identify common features that enabled their users to live a meaningful life—cherishing life-long learning, respecting tradition, and maintaining an interest in independent thinking.

The idea for this book arose from a lecture series by Kadish. Aimed at college students, the series focused on the primacy of education and its potential for living a meaningful life. It turned out that many of the sources Kadish used can be linked back to Jewish texts and ideas. Together with Shmidman and Fishbane, Kadish decided to write a book on the history of the Jewish intellectual tradition and its implications for living a purposeful life today. They boldly argue that throughout history, Jewish intellectuals lived according to four principles that helped enable their accomplishments. Adopting these principles today “can . . . lead to a successful and rewarding intellectual and spiritual life” (ix). By metaphorically entering the study spaces and libraries of six influential Jewish thinkers across centuries and cultures, the authors are able to surface these four principles, which together foster intellectual thinking: (1) a respect for tradition that allows for independent and disruptive thinking; (2) a focus on logical reasoning in pursuit of truth; (3) a lifelong and cross-disciplinary education; and (4) the drive to live a purposeful life.

The library at the center of each chapter is used as a starting point to delve into the legal, exegetical, creative, philosophical, scientific, and mystical literature of its time. Discussing the books and manuscripts that might have been on its shelves (and, in the case of the sixth and final library discussed, digital databases), the authors provide insights into intellectual discourses, the development of Jewish literature, and the broader cultural context in which these libraries were built and developed.

The book, situated between academic and creative writing, presents an innovative view of the history and impact of Jewish intellectualism. It does this by allowing readers to immerse themselves in the book and manuscript collections of five influential thinkers, rabbis, and scholars: the medieval thinkers Rabbi Samuel ibn Nagrela and Nahmanides, Renaissance Rabbi and scholar Leone de Modena, 19^th-century German Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, and the 20^th-century Jewish studies scholar Harry Austryn Wolfson. Discussions of their collections are supplemented by immersive, fictionalized descriptions of their intellectual endeavors and those of other Jewish thinkers, offering insights into what they might have thought, dreamed, and pondered. This novel way of approaching intellectual history adds greatly to the reading experience. The combination of fictionalized prose and historical description provides a well-rounded overview of the individuals’ work and the surrounding cultures and literatures from which they drew inspiration and knowledge. After exploring the five libraries in various times, contexts, and cultures, the sixth chapter pays a visit to the contemporary library, through which students and scholars can explore the Jewish intellectual tradition by systematic database searches and comparative digital analyses of Jewish texts in unprecedented detail and acuity.

Throughout the book, Kadish, Shmidman, and Fishbane show that the Jewish intellectual tradition flourished in times of mutual understanding and collaboration between Jews and non-Jews, and is deeply rooted in classical Jewish texts. The authors highlight, in chapters 7 to 10, how the four principles introduced at the beginning of their book—respect for tradition and independent thinking, a focus on logical reasoning, a dedication to lifelong learning, and the resolve to live a purposeful life—can be identified throughout Jewish history.

The book is written for an audience beyond the Jewish community and the world of academic Jewish studies. To make their message understood, Kadish, Shmidman, and Fishbane present an overview and general history of Jewish literature as it pertains to the libraries and books they discuss in each chapter. Even when writing about foundational Jewish texts—the Hebrew Bible, the Mishnah and the Talmud—the authors never sound lecturing or patronizing. Rather, they provide a worthwhile, detailed, and nuanced overview of these texts, revealing how their structure and use contributed to the Jewish intellectual tradition. Pictures, illustrations, and maps (some in color) are interspersed throughout the book. Alongside comprehensive endnotes and a glossary, they provide readers with visual input and further explanations.

The book portrays Jewish intellectual history as a diverse, multi-faceted thread, albeit one mostly woven by men. It can be traced from the library of Rabbi Samuel ibn Nagrela to the 21^st-century university library. These collections of knowledge have developed over time and were built around a common core of foundational Jewish texts. The ruptures in Jewish history and the paths not taken, or only taken by a few, are not at the center of the discussion. This is understandable. But the authors could have used footnotes and asides to refer to these other paths, paved and trodden by those who do not neatly fit into the Jewish intellectual tradition. Such individuals only enrich this tradition. The historical exclusion of women in particular from the Jewish intellectual tradition and their seeming absence within intellectual discourse in modern Israel should have been addressed.

With The Jewish Intellectual Tradition, Kadish, Shmidman, and Fishbane have published an insightful and impressive book, approaching Jewish intellectual history from exciting new vantage points. By looking at book history and the history of select Jewish libraries across time and cultures, they provide readers with new perspectives on the Jewish history of knowledge. The fictionalized parts of the book contribute greatly to the reading experience, allowing readers to immerse themselves in libraries of past scholars who left impactful marks on Jewish thought.

Katharina Hadassah Wendl is a PhD researcher at the Free University Berlin.

Katharina Hadassah Wendl

Date Of Review:

September 29, 2023