The Only Sephardi in Washington Heights: The YU Seforim Sale is ON!
David Shasha
The Only Sephardi in Washington Heights: The YU Seforim Sale is ON!
That’s right, it is that time of year:
So many SEFORIM, so little time!
I always enjoy the sunny drive up to Washington Heights via the East River and past Yankee Stadium, but once in the room I feel somewhat lonely, being the only Sephardi there.
And, as usual, there are a few takeaways, but first please take a second look at last year’s Seforim Sale notes, as a refresher course:
https://groups.google.com/g/davidshasha/c/L7fFOzCy_Zs/m/2b8dsKvGBwAJ
It is always an adventure.
And before we get underway, I wanted to thank SS for giving me a good deal on Ismar Schorsch’s White Jewish Supremacy book on the Haskalah and Jewish History:
The book is listed for $49.75 and I got it for $22.10!
A good SS deal indeed.
Though, after perusing many of the books, such good deals have become increasingly rare.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks – Cancelled!
I must say that there were – I think – some five different spots on the SS tables and bookcases that prominently featured Rabbi Sacks, as his MAGGID Books catalog, replete with a Box Set of all five books of his Humash commentaries, have clearly become bestsellers in the Orthodox Jewish community:
https://theseforimsale.com/search?q=jonathan+sacks
https://korenpub.com/collections/rabbi-jonathan-sacks
What is interesting to note is that Sacks’ single most important book, The Dignity of Difference, was nowhere to be found at SS:
https://www.amazon.com/Dignity-Difference-Avoid-Clash-Civilizations/dp/0826468500
And that is the CENSORED paperback edition – which, in spite of my blurb on the back cover, I do not recommend!
Make sure to get the hardcover, if you have not done so already:
Here is the explanation of the censorship:
https://www.jta.org/2003/05/23/ny/the-limits-of-tolerance
My EDAH Journal article on the book contains the “offending” passages, presented in the context of Sephardic Jewish Humanism:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10PB65T0j5KCtYVuRDffdThuTUWdKksCt/view?ths=true
I have produced a special newsletter on the problem of Sacks’ Orthodox rehabilitation since his passing:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T95UtKqVQrTZWObnxgTYMxrBYvc-6SzTpQM668sKoj4/edit
SS had all the MAGGID books, and some of the later books published by Schocken:
I stumped the YU SS student floor worker who believed, wrongly, that all the Sacks books were available there.
I told her that Dignity was a “controversial” book, and SS proved me right!
Sacks has been Cancelled and Reified at the very same time, courtesy of the Seforim Sale.
Rabbi Sam Lebens – On the Front Table
The SS has a “featured books” table at the front of the room near the cash registers.
And there I found this gem:
https://korenpub.com/products/a-guide-for-the-jewish-undecided
Lebens was a finalist in the YU Rabbi Sacks Book Prize for 2022:
https://www.yu.edu/sacksbookprize
I have discussed his White Jewish Supremacy Analytic Philosophy Anti-Maimonideanism in the following article:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kQ0xZzIueLJkMSv2arZFAV_ZucQe2Eaj/view?ths=true
The Lebens triumph should be shared with his BFF Rabbi Joseph Dweck, whose blurb appears on the back of the feted book, and whose HABURA continues to promote the Washington Heights White Jewish Supremacy, con mucho gusto:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RdAacsBgsgapwtpj91A0r8LBqSodk-ZD/edit
This is what we call Intersectionality, as the classical Sephardic heritage continues to be erased.
Titus, Trump and the Triumph of Israel
Last year, if you check the 2022 SS notes, Trumpscum favorite Jordan Peterson had his book placed on the Jewish Theology table.
This year, I espied the following title on one of the back wall bookcases, in the southeast corner, adjacent to all the RAV’s books, interspersed with all the other Zionist propaganda:
https://www.amazon.com/Titus-Trump-Triumph-Israel-Diplomacy/dp/9657023319
Here is the book description provided on the Amazon site:
We are living in mysterious yet miraculous times. On the one hand, we have witnessed the most remarkable fulfillment of Biblical prophecy: the Jewish people s return to Israel and the prosperity and contributions of this tiny country in such a short time. On the other hand, we have seen an unexpected rise in anti-Semitism which takes the form of anti-Zionism and alliances between groups that are fighting against the most fundamental biblical values. The division in worldviews has become starker than ever. In this book, Josh Reinstein, who through his initiative of faith-based diplomacy is at the center of this tension, takes a unique approach to explaining what lies behind the recent wave of support for Israel and the counter force. He answers important questions to clarify what drives the political actions that we witness today and what path should be taken moving forward.
And here are the “expert” reviews:
Josh Reinstein's book "Titus, Trump and the Triumph
of Israel" takes on the vital task of explaining the tangled web of
passions and reason in the discourse regarding Israel. He shows that you cannot
understand the discourse on Israel without understanding the Bible and then he
explains how today's impassioned discourse on Israel reflects the central theme
that has defined much of humanity since the time of Abraham. How one relates to
Abraham's permanent covenant with G-d determines to a great degree, how he
relates to the modern State of Israel. --Caroline Glick, Journalist
President Trump's consistent and unprecedented support of Israel has been
deeply appreciated by Jews and Christians, who see the United States/Israel
alliance as not only politically and militarily important, but also spiritually
significant. Josh Reinstein s refreshing new book Titus Trump and the Triumph
of Israel connects the dots between the biblical and political roles that the
United States and Israel play in today s world and explains how instrumental a
US President can be in cultivating this vital partnership. --Governor Mike
Huckabee
And here is who the author is:
Josh Reinstein has been the Director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus since its inception on January 5th 2004, and is also the President of the Israel Allies Foundation. Mr. Reinstein is the producer and founder of the hit TV show, Israel Now News. Israel Now News is a half an hour weekly news magazine that is broadcast to 35 million viewers in 191 countries around the world. Josh Reinstein grew up in Dallas, Texas and Toronto, Canada. He is an honors graduate of the University of Western Ontario, where he earned a degree in Political Science. He served as a tank gunner in the elite 188 unit of the Israel Defense Forces Armored Corps. He currently lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Rebekah and four children. Mr. Reinstein was named as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by the Jerusalem Post.
Though it is only one Trumpscum book, it is one book more than The Dignity of Difference!
For those who might have missed it, here is my article on convicted felon Jim Bakker and his CYRUS Trumpism:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ql4mfc98XAg0ouZm6te-U7yOif8FB-JI/edit
Though Trump is no longer president, he has a special place in YU Modern Orthodox Judaism.
David Shasha