Schochet chops book

Editorial

In a surprising move that is shaking the rabbinical establishment and makes Canada a much greater player in the Jewish world, a Toronto rabbi has been appointed arbiter of the Jewish intellect, chief censor and official book reviewer.

Rabbi Immanuel Schochet, who appointed himself to these lofty offices last week, made it his first act to order all Jews – actually, all people – to refrain from reading the latest book by the occasionally controversial American author and broadcaster Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.

Boteach’s latest book, Kosher Jesus, is to go on sale within days, but Schochet, rabbi at Toronto’s Congregation Beth Joseph and professor-emeritus at Humber College, has reportedly seen an advance copy and declared it treife.

“It is forbidden for anyone to buy or read this book, or give its author a platform in any way shape or form to discuss this topic,” Schochet said.

Save us a spot at the front of the line when the book does go on sale. Now we can’t wait.

The topic of Boteach’s book seemed certain to raise some hackles in Jewish circles. Intended to explore the impact of Jewish texts on the thoughts of Jesus, deemed the Messiah by more than one billion Christians, Kosher Jesus asks readers – including Jewish readers, apparently – to reflect on the Jewishness of the Christian deity.

Schochet is described in media reports as a major figure countering Christian evangelization of Jews. And good for him. But declaring books, ideas and intellectual exploration “forbidden” has to be just about as un-Jewish as you can get without involving ham.

The silliness is not all one-sided. Boteach may be giving himself grandiose credit for uncovering new theological ground.

“It’s time these universal Jewish ideas that have so influenced the world be traced back to their original source,” Boteach has written in defending himself from Schochet’s attack. “It’s time that the Jewishness of Jesus be rediscovered by Christians.”

The assumed ignorance among Christians of Jesus’ Jewishness will be news to the many Jewish individuals who have been recipients of gratitude from Christians for “giving” them the “Old Testament.” Likewise, the bumper sticker sentiment “My boss is a Jewish carpenter,” probably less prevalent in British Columbia than in some U.S. states, suggests that not all followers of Jesus are blind to his birthright.

The Boteach-Schochet clash may not eclipse the ongoing Gingrich-Romney slapfest, but the anti-intellectual scolding from the Toronto holy man should go down in some sort of lore as an anachronistic decree from a man with a heightened sense of self-importance.

Just when it seems this page might run out of ludicrous things to ridicule or criticize, along comes the new King of Kensington, urging us – nay, forbidding us – from reading a book of which we had never previously heard. Rest assured, when it hits the bookstores, we will be secreted under our covers with a flashlight, devouring Kosher Jesus for the salacious theology Schochet deems us too delicate to withstand.

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