1 comments about The Assisi Underground: The Priests Who Rescued Jews.

1. It is unfortunate that this book is out of print, because it is an outstanding modern-day tale about being our brother's keeper. Set in the Italian town of Assisi during World War II, "The Assisi Underground" tells the true story of a network of Catholic clergy, nuns, and lay persons who secretly provided shelter and aid to Jewish refugees escaping from the ravages of the war, German pursuers, and Fascist loyalists. Narrating the story in the first person is Padre Rufino, an earthy Franciscan priest who lead the network on orders from his bishop. Through Rufino, author Alexander Ramati relates in fine detail the difficult logistics of the operation from the arrival of the refugees at their monastery shelters to their safe passage to Allied-occupied zones. The book is exciting as it is moving; the reader is treated to the cloak-and-dagger aspects of the operation as well as its desperate but ultimately triumphant moments. (A motion-picture adaptation written and directed by Mr. Ramati was released in 1985, yet it does no justice to the book). To those searching a copy through a library or second-hand bookstore, I will say it is worth the effort.

4 comments about The Wisdom of Maimonides: The Life and Writings of the Jewish Sage.

1. There is merit to this very short work, 170 pages. There is a brief biography, some stories about his medical practice which are of unstated
   reliability. The rear jacket says that Maimonides' actual feelings about Judaism as a belief system is uncertain, though his affection for the community and the system of thinking are definite. The affection he had for science as pure thought aside from medical practice is not examined. My personal belief that he anticipated Darwin by 650 years is not touched upon. There is exceptionally brief discussion of Mishneh Torah is misleading, as anyone who has read the whole work will recognize. I cannot speak of Guide as I have tried but could not read it as the print is so small. His examination of Judaism and Aristotle is discussed, though the dictum that knowledge is knowledge, no matter where it comes from is more an example of his thoughts than the words of M. Torah. There is a list of works with very brief extrations from them.
   
   To one unfamiliar with Maimonides this is a pretty good introduction,though the extracts from M. Torah are misleading.
   
   Mr. Hoffman could have put out a much better work. His concession to brevity makes this effort a bit disappointing.



2. this is a decent introduction to Maimonides as a person and a thinker. however, if one is already familiar with Pirkei Avoth, one is already way ahead of the game. could use considerably more depth, and especially analysis. what were his contributions to thought? Jewish thought? Gentile? where is he controversial? what are the implications of the sayings? discussion? comparable or competing thinkers?



3. This brilliant overview gives the reader not only a thorough understanding of the works of Maimonides, but gets to know him as an intimate friend. We become aware not only of the magic of his thinking, his depth of scientific understanding and his phenomenal contributions to our world this many centuries later, but, as as a friend, a colleague, a neighbor, as a full human being. I sat there, reading, totally entranced, not able to put the book down, my only regret being when it ended, though my "appetite" had been more than fully sated. I recommend it for all. It is a true "must."
   Marcella Bakur Weiner Ph.D.



4. Dr. Ed Hoffman never disappoints. His writing career has included one superb book after another. It is obvious to all of his readers that he has many gifts, not the least of which is his extraordinary ability to make abstract ideas so clear and down to earth. He also has the eye of a scholar and great passion for his subject. This book is a gem!

5 comments about Henry Ford and the Jews.

1. This book by Baldwin gave a searing history of automobile icon
   Henry Ford.Baldwin very capably shows one of the pioneers of
   American industry to be devoutly anti-semite.Ford himself was the
   financier behind a anti-Jewish newspaper that was published in
   Michigan.Ford was a fan of Adolph Hitler. Hitler had a portrait of Ford on thew wall in his office.Henry Ford received an award
   from Hitler and showed up in person to receive it bringing with him many guests.Charles Linberg and Thomas Watson of IBM declined
   the same award.Ford was also able to sell Ford products to the
   Nazis receiving a monopoly on the Nazi vehicle market in the military.This book is packed with documented of Henry Ford's
   anti-semite activities.Read this you will become better informed.
   This is a good book. Buy it.



2. Neil Baldwin's "Henry Ford and the Jews" is a compelling look at how a genius at one thing --- the mass production of a good automobile --- could become such a dangerous buffoon when it came to another thing --- the mass production of an idea. At some point, our title character ceased to be just "Henry Ford, automaker" and instead became Henry Ford, wealthy and powerful symbol of international antisemitism. Baldwin's portrait of Ford in all his horrible glory is fascinating.



3. I think I was the last person in the United States to become aware of Henry Ford's anti-semitism.

   I make it a practice to study one person a month and I decided as a business builder, Henry Ford was worthy of my attention and study.

   I found this particular biography and thought, "OK, this has a completely different approach, let's try it on."

   I found Baldwin's passion and zealousness for his topic and his particular slant to be very powerful. As is frequent in such writing, it also became a barrier because every action Ford took became, through Baldwin's eyes, a matter of Ford being the Personification of Evil.

   I am not condoning Ford's thoughts, beliefs or behaviors. I am believing that not every action he took was a result of some undercurrent of Anti Semitism.

   That said, this book is worth a read due to the level of research Baldwin has done both in this biography and the biography of one of Ford's friends and role models (and less rabidly Anti-Semitic although there was some there) in Thomas Alva Edison.

   I just had this thought: I wonder how many business leaders remain staunchly racist... yet it has gone deeply underground in this age.

   I wonder how many business (and political leaders) continue to harbor less than transformed thought?

   Something to think about... and continue to stand against.




4. This book enlightened me about many historical connections, above all, about Henry Ford's strong influence on Hitler, and his acceptance of honors from him. The author offers very fine understanding of the American scene that fostered Ford's views, and also the reaction to Ford's publications of major antisemetic works.
   
   Unfortunately, the American scene has recently showed uncomfortable parallels with Ford's views. The antisemetic campaign about the "war on Christmas" makes "Henry Ford and the Jews" all the more relevant in 2005.
   
   Hendrik Hertzberg, in a recent New Yorker article about the ongoing phoney war on Christmas, made a direct connection to Henry Ford and his antisemitism. He wrote:
   
   ... Christmas itself, in something like its recognizably modern
   ... form, with gifts and cards and elves, dates from the early
   ... nineteenth century. The War on Christmas seems to have come
   ... along around a hundred years later, with the publication of
   ... "The International Jew," by Henry Ford, the automobile
   ... magnate, whom fate later punished by arranging to have his
   ... fortune diverted to the sappy, do-gooder Ford Foundation.
   ... "It is not religious tolerance in the midst of religious
   ... difference, but religious attack that they"-the
   ... Jews-"preach and practice," he wrote. "The whole record of
   ... the Jewish opposition to Christmas, Easter and certain
   ... patriotic songs shows that." Ford's anti-Semitism has not
   ... aged well, thanks to the later excesses of its European
   ... adherents, but by drawing a connection between
   ... Christmasbashing and patriotism-scorning he pointed the way
   ... for future Christmas warriors.
   --- From "Bah Humbug" www.newyorker.com, posted 2005-12-19



5. The reason this book is rated 1 star is the reader was not swept away by information as it was "new". This was well known by informed people and it was well known that most national leaders previous to Mr. Ford to the founding fathers had the same leanings which are attacked here.
   Readers must understand what they are reading which is being lost. Mr. Ford seems to have believed he was of the lost Israelite peoples so he was a Semite.
   Without having any intent on defending someone of another era, adjectives do mean things. One notices the term INTERNATIONAL Jew in these writings which some might find associated with the term "globalist" now which has nothing to do with race, but a system of enslaving people.
   Currently, one can turn to scores of books labeling all Germans bad. In a great deal of Old Europe the term "American" is viewed with racism in the same hatred.
   Just look at how American media and pundits have used the racial slur "neocon" which is based upon leftist Jews who left that leaning and became right wing Jews. Leftist Jews created that racial slur to impune right wing Jews. Yet that term is praised as it attacks one group not in favor with leftist media.
   This is a complicated subject and the author of this book fails to do anything but make a profit off of slamming someone from a previous time with bias and prejudice now held.
   It is easy to bash Henry Ford as he is dead, but liberal publishers which the Ford Foundation back in telling Mexican peoples that the entire southwest America is their land and not Americans are deemed not as reprehensible.
   When authors take it upon themselves to be judge, jury and character assassin spinning a tale to uninformed people who think this is all new, they expose themselves to the same light of examination.
   Mr. Ford appeared to believe that Americans were Israelite peoples and that meant that Jews were his brothers in the same tribe. Mr. Ford did though make a distinction that "international" or communist Jews were a problem. It would be valuable to have a book examining this issue in how these communists who had absolutely no belief system in God and were not Jews by faith caused under Stalin the deaths of tens of millions of people in the Soviet Union.
   If the term was communist without Jew attached would it make a difference to readers in condemning Mr. Ford? That is open for discussion as the New York Times produces glowing accounts of Joe Stalin who slaughtered millions as a communist.
   Yet Mr. Ford who did not murder one person in his life is titled anti Semite and Mr. Stalin who slaughtered millions of Ukrainians has no title of anti Ukrainite as there is no such word, just lie there is no anti Americanite term for how the world hates and blames Americans as it is fashionable to do so in this present time.
   In all of this the Ford Foundation has done more damage to the United States in it's globalist propaganda than Mr. Ford could ever do.
   
   The question remains though is it right for a trader to go into areas after the Civil War and set up loans and impoverish black people? Gen. Sherman considered it was and stopped it. The people who were doing it were Jewish financiers. That is what Mr. Ford was focusing on.
   Right now India is having it's poor farmers taking out loans from Rothschild financiers for high production seed which has failed. The farmers can not repay the loans and are committing suicide in mass as this group of bankers in large scale agriculture gobbles up India's land.
   
   If one leaves off the European adjective, there is only profiteers to deal with and if Mr. Ford had left off the term Jews and only said "internationalists" then the author would not have profits in his pocket repeating what the informed knew.
   
   The purpose of this feedback was to show that there are in the past and in our present bias, prejudice and racism rampant in probably the authors friends in calling people "red state" as a group he disagrees with live there.
   Of course it is celebrated as the New York Times, CNN and other venues deem it acceptable. Acceptable now, but what happens in 70 years when an author discovers all of this and writes a book on Neil Baldwin exposing all of his hatred.
   Mr. Baldwin is not the final judgment in this. Strangely in his diverse world, one can find Jews who actually will agree with Mr. Ford in numerous websites online.
   The only Truth I know of is God and in this world Truth is dictated by who has the most power to supplant previous ideas and initiate their own.
   
   I sincerely hope that all came out correctly in reviewing this book, but the information was nothing new and only one dimensional as the few examples above reveal the gaping holes in this volume.
   
   It is a guarantee though that Mr. Ford would indeed gladly take the hand of a Jew if it was the only hand available if Mr. Ford was drowning and it is certain Mr. Baldwin would grab Mr. Ford's hand if he was drowning too.
   
   Thank you for your time and God bless.

2 comments about Deception: Growing Ip in an Amish-Jewish Cult (Growing Up in An Amish-Jewish Cult).

1. Books 1 and 3 are written much better. Unfortunately, the author rambles and goes back-and-forth in her timeline, and the storyline isn't very coherent. There are, however, additional stories and events told in this book that one cannot read in books 1 and 3. If the reader wants to know as much as possible about the happenings in the author's life, then it should be read; if not, skip it.



2. Patricia Hochstetler
   Baker Trittin Press (2007)
   ISBN 9780978731656
   Reviewed by Carol Hoyer for Reader Views (9/08)
   
   "Deception" is book two of three, where Ms. Hochstetler continues her story of living in a religious cult. During the ages of six to sixteen she describes how her name was changed to one of the Bible and how all married couples were not allowed to cohabitate. It is a dramatic story of one man's ability to deceive all in the name of the Lord.
   
   Many are looking to receive salvation through God and are willing to sacrifice their own children to live a life of spirituality. Never hearing the words "I love you," or listening to music, read books is a sacrifice these families made.
   
   In "Deception," Ms. Hochstetler warns us that this could happen to us - in our search for the good life we too can fall prey to any man who presents himself as the spokesperson for God.

1 comments about Narrow Escapes: A Boy's Holocaust Memories and Their Legacy.

1. if I was to describe "Narrow Escapes". In fact, I believe that the pain and sorrow that Holocaust survivor Dr. Samuel P. Oliner faced as he tried to escape from the horrible claws of Adolph Hitler during the Second World War, could never be described. The horrors that he faced are too great for words. The most piercing fact in this book is that the war stories in it are not the stories of a man but the ones of a SMALL CHILD who was forced to become a man much faster than lighting and in the most afflictive situations.

   This book is a must read because we all must know the truth about the history of the human race. I strongly believe that every one of us is responsible for what happens today and must keep in mind the future of next generations. Dr. Oliner says, "knowledge of the past may somehow avert similar future...those who remember the past will do all they can to prevent its recurrence."

   This book broke my heart way before the Germans came to Zyndranova, the little village near Czecholovakia, when Little Oliner's mother got sick and he was only six-years old. It was at this time that he began to make sense of his world. After his mother's death he exclaims, "My mother is dead. But that is only for a short time, isn't it?" And like if his mother's death was nothing, his father takes him away from his love ones, into another village, in the house of male strangers. It was there, all alone, that he held a job at the age of seven while he went to school. Could you imagine your own child in this situation? Although Oliner doesn't mention in his book, I believe that these agonizing situations were only preparing him for what was to come when the Nazis arrived. These situations were his training ground to face the monster that would take over the land and his people. But the hardships of times and the warmth of his family brought the best out of him. And his fight has not ended yet.

   The rest of the story is for you to read in suspense but mostly in deep grief. As I read the book, I often felt glad that the child who was facing all the hardships of the Holocaust was not my sixteen year old son. In fact, I thought about my son the entire book. But the sad part is that although he was not my son, he was the son of another woman. In a war, my child or the child of another woman or man is the same. It brings pain. Being forty years old I have learn that it is a thousand times better to die in the face of injustice that to live in silence before it.

2 comments about One Must Also Be Hungarian.

1. Good as family and Jewish history but its hard to read through the author's blatant bitterness at life.



2. This little book with it's light coloured spine beckoned to me from between two doorstop sized tomes. A metaphysical pointer finger crooked itself and signaled, "Come over here. Take a look at me." I looked at the title: The book said "Hold me. I am for you! Take me. Read me."
   
   How could I resist?
   
   'An over the shoulder reader told him "you are putting in too much of yourself. It's a book you're writing. You should keep some distance." I reply that I don't want to. It's too important, it's too locked in, embedded, buried. I tell her that I don't know the boundary between literature and nonliterature. I must be involved."'
   
   It is good that Biro put 'too much' of himself into this book. He is utilizing his skills and contributing to our understanding of the lives of Jews in Hungary. Mostly the North American media and literature has focused on the lives of Polish Jews which were significantly different from the Hungarian Jewish experience. There is not enough known or readily available about how Hungarian Jews viewed themselves or how they lived or what they contributed to their homeland, Hungary. More and more books like this are being written and translated so that we can better understand.
   
   Sure there is great sadness, and then joy, then tears with laughter. If he refers to admiral horthy (I will also keep everything in lower case) as a 'miniscule piece of vomit excreted by the earth' there is no ambiguity. This is good. We don't need ambivalent window dressing.
   
   A few of my friends will receive cryptic phone messages: "I have a book you must read. You will want to steal my copy. Or pay for it so you won't have to give it back. I won't let you. I would rather buy you a copy for yourself."
   
   I have deducted one star because there are times, too frequent, where the translation and the editing needed fine tuning. Sometimes sentences make sense because we intuit their meaning. I would rather I didn't have to.

1 comments about When Memory Comes (George L. Mosse Series in Modern European Cultural and Intellectual History).

1. April 2008 - I read this book when it was first published. A very beautifully written and translated memoire of a Jewish boy raised as a Catholic in order to save him from the Nazi death camps.

3 comments about Heroes of the Holocaust.

1. Before I read this book, the Holocaust suggested to me a time of darkness and suffering. These stories have showed me that the darkness was sometimes illuminated by works of mercy and the suffering occasionally alleviated by works of charity. It was uplifting to read these true accounts of human love and brotherhood.



2. This book kept me riveted to the page. I just couldn't put it down! There's been so much written about the horror of the Holocaust- it was great to see true, touching human-interest stories with happy endings, considering the historical circumstances. The writing is excellent and consistent, the book is very well-edited, and the stories are just plain moving. Some of them are amazing beyond what any Hollywood screenwriter could concoct- and these are all factual, having come from direct interviews with the survivors themselves. This book would be great for older kids, too, as it explores some valuable moral territory, without any particular religious or social agenda. These are simply stories that needed to be told, and they are well-told indeed! Great book.



3. An uplifting read that shows how humanity's darkest hour brought immeasurable good out of so many ordinary citizens. These courageous individuals risked everything to save the lives, in most cases, of complete strangers. Among the heroes profiled are a high-ranking nazi (at least in title if not in spirit), a guard dog, and several would-be-victims whose God-given ingenuity manifested itself at the right time and enabled them to outwit Hitler's storm troopers.

   As remnants of nazism are staging a comeback--the tragic Elian Gonzales raid and kidnapping proves that it has usurped a bridgehead within the highest ranks of the U.S. federal government-- these inspirational souls will forever stand as exemplary beacons for us to assiduously strive to emulate.

3 comments about The Parnas: A Scene from the Holocaust.

1. This is an incredible story.

   Silvano Arieti was an extremely gifted, and very well known, psychiatrist. He was born in Pisa, Italy and, as a child, looked to The Parnas--or synagogue leader, Giuseppe Pardo Roques--as a mentor. The Parnas was mentally ill. His illness inspired Arieti's career--which, as it developed, convinced Arieti all the more that "mental illness may...espress the nobility of man."

   Arieti dreamed he would one day cure The Parnas, but The Parnas was murdered by the Nazis in WWII. Decades later, Arieti recreates the last days of The Parnas, providing us with a moving potrait of an incredible man in terrible times.

   While Arieti's conclusions are profound, this book is definately accessible to the high school reader.




2. Pisa, Italy. July, 1944. As the Nazis and Allies collide, Giuseppe Pardo Roques, lay leader of Pisa's Jewish community, is a refugee in his own home. Struggling to display strength in spite of a bizarre and debilitating neurosis, the cultured, learned and generous Pardo plays host to several others, Jews and Christians both, seeking shelter from the battle. The Parnas reconstructs Pardo's final days and his ultimate confrontation with the Nazis. At once memoir (the author knew the characters), psychological profile, and meditation on good and evil, the book's defining quality is compassion. I'll read it again.



3. Insightful,analytical and comprehensive portrait of a loving character.Is a masterpiece. Full of drama,but it was a real life drama.The "parnas" was a sensitive man struggling with his own imaginative fears but valiantly facing the real fear.

No comments about Farewell Babylon: Coming of Age in Jewish Baghdad.