"It's for the thinking person who
doesn't know anything, and gradually
builds on the information as he goes
along," he says. The book, just pub-
lished, already is in its second printing.
Rabbi Blech worked on this book
for more than a year, doing the research
and writing in Israel and Manhattan.
Because of space limitations due to the
book's specific format, he had to be
extremely selective and leave things out.
"I wasn't trying to be the last word on
Jewish history," he says.
The book reflects his view that, too
often, history is taught dryly, and he
seeks to correct that with humor and a
light touch.
"History is just gossip (but hopeful-
ly true gossip) in scholarly language,"
he writes. "When its told right, it
should be like Yiddish theater — it
should make you laugh and make you
cry, sometimes even simultaneously."
The rabbi believes that humor is an
important element in teaching, that
emotions are the most powerful ways
we can communicate something.
When you feel good about what
you've heard, you're more receptive."
Written in a warm, conversational
style, the book intersperses informa-
tional sidebars throughout the text.
They include "Yenta's Little Secrets,"
like why the prophet Elijah is a guest
at every Jewish circumcision and
Passover meal; "Listen to Your
Bubbe," affectionate tips or warnings
from a grandmother wagging her fin-
ger; "Aha, That's It," a list of defini-
tions; and "Sage Sayings," quotes from
noted people like Gershon Sholem,
Isaac Bashevis Singer and others.
At the beginning of each of the 32
chapters, a bulleted list highlights the
major points. A follow-up list at the
end outlines "The Least You Need to
Know." The guide also includes a bib-
liography, glossary and a pullout refer-
ence card with key historical dates.
In his chapter on American Jewish
history, "America the Beautiful,"
Rabbi Blech points out that Luis de
Torres, a Hebrew-speaking Marrano
Jew, was invited to join Christopher
Columbus on his journey because the
explorer thought that when he reached
China, he would meet the exiled Jews
from the 10 lost tribes and wanted de
Torres to communicate with them. De
Torres became the first white man to
set foot in the Americas.
Later in the chapter, Rabbi Blech
writes about the history of the Touro
Synagogue, the oldest in America; the
Jewish role in the Revolutionary War;
immigration, with a story about how a
peddler named Levi Straus made pants
from some extra canvas tenting cloth
he couldn't sell; the development of
trade unions; and the various Jewish
denominations and their outlooks,
with respect toward all. In fact, readers
wouldn't necessarily know that Rabbi
Blech is from an Orthodox back-
ground.
Rabbi Blech's. biggest challenge was
how to handle the birth of Jesus and
the Church — particularly the treat-
ment of Jews by Christians in the
Middle Ages — with sensitivity
Humor is an
important
element in
teaching.
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ers. He relies on a 1963 quote from
Pope John XXIII, asking for forgive-
ness of unjust treatment of the Jews.
Another challenge was to write
about the Holocaust in a concise way;
that is the longest chapter in the book;
and its tone is also different, without
the comic elements of other chapters.
Born in Switzerland, Rabbi Blech
came to the United States with his
family in 1941 and grew up in
Borough Park. His first pulpit after
graduating from Yeshiva University
was at Young Israel of Oceanside,
Long Island, where he spent 37 years.
A father and grandfather, he left there
four years ago to pursue a life of
teaching, international lecturing and
writing.
"I didn't so much retire as change
venues," he says. Now, when he's not
traveling, he attends services at the
local Jewish center and enjoys being a
congregant.
Rabbi Blech, who also teaches Bible
and Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva
University in addition to Talmud, is
slated to do two additional Jewish
titles for the series. He's completing a
guide to Jewish religion and after that
will do a book on Yiddish. But the
rabbi declined when asked to do a
"Complete Idiot's" guide to Kabbalah.
He thinks the subject doesn't lend
itself to this format. Kabbalah "is not
the sort of thing one should try to
condense and teach in an offhand
manner," he says.
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1999
Detroit Jewish News
91