dngoldman's review against another edition
4.0
This work provides an parallel, complimentary narrative to the “standard” life of Lincoln that we grew up learning, while proving a fascinating insight into Jewish life and thought at time of of the Civil War. The book, written chronologically, can delve too much in details of a particular relationship and can lose track of the broader themes. Yet overall, it is clear, interesting, and worth the read (or the listen in my case).
As to Lincoln, he grew up with Jews only from the Bible, not knowing any personally until he began is career. It is a testament to Lincoln’s general open nature, keen and curious intellect, and the non-judgmental type of Protestantism he grew up with, that Lincoln, among meeting Jews for the first time, had no problem befriending them. He frequently called Abraham Jonas “his dearest friend” an attestation he gave to know one else. As Lincoln’s horizons expanded, he counted jews as friends, business partners, advisors, political advocates (including putting Jonas in charge of his wild presidential convention maneuverings), and physicians. He nominated jews to several key government posts and invited them to dine in White House. All this is more impressive because, paralleling his view on Blacks, Lincoln’s attitude grew from a complete lack personal relations with jews, something modern psychology and sociology tells us is very rare.
Yet, Lincoln could say much more than “some of best friends were Jewish.” He began to form a deep appreciation for Jewish religion much more frequently quoting or alluding to the Jewish parts of the Bible than the Christian particularly as Lincoln moved to free and then make fully citizens African Americans. And while actively promoting Jewish civil rights was never a full cause of Lincoln, he often played defense on their behalf (Lincoln stopped referring to the the US as “christian nation” and recinded Grant’s order barring Jews from service). So much so, that in eulogies, more than one jew referred to him as “Rabbi Lincoln,” the “first jewish president,” or America’s Moses or Abraham.
The connection to greater freedom and tolerance of the Jews now seems an obvious extension for those seeking greater rights for blacks. It was a connection not shared by Lincoln’s allies. Many in his administration, including Grant, Stanton (his Sect. Of War), and VP Johnson , were anti-Semitic. Even more surprising, many famous abolitionist, those we were even more strident that Lincoln on the question of emancipation did not have the moral imagination or courage to get over their own anti-Semitism. There is no example of Lincoln disparaging jews as people or religion; the same cannot be said of many others who fought against slavery.
As for the Jews, one sees a people already of diverse religious practices, political views, and occupations. It was a time where Jews were feeling confident enough the they could support the “rebel Lincoln” but who were still very cautious about standing out. Jews were among Lincoln’s ardent supports, and there is no doubt that the politically savvy Lincoln courted jews, in part, because of their growing political importance particularly in NY and Chicago. Yet, jews occupied the political spectrum from abolitionist to ardent confederates, including Judah Benjamin the first Jew elected to the senate (Lo.) and the Confederacy’s attorney general. It is probably fair to says that Jewish positions on slavery and on Lincoln mirrored the nation as whole and that they used the Bible, like christians, to support their many various and opposite options. (See the various unfavorable editorials written in Jewish papers upon Lincoln’s election. Yet, by Lincoln’s death many more jews, like the country itself, came around to Lincoln and the cause and ideals he supported. Thus, the influence when both ways, Jewish religion influenced Lincoln’s world view, which in turn, entitled the Jews and nation as a whole.
Note for audio book listeners. The book is well narrated. At the end of each chapter there is a recap of sources used. This makes sense in a printed book, but can come off as repetitive verbally.
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