The Story of the Jews in the Modern Era 1650-1995

Most books on modern Jewish history have been written by "outsiders" looking in. This book, Triumph of Survival, is written by an "insider" looking out. It tells the inner story of the people of Israel, which most often escapes the secular historian. It also places this inner story of Israel within the perspective of general world history, something which many traditional Jewish historians have failed to do.

The facts of Jewish history force judgments upon us. Divine Guidance, the Torah, and Jewish commitment are central to our story over the last 300 years. The book does not create myths nor does it come to revise our understanding of Israel’s history. Replete with facts, dates, and anecdotes, it records a story that has somehow escaped the notice of even many Jews. It informs and inspires.

The pain and struggle of the present become more understandable when one knows Jewish history. An ignorant Jew is dangerous. A perpetuation of mythical fantasies about the personalities and events of the last centuries is harmful to our growth and strength. This book can help end the reader's ignorance regarding Jewish life since 1650.

Finally, this is a Jewish history book, not merely a book about the Jewish people and its history. The author is a student of the great scholars and leaders he mentions. He is engaged in the daily communal struggle regarding the historical forces loosed in the Jewish world in the modern era. Jewish history is not a subject or a field of academic discipline to him. It is his life's work, his vocation and his career. Consequently, this is also a very passionate and personal book. Jewish history has never been neutral about human beings and events. This book is not neutral about Jewish history.

By: Rabbi Berel Wein