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Papers by Karma Ben-Johanan

SCJR 18, no. 1, 1-5, 2034

Chapter III, John Paul II

Tradition 55/3, 2023

It is a fascinating, impressive, but problematic volume, whose author has recently been appointed... more It is a fascinating, impressive, but problematic volume, whose author has recently been appointed to a new chair in Jewish-Christian relations at the Hebrew University. The book, the author's own translation of an earlier Hebrew work, is divided into two sections. The first begins with the ancient, medieval, and early modern relationship between Judaism and Christianity but quickly moves to the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s and its aftermath from 1965 to 1985. It then devotes entire chapters to two major post-conciliar Popes:

SCJR 18, no. 1, 2023

Karma Ben-Johanan's seventh chapter is undoubtedly one of the most current, topical, and polemica... more Karma Ben-Johanan's seventh chapter is undoubtedly one of the most current, topical, and polemical of the book Jacob's Younger Brother: Christian-Jewish Relations After Vatican II. It is also a painful reading for those who, like me, are devoted to the teaching of rabbinic traditions within an academic Catholic setting and are daily experiencing the friendship and profound mutual respect between our two traditions. Unearthing so many of the dark shadows and demons of contemporary Orthodox Zionist thought in its perception of Christianity and Christians remains a difficult exercise even for those seasoned to the necessity of open, transparent, and honest dialogue, including confrontations with painful verses found in classical rabbinic traditions. 2 From the very beginning, the author makes it clear that her intention is to uncover the "closed conversations in which one community discusses the other without diplomatic consideration" in order to bring to the "surface, precisely the points of resistance of Christian-Jewish dialogue" (4). Indeed, the reading of chapter seven is successfully undiplomatic!

Harvard University Press eBooks, May 9, 2022

Jewish Quarterly Review, 2016

is well known for his notion of an all-encompassing process of spiritual evolution, according to ... more is well known for his notion of an all-encompassing process of spiritual evolution, according to which the entire cosmos is in a state of constant transformation for the better. 1 In this philosophical framework, everything has its place; even imperfections exist in order to enable the blessed process of elevation to advance. 2 However, in this positive assessment of reality there is one phenomenon that stands out. Christianity (usually referred to by Kook as minut) draws a harsh critique from Kook, and this vein of negativity is a prevalent theme in his writings. Several scholars have touched upon My thanks go to R. Yosef Kalner for sharing with me his thoughts on R. Kook's occupation with Christianity. His advice was essential for this study. Thanks, too, to Aviad Kleinberg and Marc Shapiro, who read and commented on several drafts of this essay, contributing much to its refinement; to the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Racism and Antisemitism at Tel Aviv University, for its financial and intellectual support; to Shakhar Pelled, for his help dealing with the challenge of translating R. Kook; and to Sara Tova Brody for her help with editing. I am grateful also for the instrumental comments of JQR's anonymous readers. A research grant from the Center for the Study of Relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims of the Open University (Israel) assisted me in completing this study, as well as a scholarship from the

SCJR 18, no. 1: 1-10, 2023

This essay responds to chapter 8, "The Orthodox World and Jewish-Christian Dialogue," which concl... more This essay responds to chapter 8, "The Orthodox World and Jewish-Christian Dialogue," which concludes Karma Ben-Johanan's exploration and analysis of developments in Christian-Jewish dialogue following the Second Vatican Council. Just as the first half of the book focused on Catholic Christians and their contributions to interreligious understanding in this period, the second half of the book focuses on Orthodox Jews and, for the most part, the teachings that lead to their avoidance of dialogue. After her review in chapter 5 of "Christianity in the Jewish Tradition," Ben-Johanan provides two chapters that cover sources previously published only in Hebrew and Yiddish. Chapter 6, entitled "Christianity in Contemporary Halakhic Literature," is on contemporary ḥaredi (ultra-Orthodox) teachings about Christianity. 1 Chapter 7, entitled "Christianity in Religious Zionist Thought," deals with teachings of the religious Zionist followers of Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook. The materials in these chapters constitute "difficult texts" 2 for me and many other Jews engaged in dialogue with Christians, but, as Ben-Johanan points out, for the groups she studies here Christianity "is more an image than a reality" (229). Thus, while they constitute important (and, as of this writing, politically

SCJR 18, no. 1: 1-9, 2023

Religious Studies Review, 2018

So much has been written about the Bible that one could be excused for thinking that no new topic... more So much has been written about the Bible that one could be excused for thinking that no new topics remain to be addressed. However, this would not be correct. This book is truly novel. It is the first book that traces the history of the various ways the Jewish Bible has appeared in written form from "the beginning" until "tomorrow." It follows the Bible's transition from scroll to codex to printed book and finally to digital form. It does so with great erudition and with contagious enthusiasm that converts discussions of what could be seen as technical issues into exciting explorations. The author provides many (high quality) reproductions that make his analysis vivid and that makes his points clear. The reader gains many insights into the ways that changing technologies of recording the written word have impacted how the Bible has been studied and understood. Stern shows, for example, that when parchment in the Middle East was once thick, the length of a text that could be written on one scroll was limited. Later changes in the way parchment was produced enabled writing the entire Torah on one scroll. Later, the development of the codex led Jews to apply this convenient format to Bibles written for study while maintain the traditional format of the scroll for liturgical frameworks. The development of print of course left its imprint. The cost of the product go down, making Bibles more accessible to "simple folk," and there were now options for the easy presentation of the Hebrew text together with translations and/or commentaries. The book is beautifully produced though it lacks a glossary-an important tool for readers who do not come to the book with previous knowledge of the topic. It is hard to imagine any Biblical studies library that would not find this book essential.

הוצאת אוניברסיטת תל אביב, 2020

Harvard Theological Review, 2021

Books by Karma Ben-Johanan

Harvard University Press, 2022

Book Reviews by Karma Ben-Johanan

Journal of Jewish Studies, 2022

Malka Simkovich, Jewish Review of Books