Item Description:

In writing his third book of his incredible history series, Rabbi Wein shows the reader a history of drastic change and unswerving loyalty, of great achievements and monumental defeats, a history of the Modern Era, 1650 - 1990 - whose every event has had an impact on our lives today. The story of the past three centuries- indeed, our story - unfolds as we read of Enlightenment and the Orthodox response, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch and the Chasam Sofer, the birth of Chassidus and the reaction of the Misnagdim, the Gaon of Vilna, the Pale of Settlement and the emergent Mussar movement, Emigration to America, Political Zionism and the two World Wars.

Through his hundreds of lectures, Rabbi Wein has brought the Torah perspective on history to thousands of listeners. In this original work, he paints a magnificent, panoramic picture of our people in the centuries that shaped us and our world. This major work has the touches of luxury you expect in books of this magnitude. Beautifully written and illustrated, it is accurate and incisive, yet personal and passionate. It is informative, provocative, and inspiring. Seldom is must reading so enjoyable.

Table of Contents

• Prologue

Section I: The Abyss of Despair 1648-1730

• Tach V'Tat: Winds of Change / The Rise of Chmielnicki / Overwhelming Slaughter / Rabbinic Leaders Suffer with Their Flocks / Resolving Controversies / Chmielnicki's Demise
• Shabtai Tzvi: Formative Years / Strange Bedfellows / Exposure as False Messiah
• Regrets and Recriminations: Heretics and Excommunication / Yavetz vs. Ramchal / Rabbi Yaakov Emden and Rabbi Yonasan Eybeshitz / Jacob Frank

Section II: Enlightenment, Reform, and Modernity 1730-1830

• The New World and The Changing World
• Moses Mendelssohn
• Reform Sweeps All - Almost: Emancipation and Its Options / Accomodating to the Times / Failure of Expectations
• Orthodoxy Responds: Rabbi Isaac Bamberger / Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch / The Chasam Sofer
• The Rothschilds and Moses Montefiore: Mayer Amshel Rothschild / Moses Montefiore
• Napoleon: Liberal Attitude / Ulterior Motive / Ultimate Defeat / Lasting Effects
• Torah Scholarship and Survival of Tradition

Section III: Chassidim, Misnagdim, and the Response to Reform 1830-1870

• Chassidus: Baal Shem Tov / Maggid of Mezeritch / Counter-Revolution / Chassidic Leaders
• The Gaon of Vilna: A non-leading Leader / Herculean Task / Disparate Reasons / The Value of Wisdom / Studying Kabbalah
• Misnagdim - The Reaction to Chassidus: Strong Opposition / Reconciling the Difference / The Government Intervenes / The Battle Subsides
• The Yeshivos: A Departure from Tradition / Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin / The Mantle Passes On / Conflicting Styles / Czarist Authorities Interfere
• The Yeshivah Movement Expands: Mier / Slobodka / Radin / Telshe / Slutzk-Kletzk-Lakewood / Novardok - Beis Yosef / Pressburg
• The Haskalah: Enlightenment and Reform / Secular Hebrew Literature / Lasting Influence

Section IV: The Pale of Settlement 1820-1880

• Russian Oppression Under the Czars: Czar Alexander I / Czar Nocholas I / Czar Alexander II
• Unrest and Anti-Semitism: Czar Alexander III / Czar Nicholas II / Famine and War / The Duma / Changing Times
• Tradition Embattled: Pressures on Two Fronts / Distorted Ideals / Secular Vs. Traditional / Effects of Industrialitzation
• The Mussar Movement - Ethical Rebirth: Rabbi Yisrael Salanter / Observance With a Soul / Offshoots of Mussar's Growth / Opposition
• New Yearnings: Jewish Nationalism / Agriculture and Labor / Changing the Balance of Power

Sectoin V: Leaving the "Old Home" 1880-1920

• Emigration to America: The Safe Shore / Helping Hands / Mixed Messages
• Return to Zion: The First Aliyah / Boon or Bane
• Political Zionism: The Dreyfus Affair / Theodor Herzl / Orthodox Opposition to Zionism / Herzl Makes Headway / Uganda Uncacceptable
• Social Revolution: Changing the World / The Chofetz Chaim / The Radical Left / Agudath Israel / The Second Aliyah / Jews in Name Only / The Reform Movement
• Conservative Judaism / Search For Leadership / Birth of the American Yeshivah / Reaching For the Silver Ring
• The Great War 1914-1918: Destruction and Defeat / Conflicts / The Balfour Declaration / The Jewish Brigade / The Russian Revolution / Armistice

Section VI: Treacherous Hopes 1920-1930

• After the Conflict: New Countries, Old Problems / Polish Jewry / Czechoslovakia and Hungary / Jewish Political Divisions / Germany Teeters on the Brink / Spiritual Revival
• Palestine For Whom?: The New Rulers / Arab Unrest / The First Partition / Hebron Pogrom / Internal Divisions
• Assimilation Forever!: The Roaring Twenties / Jewish Secularism / Defining Relationships / Rabbi Kook / Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi / Hostility Breeds Violence
• American Jewry in the 1920's: Hellp for Other Jews / Movie Industry / Upward Mobility / Planned Assimilation / Tradition Takes Root
• Jews Under Moslem Rule: A Protected Minority / Contempt Evolves into Hatred

Section VII: The Holocaust and the State 1938-1958

• Hitler Comes to Power: Blueprint For a New Germany / The World Ignores the Threat / "Peace in Our Time"
• Hitler's War Against the Jews: All the Doors Are Closed / Reign of Terror / Traumatized, Isolated and Defenseless / Life in the Ghetto / The War Accelerates
• War and Holocaust: Terror / Turmoil / The Final Solution / Train Ride to Hell / Genocide Downplayed / Too Few Rescue Efforts / Disbelief, Not Despair / Jewish Resistance
• Arab Response / Rommel's Afrika / Korps / Yishuv Provides Limited Aid / Help for Hungarian Jews / Seven Stories of Suffering
• The State of Israel: Time of Turmoil / Palestine Partitioned / Arabs Fight or Flee / Jerusalem Under Siege / British Mandate Ends / The Jewish State / Arabs Invade Israel / The Isarel Defense Force
• The Miracle of Survival: Ingathering of the Exiles / Coalition Government / "Status Quo" / U.N. Admits Israel / German Reparations / The Kastner Trial / Ben Gurion Resigns and Returns / New Growth of Torah

Section VIII: The Modern Jew 1958-1996

• The New Jewish World: Changing Times / Fund Raising / Wave of the Future / Orthodox Resurgence / Orthodox Education System / Chassidic Movements Resurgent / New World of Oppurtunity
• The Six-Day War: Search For Nazi Killers / Arab Extremism / Church Attitude Towards Israel / War Erupts Once Again / The Western Wall Reclaimed / Hope For Peace In Vain
• The Changing Face of Jewry: Orthodox Resurgence Continues / Success Breeds Imitators / Religious Revolution In Russia / Breakdown of Basic Values
• The Yom Kippur War: Sadat's Year of Decision / Israel Wins the Battle But. / .Loses the War of World Opinion / The War of World Opinion / The Begin Era Begins / Camp David
• Towards Peace?: In the Shadow of Camp David / The New Face of Terror / The Fall of Communism / Iran and Iraq / The Persian Gulf War / Israel's 1992 Elections / To Oslo and Beyond / The Rabin Assassination and Its Aftermath

Epilogue