The Kosher Bookworm: “The Accidental Zionist” by Rabbi Ian Pear

Reviewed by Alan Jay Gerber

Issue of June 26, 2009 / 4 Tammuz 5769

Let me start by saying that this is a very informal, somewhat irreverent book –– zany at times about subjects that are dead serious. To put a smile on the face of an impending disaster takes some doing, and in this Rabbi Ian Pear succeeds.

The basic premise of the book is that we, the Jewish people, are in

deep trouble. Surprise! When aren’t we in trouble? In good times we

have trouble and in bad times we have tzores. What’s new about that? Well, in this book we are presented with a series of challenges that reflect the views of a man –– a rabbi –– who is a YU grad (and proud of that) and a ba’al teshuva, who takes his religious beliefs very seriously. Rabbi Pear has degrees in law from New York University’s School of Law and in international relations from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Today, Rabbi Pear is the founding rabbi of Shir Hadash, a popular Jerusalem-based shul, educational institute and community center. Before going to Israel he spent a summer as a guest rabbi at the

Atlantic Beach Jewish Center just after the stewardship of Rabbi Basil

Herring and before Rabbi Samuel Klibanoff assumed the rabbinate of

that distinguished shul.

Given this eclectic background, one should not be surprised to see a

book so brazen and challenging, by so young an author, be written as a

warning against secular nationalism and in defense of religious

Zionism.

What I found most endearing about this book was the sharp focus that

Pear places on his deep devotion to the religious component of the

State of Israel’s purpose for existence. To me, this focus is

everything. Without our belief in the divine origin of our claim to

Eretz Yisrael, all else is worthless –– yes, absolutely worthless.

A godless nationalism, however phrased in eloquent secular terms, is

not relevant to our people’s quest for a homeland in the Land of

Israel. Pear places this divine claim as the predicate for all that

comes in train when it involves the safety, security and wellbeing of

Israel.

And mind you, this predicate transcends all of our religious

denominational divisions, particularly that of the Mesorati

(Conservative) movement in Israel who share the same exact belief in

the divine origin of our historic claims to Israel.

In addition, Pear clearly defines how halacha-based ethical

monotheism, and an ethical behavior and lifestyle, is at the essence

of the Jewish people’s purpose as an agent of G-d’s rule on earth.

Basically, Israel is the base for such a message to go forth to all

mankind. There is no other purpose for both our existence as a

separate nation among the nations of this world and for Israel’s

existence as an “Am Segulah,” a treasured, chosen nation. Despite a

powerful military, a promising high-tech economy and a magnificent

higher educational system, we, as a nation, according to Pear, are

only defined by higher spiritual criteria. And how right he is, with

no apologies and no misgivings.

Pear’s style of writing, as noted before, helps to make these

arguments all the more understandable because of their charm and

obvious sincerity. While at times a bit much, his personal anecdotes

do make their points obvious to even the most casual of readers. This

helps to strengthen arguments that when presented by others seem

forced or embarrassingly clumsy at best. In Rabbi Pear’s pen, they are

presented with a smile by a man confident in his intellectual skin as

to the justice of his beliefs.

Toward the conclusion of this book, the author quotes from one of

America’s premier Jewish theologians, Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Berkovitz, of

blessed memory, who said the following that should serve as the

capstone to this review. He states as follows:

“The concept of Israel as a holy nation [should] not only not

conflict with the universalism of Israel’s prophets, but actually lead

to it as its own logical completion. The idea of a holy nation is not

to be confused with that of nationalism. The goal of nationalism is to

serve the nation; a holy nation serves G-d. The law of nationalism is

national self-interest: the law of a holy nation is the will of G-d.

In nationalistic ideology, the nation is an end in itself; the holy

nation is a means to an end.”

No one else could have said this better than Rav Berkovitz, and Rabbi

Ian Pear knew this, and had the grace to share his words with us.