Boteach defends ‘heretical’ book ahead of Melbourne trip

CONTROVERSIAL American rabbi Shmuley Boteach could face a grilling over his latest book, Kosher Jesus, when he visits Melbourne this month as a scholar-in-residence at Caulfield Hebrew Congregation (CHC).

The bestseller has been slammed by a number of leading rabbis across the globe who claim it will help Christian evangelicals proselytise Jews.

Married to a former Sydneysider, Rabbi Boteach is a regular visitor and will be in Melbourne over Yom Ha’atzmaut.

But the celebrity rabbi, who shot to fame with his book Kosher Sex, said he penned the Jesus book to strengthen ties with Christianity and denied it played into the hands of groups such as Jews For Jesus.

Rabbi Boteach said Kosher Jesus emphasises that Jesus was not especially critical of Judaism, was an exemplary figure, and Jews could learn from him.

The book drew fire from Chabad in the United States, principally from scholar Rabbi Dr Jacob Immanuel Schochet, who called it a “grossly distorted message”. “I have never read a book, let alone one authored by a purported frum [observant] Jew, that does more to enhance the evangelical missionary message,” he said in January.

The book was also publicly condemned by prominent Chicago Chabad educator Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf, who proclaimed it “apikorus [heretical]”.

Rabbinical Council of Victoria president Rabbi Yaakov Glasman endorsed Rabbi Schochet’s disapproval. “Rabbi Boteach is clearly a controversial figure in the rabbinic world who addresses issues about relationships and sexuality in a manner which many rabbis would not be entirely comfortable with.

“Personally, I have not read this particular book [Kosher Jesus] but having met Rabbi Immanuel Schochet in person to discuss interfaith dialogue, I accept his view on the matter as authoritative.”

Speaking to The AJN, Rabbi Boteach said he was “puzzled” at negativity over Kosher Jesus in Australia. “Chabad in Australia is not isolationist. To hear that some of the more extreme dimensions have permeated it is disconcerting and unfortunate.”

He said the book, which “had received an ocean of coverage”, was aimed mainly at Christian readers but had lessons for Jews. “I hope Jews will read it; the Jewish community has a great deal to learn from it.”

Rabbi Boteach said there was a huge response to his public debates on the book with Dr Michael Brown, an American Christian missionary. The rabbi has blogged extensively in defence of his writings on Jesus.

“What is true of the Jewish community is that we don’t ban books, we don’t like to have books banned,” he said. “If people have a critique of the book, let them voice it. I invite intelligent, scholarly critiques. What I don’t invite is ad hominem attacks, book-banning and character assassination.”

CHC’s Rabbi Ralph Genende defended bringing out Rabbi Boteach. “From what I’ve read [of Kosher Jesus], I don’t find [Rabbi Boteach’s] views particularly controversial. He has an international reputation as an expert communicator and speaker, and he makes people sit up and listen.”

But while Rabbi Boteach was “not for everybody”, the CHC rabbi said he “has a capacity to engage in a very compelling kind of way”, and the community can “tolerate opinions we may not agree with”.

Dubbed “America’s rabbi”, Boteach is running for Congress as a Republican and hopes a June 5 primary will anoint his “Jewish values platform” for a New Jersey congressional race in the November election.

The politically savvy rabbi told The AJN President Barack Obama is a “friend” of American Jewry, but “an unreliable steward of the US-Israel relationship”, a theme he will relate at CHC on Yom Ha’atzmaut.

He will also speak to Inker572, the shul’s group for those under 35, and will hold a talk on sex, love and relationships.

For details of Rabbi Boteach’s visit, call CHC on (03) 9525 9492.

PETER KOHN