The Genius of Judaism

In The Genius of Judaism Europe’s foremost philosopher and activist confronts his own spiritual roots and the religion that has always inspired and shaped him—but that he has never fully reckoned with. The result is a breathtaking new vision and understanding of Judaism and what it means to be a Jew, a vision quite different from the one we’re used to. Taking us from a fresh, surprising critique of an anti-Semitism Bernard-Henri Lévy sees on the rise in a new and stealthy form today, to a provocative defense of Israel from the left, to a secret history of the Jewish roots of Western democratic ideals, to a call to confront the current Islamist threat while intellectually dismantling it, Lévy explains how Jews are not a “chosen people” but a “treasure” whose spirit continues to—and must—inform moral thinking and courage today.

Bernard-Henri Levy is a philosopher, journalist, activist, and filmmaker. Among his dozens of books are American Vertigo, Barbarism with a Human Face, and Who Killed Daniel Pearl? His writing has appeared in a wide range of publications throughout Europe and the United States. His films include the documentaries Bosna! and A Day in the Death of Sarajevo. Levy is co-founder of the antiracist group SOS Racism and has served on diplomatic missions for the French government.