Free (Kindle) Goy Crazy [YA Jewish Identity/High School Drama/Comedy]

[ATDrake]

Goy Crazy by Melissa Schorr is a comedic YA teen drama about a Jewish girl coming to terms with her identity, free courtesy of publisher Hyperion which, IIRC, is some sort of subsidiary of Disney.

Currently free @ Amazon (available to Canadians and in the UK). Doesn't seem to exist in the B&N and Sony catalogues as an e-book, though sometimes they add these things later.

Description
Rachel Lowenstein can't help it. She's got a massive crush on a goy: Luke Christensen, the gorgeous star of the basketball team at St. Joseph's prep.

But as the name implies, he's not exactly in Rachel's tribe. Rachel just knows her parents would never approve.

Then Rachel's Jewish grandmother issues a stern edict--"Don't go with the goyim!"-- sealing Rachel's fate and presenting her with a serious dilemma.

Everyone's got an opinion--from her annoying neighbor Howard to her newly social-climbing best friend. Should Rachel follow her heart and turn her back on her faith? Or should she heed her family's advice and try and find a nice Jewish boy?

With an unforgettable cast of characters and razor-sharp wit, Melissa Schorr's debut novel is an engaging comedy about a girl's decision to go goy crazy.

[luqmaninbmore]

I'm grabbing this. Wouldn't her kids be Jewish anyway?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by luqmaninbmore

I'm grabbing this. Wouldn't her kids be Jewish anyway?

Yes. Judaism descends through the mother; the faith of the father is irrelevant. The premise of the book does seemed a little flawed.

[luqmaninbmore]

Maybe its just a general fear of assimilation. There are Muslims out there that don't want their daughters (or sons) marrying outside of their ethnic group, even the if prospective groom is Muslim (and thus there would be no religious objection). If there is a genuine religious difference (Muslim guy-> Jewish/Christian Girl, Jewish girl->Non-Jewish guy), there is always the question of how the children will actually be raised. No one wants to believe mommy is going to hell because she didn't convert to daddy's religion, no one wants to be treated as a 'half-breed,' etc.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The premise of the book does seemed a little flawed.

Not necessarily. Regardless of what the kids end up being by Judaic tradition, there could be huge internal cultural pressure not to look outside the in-group for the future in-laws.

Apparently it happens even between Reform and Orthodox/Hasidic/Haredi* Jewish groups as well, from anecdata I've read from people who've commented on internal divisions.

* I admit to being very unclear about the distinctions between these three, if in fact there are any.

[HarryT]

Maybe its just a general fear of assimilation. There are Muslims out there that don't want their daughters (or sons) marrying outside of their ethnic group, even the if prospective groom is Muslim (and thus there would be no religious objection). If there is a genuine religious difference (Muslim guy-> Jewish/Christian Girl, Jewish girl->Non-Jewish guy), there is always the question of how the children will actually be raised. No one wants to believe mommy is going to hell because she didn't convert to daddy's religion, no one wants to be treated as a 'half-breed,' etc.

That's very true, I agree.

[luqmaninbmore]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Not necessarily. Regardless of what the kids end up being by Judaic tradition, there could be huge internal cultural pressure not to look outside the in-group for the future in-laws.

Apparently it happens even between Reform and Orthodox/Hasidic/Haredi* Jewish groups as well, from anecdata I've read from people who've commented on internal divisions.

* I admit to being very unclear about the distinctions between these three, if in fact there are any.

All Hasidic Jews are Orthodox but not all Orthodox Jews are Hasidic. Hasidism is a revival movement with strong mystical tendencies that center around a series of influential and charismatic teachers. The Haredim are the most conservative of Orthodox Jews, often called Ultra-Orthodox in English.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by luqmaninbmore

All Hasidic Jews are Orthodox but not all Orthodox Jews are Hasidic. Hasidism is a revival movement with strong mystical tendencies that center around a series of influential and charismatic teachers. The Haredim are the most conservative of Orthodox Jews, often called Ultra-Orthodox in English.

Are they the ones who wear the hats and the braided hair?

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by luqmaninbmore

All Hasidic Jews are Orthodox but not all Orthodox Jews are Hasidic.

Okay, so they're kind of like nested subsets and you can do a Venn diagram. Thanks for explaining.

[Indio777]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Are they the ones who wear the hats and the braided hair?

Yes, black hats (I think styles may vary depending on where they live and what group they belong to), dark, usually black, coats (again, I think style may vary), and long sideburns. And beards.

I haven't looked at the fuller description of the book yet, but if the girl is from a more Orthodox family, being interested in a Gentile would be a definite no-no. Although if she were from a more Orthodox family, I would wonder if she would be attending a school with "goyim" in the first place .... dunno.

[Britomart]

The book is also free at Amazon.de.

[Susan Crealock]

Didn't last long - now free only to Amazon Prime members

[ATDrake]

Repeat freebie @ Amazon US & UK.