I first saw the name Chaim Potok in the comments section of a Facebook post. I have had an interest in Jewish culture and all things Hebrew for some time and so it caught my attention. I did a little research into the author and decided to pick up this little massmarket paperback while on vacation this summer. I’m glad I did. The Chosen was Potok’s first novel published in 1967 and it became a finalist for the National Book Award for good reason. The story it tells of two young Jewish men and their fathers is interesting, enlightening, and it touched my heart. And yet, there was no point while I was reading the book that I could have told someone, “Here’s what this book is about.” It was simply a good story. And sometimes reading a good story is all we need.
But now that I’ve finished the book I would say it is a book about three things: friendship, fatherhood, and faith.
It is a book about friendship in that the two main characters, Reuven and Danny, are a picture of what friendship can be. Their worlds are richer because they are living in it together. To be clear, it is not an easy friendship. A beautiful friendship does not mean that it is easy, but that it is real and the bonds of love hold it together through thick and thin. In some ways, Reuven and Danny’s lives are harder because of their friendship. In other ways, their friendship is what enables them to go on. Friendships like that are the stuff of life, but they also require investment and intentionality. In our cultural moment where many friendships are on the rocks because of a presidential election, Black Lives Matter, or a mask mandate, we need the model of enduring love these two friends provide.
The book is also about fatherhood. The relationships of the two boys with their two fathers (and with each other’s fathers) feature prominently and drive most of the plot. Without giving away the story, it is a powerful depiction of the power of a father in the life of a son. Additionally, it was a powerful depiction of the role that other men can play in the formation of a young man. I cried at the end of the book because of what was said, and what was left unsaid. I also came away wanting to be a better father to my own children.
Finally, the book is about faith. Chaim Potok was a Jewish Rabbi, and the Orthodox Jewish faith of the characters is a major part of the story. While I do not share the same faith as Potok or the main characters in the book, I do share with them the value of passing on the most important aspect of our lives to our children. Throughout the story I found myself frustrated with Reb Saunders’s approach to raising his son, and yet in the end I came to appreciate his reasons for doing so, even if I was critical of his approach. The book offers a timely challenge to Christian fathers like myself who can sometimes lose sight of the fact that if our children grow up with minds but no souls (in the sense of devotion to God and loving compassion for others), we will not be comforted.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone. Your enjoyment will be heightened if you have some interest in Jewish life and culture as I do, but I believe anyone could enjoy the story. Let me know if you’ve read The Chosen. I would love to hear your thoughts!
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