The Promise

Potok takes the intellectual and religious tensions from 'The Chosen' and deepens them considerably — the clash between Rav Kalman's traditional textual authority and David Malter's historical-critical method is the kind of conflict that holds up because both sides are rendered with genuine respect. It demands patience and some familiarity with Orthodox Jewish life, but readers willing to meet it on its own terms will find it morally serious and emotionally rewarding.