On the other hand, there is information revealed that had given this author a veritable kick in the stomach somewhat akin to the discovery that a well-respected Rabbi is not what he appears to be – a la many a recent headline. Clearly, our tendency toward over-censorship in many areas could use some re-assessment.
Left unchecked, this tendency can and does redefine what is viewed as “truth” and can leave us questioning the credibility of many a work. He also makes some very strong points about how far the censorship has gone in our community as well as the irrational justification for it. Shapiro has uncovered remarkable tidbits of information that provides much deeper insight into many an author’s original intents, nuances and meanings.
His latest book, however, about censorship in the Orthodox world, has precipitated a bit of a mixed reaction in this reviewer. Shapiro was also the last person to do his PhD under Rav Soloveitchik’s son-in-law, Professor Isadore Twersky of Harvard. Marc Shapiro is a brilliant writer who became famous for his penetrating study of Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg in his 1999 work, “Between the Yeshiva World and Modern Orthodoxy.” That work as well as his next book on alternative views in the Rishonim to the Rambam’s Thirteen Principles were both finalists in the National Jewish Book Award.
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