The Accidental Zionist: What a Priest, a Pornographer and a Wrestler named Chainsaw taught me about being Jewish, Saving the World and Why Israel Matters to Both

Has Judaism failed?

Well, kind of. To be sure, Judaism has enriched the lives of billions of people over the millennia, Jew and non-Jew alike, providing profound wisdom, ethical guidance and comfort & community in every generation. However, fundamental to Judaism s core mission is the fulfillment of a messianic vision that entails the perfecting of the world. Evil is to be destroyed; pain and suffering are to be eliminated; peace and prosperity are to reign supreme. The lion is to lie down with the lamb.

And that, unfortunately, has not happened or as Woody Allen once put it, The lion may lie down with the lamb, but the lamb won t get much sleep. Judaism, therefore, despite its many impressive accomplisments, has yet to succeed in the one thing it has deemed most important. Why?

The Accidental Zionist suggests that the answer is to be found by exploring an essential and often overlooked aspect of the reborn State of Israel. By relying on traditional Jewish texts as well as a piercing analysis of modern political philosophy, international relations and major trends in statecraft not to mention an ample supply of hilarious stories and fascinating encounters with a motley crew of interesting characters this exploration (and the Israel it hopes to engender) might just offer the means to rectify this historic failure ... and lay the groundwork for the fulfillment of Judaism s most lofty goal.

This is a book for anyone who ever wondered why Israel matters whether to him or herself as an individual, to the Jewish people as a whole, or to the world in general.