Essay/Term paper: The chosen

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Cliff Notes

The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, is a book about

friendship between two boys from vastly different religious

Jewish backgrounds. Their initial distrust and hatred for each

other because of their differing backgrounds gives way to

undestanding, and develops into a deep friendship. Danny

Saunders is brought up in a Chasidic environment. His father

is the Rabbi of his synagogue and sect, and is well respected

as a great Tzaddik and a Talmud Scholar. His ancestors for

the past five generations had been very honorable and

respected rabbis in their own synagogues, and Rabbi

Saunder"s son, Danny, is expected to follow in their

footsteps. Danny too, is a great Talmud scholar and deeply

religious person, but his friendship with a less religious boy

draws him into a more secular world, changing many of his

viewpoints. Reuven Malter is brought up in a modern

orthodox Jewish environment. His father is the rabbi of his

synagogue, and a teacher in high school. Reuven is a very

modern Jew who learns a wide variety of Jewish subjects.

Though he invests much time in Gemara, the amount he

learms is nothing compared to what the Chasidim learn. This

difference in education and religious attitudes causes friction

between the Chasidim and the modern orthodox Jews. The

Chasidim believe that the modern orthodox are corrupt in

their beliefs- they should be studying the Gemara a lot more,

and be much more religious in everything they do, such as

praying to G-d. It is not expected to find a modern orthodox

boy playing with a Chasidic boy. The two boys were playing

a baseball game against each other- the Chasidim, against

the modern orthodox Jews. There are obvious feelings of

hate between the two teams. Towards the end of the game,

Danny hits Reuven in the eye with the ball, sending him to

the hospital. For the moment, they become enemies. Danny

visits Reuven in the hospital, and they become friends.

Danny invites Reuven over to his house to learn some

Gemara with his father, and he accepts the offer. They

become closer and closer, until eventually they are best

friends. Their friendship survives through hard times. When

Rabbi Malter makes a pro-Zionist speech which influences

the entire world, Rabbi Saunders hates him and all

non-Chasidim, because the Chasidim are anti-Zionist. Rabbi

Saunders prohibits his son to ever speak to Reuven. After

two years, the anti-Zionist movement fails, and Rabbi

Saunders allows Danny to speak to Reuven once again.

They once again develop an extremely close friendship,

realizing how valuable it is. As their relationship grows,

Danny is drawn into the secular world, which makes his

father very upset. Yet, their friendship still survives and

flourishes making Danny happier than any time before,

alleviating much of his father"s anger. Chaim Potok"s The

Chosen demonstrates how two people from totally different

backgrounds can befriend each other in such a close

friendship. Whether their families approved of their

friendship or not, they were still able to maintain a long

lasting, and meaningful relationship.