God Is in the Crowd

Twenty-First-Century Judaism

By: Tal Keinan

Narrated by: Tal Keinan

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

"Enthralling, searching, profound, an extraordinarily powerful work on Jewish identity in the 21st century." (Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks) 

A bold proposal for discovering relevance in Judaism and ensuring its survival, from a pioneering social activist, business leader, and fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force

God Is in the Crowd is an original and provocative blueprint for Judaism in the 21st century. Presented through the lens of Tal Keinan’s unusual personal story, it a sobering analysis of the threat to Jewish continuity. As the Jewish people has become concentrated in just two hubs - America and Israel - it has lost the subtle code of governance that endowed Judaism with dynamism and relevance in the age of Diaspora. This code, as Keinan explains, is derived from Francis Galton’s “wisdom of crowds”, in which a group’s collective intelligence, memory, and even spirituality can be dramatically different from, and often stronger than, that of any individual member’s. He argues that without this code, this ancient people - and the civilization that it spawned - will soon be extinct. Finally, Keinan puts forward a bold and original plan to rewrite the Jewish code, proposing a new model for Judaism and for community in general.

Keinan was born to a secular Jewish family in Florida. His interest in Judaism was ignited by a Christian minister at his New England prep school and led him down the unlikely path to enlistment in the Israel Air Force. Using his own dramatic experiences as a backdrop, and applying lessons from his life as a business leader and social activist, Keinan takes the listener on a riveting adventure, weaving between past, present, and future, and fusing narrative with theory to demonstrate Judaism’s value to humanity and chart its path into the future.

©2018 Tal Keinan (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

“Beautifully written, brilliantly argued, this is a unique contribution to the conversation and a must read for anyone concerned with Tribal continuity.” (Yossi Klein Halevi, author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor)

“God Is in the Crowd blends social science, economics, religion, and national identity to help us see more clearly who we are as individuals, people, and a society.” (Dan Ariely, author of The Upside of Irrationality) 

"American, Israeli, entrepreneur, fighter pilot, and investor: Keinan's diagnosis of Israel and the Jewish Diaspora is provided through the lens of a rich and gripping life story. Keinan's contribution is indispensable to the debate about the future of the Jewish people." (Dan Senor, co-author of Start-Up Nation)

Flowing Consciousness

It flowed sensibly , I was highly impressed by the author's motivation to wordsmith feelings.

Visionary Prescription for World Jewry

Set against the backdrop of the riveting personal story of the only American born to ever become an Israeli F-16 Fighter Pilot, Tal Keinan leverages his unique vantage point to both identify what plagues the Jewish people and, even more importantly, what to do about it.

Insightful and thought provoking

As a non Jew I truly enjoyed listening to Tal’s story. I recommend this book to anyone curious about Jewish identity and the future of Judaism.

P.S. Wonderful narrating by the author himself

Sobering, bold and provocative!

No matter where you fall in the JEWISH spectrum, this book is a must read.

God is in the Criwd

Excellent, informative and truthful. Tal's suggested solution sounds excellent. Myself having Sephardic heritage and having converted to reformed Judaism, have heard the tears and rejections from the UltraOrthodox from others. It is as he describes.

A well-articulated and important message

Tal has identified some core issues at the heart of Jewish identity both in Israel and the Diaspora, as well as the struggle of each to recognise the other as vital to the continued existence and success of the whole. There are even some practical solutions that, whilst necessarily quite complex, may be viable and at least are imaginative and at the scale required to effect change. Worth a read for anyone who is concerned about the long-term trajectory of the Jewish People and their place in the world.