"The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Jenna Hecker The Chosen, 2/23/2004 Chaim Potok's "The Chosen" follows the friendship of two pious Jewish boys, and explores the cultural divide between the Hasidic community and modern orthodoxy. The books begins with a baseball game that turns into a holy war as orthodox Jewish boys try to justify their religious practices when faced against a Hasidic team who feel themselves more pious than their adversaries. When Danny, the Hasidic protagonist, hits a ball at Reuven …

…in The Chosen is one that many observant Jews grapple with, although perhaps on a smaller level, throughout their life. Judaism is a vibrant culture based religion, and one often may find themselves feeling set apart from the secular world when they are keeping Sabbath, or observing kashrut One must choose whether they want to accept the secular world of choice and opportunity, or their chosen "Jewish" route of unique and dynamic culture, and observance.