Free as a Jew

A Personal Memoir of National Self-Liberation

By: Ruth R. Wisse

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

A Jewish child born into the worst of times in Europe grows up during the best of times in North America - only to recognize that it could be moving back in the opposite direction.

First came parents with the good sense to flee Europe in 1940 and the good fortune to reach the land of freedom. Their daughter, Ruth, grew up in the shadow of genocide - but in tandem with the birth of Israel, which remained her lodestar. She learned that although Jewishness is biologically transmitted, democracy is not, and both require intensive, intelligent transmission through education in each and every generation. They need adults with the confidence to teach their importance. Ruth tried to take on that challenge as dangers to freedom mounted and shifted sides on the political spectrum. At the high point of her teaching at Harvard University, she witnessed the unraveling of standards of honesty and truth until the academy she left was no longer the one she had entered.

©2021 Ruth R. Wisse (P)2021 Recorded Books

Truth

Rarely have I devoured a book as voraciously as I have this one. I generally read fiction, but this memoir of the development of the progressive movement, in its worst iterations, is outstanding. Wisse traces the anti-semitism that grows in the universities and colleges with the failure of the institutions to stand up to the inability to educate the students rigorously. Political correctness has become a substitute for free ideas and free speech.

great book

terrific! beautifully written. relevant to the sad state of academia today. I hope the book will encourage others to speak out.

Amazing listen

A very important listen to Jews everywhere. Thanks to Prof. Wisse for this book and all of your other great works.

Amazing

I listened to this book a week after the massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023..
If I didn’t know better I would think this book was written after this unimaginable event. Her incite into Israeli and global politics is remarkable.
Her life experience in academia give foreshadowing of the future of antisemitism on the elite college campuses.
I highly recommend this book for a greater understanding of the past and current state of antisemitism.
Cheers to Ruth Wisse for standing up for her beliefs and not group think!!

Personal Memoir of National Self Liberation

Ruth Wisse’s Free as a Jew is an extraordinary memoir that blends personal reflection, political insight, and cultural commentary into a deeply engaging and intellectually rich narrative. As one of Canada’s most distinguished scholars of Yiddish literature and Jewish political thought, Wisse brings decades of experience, clarity, and conviction to this work — and the result is both inspiring and illuminating.

At its heart, Free as a Jew is not just a personal memoir but a compelling meditation on freedom — what it means to be intellectually, culturally, and politically free as a Jew in the modern world. Wisse recounts her journey from post-war Canada to the heights of academia, sharing not only her personal story but also her evolving understanding of Jewish identity, Zionism, and the challenges facing liberal democracies.

Her prose is elegant and incisive, combining warmth with unflinching honesty. Wisse does not shy away from controversy, and her courage to tackle difficult issues — including antisemitism, the failures of the left, and the moral responsibilities of Jews in both the Diaspora and Israel — makes this memoir both timely and necessary.

What makes Free as a Jew particularly powerful is Wisse’s ability to speak simultaneously as a literary scholar, a public intellectual, and a passionate advocate for Jewish survival and self-respect. Her voice is confident yet humble, serious yet accessible — and always grounded in a deep love for Jewish tradition and democratic values.

This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Jewish history, identity, and thought — but also for anyone who cares about intellectual freedom, national self-determination, and moral clarity in an often confusing world.

A profound and beautifully written memoir from a towering thinker — Free as a Jew deserves a lasting place in the canon of modern Jewish writings.