Kaddish for Christopher

By John Propper December 19, 2011

There is something fundamentally Jewish about Christopher Hitchens’ legacy of debate, intellectualism and moral exploration. It doesn’t take much to see a parallel between his confrontational, often enraged discussion style and the general tone of the Judaism’s prophetic books — especially on questions of ethics and morality. Let’s acknowledge from the outset that Hitchens’ impact was felt by all who crossed his path. He would not have appreciated the imposition of a narrative with spiritual undertones upon his words, choices and platforms. Nevertheless — with all his question marks, conflicts and contradictions — Hitchens embodied a fiery, secular Judaism with totality of spirit.

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