Joshua Cohen’s book “The Netanyahus” provides an interesting insight into the intersection of theology and history in Jewish politics. The story follows Ruben Blum, a Jewish man in a prominent history department who reviews an application from a quirky Israeli scholar, Benjamin Netanyahu’s father. Despite its serious subject matter, the book is surprisingly funny.

Ruben Blum’s life is familiar to many readers, as he has achieved a high level of academia but does not impress his parents or in-laws with his status at the college. When the Netanyahus arrive, the results are sitcom-esque but funny. The best parts of the book occur when we are reading about his household.

Cohen’s writing is able to make the mundane exciting and funny. The history/theology debate works through several portions of the novel, and readers may need to Google a few things if they are not Jewish or a historian. This book is definitely worth reading and discussing, and books reviews are sure to be positive.