"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 a bit too hard, shattering his glasses and nearly blinding him, the boys develop a friendship that opens their eyes to the…