Author

Books by Chaim Potok

Chaim Potok (1929–2002) was an American Jewish author, rabbi, and scholar born in the Bronx to Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Poland. He was ordained as a Conservative rabbi and earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to The Chosen and its sequel The Promise, he wrote My Name Is Asher Lev, The Book of Lights, and several other novels exploring the tension between Orthodox tradition and modern secular culture. He also worked as editor of the Jewish Publication Society and wrote nonfiction on Jewish history and culture. His fiction is grounded in a thorough insider knowledge of the communities he portrays.