A second difference between the boys is each family’s opinions of a Jewish State. Danny’s family does not want a Jewish state, unless it is made by the Messiah. “Danny was not to see me, talk to me, listen to me, found within four feet of me. My father and I had been excommunicated from the Saunders family….Reb Saunders…never would let his son be the friend of the son of a man who was advocating the establishment of a secular Jewish state run by Jewish goyim.” (217) Reuven’s family, especially his father, very much believed in, and wanted a Jewish state. “My father would read the newspaper…the headlines spurred him onto new bursts of Zionist activity and to loud, excited justification of the way he was driving himself in his fund-raising and speechmaking efforts in behalf of a Jewish state.
A third difference between the boys is that Danny cannot learn whatever he wants to freely. His father will only let him learn about subjects relating to, or concerning, Judaism. Reuven’s father wants Reuven to learn about the outside world. When Reuven is rushed to the hospital due to an eye injury, Reuven’s father visits him. He brings his son tefillin (box-like instruments worn by adult Jewish males at weekday morning services at the synagogue) and prayer books so his son can stay. At the same time, however, he makes sure to tell Reuven about his obligation to care about the outside world, and brings him a radio.
Potok uses a baseball game to symbolize the two different groups “fighting” each other face to face. One team consisted of the Hassidic boys, and the other team consisted of the modern Jewish boys. The game got very intense, so much so, that at one point the members of each team wanted to kill each other. Danny visits Reuven and through their time together at the hospital they develop a friendship. “I’m all mixed up about you. You look like a Hassid, but you don’t sound like one.” (81) remarked Reuven to Danny. As their friendship grows, they learn that the stereotypes that they had given the people of the other level of observance were hardly true at all. They realize that their religious barriers are not as big as they thought, and continue being friends for years after the baseball incident.
A similarity that helps Potok demonstrate this theme is by showing that each boy wishes he wasn’t in his particular situation. In this way, both boys are really the same, and they don’t think of each other as Hassidic or modern they just think of each other as friends. Danny is “The Chosen" one of his community because he is the rabbi’s son, and must follow in his fathers footsteps. Also, the entire community wants Danny to lead them because he is so knowledgeable, and capable of being a magnificent leader.. He envies Reuven, because he wishes that he was not The Chosen one. “It’s really funny. I have to be a rabbi, and don’t want to be one. You don’t have to be a rabbi and do want to be one. It’s a crazy world.” (82)
As illustrated by these examples, the tension between the Hassidic Jews and the modern Jews is a central theme in The Chosen. The same conflict that Chaim Potok wrote about in1967 still exists to this day. How people of different levels of observance raise their children is still an issue. However, as with Danny and Reuven, Jews of different levels of observance can find a common ground.
