What do readers think of The Devil in Jerusalem by Naomi Ragen? Write your own review.

I am a fan of Naomi Ragen and have read many of her books. Her themes are always thought-provoking. This book is no exception. However, it is disturbing to read and almost beyond understanding. The thought that a mother who clearly loves her children could fall so deeply under someone's influence, enough to let them be harmed, is very difficult to comprehend. Ragen does a good job of developing the characters, especially the mother, and it is a fascinating, albeit shocking, story.

The story is both terrifying and fascinating. In Naomi Ragen's own words, she "wishes to explore through fiction the wider implications of how people seeking spiritual guidance can naively wind up in horrific cults led by psychopaths, particularly cults that abuse children."

The horrific physical abuse of children by a charismatic yet psychopathic Kabbalah-studies leader is at the core of this novel, which is based on true events. The work of dedicated detectives and a "child interviewer" psychologist to get to the bottom of what happened makes for an absorbing story. That parents could be so captivated by the leader, and that the other children in the family could be so terrified, contributes to the reader's emotional response to the novel. While we keep paying rapt attention, we can't help being appalled, and we hope for justice for the two little boys and for repentance on the part of those who perpetrated and those who were complicit. Ultimately, only one of those hopes is satisfied.

Days after finishing "The Devil in Jerusalem" I find myself still thinking about it and analyzing my reactions. There are many true and novelistic accounts written about religious cults, but this one may become a classic.

This is well written book and Naomi Ragen has developed complex, intricate characters. The problem is that the subject matter is dark and unrelentingly bleak.

The characters are in a battle with evil influences that come in the form of supposed holy people and you are presented with the realization that regardless of high minded intentions there is a fine line between a righteous life and surrender to the dark side.

There are parts of the book that were very hard to read and I am ambivalent about my feelings.

This is a well paced book but the subject matter is difficult and complicated. The characters are not especially likable but I don't think that Ragen intended for readers to like them. I think she wanted to challenge our minds as she told the story and this book will make you think of many different things.

I live in New York and am used to seeing Hassidic Jews. I've always looked at their bizarre clothing and wondered why they continue to dress in this way, no matter the temperature or century. The story told in, "The Devil In Jerusalem", gives me further pause to wonder; are all of these people steeped in a traditional religion, or are they, too, involved in a cult. Also, how does one tell a religious leader from a charlatan? And, how do we know that our rabbi, or pastor, or priest is someone we can trust?

Both rabbis in this story were sick and yet they found people who were eager to believe in them and follow them unquestioningly. And that is truly frightening.

While organized religion can help many people cope with these troubling times, this book is a cautionary tale for those who are seeking some sort of an anchor. All religions should come with a label - Buyer Beware!

This was not an easy book to read. Although interesting and well written, this is not a book I would recommend to everyone. The graphic description of abuse visited upon the children was really too much, and knowing that this story is based on a factual account makes it even worse.

The author Naomi Ragen, an American who has lived in Jerusalem for 40 years, writes authoritatively about the city. It is evident she understands the language and the culture. I found the background information for the story very interesting and informative, having never traveled to Israel myself.

The 'Devil in Jerusalem' by Naomi Ragen is inspired on a real court case that occurred in Jerusalem...the Elior Chen Trial. "The experiences of the children in this book was based on 300 pages of actual court testimony. Naomi Ragen" It is evident in reading this book that Ragen conducted significant research across a wide array of resources including cult rituals, kabbalists and mystical ancient texts. All of this information was new and enlightening to me.


I found the story of Daniella and Shlomie interesting as well. I did have a hard time understanding the character of Daniella, though; hence the rating of a '4' vs a '5'. The loving mother who could so easily turn into such an evil villain and then revert back just didn't work for me. Granted, I have limited insight into cults and their followings so maybe I just didn't empathize with the character enough. The story started a bit slow but moved quickly towards the end. The child abuse described in the book was horrific. I have no doubt that the author used real examples and probably could have added more. I believe part of the author's goal for writing this book was to alert readers of the seriousness of cults that exist today. Most of us readers are completely unaware of the scope of this tragedy.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and found it informative and very interesting. I plan to read other books by Ragen as she has now captured my interest.

Although I enjoyed Naomi Ragen's latest novel, it wasn't as good as her others. The story was interesting, but I didn't find the characters very believable, especially the main character. I found myself more absorbed in the character of the lead detective on Daniella's case. She was more consistent in her behavior, and I felt I understood her much better than I did Daniella or Shlomie. With that said, I have always enjoyed Naomi Ragen's books and found this a worthwhile read because I learned some things about Kabbalah and cults. Some of the descriptions of child abuse are difficult to get through, but this was still, for the most part, an enjoyable read.

Devil in Jerusalem captures the reader immediately and keeps them captivated throughout the book. This is partially due to the horror of the tale being told and partially due to the effective use of multiple narrators and well written text. My hesitation about fully recommending this book is due to the the main character of the book, Daniella Goodman. At times she seems very confident and is described initially as an extremely loving and dedicated mother. So it is very difficult to understand how she transforms into her utilmate character. Naomi Ragen adds testimony at the end of the book which attempts to better describe this transition, but that testimony is also filled with contradictions . . . if in fact Daniella is so caught up with this cult that she loses her grip on reality that why does she express her regrets about being a part of it while she is still under the cult's power. It seems like you would either be completely under the spell or not and if you aren't under the spell you would certainly come to the aid of your children. This is really the part of the story that I was not sold on. While I understand Daniella's desire to find greater meaning and her being overwhelmed with the life she has chosen, i do not grasp how she turns into the monster she is described as. The author does detail Daniella's initial resistance to the messiah, but she too quickly turns over herself and her children in a completely unbelievable way. I am sympathetic to the author's desire to provide a cautionary tale about the fraudulent religious groups and how vulnerable truth seekers can be taken advantage of. But this story takes a leap that I cannot make.

I would have to say that this was one of the least enjoyable reads I have had in a while. Not only was the subject matter disturbing but the writing was pedestrian at best. My feeling was that the subject of cults and their abuse of children does not lend itself well to fiction. Better to write this as nonfiction and really be able to delve more deeply into the psychopathic minds and history of cult abuse. Ragen says she did extensive research but her book seems way too shallow, emotional and angry for the reader to learn much about the subject. Obviously, normal people would be repulsed by this kind of activity.