The Holy Thief

The Holy Thief is the true crime tale of Mark Borovitz. Borovitz started life as your average Jewish kid (who was, no doubt, destined for greatness), who went down that path of easy vice and easy money. In short, he became a con man. It was a long journey for him, but eventually he came out the other side as a Rabbi. He now helps those trying to reform. This is his story.

The Holy Thief starts with a heartfelt depiction of Borotvitz's confirmation as a Rabbi. He is compared to a holy thief of the Old Testament - a sinner who uses his sins as a weapon against the Devil. His experience makes him a valuable commodity to American-judaism - he can help bring back young wayward Jews to their faith, he is shining a light on an aspect of Jewish society that is often shunned and ignored, and he has become a hero to his people.

Or so this book tells us.

Borovitz, in his own words, describes his evolution into a petty conman and thief. He was an alcoholic who lived in the moment, and ended up in gaol twice before having an epiphany and reforming. His reformation eventually led to his search for a new path, a path that would lead him to become a Rabbi. The Rabbi-part of the book takes up the last third or quarter. The bulk of the text deals with his misadventures as a self-alleged tough guy. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's tragic. Sometimes it's a complex web of fate and faith.

My main problems with this book was that it just seemed too good to be true. I'm hesitant to call it a work of exaggeration, as I have no proof to this effect. What I will say though, is that it seems altogether hyperbolic and very much in the vein of 'blowing one's trumpet'. Over and over Borovitz paints a picture of himself as a real tough guy not to be messed with, but not once are we told an example or anecdote that truly illustrates this. His holy calling colours the text self-importantly at times, and he writes without humility - which is hardly an endearing trait for a reformed con. What makes this book particularly hard to take is Borovitz's thinly veiled implication that he is some kind of modern day prophet... and his attempts to illustrate this through the quotes of his friends and family (in the hopes that it will look unbiased) are, on the whole, fairly transparent.

It's a shame that the book is so seriously marred by Borovitz's character faults. The text itself is very easy to read and manages to be quite funny when he isn't trying too hard to amuse or impress. Overall, it's a wasted opportunity.