The book states that the Jews had nothing whatsoever to do with the murder of Jesus, but rather that blame for his trial and killing lies with the Romans and Pontius Pilate.

Boteach had authored over two dozen books, including Kosher Sex and The Michael Jackson Tapes, and had hosted the reality TV show Shalom in the Home.

"[2] Boteach draws on past work by Hyam Maccoby, a British Jewish scholar who wrote on the topic of Judaism and Christianity.

Maccoby espoused the view that Paul the Apostle was the true founder of Christianity, while Jesus was a mainstream Jewish teacher of the first century whose teachings were later distorted to form the basis of a mythic tradition.

[13][14] The Times of London ran an article on its reception, entitled: "Unholy row as orthodox rabbi dares to speak the J word".

[15] A review in Publishers Weekly described the book as an "informed and cogent primer on Jesus of Nazareth" that "will certainly reopen intrafaith and interfaith dialogue.

"[16] Reviewing the book for The Virginian-Pilot, Rabbi Israel Zoberman wrote that Boteach "offers a well-written scholarly volume that is far from dry and is accessible to all, one that both honors and is critical of [Christians and Jews].

This is quite a rarity—especially when you consider the animus that most Hassidic and Haredi Jews feel toward Jesus.... All in all I admire his ... willingness to talk about a subject that has remained a forbidden topic of discussion in Jewish circles of all denominations... one can argue that Shmuley’s Kosher Jesus should serve as a meaningful first step for many Jews wishing to promote a more truthful and meaningful dialogue with the Christian community.

"[17] Reviewer Jeremy Rosen of The Algemeiner Journal opined that Boteach "wants Christians to understand Jesus was not God but a nice loyal Jewish boy... And he wants Jews to stop thinking of him as a heretic and the founder of a religion that persecuted them for two thousand years."

[10] He questions some of Boteach's assertions, but concludes his review by writing: "like all his books, it’s a fun romp and it makes you think and examine your own ideas.