Judaism Books
Koren Publishers Koren Even Israel Siddur Sepharad
Book Synopsis
£21.20
Koren Publishers Koren Eden Shabbat Humash Compact PB
Book Synopsis
£14.24
Koren Publishers Koren Eden Shabbat Humash Compact Flex
Book Synopsis
£18.04
Koren Publishers Koren Eden Shabbat Humash Pb Compact Sepharad
£14.24
Koren Publishers Koren Eden Shabbat Humash Flex Compact Sepharad
£18.04
Koren Publishers Koren Eden Shabbat Humash Hc Personal Sepharad
£21.84
The Koren Yedid Siddur
Book Synopsis
£27.96
£31.96
£14.11
Lerner Publishing Group Jumbo Jewish Calendar 5786
Book Synopsis
£15.29
The University of Chicago Press Socrates and the Fat Rabbis
Book SynopsisUsing Michael Bakhtin's notion of represented dialogue and real dialogism, this title demonstrates, through multiple close readings, that the give-and-take in these texts is actually monologic in spirit as well as shows that there are other elements that manifest genuine dialogicality.Trade Review"It is a brilliant and novel move to put the Talmud next to Lucian. Boyarin brings together here some very hot topics: cultural difference, cultural regulation, and the specific interface between Jewish and Greco-Roman culture. Socrates and the Fat Rabbis is a book with intellectual range and ambition. And it is fun - as the title promises." - Simon Goldhill, King's College, University of Cambridge"
£76.00
The University of Chicago Press Socrates and the Fat Rabbis
Book SynopsisWhat kind of literature is the Talmud? This title suggests that both the Platonic and the Talmudic dialogues are not dialogic at all. It singles out Menippean satire as the most important genre through which to understand both the Talmud and Plato, emphasizing their seriocomic peculiarity.Trade Review"Daniel Boyarin's ingeniously constructed dialogue between Plato and the Talmud in this book has implications for cultural and intellectual history.... Boyarin simultaneously reveals the despotic kernel of secular rationalism and the grotesque core of sacred revelation." (Times Literary Supplement)"
£28.00
The University of Chicago Press Jewish Tradition and the Challenge of Darwinism
Book SynopsisDarwin's theory of evolution transformed the life sciences and made profound claims about human origins and the human condition, topics often viewed as the prerogative of religion. As a result, evolution has provoked a wide variety of religious responses, ranging from angry rejection to enthusiastic acceptance. While Christian responses to evolution have been studied extensively, little scholarly attention has been paid to Jewish reactions. Jewish Tradition and the Challenge of Darwinism is the first extended meditation on the Jewish engagement with this crucial and controversial theory. The contributors to Jewish Tradition and the Challenge of Darwinismfrom several academic disciplines and two branches of the rabbinatepresent case studies showing how Jewish discussions of evolution have been shaped by the intersections of faith, science, philosophy, and ideology in specific historical contexts. Furthermore, they examine how evolutionary theory has been deployed when characterizing Jew
£76.00
The University of Chicago Press Rethinking Modern Judaism Ritual Commandment
Book SynopsisArnold Eisen here calls for a fundamental rethinking of the story of modern Judaism. More than simply a study of Jewish thought on customs and rituals, this book explores the central role that practice plays in Judaism's encounter with modernity.Table of ContentsFounding theories of modernity and the critique of Jewish practice; 20th-century theories of modernity and the study of Jewish practice; the distinctiveness of modern Jewish practice; the politics of Jewish ritual observance; new reasons for old commandments - the strategy of symbolic explanation; nostalgia as modern Jewish Mitzvah; Buber, Rosenzweig, and the authority of the commandments; the reconstruction of Jewish tradition in 20th-century America.
£30.00
The University of Chicago Press Covenant of Blood Circumcision and Gender in
Book SynopsisA study to examine why circumcision holds such an important place in the Jewish psyche. The text traces the symbolism of circumcision through history, examining its evolution as a symbol of the covenant in the post-exilic period of the Bible and its meaning in the era of Mishnah and Talmud.
£30.00
The University of Chicago Press Gershom Scholem An Intellectual Biography
Book SynopsisGershom Scholem (1897 1982) was ostensibly a scholar of Jewish mysticism, yet he occupies a powerful role in today's intellectual imagination, having an influential contact with an extraordinary cast of thinkers, including Hans Jonas, Martin Buber, Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, and Theodor Adorno. In this first biography of Scholem, Amir Engel shows how Scholem grew from a scholar of an esoteric discipline to a thinker wrestling with problems that reach to the very foundations of the modern human experience. As Engel shows, in his search for the truth of Jewish mysticism Scholem molded the vast literature of Jewish mystical lore into a rich assortment of stories that unveiled new truths about the modern condition. Positioning Scholem's work and life within early twentieth-century Germany, Palestine, and later the state of Israel, Engel intertwines Scholem's biography with his historiographical work, which stretches back to the Spanish expulsion of Jews in 1492, through the lives of Rabbi Isaac Luria and Sabbatai Zevi, and up to Hasidism and the dawn of the Zionist movement. Through parallel narratives, Engel touches on a wide array of important topics including immigration, exile, Zionism, World War One, and the creation of the state of Israel, ultimately telling the story of the realizations and failures of a dream for a modern Jewish existence.
£33.25
The University of Chicago Press Maimonides Guide of the Perplexed in Translation
Book Synopsis
£45.60
The University of Chicago Press Fundamentalisms and Society Reclaiming the
Book SynopsisProvides a systematic overview of the advances made by anti-secular religious movements since 1972, showing their impact on human relations, education, women's rights and scientific research. This text considers developments within Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism in 12 nations.
£42.75
The University of Chicago Press Imagining JudeoChristian America Religion
Book Synopsis
£91.00
The University of Chicago Press Imagining JudeoChristian America
Book SynopsisThe term Judeo-Christian is remarkably easy to pass over without consideration. It seems obvious that Judaism and Christianity share texts, tenets, and values--and that these influenced the founders of the United States. However, in this ambitious book, K. Healan Gaston dispels the myth of a monolithic Judeo-Christian America. She argues that the idea of America as a Judeo-Christian nation is a relatively recent construct, and a potentially imperiling one if we fail to understand how various groups have mobilized Judeo-Christian rhetoric for their own political, cultural, and religious ends. Ever since its inception in the 1930s and its widespread adoption during World War II, the apparent inclusiveness of the term Judeo-Christian has masked competing conceptions of religion, secularism, and politics. Gaston demonstrates that this choice of terminology was deeply rooted in arguments over the nature of democracy and totalitarianism that intensified during World War II and the trans
£31.00
The University of Chicago Press The Right to Difference French Universalism and
Book SynopsisTrade Review"?A noted literary critic, Samuels tells his story through a series of largely literary case studies, tracing competing literary representations of Jews from the 18th century to the present. As these case studies reveal, even supposedly philo-Semitic French advocates of Jewish integration and equality have often sounded suspiciously like dyed-in-the-wool anti-Semites."--David Bell, The Nation "This book's most valuable contribution is its inclusion of moments of both failure and success in France's universalist history and its focus on both 'high' and 'popular' culture, reminding the reader that ideologies permeate every aspect of society."--The French Review "Samuels presents a highly nuanced and sophisticated analysis of French universalism through the exploration of its various historical iterations as it has engaged with the Jews of France since the French Revolution. This superb study is a major contribution to the scholarship on the themes of assimilation, acculturation and minority distinctiveness, and diversity that continue to be vexed problems in France to this day."--Aron Rodrigue, author of Jews and Muslims: Images of Sephardi and Eastern Jewries in Modern Times "elegant...deftly written book."--Jeffrey Mehlman, Antisemitism Studies "Timely and thought-provoking, The Right to Difference will interest scholars and lay readers alike. Ambitious in scope, the book offers a broad survey of French universalism's multifaceted attitude toward the Jews since the eighteenth century. Just as importantly, it represents a much needed intervention in public discussions about the ambiguous legacy of the French Revolution, the politics of la cit , and debates over the assimilation of religious minorities in France today. At a time when France's Jews are in the news more than ever before, Samuels offers illuminating new ways of thinking about their position, and, through that analysis, about the politics of difference in modern France."--Lisa Moses Leff, author of The Archive Thief: The Man Who Salvaged French Jewish History in the Wake of the Holocaust "The Right to Difference is a beautifully written, accessible book that is suitable for undergraduate teaching, while offering fruitful opportunities for engagement by specialists. . . .Samuels's argument unfolds in seven chapters in which he engages with current scholarship in Jewish studies and French history in textual readings that challenge long-settled scholarly consensus. His careful analyses elucidate the ways universalism has been understood since the eighteenth century to 'offer new possibilities for thinking through France's current social and political dilemmas--and perhaps some American ones as well'. . . . The Right to Difference persuasively demonstrates that the current political understanding of republican universalism is not the only version available for the French body politic."--Journal of Modern History "The Right to Difference is a timely and compelling study that urges us to rethink some rather widely held perceptions about universalism, secularism [la cit ], the French state, and modern European society in relation to religious minorities and ethnic communities. Maurice Samuels combines insightful and sometimes surprising reexaminations of historical sources with sharp analyses."--Jonathan Skolnik, University of Massachusetts Amherst "Particularism and Universalism: ever since St. Paul, the Jews have served as a stage upon which to act out the tension between these two ideals. That tension did not diminish with revolution, democracy, modernity, or secularization, nor did figures of Judaism lose their utility in these revolutions. Today Zionism and Israel continue to play a special role in fervent debates about the relationship between claims of universal justice and those of particularist, often minoritarian identities. The Right to Difference is a clear and critical guide through this history and these debates, a guide all of us who live in this age of increasingly passionate convictions should be grateful for."--David Nirenberg, author of Neighboring Faiths: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in the Middle Ages and Today "The Right to Difference is a useful and clairvoyant book full of rigorously researched evidence that allows us to better grasp our relationship to universalism. From the years leading up to the Revolution to the rigid universalism of Finkelkraut and the universalism that Badiou calls an instrument of exclusion, Maurice Samuels charts a nuanced path that never seeks to reach a definitive, prescriptive conclusion. Because undertaking this archeology of universalism is not an attempt to establish a philosophy of history, a typology, or a user's guide, but rather to establish a global frame of reference that might even provide keys to understanding the present."--Nonfiction (France)
£31.00
The University of Chicago Press Gershom Scholem An Intellectual Biography Studies
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This careful, convincing intellectual biography of philosopher/historian Gershom Scholem (1897-1982) occasions rethinking the relationship between Scholem's scholarship on kabbalah and sabbatism and his personal journey as a Zionist. Scholem grew up in Germany and in the early 1920s emigrated to what was to become the State of Israel. Engel argues that Scholem's 'unusually wide' and continuing prominence, unexpected for a scholar of an esoteric area of history, results from the profundity of his reflections on central questions of Jewish and European life in the 20th century. Engel critiques previous biographical treatments of Scholem that found in his work an assertion that kabbalah expressed a single metaphysical truth underlying all facets of Jewish history and philosophy. Engel contends that Scholem was more creative than that--that he wove into narratives 'the old and the new, the esoteric and the political, the personal and the social' and in so doing broadened the discussion. Thus, Scholem's scholarship reflects his own life experience even as it reveals a community's need to transform in the face of historical trauma. This engaging, important biography teaches one a great deal about 20th-century European and Jewish history. Highly recommended."--Choice "Engel ultimately portrays the Scholem beloved by Prochnik, Ozick, Bloom, and others as a romanticized "image" separate from the "demystified figure of 'Scholem'."--The Hedgehog Review "Engel has written a fascinating study of this nearly incomparable modern Jewish thinker. He has excavated the implicit, making explicit the lines of connection between Scholem's life and his work.... As Scholem transcends the boundary between a scholar of Jewish history and a subject of Jewish history scholarship, Engel's biography merits a place in the debate over the man and his thought."--H-Net Reviews "Amir Engel claims to have 'demystified' his subject by seamlessly connecting, if not reducing, Scholem's scholarship to his personal, political, and historical context; Engel regards this as his 'most substantial finding.'"--Jewish Review of Books
£26.00
University of Chicago Press Aesthetics of Renewal Martin Bubers Early
Book SynopsisMartin Buber's embrace of Hasidism at the start of the twentieth century was instrumental to the revival of this popular form of Jewish mysticism. This title analyzes Buber's writings and sources to explore his interpretation of Hasidic spirituality as a form of cultural criticism.Trade Review"Urban's superb study combines remarkable erudition with refined interpretative skills in an innovative contribution to our understanding of the often elusive role of Hasidism in Martin Buber's thought. Because her focus on Buber always points towards an evocative periphery, her book opens a field of larger relevance that will engage readers far beyond the circle of Buber scholars." - Asher D. Biemann, University of Virginia"
£34.20
The University of Chicago Press Leo Strauss on Moses Mendelssohn
Book SynopsisMoses Mendelssohn (1729-86) was the leading Jewish thinker of the German Enlightenment and the founder of modern Jewish philosophy. In addition to Strauss' introductions, the author has translated various editorial annotations Strauss makes on key passages in Mendelssohn's texts.Trade Review"Leo Strauss's introductions to the works of Moses Mendelssohn are crucial for an understanding of the development of his thought. This splendid translation makes these works available for the first time to English-speaking readers. At last we will be able to appreciate Strauss's engagement with this central figure of the German Enlightenment. Bravo!" (Steven B. Smith, Yale University)"
£42.75
McGill-Queen's University Press Fictions of Gender Women Femininity and the
Book SynopsisFictions of Gender explores how contemporary controversies surrounding Zionism and feminism are prefigured in the legacies of early Zionist women. Studying archival documents and writings from the first eighty years of the Zionist project, Zakai confronts the experiences of Zionist women with the sensibilities of contemporary global feminism.Trade Review“Asking highly original and challenging questions, Zakai demonstrates the very possibility of writing cultural history through the experience of women and the construction of national femininity within other categories of identity and apparatuses of power. Focusing on the ways women writers approach gender through a practice of ethical reading, the literary female subject emerges as an engaged politico-national agent, actively negotiating power and inventing options of struggle, control, and resistance.” Ruth Tsoffar, University of Michigan and author of The Stains of Culture: An Ethno-Reading of Karaite Jewish Women
£27.90
McGill-Queen's University Press Prophets of Love
Book SynopsisReimagining Leonard Cohen and the Apostle Paul as spiritual siblings, Prophets of Love offers an introduction to some of the latest scholarship on Paul, combatting centuries of Christian anti-Judaism, and sheds new light on the biblical worldviews and language underlying every line of Cohen’s poetry.Trade Review“Apples and oranges? Lusty Leonard versus celibate Paul? The so-called Godfather of Gloom compared to the author of much of the New Testament? Anderson's compelling work makes it abundantly clear that the pair share far more similarities than differences. His in-depth but easily digested comparisons show us that Cohen and the apostle were two great poetic writers. Both were masters of persuasion, performing artists, and two Jews fascinated by Jesus, and Anderson shows most convincingly that both would agree that three things will last forever: faith, hope, and the greatest, love.” Bob Mersereau, author of The Top 100 Canadian Singles“Prophets of Love puts Paul and Leonard Cohen into conversation and finds all manner of parallels and contrasts. It also considers the critical reception of each, including lively discussions about the meaning of lyrics and letters, debates about what constitutes their respective canons, and more besides. This unusual and engaging exercise allows readers to meet the apostle and the artist again … for the first time.” Michael J. Gilmour, Providence University College“By providing a detailed comparison between two key figures that are not readily or often compared to each other, and by engaging biblical and New Testament studies with current culture, Prophets of Love will surprise and intrigue readers inside and outside of academia.” Bernard Wills, Grenfell Campus of Memorial University“It's not often that scholars are deft at translating the cutting edge of what's happening in their field into writing that's readable, let alone entertaining. Yet this is exactly what Matthew Anderson does with recent scholarship on Paul and his deep knowledge of the life and writing of Leonard Cohen. As a scholar of gender, I particularly appreciate the fresh and frank look at the two men's attitudes to women, and their negotiation of ideals of masculinity into which they fit uncomfortably at best. This book will be enjoyed by a wide range of people, from fans of Leonard Cohen, to scholars of gender, to readers of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament.” Shayna Sheinfeld, Augsburg University“Engaging, scholastic and wise, Prophets of Love examines the surprising similarities, as well as differences, between two passionate men who lived 2,000 years apart.” The Vancouver Sun“Prophets of Love is an engaging, easily readable exploration of love, divinity, and poetry for Bible scholars, Leonard Cohen enthusiasts, and anyone in between.” Atlantic Books
£18.99
Columbia University Press A Social and Religious History of the Jews
Book SynopsisDesigned to accompany the 18-volume reference work, this index contains the names, events and dates that appear in the last 9 volumes of the set. It includes a chronological table of principal events and personalities.
£100.00
Columbia University Press Like Bread on the Seder Plate
Book SynopsisOne of the first women to be ordained as a rabbi explores how lesbians can shape Jewish tradition to resonate with their own experience.Trade ReviewAn excellent resource for scholars of both Jewish and lesbian cultures in the United States. American Studies International A solid contribution to both Jewish feminism and lesbian and gay studies, breaking new ground in its focus on transforming Jewish religious life from a lesbian perspective. Women's Review of Books An extremely valuable and visionary source for Jewish lesbians who long to be recognized and to participate fully in mainstream synagogue life... The author is to be congratulated for bravely taking on such an all-consuming topic and writing such an accessible, powerful and provocative book. Lambda Book Report
£25.20
Columbia University Press To the End of the Earth
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£83.60
Columbia University Press Doubting the Devout
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA lucid, well-written, and clearly argued book, -- Wendy Zierler H-Judaic Smart and perceptive book Jewish Book World Even if you've read none of the books Rubel discusses, hers is a worthwhile reflection on a major cultural divide in contemporary American judaism. -- Rachel Gordan LillithTable of ContentsIntroduction: A Family Feud 1. Orthodoxy and Nostalgia in the American Jewish Imagination 2. Rebbes' Daughters: The New Chosen 3. The New Jewish Gothic 4. Muggers in Black Coats Conclusion: They Are Us in Other Clothes Notes Bibliography Index
£75.60
Columbia University Press Open Secret
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewElliot R. Wolfson's new work is a masterful exposition of the phenomenology and ontology of Habad thought, particularly its bearing on messianic mysteries and consciousness. This study is an extraordinary integration of precise philology, philosophical comprehension, and the inner course of Habad theosophy as it flows through the discourses of its seven masters. Wolfson analyzes the climactic position of Rabbi Schneerson within this complex with exemplary and original insight. -- Michael Fishbane, Nathan Cummings Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Chicago Elliot R. Wolfson's dark brilliance is itself an open secret, unfolding mesmerizing rhythms of chiastic paradox. The relevance of his commentary cannot be confined to the study of a particular movement, religion, or discipline. In this philosophical meditation on a controversial strand of recent messianism, a profound historical kabbalism appears edged with a postmodern Kafkaesque irony--in the legacy of a 'future that is already present as the present that is always future.' -- Catherine Keller, Drew University, and author of Face of the Deep: A Theology of Becoming This highly original reading of Menachem Mendel Schneerson's messianic doctrine renders irrelevant much of the ongoing speculation and debate on the question of whether or not the Lubavitcher Rebbe, like the bulk of his following, believed that he was the Messiah. The book argues insightfully that beneath his well-attested endeavors to demonstrate the imminence the messianic advent, and his resort to the traditional language of Jewish messianic speculation, lays the paradoxical 'open secret' of a totally impersonal Messiah who, reflecting the nature of the infinite kabbalistic godhead itself, can be revealed in the world only by way of concealment. His advent is conceptualized as a universal expansion of spiritual consciousness, a nonevent that continuously occurs, has occurred, and will occur 'immediately, without delay, in actuality,' which effectively means beyond measurable time. -- Ada Rapoport-Albert, University College London Wolfson's spiritual quest is contagious, and the intrepid reader will brave the many difficult passages in order to follow him -- Lawrence Grossman Forward Every researcher or enlightened reader should be interested in this profound construction, in order to understand the most significant Jewish messianic phenomenon in the Jewish world of the last two generations. -- Alon Dahan H-Judaic Wolfson has not only produced an excellent study of Rabbi Mena?em Mendel Schneerson's views, but he has argued convincingly that this work will serve as a paradigm for Jewish philosophic thought. -- H.D. Uriel Smith Philosophy East and WestTable of ContentsPreface Note on the Transliteration Introduction: Behind the Veil Unveiled 1. Concealing the Concealment: The Politics of the Esoteric 2. A/voiding Place: Apophatic Embodiment 3. Semiotic Transubstantiation of the Somatic 4. Messianic Torah: Hypernomian Transvaluation 5. Female Encircles Male: Gender Transposition 6. Apocalyptic Crossing: Beyond the (Non)Jewish Other Postface: In an Instant-Advent of the (Non)event Notes Bibliography Index
£83.60
Columbia University Press Jerusalem Unbound
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDumper, a leading expert on contemporary Jerusalem, provides an excellent guide to Jerusalem's current dynamics. This is the most updated and comprehensive account on the frontier city, where conflicting national claims and operations meet religious resacraliztion. -- Menachem Klein, author of The Shift: Israel-Palestine from Border Struggle to Ethnic Conflict Jerusalem Unbound is a truly masterful examination of the layers of complex politics surrounding-indeed, embedded in-contemporary Jerusalem. Michael Dumper uses the concept of a 'many bordered' city to explore the local and international forces that shape patterns of social as well as political interaction. He then, by way of conclusion, builds on this analysis to suggest how the issue might be addressed in the context of a future Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement. The research is excellent, and the result is a delight to read. Jerusalem Unbound is not only essential reading for anyone interested in Jerusalem or the Arab-Israeli conflict but also represents a significant contribution to the literature on divided cities, religious sites, and cities in conflict. -- Rex Brynen, Department of Political Science, McGill University An original look at a city in flux amidst impasse. Jerusalem Unbound presents a new argument about how to think about this contentious city, asserting that its fluid, 'many-bordered' nature constrains the unilateral imposition of political power and opens up new alternatives for political compromise. -- Scott A. Bollens, author of City and Soul in Divided Societies Full of fascinating new insights on the complex and contentious subject of Jerusalem, not only is this book very well documented and authoritative, but it is also written with eloquence and compassion. As of now, no one should dare to pronounce on the future of this city without first reading this work. On the basis of painstaking research, Mick Dumper extrapolates from the findings of a major new inter-disciplinary project on 'Conflict in Cities' to reveal how life in Jerusalem has been shaped and reshaped by the introduction of new structures, barriers and security measures, to the extent that, as Dumper contends, the whole notion of defining 'borders' between the Israeli and Palestinian inhabitants of the city defies conventional understanding. -- Rosemary Hollis, City University London This title will be of interest to those hoping for a peaceful solution to Middle Eastern conflict. Library Journal A very worthwhile addition to any library... A very accessible text that can be read and enjoyed by scholars within the field as well as educated and informed readers with an interest in Middle Eastern affairs more generally. LSE Review of Books Jerusalem Unbound is a clearly organized, meticulously researched, highly readable guide to Jerusalem's complex social and political landscape. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs In short, this should become the standard reference on the Jerusalem issue CHOICE Outstanding... A must-read for Jerusalem researchers and an important contribution to the bookshelf of anyone interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or, more broadly, in the political and urban geography of contested cities. Society and Space This is a must-read book for the general public, academics, and analysts. -- Muhammad Yaseen Gada American Journal of Islamic Social SciencesTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Hard Borders of the City 2. The "Softer" Borders of the City 3. The Scattered Borders of Holiness 4. The International Community and Jerusalem 5. Jerusalem in the Twenty-First Century: What Prospect of Peace? Appendix: Web Site and Facebook Surveys Notes Index
£33.25
Columbia University Press When the State Winks
Book SynopsisWhen the State Winks traces the performance of state-endorsed Orthodox conversion in Israel. Michal Kravel-Tovi complicates the popular perception that it is a "wink-wink" relationship in which both sides agree to treat pretenses of faith as real, developing new ways to think about the connection between religious conversion and the nation-state.Trade ReviewEasily the best recent ethnography of state bureaucratic practice (and state-sponsored conversion) in Israel. Kravel-Tovi's work is grounded in significant ethnographic fieldwork and moves beyond accounts that treat 'the State' as a monolithic and inimical entity. Real people-rabbis, converts and state workers-emerge from these pages, not stick figures of the sociological imagination. -- Don Seeman, Emory UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrologue: The Naked Truth on Tel Aviv’s BeachesIntroduction: Taking Winking SeriouslyPart 1. The Conversion Mission1. National Mission2. State WorkersPart 2. The Conversion Performance3. Legible Signs4. Dramaturgical Entanglements5. Biographical ScriptsEpilogue: Winking Like a StateGlossaryNotesReferencesIndex
£80.39
Columbia University Press When the State Winks
Book SynopsisWhen the State Winks traces the performance of state-endorsed Orthodox conversion in Israel. Michal Kravel-Tovi complicates the popular perception that it is a "wink-wink" relationship in which both sides agree to treat pretenses of faith as real, developing new ways to think about the connection between religious conversion and the nation-state.Trade Review[This] book is well organized ... it is essential reading for anyone who wants to get a deeper understanding of how the conversion process really operates. -- Alan Rosenbaum * The Jerusalem Post *This book is required reading for students and scholars who are interested in religion and state in contemporary Israel, reproduction, gender, and of course, conversion -- Michal Raucher, Rutgers University * Religious Studies Review *In addition to its contributions to the fields of political anthropology and the anthropology of religion, When the State Winks is a model of a methodologically and theoretically rigorous ethnography written in an accessible language. * American Ethnologist *Important, challenging book. -- Shlomo Brody * Jewish Review of Books *This is a masterpiece to recommend to all those concerned about research into political states and the related concepts of governmentality and biopolitics. -- Avihu Shoshana * Quest: Issues in Contemporary Jewish History *This study is well-written and readable. It combines academic professional writing with relevant, informative stories from the field. The result is an informative and beautifully written book. * The Tel Aviv Review of Books *When the State Winks is written in an engaging style that will instantly draw in both a specialist and a non-specialist reader. It can be recommended to a wide range of academic audiences and is a must-read in anthropology of religion at the intersection with political anthropology and anthropology of the state. -- Yulia Egorova * LSE Review of Books *[A] stunning ethnographic study...Highly recommended. * Choice *A beautifully written and engaged ethnography of the overlooked topic of state-sponsored conversion to Judaism. Kravel-Tovi illustrates how the complicated playing field of conversion is constrained with tensions between state secularism and religion; Zionism and Judaism; and bureaucracy and sincerity. -- Esra Ozyurek, London School of EconomicsIn addition to its contributions to the fields of political anthropology and the anthropology of religion, When the State Winks is a model of a methodologically and theoretically rigorous ethnography written in an accessible language that would make an excellent addition to undergraduate- and graduate-level syllabi. * American Ethnologist *This book is highly recommended. * Studies in Contemporary Jewry *When the State Winks is a superb ethnography of state-run conversion to Judaism in Israel. -- Mikaela Rogozen-Soltar * Ethnos *The book offers a wonderful synthesis between an animated ethnographic description and a sharp analytical account. [It] makes an important contribution to both the anthropology of the state and the ethnography of communication. -- Tamar Katriel * Israeli Sociology *When the State Winks is a milestone, or even a breakthrough, in the understanding of the state. Kravel-Tovi directs her look at the generally overlooked bodily part of the state: its face; not at the way in which the state “sees” or “hears” but at the way in which its shifting gestures and expressions create a double entendre. -- Haim Hazan * Israeli Sociology *In her stimulating and engrossing book, Michal Kravel-Tovi deploys the classic anthropological concept of ‘winking’ . . . Kravel-Tovi is to be congratulated for a political ethnography that achieves a satisfying balance among macro-contextual analysis, mobilization of social science, vivid and detailed vignettes of the objects of her study, and authorial self-reflection. -- Ian S., Lustick University of Pennsylvania * Israel Studies Review *In this probe of state-religion relations in Israel, Michal Kravel-Tovi brings the critical but sympathetic curiosity of a skilled ethnographer to explore the use of religious conversion for the purpose of creating national belonging. Addressing the substantial divergence between rabbinical practice and theological ideals and portraying converts whose reasons for choosing Judaism are often practical rather than spiritual, she shows how officials of state as well as rabbinical judges wink collusively at the short shrift given to doctrinal requirements in favor of well-trained performances of sincerity. -- Michael Herzfeld, Harvard UniversityThe question of who is allowed to convert to Judaism in Israel, and how and when, is deeply charged with both spiritual and political commitments. Kravel-Tovi’s insightful, thoughtful book helps us to understand the nature of these contradictions and their consequences and the way that converts themselves come to experience their conversion. -- Tanya Luhrmann, Stanford UniversityWhen the State Winks is an excellent, original work that uniquely situates its analysis not just within an anthropological framework but also within a broad, humanistic one. Kravel-Tovi tells a compelling story about the political and personal complexities of conversion in Israel, and it will be of great interest to anthropologists, sociologists, and historians as well as scholars of Judaism and religion more generally. -- Leora Batnitzky, Princeton UniversityThe best recent ethnography of state bureaucratic practice in Israel and the best ethnography of state-assisted conversion more broadly. With clarity of prose, pathbreaking ethnography, and a humanizing argument, Kravel-Tovi’s work moves beyond accounts that treat ‘the state’ as a monolithic and inimical entity. Real people—rabbis, converts, and state workers—emerge from these pages, not stick figures of the sociological imagination. -- Don Seeman, Emory UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrologue: The Naked Truth on Tel Aviv’s BeachesIntroduction: Taking Winking SeriouslyPart 1. The Conversion Mission1. National Mission2. State WorkersPart 2. The Conversion Performance3. Legible Signs4. Dramaturgical Entanglements5. Biographical ScriptsEpilogue: Winking Like a StateGlossaryNotesReferencesIndex
£22.00
Columbia University Press The Duplicity of Philosophys Shadow
Book SynopsisElliot R. Wolfson intervenes in the debate over Martin Heidegger and Nazism from a unique perspective, as a scholar of Jewish mysticism and philosophy who has been profoundly influenced by Heidegger’s work. He reveals crucial aspects of Heidegger’s thinking that betray an affinity with dimensions of Jewish thought.Trade ReviewIf Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe was right when stating that the ‘secret of Nazism is buried in Heidegger,’ we must face down this troubled legacy. Elliot Wolfson leads us to the uncomfortable zone of true thinking. Without condemnation but on the razor’s edge of incessant probing, the work calls up a recasting of political engagement. Mere condemnation or strategies of avoidance can no longer cut it. -- Avital Ronell, New York UniversityThe Duplicity of Philosophy's Shadow represents one of the most sustained and creative engagements with the legacy of Heidegger. Rather than marginalize Heidegger and ostracize those who engage his writings, Wolfson instead opts for critical engagement and intellectual honesty. His poetic wrestling is simultaneously exciting and timely. -- Aaron W. Hughes, University of RochesterIn The Duplicity of Philosophy’s Shadow, Wolfson gathers together immense amounts of documentation and compresses it into a lively, readable analysis that combines scope and comprehensiveness with incisive focus on the core issues. He has the talent and the patience to deliver the painstaking labor necessary to provide such syntheses. Wolfson’s scholarly expertise deeply impresses this work with his own signature. -- William Franke, Vanderbilt UniversityNeither apologetic nor denunciatory, Wolfson masterfully summons the lucidity of a philosopher, the erudition of a scholar, and the profoundness of a mystic to face one of modern thought’s most disturbing riddles: how could Heidegger bring so much philosophical light and evince so much political darkness? In this powerful, crepuscular display, Heideggerian and kabbalistic insights on the ambiguity of truth converge to elucidate the philosopher’s very darkness as the shadow of his philosophical radiance. -- Elad Lapidot, Free University of BerlinThis rich scholarly treatment of Heidegger's social, political, and philosophical life adds a voice to Heideggerian studies that should not be missed....Highly recommended. * Choice *Elliot Wolfson’s The Duplicity of Philosophy’s Shadow: Heidegger, Nazism, and the Jewish Other is, in my opinion, the most sophisticated engagement with the 'problem' of Martin Heidegger’s Nazism in the English language * Reading Religion *Table of ContentsPreface: Calculating Heidegger’s Miscalculation1. Barbaric Enchantment: From Existential Ontology to Abyssal Meontology2. Nomadism, Homelessness, and the Obfuscation of Being3. Jewish Time and the Historiographical Eclipse of Historical Destiny4. Being’s Tragedy: Heidegger’s Silence and the Ring of Solitude5. Political Disavowal: Truth and Concealing the Unconcealment6. Heidegger, Balaam, and the Duplicity of Philosophy’s ShadowAfterwordNotesBibliographyIndex
£79.20
University of Illinois Press History of a Tragedy
Book SynopsisA concise retelling of the Sephardic Jews’ grim story Trade Review"This is an exemplary work of humane scholarship that informs its readers and illuminates its subject, and is deserving of the highest praise."--International History Review
£28.80
University of Illinois Press Catholics and Jews in TwentiethCentury America
Book SynopsisProviding insights of Catholic and Jewish commentators and religious leaders, this work recounts the transformation of a relationship of irreconcilable enmity to one of respectful coexistence and constructive dialogue. Focusing on the Catholic doctrinal view of the Jews and its ramifications, it traces the historical roots of anti-semitism.Trade ReviewKenneth Kingery Scholarly Book Award, Council for Wisconsin Writers, 2002.“[Feldman] takes up the American Jewish-Catholic relationship and its remarkable development over the course of the twentieth century. In doing so he has given a precious gift to both communities. . . . I would commend him for his balance and sure-footedness while narrating a number of extremely complex and sensitive issues and incidents. I can highly recommend this book.”--Moment"In a lucid and comprehensive overview of Catholic/Jewish relations in the twentieth century, Dr. Feldman provides depth of historical perspective and analysis to the major issues affecting relations between two critical American religious minorities. A combination of first-rate scholarship and eminently readable prose."--Steven Bayme, director of Contemporary Jewish Life, American Jewish Committee
£29.70
University of Illinois Press Jewish Feminists
Book SynopsisHow Jewishness and feminism converged in the life histories of twentieth-century activistsTrade Review"A well-researched analysis of the complimentary yet sometimes tension-inducing interactions between Judaism, Jewishness, and feminism."--Jewish Book World"Pinsky creates an artful map of shifting Jewish feminist identities over time."--Shofar"Recommended."--Choice “Pinsky's work introduces the unique cultural experience of Jews into the feminist dialogue with much success. . . .Informative and enjoyable from chapter to chapter.”--Contemporary Sociology"Delightful to read, this book provides an underrepresented perspective in Jewish women's studies and significant evidence about the ways individuals negotiate changes brought about by social movements."--Rebecca T. Alpert, author of Whose Torah? A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism"An enjoyable, thoughtful book that connects theoretical questions to the embodied lived experience of Jewish feminists."--Caryn Aviv, coauthor of New Jews: The End of the Jewish Diaspora
£16.14
Indiana University Press Bukharan Jews and the Dynamics of Global Judaism
Book SynopsisTells an intimate and personal story of what it means to be Bukharan JewishTrade ReviewThis study of the Jewish communities of Central Asia—primarily the cities of Tashkent, Bukhara, and Samarkand, and smaller surrounding settlements—is an impressive synthesis of ethnography and cultural history. It is the product of many years of patient interviews, participant observation, and archival research. * AJS Review *Much interest will be provoked by this book in the transformation of Bukharan Jewish self-identity and especially the varieties of their Jewishness. Within these wide categories, this beautifully presented and well-written monograph adds to our understanding of this community. * Slavic Review *[This] book is an important work that offers readers a insightful perspective of a Jewish group as it is transformed and shaped. . . The book is well written, well argued, and very readable. It will definitely become a must read in curricula dealing not only with Jewish studies but nationalities, Diaspora, and minorities studies as well. * H-Judaic *It is a rare edited volume that keeps readers moving from chapter to chapter like a single-author book, but that is precisely what 'Ethnographies of the State in Central Asia' accomplishes. Including authors from a range of academic fields, it is positioned as a contribution to the interdisciplinary body of literature on ethnographically analysing 'the state', and incorporates rich and engaging case studies from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Xinjiang. * Central Asian Survey *Bukharan Jews and the dynamics of global Judaism makes an original and exciting contribution to the anthropology of Jewish communities and promises to become an important reference-point in social studies of Judaism. Alanna Cooper's engaging study of the Bukharan Jews (or the Jews of Central Asia) takes the reader on a journey throughout the centuries and discusses a wide range of issues in the history and anthropology both of this specific community and of Judaism in general. * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *Bukharan Jews and the Dynamics of Global Judaism is an important contribution to Jewish Studies, shining a light on a neglected area of the Jewish world that deserves more attention. * Journal of Folklore Research *By considering a community at the 'periphery' of the Jewish world, Cooper aims to reflect on the wider faith and culture.8/9/13 * Times Literary Supplement *[T]his is a readable, illuminating, and in many ways pathbreaking book. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Based on a wealth of different kinds of source materials and together with the challenging questions she raises, Cooper produces a broad and interesting picture of a lesser-studied and understood group of Jews, which despite a common name are becoming distinguished units based on location, the length of time they have been living there and outside influences. * AJL Reviews *Bukharan Jews and the Dynamics of Global Judaism is written in an engaging style, not laden with jargon or with so much detail as to lose the inattentive reader. Cooper situates her work within Jewish studies, but she provides enough explanation of her key interests and questions that a reader who knows little about Judaism will still find the work very accessible. Likewise, non-anthropologists will find her explanations of method and theory to be useful and easily understood. * Nationalities Papers *Overall, Bukharan Jews and the Dynamics of Global Judaism contributes to the growing field of Jewish ethnography, especially in its concentration on an understudied Jewish group that reveals the significance of contestation to understanding diaspora communities. Methodologically, Cooper's focus on contestations and conversations and her incorporation of historiographic material in addition to ethnographic work are also valuable. This ethnography will be of particular interest to students and scholars of the anthropology of Jews, Jewish studies more broadly, and diaspora and migration studies. * American Ethnologist *Every serious student of Jewish history should read this book. * Jewish Link *Table of ContentsPreface: Reining in Diaspora's MarginsAcknowledgmentsPart 1. Introduction1. First Encounter: Bukharan Jewish Immigrants in an Ashkenazi School in New York2. Writing Bukharan Jewish History: Memory, Authority, and PeoplehoodPart 2. Eighteenth-Century Conversations3. An Emissary from the Holy Land in Central Asia4. Revisiting the Story of the Emissary from the Holy LandPart 3. Nineteenth-Century Conversations5. Russian Colonialism and Central Asian Jewish Routes6. A Matter of Meat: Local and Global Religious Leaders in Conversation7. Building a Neighborhood and Constructing Bukharan Jewish IdentityPart 4. Twentieth-Century Conversations8. Local Jewish Forms9. International Jewish Organizations Encounter Local Jewish Community Life10. Varieties of Bukharan Jewishness11. Negotiating Authenticity and Identity: Bukharan Jews Encounter Each Other and the Self12. Jewish History as a ConversationNotesBibliographyIndex
£21.59
Indiana University Press Judaism Liberalism and Political Theology
Book SynopsisProposes a new and richly detailed engagement between Judaism and the political.Trade ReviewThe editors have done their work well and supplied a very faithful summary of the contributor's labours, while the contribuotrs themselves have shown exemplary diligence and intellectual clarity for which this reader is extremely grateful. * The Muslim World Book Review *[Proposes] a new and richly detailed engagement between Judaism and the political.Fall 2014 * Jewish Book World *The collection's sharp and nuanced insights into the role of Judaism (real or imagined) in the discourse of political theology, and its corrective to the ways that in which Judaism has been misrepresented and abused by this important stream of modern thought, are urgent, enlightening, and highly recommended reading. * H-Judaic *Table of ContentsIntroduction Randi Rashkover and Martin KavkaPart I. Judaism and Liberalism1. Spinoza and the Possibility Condition of Modern Judaism, Jerome Copulsky2. Plato Prophesied the Revelation: The Philosophico-Political Theology of Strauss'Philosophy and Law and the Guidance of Hermann Cohen, Dana Hollander 3. What Do the Dead Deserve?: Towards A Critique of Jewish Political Theology, Martin Kavka4. The Zionism of Hannah Arendt 1941-1948, Eric JacobsonPart II. Messianism, Miracle and Power 5. Power and Israel in Martin Buber's Critique of Carl Schmitt's Political Theology, Gregory Kaplan6. The Political Theology of Ethical Monotheism, Daniel Weidner7. The Miraculous Birth of the Given, Daniel BrandesPart III. Ethics, Law and the Universal 8. Bad Jews, Authentic Jews, Figural Jews, Sarah Hammerschlag9. The Patient Gesture: Law, Liberalism, and Talmud, Zachary BraitermanPart IV. The Mosaic Distinction10. Reason within the Bounds of Religion, Robert Erlewine11. The Impossibility of the Prohibition of Images, Oona Eisenstadt 12.From Distortion to Displacement: Freud and the Mosaic Distinction, Brian Britt 13. Monotheism as a Political Problem, Bruce Rosenstock ContributorsIndex
£59.50
Indiana University Press Judaism Liberalism and Political Theology
Book SynopsisProposes a new and richly detailed engagement between Judaism and the political.Trade ReviewThe editors have done their work well and supplied a very faithful summary of the contributor's labours, while the contribuotrs themselves have shown exemplary diligence and intellectual clarity for which this reader is extremely grateful. * The Muslim World Book Review *[Proposes] a new and richly detailed engagement between Judaism and the political.Fall 2014 * Jewish Book World *The collection's sharp and nuanced insights into the role of Judaism (real or imagined) in the discourse of political theology, and its corrective to the ways that in which Judaism has been misrepresented and abused by this important stream of modern thought, are urgent, enlightening, and highly recommended reading. * H-Judaic *Table of ContentsIntroduction Randi Rashkover and Martin KavkaPart I. Judaism and Liberalism1. Spinoza and the Possibility Condition of Modern Judaism, Jerome Copulsky2. Plato Prophesied the Revelation: The Philosophico-Political Theology of Strauss'Philosophy and Law and the Guidance of Hermann Cohen, Dana Hollander 3. What Do the Dead Deserve?: Towards A Critique of Jewish Political Theology, Martin Kavka4. The Zionism of Hannah Arendt 1941-1948, Eric JacobsonPart II. Messianism, Miracle and Power 5. Power and Israel in Martin Buber's Critique of Carl Schmitt's Political Theology, Gregory Kaplan6. The Political Theology of Ethical Monotheism, Daniel Weidner7. The Miraculous Birth of the Given, Daniel BrandesPart III. Ethics, Law and the Universal 8. Bad Jews, Authentic Jews, Figural Jews, Sarah Hammerschlag9. The Patient Gesture: Law, Liberalism, and Talmud, Zachary BraitermanPart IV. The Mosaic Distinction10. Reason within the Bounds of Religion, Robert Erlewine11. The Impossibility of the Prohibition of Images, Oona Eisenstadt 12.From Distortion to Displacement: Freud and the Mosaic Distinction, Brian Britt 13. Monotheism as a Political Problem, Bruce Rosenstock ContributorsIndex
£25.19
Indiana University Press Franz Rosenzweigs Conversions
Book SynopsisFranz Rosenzweig's near-conversion to Christianity in the summer of 1913 and his subsequent decision three months later to recommit himself to Judaism is one of the foundational narratives of modern Jewish thought. This book presents an examination of this important time in Rosenzweig's life.Trade ReviewThe book's scholarship . . . sets the proper tone in understanding the personal searching, frustration, and successful merging of religion and philosophy of the celebrated author of The Star of Redemption. . . . Recommended. * Choice *[E]xcellent . . . . * Jewish Review of Books *[Pollock's] book is a welcome contribution that helps us better appreciate Rosenzweig's engagement with Marcionism and its role in the development of his thought. * H-Judaic *This work sheds a new and compelling light on the trajectory of Rosenzweig's thought and is highly recommended to undergraduates, graduates, and scholars of Jewish studies. * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgementsIntroduction: Explaining Rosenzweig's Near-Conversion and Return1. Revelation and World-Skepticism: Rosenzweig's Early Marcionism2. Christian "World Activity" and the Historical Reconciliation of Soul and World: Rosenzweig's (Near-) Conversion3. "Ich bleibe also Jude": Judaism, Redemption, and the World4. World Denial and World Redemption in The Star of RedemptionConclusion: Life and Thought RevisitedNotesBibliographyIndex
£45.00
Indiana University Press Rethinking the Messianic Idea in Judaism
Book SynopsisOver the centuries, the messianic tradition has provided the language through which modern Jewish philosophers, socialists, and Zionists envisioned a utopian future. This book helps you ask new questions and provide new ways of thinking about this enduring Jewish idea.Trade ReviewLehrer and Meng have edited an important interdisciplinary work, which should make an immediate impact on the field of Polish Jewish Studies. * Religious Studies Review *[A]ppropriate for academic collections that are either comprehensive or include a specialization on messianism.Sept 2015 * AJL Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroductionMichael L. Morgan and Steven Weitzman Part I. Blurred Lines and Open Secrets in Early Jewish Messianism1. Messianism between Judaism and Christianity Annette Yoshiko Reed 2. He that Cometh Out: On How to Disclose a Messianic Secret Steven Weitzman Part II. Between Here and Eternity in Medieval Judaism3. Maimonides and the Idea of a Deflationary Messiah Kenneth Seeskin4. 'And the Crooked Shall be Made Straight': Twisted Messianic Visions, and a Maimonidean Corrective Menachen Kellner5. Seeking the Symmetry of Time: The Messianic Age in Medieval Chronology Elisheva Carlebach Part III. Messianism and Ethics in Modern Jewish Thought6. Messianism and Ethics Matt Goldish7. To Infinity and Beyond: Cohen and Rosenzweig on Comportment towards Redemption Benjamin Pollock8. Levinas and Messianism Michael L. MorganPart IV. Politics and Anti-Politics in Contemporary Jewish Messianism9. What Zvi Yehudah Kook Wrought: The Theopolitical Radicalization of Religious ZionismShai Held10. Messianic Religious Zionism and the Reintroduction of Sacrifice: The Case of the Temple InstituteMotti Inbari11. The Muted Messiah: The Aversion to Messianic Forms of Zionism in Modern Orthodox ThoughtDavid Shatz12. The Divine/Human Messiah and Religious Deviance: Rethinking Chabad MessianismShaul Magid Part V. Messianism between Religious and Secular Imagination13. Isadore Isou's Messianism Awry Cosana Eram14. Arthur A. Cohen's Messianic Fiction Emily Kopley15. Reading Messianically with Gershom Scholem Martin KavkaIndex
£77.35
Indiana University Press Rethinking the Messianic Idea in Judaism
Book SynopsisOver the centuries, the messianic tradition has provided the language through which modern Jewish philosophers, socialists, and Zionists envisioned a utopian future. This book helps you ask questions and provide new ways of thinking about this enduring Jewish idea.Trade ReviewLehrer and Meng have edited an important interdisciplinary work, which should make an immediate impact on the field of Polish Jewish Studies. * Religious Studies Review *[A]ppropriate for academic collections that are either comprehensive or include a specialization on messianism.Sept 2015 * AJL Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroductionMichael L. Morgan and Steven Weitzman Part I. Blurred Lines and Open Secrets in Early Jewish Messianism1. Messianism between Judaism and Christianity Annette Yoshiko Reed 2. He that Cometh Out: On How to Disclose a Messianic Secret Steven Weitzman Part II. Between Here and Eternity in Medieval Judaism3. Maimonides and the Idea of a Deflationary Messiah Kenneth Seeskin4. 'And the Crooked Shall be Made Straight': Twisted Messianic Visions, and a Maimonidean Corrective Menachen Kellner5. Seeking the Symmetry of Time: The Messianic Age in Medieval Chronology Elisheva Carlebach Part III. Messianism and Ethics in Modern Jewish Thought6. Messianism and Ethics Matt Goldish7. To Infinity and Beyond: Cohen and Rosenzweig on Comportment towards Redemption Benjamin Pollock8. Levinas and Messianism Michael L. MorganPart IV. Politics and Anti-Politics in Contemporary Jewish Messianism9. What Zvi Yehudah Kook Wrought: The Theopolitical Radicalization of Religious ZionismShai Held10. Messianic Religious Zionism and the Reintroduction of Sacrifice: The Case of the Temple InstituteMotti Inbari11. The Muted Messiah: The Aversion to Messianic Forms of Zionism in Modern Orthodox ThoughtDavid Shatz12. The Divine/Human Messiah and Religious Deviance: Rethinking Chabad MessianismShaul Magid Part V. Messianism between Religious and Secular Imagination13. Isadore Isou's Messianism Awry Cosana Eram14. Arthur A. Cohen's Messianic Fiction Emily Kopley15. Reading Messianically with Gershom Scholem Martin KavkaIndex
£31.50
Indiana University Press The Radical American Judaism of Mordecai M.
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAll in all, an interesting, stimulating, and well-done analysis of Kaplan's life and thought. All students of contemporary Jewish life will benefit from reading this excellent study. * Jewish Media Review *I've read a lot of Kaplan. I even used to sneak peeks at his personal correspondences when I worked in his archive at RRC. This book by Mel Scult is by far the best on Kaplan's ideas. Heck, it is even better than Kaplan himself because Scult does an amazing job of tying together loose threads and making Kaplan more readable. -- Rabbi Howard Cohen[This book has] frequent quotations from Kaplan's writings . . . his diary underlines the deep attachement of Kaplan to the Jewish people, to the evolution and expansion of Judaism as a force for all humankind. . . [Mel Scult] agrees that Kaplan was . . . a heretic who reconstructed Judaism from its increasing loss of significance into a vital and meaningful force in contemporary life. . . The Radical American Judaism of Mordecai M. Kaplan is true to its title, rigorously examining Kaplan's bold thinking and innovative contributions to Jewish life in America. * Jewish Book Council *[T]his book is the work of a mature scholar. It displays the erudition Scult has acquired over a lifetime of research on Kaplan and is unparalleled in its clarity as well as in the breadth and depth of its treatment of Kaplan—his writings, his achievements, and his meaning for Judaism and the Jewish people today and in the future. * The American Jewish Archives Journal *The book is highly readable—at times almost colloquial in its language and style—and is recommended for anybody with a familiarity with Kaplan but who wants to understand his thought within a broader context. * AJL Reviews *[T]his new volume represents a clear contribution to scholarship. It situates Kaplan within the development of twentieth-century American Jewish thought and considers the intellectual influences and interlocutors that led Kaplan to the sometimes contradictory religious positions he adopted. * American Jewish History *Mel Scult, professor emeritus at Brooklyn College, explores the ways in which Mordecai Kaplan, the only rabbi to have been excommunicated by the Orthodox rabbinical establishment in America, was a radical. Using Kaplan's 27-volume diary, Scult places Kaplan's thought in conversation with other thinkers like Spinoza, Emerson, Ahad Ha-Am, John Dewey, and Abraham Joshua Heschel. * NBN New Books Network Jewish Studies *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrefaceIntroduction1. Excommunications: Kaplan and Spinoza2. Self-Reliance: Kaplan and Emerson3. Nationalism and Righteousness: Ahad Ha-Am and Matthew Arnold4. Universalism and Pragmatism: Felix Adler, William James, and John Dewey5. Kaplan and Peoplehood: Judaism as a Civilization and Zionism6. Kaplan and His God: An Ambivalent Relationship7. Kaplan's Theology: Beyond Supernaturalism8. Salvation: The Goal of Religion9. Salvation Embodied: The Vehicle of Mitzvot10. Mordecai the Pious: Kaplan and Heschel11. The Law: Halakhah and Ethics12. Kaplan and the Problem of Evil: Cutting the Gordian KnotConclusionAppendix: "Thirteen Wants" of Mordecai Kaplan ReconstructedNotesSelected Bibliography and Note on SourcesIndex
£21.59
Indiana University Press Zionists in Interwar Czechoslovakia Minority
Book SynopsisTrade Review[W]ell researched and meticulously cited . . . Recommended. * Choice *Lichtenstein is to be commended for writing what promises to be a definitive account of Jewish minority nationalism in interwar Czechoslovakia. . . The detailed geographic and ideological contextualization of the Czech case study will interest all scholars researching Jewish history in central and eastern Europe, as well as the history of nation-building in modern Europe. * Slavic Review *Lichtenstein's book makes a dynamic contribution to the recent historiography of the Jewish experience in twentieth century. * Hungarian Historical Review *Zionists in Interwar Czechoslovakia is a powerful study of interwar Zionism in Czechoslovakia that both complicates the picture and draws simple and useful parallels to contemporaneous developments in Europe * Austrian Studies *This richly detailed monograph, based on an array of archival and contemporary secondary sources, is a welcome addition to modern European, but especially modern Jewish, historiography. * European History Quarterly *Lichtenstein's book is of utmost importance for the understanding of Zionism as a national movement beyond the national project in Palestine. * East Central Europe *[A] well-documented and insightful monograph. * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of Place NamesIntroduction: Making Jews at Home1. The Jews of Czechoslovakia—A Mosaic of Cultures2. Jewish Power and Powerlessness: Zionists, Czechs and the Paris Peace Conference3. Mapping Jews: Social Science and the Making of Czechoslovak Jewry4. Conquering Communities: Zionists, Cultural Renewal, and the State5. A Stateless Nation's Territory: Zionists and the Jewish Schools6. Making New Jews: Maccabi in Czechoslovakia7. Promised Lands: Zionism and Communism in Interwar CzechoslovakiaEpilogue: "A Storm of Barbarism"NotesBibliographyIndex
£35.10
Indiana University Press Writing Jewish Culture Paradoxes in Ethnography
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWriting Jewish Culture is a significant work in the field of Jewish Studies as well as German-Jewish and Yiddish literature and will be of great interest to scholars in these fields. * Slavic Review *Writing Jewish Culture looks at the ethnographic issues while defining Jewishness in a very fresh, sophisticated way. The contributors in this volume are accomplished and unmatched scholars. It is a very timely and important addition to the literature on Jewish ethnography. * Washington Book Review *This book significantly contributes to our knowledge of Jewish ethnography, history, literature, and culture and should be very interesting for scholars as well as a wider audience. * The Russian Review *Table of ContentsNote on Transliteration and NamesIntroduction / Andreas Kilcher and Gabriella SafranPart 1: Reinventing the "Jews" in Ethnographic Writing1. The Voice of a Native Informer: Salomon Maimon Describes Life in Polish Lithuania / Liliane Weissberg 2. Legends of Authenticity: Das Buch von den polnischen Juden (1916) by S. J. Agnon and Ahron Eliasberg / Sylvia Jaworski3. The Cold Order and the Eros of Storytelling: Joseph Roth's "Exotic Jews" / Andreas Kilcher4. Yiddish Ethnographic Poetics and Moyshe Kulbak's "Vilne" / Jordan FinkinPart 2: Seeing, Hearing, and Reading Jews5. Listening in the Dark: The Yiddish Folklorists' Claim of a Russian Genealogy / Gabriella Safran6. Ethnoliterary Modernity: Jewish Ethnography and Literature in the Russian Empire and Poland (1890-1930) / Annette Werberger7. Imagining the Wandering Jew in Modernity: Exegesis and Ethnography in Feuchtwanger's Jud Süss / Galit Hasan-Rokem8. Exclusion and Inclusion: Ethnography of War in Kriegsgefangene (1916) and Das Ostjüdische Antlitz (1920) / Eva Edelmann-Ohler9. Avant-Garde Authenticity: Ethnography and Identity in Moï Ver's Photobook Ein Ghetto im Osten / Samuel SpinnerPart 3: Spaces of Jewish Ethnography between Diaspora and Nation10. Zionism's Ethnographic Knowledge: Leo Motzkin's and Heinrich York-Steiner's Narratives of Palestine (1898-1904) / Alexander Alon11. Eastern Europe in Argentina: Yiddish Travelogues and the Exploration of Jewish Diaspora / Tamar LewinskyPart 4: Politics and the Addressee of Ethnography12. From Custom Book to Folk Culture: Minhag and the Roots of Jewish Ethnography / Nathaniel Deutsch13. In Search of the Exotic: "Jewish Houses" and Synagogues in Russian Travel Notes / Alla Sokolova14. Ballads of Strangers: Constructing "Ethnographic Moments" in Jewish Folklore / Dani SchrireAppendicesNote to ReadersA. What Is Jewish Ethnography? (Handbook for Fieldworkers) / Naftoli Vaynig and Khayim Khayes, Translated by Jordan FinkinB. Research Your Shtetl / H. Aleksandrov, Translated by Jordan FinkinC. "A Strange Experience" / A. Almi, Translated by Gabriella SafranList of ContributorsIndex
£59.50
Indiana University Press Writing Jewish Culture Paradoxes in Ethnography
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWriting Jewish Culture is a significant work in the field of Jewish Studies as well as German-Jewish and Yiddish literature and will be of great interest to scholars in these fields. * Slavic Review *Writing Jewish Culture looks at the ethnographic issues while defining Jewishness in a very fresh, sophisticated way. The contributors in this volume are accomplished and unmatched scholars. It is a very timely and important addition to the literature on Jewish ethnography. * Washington Book Review *This book significantly contributes to our knowledge of Jewish ethnography, history, literature, and culture and should be very interesting for scholars as well as a wider audience. * The Russian Review *Table of ContentsNote on Transliteration and NamesIntroduction / Andreas Kilcher and Gabriella SafranPart 1: Reinventing the "Jews" in Ethnographic Writing1. The Voice of a Native Informer: Salomon Maimon Describes Life in Polish Lithuania / Liliane Weissberg 2. Legends of Authenticity: Das Buch von den polnischen Juden (1916) by S. J. Agnon and Ahron Eliasberg / Sylvia Jaworski3. The Cold Order and the Eros of Storytelling: Joseph Roth's "Exotic Jews" / Andreas Kilcher4. Yiddish Ethnographic Poetics and Moyshe Kulbak's "Vilne" / Jordan FinkinPart 2: Seeing, Hearing, and Reading Jews5. Listening in the Dark: The Yiddish Folklorists' Claim of a Russian Genealogy / Gabriella Safran6. Ethnoliterary Modernity: Jewish Ethnography and Literature in the Russian Empire and Poland (1890-1930) / Annette Werberger7. Imagining the Wandering Jew in Modernity: Exegesis and Ethnography in Feuchtwanger's Jud Süss / Galit Hasan-Rokem8. Exclusion and Inclusion: Ethnography of War in Kriegsgefangene (1916) and Das Ostjüdische Antlitz (1920) / Eva Edelmann-Ohler9. Avant-Garde Authenticity: Ethnography and Identity in Moï Ver's Photobook Ein Ghetto im Osten / Samuel SpinnerPart 3: Spaces of Jewish Ethnography between Diaspora and Nation10. Zionism's Ethnographic Knowledge: Leo Motzkin's and Heinrich York-Steiner's Narratives of Palestine (1898-1904) / Alexander Alon11. Eastern Europe in Argentina: Yiddish Travelogues and the Exploration of Jewish Diaspora / Tamar LewinskyPart 4: Politics and the Addressee of Ethnography12. From Custom Book to Folk Culture: Minhag and the Roots of Jewish Ethnography / Nathaniel Deutsch13. In Search of the Exotic: "Jewish Houses" and Synagogues in Russian Travel Notes / Alla Sokolova14. Ballads of Strangers: Constructing "Ethnographic Moments" in Jewish Folklore / Dani SchrireAppendicesNote to ReadersA. What Is Jewish Ethnography? (Handbook for Fieldworkers) / Naftoli Vaynig and Khayim Khayes, Translated by Jordan FinkinB. Research Your Shtetl / H. Aleksandrov, Translated by Jordan FinkinC. "A Strange Experience" / A. Almi, Translated by Gabriella SafranList of ContributorsIndex
£25.19
