Judaism Books
Toby Publishing Ltd. Lirapeh Olam Shavur
Book Synopsis
£14.24
Toby Publishing Ltd. Yeinam
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£21.84
Koren Publishers The Koren Tefilla Siddur, Ashkenaz, Pocket
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£10.41
Koren Publishers Koren Shalem Siddur in Spanish, Ashkenaz,
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£25.64
Koren Publishers Koren Sacks Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Boxed Set
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£34.19
Koren Publishers Koren Sacks Mahzor Box Set (5 Vol), Compact
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£163.19
Koren Publishers The Koren Kol Yaakob Siddur, Sepharadim
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£25.64
Koren Publishers The Koren Selihot Minhag Lita
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£29.44
Koren Publishers Koren Meir Einayim Shabbat Siddur, Ashkenaz
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£27.89
Koren Publishers The Koren Tanakh Graphic Novel: Esther (Hebrew
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£18.04
Koren Publishers Tanakh de Koren Recit Graphique: Esther
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£18.04
Koren Publishers Tanaj Koren La Novela Grafica: Ester
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£18.04
Koren Publishers Koren Eden Shabbat Humash Hc Personal
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£21.84
Koren Publishers Koren Even Israel Siddur Sepharad
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£21.20
Koren Publishers Koren Eden Shabbat Humash Compact PB
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£14.24
Koren Publishers Koren Eden Shabbat Humash Compact Flex
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£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
Koren Publishers Steinsaltz Hamishna Hamevoeret 49 Volume Pocket Size
£999.99
£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
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