Social groups: religious groups and communities Books

Book SynopsisOver much of its rule, the regime of Hafez al-Asad and his successor Bashar al-Asad deployed violence on a massive scale to maintain its grip on political power. In this book, Salwa Ismail examines the rationalities and mechanisms of governing through violence. In a detailed and compelling account, Ismail shows how the political prison and the massacre, in particular, developed as apparatuses of government, shaping Syrians'' political subjectivities, defining their understanding of the terms of rule and structuring their relations and interactions with the regime and with one another. Examining ordinary citizens'' everyday life experiences and memories of violence across diverse sites, from the internment camp and the massacre to the family and school, The Rule of Violence demonstrates how practices of violence, both in their routine and spectacular forms, fashioned Syrians'' affective life, inciting in them feelings of humiliation and abjection, and infusing their lived environment wiTrade Review'In this highly original, but also deeply disturbing book Salwa Ismail has captured superbly the daily and the spectacular acts of violence that have marked Ba`thist rule in Syria. The cumulative effects of dread, fear and horror on the Syrian subject, conformist as well as resistant, are at the centre of this account, giving a unique insight into the conditions that have torn the country apart.' Charles Tripp, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London'The Rule of Violence offers a sophisticated, innovative and powerful examination of the manifold ways in which violence shaped modern Syria. Ismail's theoretically engaged and richly informed narrative traces the deep impact on Syria's citizens of state violence, from the intimate horrors of prison torture and the mass atrocities of the 1982 devastation of Hama to the brutal wars following the uprising of 2011. Ranging from politics and war to literature and popular culture, it stands as a critical contribution to our understanding of the deep legacies of authoritarian state violence.' Marc Lynch, The George Washington University, and author of The New Arab Wars: Anarchy and Uprising in the Middle East'This is a masterful account of how 'horror' came to be a central mode of governance in Syria under the Asad regime. Salwa Ismail's skilful scholarship expands our understanding of state violence through shifting focus to its affective dimensions in both the spectacular and the everyday. This is a powerful and utterly compelling book, a must read for students of Syria and authoritarianism.' Michelle Obeid, University of ManchesterTable of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; Introduction: the government of violence; 1. Violence as a modality of government in Syria; 2. Authoritarian government, the shadow state and political subjectivities; 3. Memories of life under dictatorship: the everyday of Ba'thist Syria; 4. Memories of violence: Hama 1982; 5. The performativity of violence and 'emotionalities of rule' in the Syrian Uprising; Conclusion: the rule of violence – formations of civil war; Postscript; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Perhaps no religion has been more maligned and misrepresented than Vodu, Vodún, Vaudou, or Voodoo. Spirit Service engages the top scholars of Vodún in the world to capture the diversity and vitality of this quintessential African religion in a single volume, while at the same time offering a timely and vigorous counternarrative and testament to the Black religious imagination in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Indeed, Spirit Service is a tour de force in scale and scope, examining themes as important as they are riveting—art, performance, ritual, healing, resistance, funerary rights. Each treatment captures a complexity of the whole that is Vodún—highlighting the profound ways in which this religion has continued to adapt, rebuild, and reclaim all that is African religion. A must-read for students of African studies, history, religious studies, anthropology, and performance studies."—Nwando Achebe, Jack and Margaret Sweet Endowed Professor of History, Michigan State University"The religious systems known as Vodu, Vodún, Vaudou, Voodoo, Gorovodu, and more have never been so thoroughly explored, interpreted, interrogated, and esteemed as by the writers of this lavish collection. The fourteen chapters in this volume provide extraordinarily diverse descriptions and narratives that allow readers to understand in abundant detail how Vodún (etc.) is not a single religion, but rather a vast global proliferation of sacred beliefs and practices that are in many ways related to one another, yet significantly different from place to place and through different historical periods. Readers will appreciate not only the diversity of forms and intentions of spirit service, but also that of the writers' relationships to their subjects, their closeness to the rituals or their more scientific distance, their identification (or not) with the community they study, their attention to performance, passion, aesthetics, rapture; and finally to political issues, class and race, state intervention, colonialism and its violence. This collection is an excellent and necessary addition to anthropology, history, and religious studies courses on Haiti, Voodoo in the U.S., African cultures, world religions, religious ritual and performance, art, and more."—Judy Rosenthal, Professor Anthropology Emeritus, University of Michigan, Flint"An impressive overview of Beninese Vodún and Haitian Vodou, this volume explores their various manifestations on both sides of the Atlantic. The essays in this anthology examine Vodún and Vodou's common history, their integration in their respective communities, their encounter with Christianity and Islam, and their remarkable adaptability to various social and economic changes. The Middle Passage and chattel slavery, and of late the migration of Vodún and Vodou to many parts of the world has transformed their sacred traditions to produce a multiverse of symbolic forms and has altered their beliefs and ritual practices. The authors examine the current forms of Vodún and Vodou as well as their continuity and discontinuity with their past. Vital for historians of religion, anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists, this book is likely to be an authoritative collection of essays and an important resource for scholarly research for years to come."—Leslie G. Desmangles, Professor Religious Studies Emeritus, Trinity CollegeTable of ContentsIntroduction, by Christian Vannier and Timothy R. LandryPart I: Encounter1. Vodou Genesis: Africans and the Making of a National Religion in Saint-Domingue, by Terry Rey2. Universalism and Syncretism in Beninese Vodún, by Douglas J. Falen3. Crossing Currents: Gorovodu and Yewevodu in Contemporary Togo, by Eric James Montgomery4. A Prayer for a Muslim Spirit: Islam in Gorovodu, by Christian Vannier5. Where Have All the Ounsi Gone?, by Karen Richman6. Sailing between Local and Global: Vodou in the Modern and Contemporary Arts of Haiti, by Natacha Giafferi-DombrePart II: Engagement7. Taking Hold of a Faith, by Jeffrey E. Anderson8. The Physic(s)ality of Vodún and the (Mis)behavior of Matter, by Venise N. Adjibodou9. Vodou Skins: Making Bodily Surfaces Social in Haitian Vodou Infant-Care, by Alissa M. Jordan10. Spirited Forests and the West African Forest Complex, by Timothy R. Landry11. Vodou, an Inclusive Epistemology: Towards A Queer Eco-Theology of Liberation, by Nixon Cleophat12. Necroscape and Diaspora: Making Ancestors in Haitian Vodou, by Elizabeth McAlister13. Conclusion: Global Vodún and Vodou: Encounter and Engagement, by Eric James Montgomery and Timothy R. LandryIndex

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Book SynopsisIn Religious, Feminist, Activist, Laurel Zwissler investigates the political and religious identities of women who understand their social-justice activism as religiously motivated. Placing these women in historical context as faith-based activists for social change, this book discusses what their activities reveal about the public significance of religion in the pluralistic context of North America and in our increasingly globalized world. Zwissler’s ethnographic interviews with feminist Catholics, Pagans, and United Church Protestants reveal radically different views of religious and political expression and illuminate how individual women and their communities negotiate issues of personal identity, spirituality, and political responsibility. Political activists of faith recount adventurous tales of run-ins with police, agonizing moments of fear and powerlessness in the face of global inequality, touching moments of community support, and successful projects Trade Review"Zwissler's book gives a unique insight into the ways activists of faith create new communities and practices in imagining and bringing about a better world, based on a cosmology of interconnection that goes beyond individualism and recognizes every person's ethical responsibility for the well-being of others. It deserves to be widely read by scholars of religion, politics, and the complex interaction between the two."—Kim Knibbe, Political Theology"Bringing together ideas that are often thought to be incongruent, Zwissler . . . discusses individuals who have deep commitments to religion but also to feminism and activism. . . . Offering a wealth of information, this accessible book is well suited to classroom use as well as secondary reading."—M. M. Veeneman, Choice"Based on their worldview of interconnection, activists come together in communities that provide support, encourage patience and compassion, and connect people. With this ethnography of groups rarely studied with such depth, Zwissler provides an important contribution to scholarship on social movements and feminist and religious studies."—Sharon P. Doetsch-Kidder, Reading Religion"Laurel Zwissler centers her analysis around case studies of three women in Canada from the Catholic, United Church, and Pagan traditions. Both micro perspectives and macro investigation provide readers with insights into important differences among the subjects but equally important commonalities of spirit, politics, and action."—Water Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual"More often than not, the attention given to religious activism focuses on the influence of right-wing evangelical Christians in contemporary North American politics. Less often are we made aware of the ways in which other religious groups (Christian or non-Christian) have advocated for progressive policies that tend to fall on the left side of the political spectrum. The stories told by Laurel Zwissler in her book, Religious, Feminist, Activist: Cosmologies of Interconnection fills this void not only by providing a unique perspective on left-leaning religious activism in North America, but her work is imperative to understand the variety of ways in which religious women actively participate in the public and political spheres."—Stacy Keogh George, Religion and Gender“A valuable window into the complex but important role of religion in many progressive feminist groups. Zwissler’s volume helps us to better reflect on the challenging dance of religion and feminism, within the all-important context of activist work. Focusing on cultural and religious resources, rituals, and discourses that shape and constrain movement activity, this is a beautifully written, thoughtfully argued, and timely contribution.”—Courtney Bender, professor in the Department of Religion at Columbia University“The most effective way to understand activist religion is [through] finely tuned ethnographic work. Laurel Zwissler asks perceptive questions, listens to complex responses, and observes the multiple layers of women engaged in progressive public enactments in Toronto. The result is a convincing, compelling book.”—Ronald L. Grimes, director, Ritual Studies International and professor emeritus of religion and culture at Wilfrid Laurier University“Laurel Zwissler’s comprehensive and up-to-date summary and synthesis of matters pertaining to religious, spiritual, and political uses of ritual, ceremony, and action are critical to every large scale protest movement of our time.”—Mary Keller, assistant academic professional lecturer for the Department of Religious Studies at the University of WyomingTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Changing Rituals, Changing Worlds 2. “The Shrine Was Human Rights”: Pilgrimage and Protest 3. “Spirituality” as Feminist Third Choice: Gendering Religion and the Secular 4. Self, Community, and Social Justice Conclusion Source Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHow is the new generation of British Muslims navigating relations across three distinct religious and social worlds? This book looks at how they are balancing expectations from traditional Islam imported from their ancestral homeland, expressions of Islam drawn from across the global Muslim community the Ummah and from Britain itself.Trade Review"A timely antidote to the, arguably, twisted characterisation and popular perception of British Muslims in circulation." -- Professor Humayn Ansari, Royal Holloway

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the Charles Rufus Morey Book Award, College Art Association""One of the most intriguing works of Ottoman art is an album of calligraphy, paintings and drawings made for Sultan Ahmed by one of his courtiers. As this study shows, it tells us much about patronage, collecting and the interplay of Ottoman and Persian traditions in the 17th century." * Apollo Magazine *"The Album of the World Emperor is a remarkable contribution to the study of the arts of the book, collecting practices, and imperial self-fashioning in the Islamic world. . . . Fetvaci advances a deeply learned argument that places actual and abstract juxtapositions within Ottoman and Perso-Islamic bookmaking and reading/viewing traditions. It rightly presents its material as 'a local manifestation of the interconnected globe.' It promises to traverse some of the seemingly insurmountable boundaries between art historical fields focusing on Europe and the Islamic world. Fetvaci’s exemplary scholarship should therefore inspire Islamic art historians and early modernists interested in contacts and exchanges more broadly."---Sinem A. Casale, Art Bulletin

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Book SynopsisEach of the three volumes of this magisterial work provides a comprehensive picture of the realities of Jewish life in the Polish lands in the period it covers, while also considering the contemporary political, economic, and social context. Volume I: 1350 to 1881 provides a wide-ranging overview down to the mid-eighteenth century, including social, economic, and religious history. The period from 1764 to 1881 is covered in more detail, with attention focused on developments in each country in turn, especially with regard to the politics of emancipation, acculturation, assimilation, and forced integration. Volume II: 1881 to 1914 explores the factors that had a negative impact on Jewish life as well as the political and cultural movements that developed in consequence: Zionism, socialism, autonomism, the emergence of modern Hebrew and Yiddish literature, Jewish urbanization, and the rise of popular Jewish culture. Galicia, Prussian Poland, the Kingdom of Poland, and the tsarist empire are all treated individually, as are the main cities. Volume III: 1914 to 2008 covers the interwar period, the Second World War, and the Holocaust, including Polish–Jewish relations and the Soviet record on the Holocaust. A survey of developments since 1945 concludes with an epilogue on the situation of the Jews since the collapse of communism.Trade Review'Polonsky's sweeping study offers an illuminating, accessible view of Jewish life in eastern Euope since the end of World War II. In elegant prose, the author engages major historiographical issues while analyzing important cultural, religious, social, and political trends among eastern European Jewry. He carefully frames each section with a chapter-long overview of the relevant historical context for the following chapters . . . Throughout, Polonsky masterfully navigates the different realms of a turbulent eastern European Jewish world, conveying both the richness of its history and the tragedy of its destruction. Highly recommended.'J. Haus, Choice'Succeeds admirably. Simply put, these volumes are required reading for anyone with a serious interest in East European history or for anyone looking for a scholarly assessment of a particular feature of Polish or Russian Jewish history. Handsomely produced, with extensive maps and tables, and a glossary . . . will remain a standard work in the field for some time . . . a body of work that, in summarizing the current state of our knowledge, effectively sets the agenda for future scholars. Polonsky is perhaps the scholar most responsible for the growth of Polish Jewish studies in the late twentieth century . . Very few historians could write a series of volumes like this . . . [he] has armed scholars with a formidable tool that will help them dispel stereotypes . . . Just as these volumes are destined to become the starting point for the work of many students, they will be the touchstone for scholars working in the field at all levels.' Sean Martin, European History Quarterly'Combines a masterful grasp of Jewish history with that of eastern Europe. While underlining the unique features and achievements of the Jewish communal experience he authoritatively integrates them into the history of the countries in which Jews lived . . . Incorporating current, ground-breaking scholarship from North America, Israel, and Europe these beautifully narrated volumes should not only be seen as a staple of university courses, but also as a must-read for anyone attempting to understand any aspect of modern Jewish history and religious tradition, wherever it may be playing out . . . With this extremely important book, Antony Polonsky not only writes history but, following the example of his illustrious predecessors, makes it.' Katarzyna Person, European Judaism'We can only commend Antony Polonsky for his massive effort to explain seven centuries of Jewish history in a mere 2,000 pages . . . Polonsky's strength lies in his ability to illuminate intellectual and cultural developments . . . Because of the excellent bibliographies, extensive annotation, and wonderful maps included in each volume, any reader wishing to read in greater detail about Polish and Russian Jewry will have plenty of resources to enable the search.' Alexandra S. Korros, Jewish Quarterly'Magisterial . . . all three volumes, but particularly Volume 3, should be of special interest to Polish Americans and all Americans interested in the history of the Jews in Poland, Lithuania, and Russia.' Anna M. Cienciala, Polish Review'Definitive . . . The scope is immense and the author does an impressive job of synthesizing a vast literature . . . This trilogy will no doubt serve as a standard history of east European Jewry for a long time.' - Shaul Stampfer, Religious Studies Review'Exemplary and formidable . . . Polonsky, as much as anyone else, has created the field of modern Jewish history as a subject to be considered and understood rather than simply a tragic past to be mourned. He is too good a historian to confuse the history of Jewish life with the German policies that brought Jewish death . . . The barely visible commitment in these three wonderful volumes is to rescue a world from polemic, for the sake of history.' - Timothy Snyder, Wall Street Journal‘The first serious, and most successful, effort thus far to summarize the history of the Jews of “Eastern Europe” . . . the first book to synthesize the vast research that has emerged since the seventies . . . comprehensive and multidisciplinary . . . there is no book today that can compare to its scope and to the vast and new materials that he brings forth and analyzes with a broad imagination, an intensive approach, and a moderate style.’ - Moshe Rosman, ZionTable of ContentsList of Maps List of Tables Note on Transliteration Note on Place Names Maps General Introduction I Jewish Life in Poland–Lithuanian to 1750 Introduction 1 Jews and Christians in Early Modern Poland–Lithuania 2 The Structure of Jewish Autonomous Institutions 3 Jewish Places: Royal Towns and Noble Towns 4 Jews in Economic Life 5 Religious and Spiritual Life Conclusion Appendix: The Polish-Lithuanian Background II Attempts to Transform and Integrate the Jews, and the Jewish Response, 1750–1880 Introduction 1 The Last Years of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth 2 The Jews in the Prussian Partition of Poland, 1772–1870 3 The Jews in Galicia to the mid-1870s 4 The Jews in the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Poland, 1807–1881 5 The Jews in the Tsarist Empire, 1772–1825 6 Nicholas I and the Jews of Russia, 1825–1855 7 The Reign of Alexander II, 1855–1881 Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEach of the three volumes of this magisterial work provides a comprehensive picture of the realities of Jewish life in the Polish lands in the period it covers, while also considering the contemporary political, economic, and social context. Volume I: 1350 to 1881 provides a wide-ranging overview down to the mid-eighteenth century, including social, economic, and religious history. The period from 1764 to 1881 is covered in more detail, with attention focused on developments in each country in turn, especially with regard to the politics of emancipation, acculturation, assimilation, and forced integration. Volume II: 1881 to 1914 explores the factors that had a negative impact on Jewish life as well as the political and cultural movements that developed in consequence: Zionism, socialism, autonomism, the emergence of modern Hebrew and Yiddish literature, Jewish urbanization, and the rise of popular Jewish culture. Galicia, Prussian Poland, the Kingdom of Poland, and the tsarist empire are all treated individually, as are the main cities. Volume III: 1914 to 2008 covers the interwar period, the Second World War, and the Holocaust, including Polish–Jewish relations and the Soviet record on the Holocaust. A survey of developments since 1945 concludes with an epilogue on the situation of the Jews since the collapse of communism.Trade Review'A truly landmark study of east European Jewish history for the mid-fourteenth century to the outbreak of World War I. This work is an invaluable synthetic exposition of Jewish civilization in Poland and Russia that pays close attention to the larger historical context in which Jewish history unfolded in these areas. While exhaustive in presenting historical detail and utilizing available sources and data of all types, Polonsky is also masterful in conveying the texture of Jewish life in different regions during each period. His study weaves together numerous aspects of that life—among others, the relationship of Jewish communities to the states in the region and their governance mechanisms; Jewish religious and political movements; the evolving role of the synagogue in communities; the wide variety of Jewish organizations over time and space; cultural changes, including the development of the mass press, modern literature, and theatre; the experiences of Jewish women; and descriptions of the towns and cities in which Jewish history played out. The contribution of Polonsky's study, however, is not only an impressive synthesis of a vast topic and vast amount of information. In integrating all of this material, the author also deftly crafts his own interpretations of trends in the area and the timing of shifts in them. His marshalling of evidence and his own insights add up to a compelling set of arguments about the course of Jewish history. Polonsky addresses Jewish, Polish, and Russian historical developments all with great nuance, and that depth of understanding allows him to present the complexities of these intertwined histories with a subtlety rarely achieved in projects of such ambitious temporal and spatial scope. This study will become a “go to” reference for scholars of east European Jewish history for a long time to come.'From the citation for the 2011 Kulczycki Book Prize for Polish Studies, awarded to Volumes I and II 'This second volume of Polonsky's well-reseached, eloquently written study provides a finely distinct portrait of Jewish life in eastern Europe in the years leading up to the Great War . . . Highly recommended.'- R. K. Byczkiewicz, Choice'Succeeds admirably. Simply put, these volumes are required reading for anyone with a serious interest in East European history or for anyone looking for a scholarly assessment of a particular feature of Polish or Russian Jewish history. Handsomely produced, with extensive maps and tables, and a glossary . . . will remain a standard work in the field for some time . . . a body of work that, in summarizing the current state of our knowledge, effectively sets the agenda for future scholars. Polonsky is perhaps the scholar most responsible for the growth of Polish Jewish studies in the late twentieth century . . Very few historians could write a series of volumes like this . . . [he] has armed scholars with a formidable tool that will help them dispel stereotypes . . . Just as these volumes are destined to become the starting point for the work of many students, they will be the touchstone for scholars working in the field at all levels.'- Sean Martin, European History Quarterly 'Combines a masterful grasp of Jewish history with that of eastern Europe. While underlining the unique features and achievements of the Jewish communal experience he authoritatively integrates them into the history of the countries in which Jews lived . . . Incorporating current, ground-breaking scholarship from North America, Israel, and Europe these beautifully narrated volumes should not only be seen as a staple of university courses, but also as a must-read for anyone attempting to understand any aspect of modern Jewish history and religious tradition, wherever it may be playing out . . . With this extremely important book, Antony Polonsky not only writes history but, following the example of his illustrious predecessors, makes it.'- Katarzyna Person, European Judaism'The first two volumes of Antony Polonsky's magisterial The Jews in Poland and Russia trilogy provide a much-needed addition to the landscape of Jewish historical studies . . . [a] significant achievement in presenting the most modern findings in a clear, readable, comprehensive survey . . . his narrative is grand and his analysis tight . . . an excellent synthesis of this community's history, incorporating much of the groundbreaking scholarship of the last few decades. Repeatedly, the volumes remind us of the many lost opportunities for real reform in the region. They help correct the nostalgic and romanticized portraits of what is sometimes considered a lost civilization, while simultaneously demonstrating the vibrancy and diversity of Jewish life in the region . . . essential reading for those seeking a thorough and balanced understanding of Jewish life in pre-twentieth century Eastern Europe.' - Jeffrey Veidlinger, H-Judaic'For several decades now, Antony Polonsky has been at the forefront of Polish–Jewish studies . . . It is thus fitting that Polosnky, who has nurtured young scholars, especially in Poland itself and North America, should bring together old and new work in this remarkable multi-volume synthesis of Jewish history and culture . . . These volumes will provide the first port of call for any student of east European Jewry.' - Tony Kushner, Jewish Chronicle'We can only commend Antony Polonsky for his massive effort to explain seven centuries of Jewish history in a mere 2,000 pages . . . Polonsky's strength lies in his ability to illuminate intellectual and cultural developments . . . Because of the excellent bibliographies, extensive annotation, and wonderful maps included in each volume, any reader wishing to read in greater detail about Polish and Russian Jewry will have plenty of resources to enable the search.' - Alexandra S. Korros, Jewish Quarterly'An excellent synthesis of recent research on east European Jewish culture and history. As such it fills a definite need for an accessible introduction to the current scholarship and thinking about the Jews of Poland and Russia . . . should be on the reading list of anyone interested in the history and folk cultures of eastern Europe, whether they work specifically with Jewish history and folk culture, or with other regional cultures.'- David Elton Gay, Journal of Folklore Research'Any reader who invests the time and money to read the book . . . will find it very rewarding—and not just because of the wealth of information it contains. What Polonsky's book brings home, in a way that a narrower study could not, is the sheer complexity and vitality of Jewish life in that time and place . . . this broader picture is needed to make sense of the social changes that were accelerating by the late nineteenth century—above all, in the situation of women, the subject of one of Polonsky's best chapters . . . Polonsky's panoramic book, which packs so much vivid detail and statistical information into its 500 pages, helps to show just how rich, and how difficult, that life really was.'- Adam Kirsch, The New Republic and Tablet Magazine'Polonsky's magisterial The Jews in Poland and Russia is one of those rare works that can hope to bridge the gap between specialist and “intelligent general reader”, providing a strong narrative and appealing prose for the latter as well as an up-to-date distilled knowledge of both primary and secondary sources for the former. No one interested in Jewish, Polish, or Russian history can afford to be without these volumes . . . will long remain the standard work on this crucial Jewish community . . . While a survey of this sort requires a goodly bit of politics . . . Polonsky has gone out of his way to include culture, religious life, gender, Jewish mass culture, and social history . . . The books' structure is entirely appropriate for its primary purpose: to provide a basic overview of this Jewish community's history . . . strikingly high level of scholarship . . . [The publisher] is particularly to be commended on its allowing Polonsky to cite at length from the Jewish literary sources he is considering and not begrudging space for a dozen pages of useful statistics (not a small thing in a publishing world where bibliographies are often considered superfluous!) . . . This history, written by a major scholar of both Polish and Jewish history and a person profoundly attached to both communities, is exemplary in its efforts to integrate Jews into Polish history, neither white-washing sources of friction nor painting an overly rosy picture. The most important thing one can say about Antony Polonsky's The Jews in Poland and Russia is: get it and read it!'- Theodore R. Weeks, The Polish Review'This superb and very up-to-date book is very well written, carefully documented, balanced, and will be a standard reference in the field. It has a glossary and a wide-ranging bibliography, very useful maps, and statistical tables, all of which make it a good starting point for any reading on east European Jewry.'- Shaul Stampfer, Religious Studies Review'Exemplary and formidable . . . Polonsky, as much as anyone else, has created the field of modern Jewish history as a subject to be considered and understood rather than simply a tragic past to be mourned. He is too good a historian to confuse the history of Jewish life with the German policies that brought Jewish death . . . The barely visible commitment in these three wonderful volumes is to rescue a world from polemic, for the sake of history.' - Timothy Snyder, Wall Street Journal‘The first serious, and most successful, effort thus far to summarize the history of the Jews of “Eastern Europe” . . . the first book to synthesize the vast research that has emerged since the seventies . . . comprehensive and multidisciplinary . . . there is no book today that can compare to its scope and to the vast and new materials that he brings forth and analyzes with a broad imagination, an intensive approach, and a moderate style.’- Moshe Rosman, ZionTable of ContentsList of MapsList of TablesNote on TransliterationMapsIntroduction1 The Position of the Jews in the Tsarist Empire, 1881-19052 Revolution and Reaction, 1904-19143 The Kingdom of Poland, 1881-19144 Galicia in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century5 Prussian Poland, 1848-19146 Jewish Spaces: Shtetls and Towns in the Nineteenth CenturyStatistical Appendix7 Modern Jewish Literature in the Tsarist Empire and Galicia8 Jewish Religious Life from the Mid-Eightteenth Century to 19149 Women in Jewish Eastern Europe10 The Rise of Jewish Mass Culture: Literature, Press, TheatreConclusionGlossaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisFrom birds and trees to insects and the sun, this charming book instructs children about the wisdom in creation by referencing the various Islamic names for God and their manifestations. Enriched with colorful illustrations, these stories are designed to open young minds to ideas of faith in their Creator. Using examples from daily life that children can understand, this book is a valuable source for teaching about God as conceived in the Islamic tradition.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisA free open access ebook is available upon publication. Learn more at www.luminosoa.org. Persian is one of the great lingua francas of world history. Yet despite its recognition as a shared language across the Islamic world and beyond, its scope, impact, and mechanisms remain underexplored. A world historical inquiry into pre-modern cosmopolitanism,The Persianate Worldtraces the reach and limits of Persian as a Eurasian language in a comprehensive survey of its geographical, literary, and social frontiers. From Siberia to Southeast Asia, and between London and Beijing, this book shows how Persian gained, maintained, and finally surrendered its status to imperial and vernacular competitors. Fourteen essays trace Persian's interactions with Bengali, Chinese, Turkic, Punjabi, and other languages toidentify the forces that extended Persographia, the domain of written Persian. Spanning the ages of expansion and contraction,The Persianate Worldoffers a critical survey of both the supports and constraints of one of history's key languages of global exchange. Trade Review"A tour de force of erudition." * Asian Review of Books *"Disassociated from methodological nationalist agendas, the collection presents a comprehensive overview of the contributions and constraints of cosmopolitanism in the Persianate world, spanning from the Ottoman Empire, the Caucasus, Central Asia, India, China, and of course, Iran." * Middle East Journal *Table of ContentsList of Maps and Illustrations A Note on Transliteration Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction: The Frontiers of the Persianate World (ca. 800–1900)Nile Green Part I. Pan-Eurasian Expansions, ca. 1400–1600 1. Imperial Ambitions, Mystical Aspirations: Persian Learning in the Ottoman WorldMurat Umut Inan 2. Persian at the Court or in the Village? The Elusive Presence of Persian in BengalThibaut d’Hubert 3. The Uses of Persian in Imperial China: Translating Practices at the Ming CourtGraeme Ford 4. Persian and Turkic from Kazan to Tobolsk: Literary Frontiers in Muslim Inner AsiaDevin DeWeese Part II. The Constraints of Cosmopolitanism, ca. 1600–1800 5. Marking Boundaries and Building Bridges: Persian Scholarly Networks in Mughal PunjabPurnima Dhavan 6. A Lingua Franca in Decline? The Place of Persian in Qing ChinaDavid Brophy viii Contents 7. Speaking “Bukharan”: The Circulation of Persian Texts in Imperial RussiaAlfrid Bustanov 8. Lingua Franca or Lingua Magica? Talismanic Scrolls from Eastern TurkistanAlexandre Papas Part III. New Empires, New Nations, ca. 1800–1920 9. Conflicting Meanings of Persianate Culture: An Intimate Example from Colonial India and BritainMichael H. Fisher 10. De-Persifying Court Culture: The Khanate of Khiva’s Translation ProgramMarc Toutant 11. Dissidence from a Distance: Iranian Politics as Viewed from Colonial DaghestanRebecca Ruth Gould 12. From Peshawar to Tehran: An Anti-imperialist Poet of the Late Persianate MilieuAbbas Amanat Epilogue: The Persianate MillenniumBrian SpoonerGlossary List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisIn a book that highlights the existence and diversity of Amish communities in New York State, Karen M. Johnson-Weiner draws on twenty-five years of observation, participation, interviews, and archival research to emphasize the contribution of the Amish to the state''s rich cultural heritage.While the Amish settlements in Pennsylvania and Ohio are internationally known, the Amish population in New York, the result of internal migration from those more established settlements, is more fragmentary and less visible to all but their nearest non-Amish neighbors. All of the Amish currently living in New York are postWorld War II migrants from points to the south and west. Many came seeking cheap land, others as a result of schism in their home communities.The Old Order Amish of New York are relative newcomers who, while representing an old or plain way of life, are bringing change to the state. So that readers can better understand where the Amish come from and their relationship to other Trade ReviewAfter reading Johnson-Weiner's book I felt I’d been given an enthusiastic guided tour of the New York State Amish community. * North Country Public Radio *This is a fascinating and much-needed book on the New York Amish. New York is the 'go-to' state for the Amish today, and Johnson-Weiner's book could not have been better timed for publication. * Pennsylvania History *Table of Contents1. Who Are the Amish? Meeting Our Plain Neighbors2. Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties: Amish Pioneers in Western New York3. St. Lawrence County's Swartzentruber Amish: The Plainest of the Plain People4. From Lancaster County to Lowville: Moving North to Keep the Old Ways5. The Mohawk Valley Amish: Old Order Diversity in Central New York6. In Search of Consensus and Fellowship: New York’s Swiss Amish7. On Franklin County’s Western Border: New Settlements in the North Country8. Challenges to Amish Settlement: Maintaining Community and Identity9. Challenging the Non-Amish Neighbors: Uneasy Integration10. The Future of New York’s Amish: Two Worlds, Side by Side

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Book SynopsisThis lavishly illustrated volume presents the major surviving monuments of the early period of the Rum Seljuqs, the first major Muslim dynasty to rule Anatolia.

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Book SynopsisOne of the key ways in which the traditional Jewish world of eastern Europe responded to the challenges of modernity in the nineteenth century was to change the system for educating young men so as to reinforce time-honoured, conservative values. The yeshivas established at that time in Lithuania became models for an educational system that has persisted to this day, transmitting the talmudic underpinnings of the traditional Jewish way of life. To understand how that system works, one needs to go back to the institutions they are patterned on: why they were established, how they were organized, and how they operated. This is the first properly documented, systematic study of the Lithuanian yeshiva as it existed from 1802 to 1914. It is based on the judicious use of contemporary sources—documents, articles in the press, and memoirs—with a view to presenting the yeshiva in its social and cultural context. Three key institutions are considered. Pride of place in the first part of the book is given to the yeshiva of Volozhin, which was founded in 1802 according to an entirely new concept—total independence from the local community—and was in that sense the model for everything that followed. Chapters in the second part focus on the yeshiva of Slobodka, famed for introducing the study of musar (ethics); the yeshiva of Telz, with its structural and organizational innovations; and the kollel system, introduced so that married men could continue their yeshiva education. Topics covered include the leadership and changes in leadership; management and administration; the yeshiva as a place of study; and daily life. This English edition is based on the second Hebrew edition, which was revised to include information that became available with the opening of archives in eastern Europe after the fall of communism.Trade Review'Stampfer sifts through mountains of documentation, searching for versions that ring true and painting an extraordinarily detailed account of every aspect of life in the famous yeshivot. His book is vital to the students of Orthodox Jewish history and of Jewish culture in eastern Europe.'Pinchas Roth, Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews'One of the foremost experts on eastern European Jewry... He has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the nicest people in Israeli academia; but he seems to revel in challenging common assumptions, tweaking conventional wisdom, and making eastern European Jewry look very different from what everyone seems to think. He does all of these things in [this book], an expanded translation of his masterful 1995 Hebrew book on the subject. Its publication should change the way English-speaking Jews think about what a yeshiva is and ought to be.'Yoel Finkelman, Jewish Ideas Daily'Those with an interest in modern Talmudic study will find the book, as I did, a spellbinding overview of the development of the modern yeshiva. Stampfer’s impeccable research changes the way one will look at the reasons for the creation of and the development of these yeshivas in Lithuania. The book is like a riveting documentary, full of fascinating insights.'Ben Rothke, The Times of IsraelTable of ContentsIntroductionPart I The Volozhin Yeshiva1 The Beginnings of the Volozhin YeshivaR. Hayim of Volozhin • The Foundation of the Volozhin Yeshiva • The Establishment of the Yeshiva in Volozhin • Setting Up the Yeshiva and Organizing Financial Support • Curriculum and Students • Areas of Study • The Position of the Rosh Yeshiva • Yeshivas Modelled on Volozhin2 The Beginning of the Yeshiva - Succession, Conflicts, and ChangeR. Yitshak of Volozhin as Rosh Yeshiva • Change and Continuity at the Yeshiva • The Role of the Yeshiva in Society • R. Eliezer Fried as successor to R. Yitshak • R. Naftali Berlin and the Question of Authority at the Yeshiva • The Conflict with R. Yehoshua Heschel Levin • The Conflict with R. Yosef Dov Soloveitchik • The Restoration of Order to the Staff and the Yeshiva3 The Yeshiva as a Place of StudyThe Yeshiva as a Torah Study Centre • The Framework of Study • The Yeshiva Staff and their Functions • The Yeshiva’s Functions4 The Yeshiva AdministrationSupervision of Studies and Examinations • The Shiur and Student Participation • The Importance of the New Mode of Study • Staff–Student Relations: Financial Support and Discipline • The Status of the Yeshiva in the Jewish World5 Students at the Volozhin YeshivaThe Decision to Study at the Yeshiva • Admission to the Yeshiva • Absorption at the Yeshiva • Integration at the Yeshiva • Student Activity and the Yeshiva’s Response • The Individual Student and the Yeshiva • Students and the Local Community6 Life at the Volozhin YeshivaDaily Routine • Study Arrangements • The Yeshiva Year • Sabbaths and Festivals • Extra-Curricular Activity • The Haskalah: Interest among Students• The Haskalah: The Yeshiva’s Response • Leisure Activities7 The Final Years of the Volozhin YeshivaCharity and Aid Associations • Zionist Organizations • Other Associations • Student Newspapers • Political Activity at the Yeshiva • The Financial State of the Yeshiva in its Final Years8 The Closure of the Volozhin YeshivaRelations between the Yeshiva and the Authorities • Secular Studies at the Yeshiva • Background to the Controversy over the Successor to R. Berlin • The Struggle over the Succession • The Factors in the Closure of the Yeshiva • Appendix to Chapter 8: Official Documents about the Volozhin YeshivaPart II Slobodka, Telz, and the Kolel9 The Slobodka YeshivaThe Musar Movement • R. Yisrael Salanter • The Slobodka Yeshiva • The Yeshiva’s Students • Talmud Study at the ‘Musar Yeshiva’ • Internal Problems and External Expansion • Controversy and Conflict at the Yeshiva10 The Telz YeshivaThe Foundation of the Yeshiva • R. Eliezer Gordon • The Aims of the Yeshiva • Study at the Yeshiva • Admission of Students • Basic Support for the Yeshiva Students • Conflicts at the Yeshiva • Factors in the Disruptions at the Yeshiva • R. Eliezer Gordon’s Attitude towards the Haskalah and Zionism • R. Gordon’s Confrontation with the Social Crisis11 The Kolel Haperushim of Kovno and the ‘Kolel’ InstitutionThe Foundation of the Kolel and its Early History • The Kolel’s Mode of Operation • Opposition and Conflicts • The Kolel of BrodskyConclusionBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Expulsion of the Jews from Spain is a detailed study of the events surrounding this infamous chapter in Spanish history. Based on hundreds of documents discovered, deciphered, and analyzed during decades of intensive archival research, this work focuses on the practical consequences of the expulsion both for those expelled and those remaining behind. It responds to basic questions such as: What became of property owned by Jewish individuals and communities? What became of outstanding debts between Jews and Christians? How was the edict of expulsion implemented? Who was in charge? How did they operate? What happened to those who converted to Christianity in order to remain in Spain or return to that country? The material summarized and analyzed in this study also sheds light on Jewish life in Spain preceding the expulsion. For example, Jews are shown to have been present in remote villages where they were not hitherto known to have lived, and documents detailing lawsuits between Christians related to debts left behind by Jews reveal much about business and financial relations between Jews and Christians. By focusing on the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in such detail - for example, by naming the magistrates who presided over the confiscation of Jewish communal property - Professor Beinart takes history out of the realm of abstraction and gives it concrete reality.Trade Review‘Magisterial . . . provides insights, descriptions, and interpretations built on an impregnable base of scholarship . . This sine qua non for any study and understanding of the vents leading up to 1492 deserves an honoured place in all serious libraries.’ Stephen D. Benin, Choice‘Haim Beinart justifiably has been hailed as the foremost historian of medieval Sepharad . . . the data uncovered [here] will remain a source for many future generations of historians of the Jews of medieval Iberia. For that alone, we are indebted to this monumental contribution.’ Benjamin R. Gampel, AJS Review‘The most comprehensive study of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. It summarizes and synthesizes the author’s decades-long work in Spanish archives . . . indispensable for the study of Spanish Jewry and is a valuable addition to any university library.’ Morris M. Faierstein, Religious Studies Review‘An in-depth analysis of one of the most dramatic events in the history of the Jews . . . an extremely useful repository of detailed information that can be found nowhere else in English.’ Yvonne Petry, Renaissance StudiesReview for the Hebrew Edition of the book:‘The importance of this new book lies in its methodical and detailed portrayal of the expulsion from Spain in 1492 in all its aspects—political, social, economic, legal, and also human. It presents wide-ranging descriptions of the problems and the dilemmas facing families and individuals in both large and small communities . . . and of how events actually unfolded, day by day and hour by hour. The thoroughness of the presentation, documented in every detail, is the product of decades of methodical and comprehensive historiographic research covering all the areas in which Jews lived in the entire period over which the expulsion took place . . . Beinart's historiographic reconstruction gives the contemporary reader a palpable understanding of what actually happened.’ Ben-Ami Feingold, Yediot AharonotTable of ContentsList of tablesList of illustrationsAbbreviations1 Introduction: Ferdinand and Isabella, King and Queen of SpainThe Situation of Spanish Jewry Forced Segregation The Inquisition Financing the Reconquista Propaganda against Jews and Conversos The Fall of Granada2 The Edict of ExpulsionPromulgation Analysis of the Structure Drafting The Views of the Catholics Monarchs Text and Translation of the Edict of Expulsion3 The Fate of Jewish Communal PropertyLand and Buildings Loans Synagogues, Houses of Study, and Ritual Baths Abattoirs and Baking Ovens Cemeteries4 Jewish–Christian Credit and its LiquidationThe Kingdom of Castile: Attempts to Settle Accounts before Departure Public Debts to Jews Private Debts of Christians to Jews Collection of Christians’ Debts to Jews after the Expulsion Debts of Jews to Christians and the Payment of these Debts The Kingdom of Aragon5 Implementation of the Edict of ExpulsionThe Road to Implementation Organizing the Departure: The Role of the Genoese Implementation of the edict in the Kingdom of Aragon: Departure by Land; Departure by Sea Implementation of the Edict in the Kingdom of Castile: Conversion instead of Exile or Prison; Tribulations of Departure; Exploitation on the Border: Ciudad Rodrigo; The Passage from Castile into Portugal; Departure by Sea Implementation of the Edict in Sardinia and Sicily Navarre: Asylum and Expulsion The Number of Jews Expelled6 Smuggling7 Return and ConversionReturn and Conversion among Jews of Castile Return and Conversion among Jews of Aragon8 The Senior DynastyThe Origins of the Family and its First Steps in Government The Case of Juan de Talavera Abraham Senior’s Public Service before Conversion Abraham Senior’s Property Abraham Senior as Tax-Farmer and Tax-Collector Abraham Senior as Chairman of the Hermandad Expulsion and Conversion Fernán Núñez Coronel's General Financial Activity Rabbi Meir Melamed and his Sons Solomon Senior, the Sons of Abraham Senior, and Other Family Members10 The House of Abravanel, 1483–149211 Contemporaries Describe the ExpulsionAppendix: Other Activities of Some Royal OfficialsBibliographyIndex of PeopleIndex of PlacesGeneral Index

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Book SynopsisThe growing tensions and occasional clashes between believers in the two main strands of Islam have been major concerns. Upheavals within the Shia sphere of influence had altered the relationship: the Iranian revolution of 1979 changed the politics of Iranian Shiism, and impacted on Shia communities regionally, while the 2003 Anglo-American invasion of Iraq initiated a new phase of tension in Sunni-Shia relations. The spectre of a sectarian war in Iraq, a diplomatic and military offensive against the Lebanese Hezbollah and a potentially nuclear armed Iran (along with Tehran's support for Hamas) prompted King Abdallah II of Jordan to warn of an emerging 'Shia crescent'. However, away from such grand geopolitical gestures, Sunni-Shia relations are being rearticulated through an array of local, regional and global connections. This book presents wide-ranging and up-to-date research that sheds light on the political, sociological and ideological processes that are affecting the dynamics within, as well as the relationships between, the Shia and Sunni worlds. Among the themes discussed are the ideological and doctrinal evolutions that are taking place, the contextualisation of the main protagonists' political practices, transnational networks, and the role of intellectuals, religious scholars and the media in shaping and informing this dynamic relationship.Trade Review'At a time when the conflict in Iraq, and the more recent uprisings in Syria, Bahrain and in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, have prompted a resurgence of essentialist generalisations on the Sunni-Shia divide, this collection of brilliant contributions by leading scholars from various disciplines is a welcome reminder of the complexity of the sectarian question in Islam which does not simply derive from textual and interpretative divergences, but is also socially constructed and politically instrumentalised.' -- Stephane Lacroix, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Sciences Po, Paris, and author of Awakening Islam: The Politics of Religious Dissent in Contemporary Saudi Arabia'Too often the Sunni-Shia "divide" in Islam is spoken of in deeply reductionist or ahistorical terms. Marechal and Zemni's collection, however, sets a new standard by carefully situating contemporary sectarianism in relation to the simultaneous push and pull of local and transnational factors. A must-read for anyone seeking to understanding Sunni-Shia dynamics in the wake of the Arab Uprisings.' -- Peter Mandaville, George Mason University, author of Global Political Islam

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Book SynopsisBrings together all the novellas and short stories including two sories not previously published in English.

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Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to be young and Muslim today? There is a segment of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims that is more influential than any other, and will shape not just the future of Muslims, but also the world around them: meet 'Generation M'.From fashion magazines to social networking, the 'Mipsterz' to the 'Haloodies', halal internet dating to Muslim boy bands, Generation M are making their mark. Shelina Janmohamed, award-winning author and leading voice on Muslim youth, investigates this growing cultural phenomenon at a time when understanding the mindset of young Muslims is critical. With their belief in an identity encompassing both faith and modernity, Generation M are not only adapting to Western consumerism, but reclaiming it as their own.Trade Review'A crucial book at a critical time... A must-read' - Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent, 'A compelling account of today's young Muslim consumers' - Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, 'A fresh and insightful perspective' - Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and CEO of WPP, 'Unparalleled... For those within and concerned with modern Muslim communities'- Professor Reina Lewis, author of Muslim Fashion: Contemporary Style Cultures, 'A vivid account' - Farah Pandith, former Special Representative to Muslim CommunitiesTable of ContentsSalam, Generation M! Introduction: the rise of Generation M 5 Their influence as the ‘third billion’ and why we need to pay attention 5 Chapter 2: Global trends shaping the emergence of Generation M 12 Creativity born of constraints 12 Chapter 3: Meet Generation M! 24 Getting to know Generation M, what shapes them and the qualities that make them different 24 The rise of the global Muslim lifestyle Chapter 4: You had me at halal 38 Why 21st century halal is important for everyone 38 Chapter 5: the four F’s of Generation M’s ‘Muslim lifestyle’ 53 Food, finance, pharma and fun 53 Chapter 6: The digital ummah 68 How Dar al-Internet, real world and virtual technologies are enhancing community and religiosity 68 Culture: the new Muslim cool Chapter 7: God gave (halal) rock and roll to you 79 The soundtrack of Generation M 79 Chapter 8: Haloodies and hijabiliciousness 89 The language of Generation M 89 Chapter 9: What does a Muslim look like? And what catches their eye? 102 The visual identity, expression and semiotics for Generation M 102 Chapter 10: Superheroes, video games and branding 116 The tsunami of cultural expression hits our shores 116 The 21st century ummah Chapter 11: Celebrate good times (and remember the sad ones) 130 The big events of Muslim life 130 Chapter 12: Better together 148 From individual to ummah: sex, love, marriage, family and community 148 Chapter 13: Revolution unveiled 158 Generation M women at the forefront of faith and modernity 158 Chapter 14: Small but significant 176 The patriotic, proud and pioneering minorities of Generation M 176 The future: creating a dialogue Chapter 15: The ties that bind Generation M to the wider world 192 Culture, commerce and charity 192 Chapter 16: On the cutting edge 203 Generation M are the pioneers of global consumer trends 203 Chapter 17: Talk to us, we are alive! 217 Starting the conversation with Generation M 217

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Book SynopsisThe New Crusadesis an intersectional milestone. It lucidly illustrates how converging systems of subordination, power, and violence related to Islamophobia are experienced across the globe.Kimberlé Crenshaw, from the forewordA profound wake-up call.-Publishers Weekly Insightful and disturbing.-Library JournalThe first book to examine global Islamophobia from a legal and ground-up perspective,from renowned public intellectual Khaled A. Beydoun. Islamophobia has spiraled into a global menace, and democratic and authoritarian regimes alike have deployed it as a strategy to persecute their Muslim populations. With this book, Khaled A. Beydoun details how the American War on Terror has facilitated and intensified the network of anti-Muslim campaigns unfolding across the world.The New Crusades is the first book of its kind, offering a critical and intimate examination of global Islamophobia and its manifestations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and regions beyond and in between. ThrTrade Review"Those interested in Islam, religious persecution, or the relationship between religion and politics will find this insightful and disturbing." * Library Journal *"Sweeping yet intimately detailed, this is a profound wake-up call." * Publishers Weekly *"Enables the reader to learn how Islamophobia manifests across different contexts around the world." * Ethnic and Racial Studies *Table of ContentsContents Foreword by Kimberlé Crenshaw Introduction: Two Tuesdays 1. Forever Turned Around 2. War and Terror 3. Blood and Soil 4. Internment and Exile 5. Pandemic and Plague 6. Monsters and Martyrs 7. Ablution and Abolition Conclusion: Killing an Arab Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliographic Essay Index

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Book SynopsisAn urgent, wide-ranging portrait of the divisions among Israelis today, and the external threats to their country, at a critical juncture in its history. • Through moving narratives and on-the-ground reporting, a veteran New York Times correspondent who has spent decades working in Israel reveals what holds the country together.“A wondrous tale told through the agonizing and uplifting stories of Israel’s many tribes — Jewish and Arab, religious and secular, new immigrants and veterans, soldiers and settlers.”—Martin Indyk, author of Master of the Game, and former U.S. ambassador to IsraelFor anyone trying to understand the reality of Israel today.”—Dennis Ross, former U.S. envoy to the Middle East and the author of Doomed to SucceedDespite Israel's determined staying power in a hostile environment, its military might, an

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsCONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Jewish Presence in Eastern Europe: The Beginnings 2. Translations from Hebrew in Rus′ in the Thirteenth through Fifteenth Centuries: Made by Converts? 3. The Heresy of the Judaizers and the Translations from Hebrew in Muscovite Russia in the Second Half of the Fifteenth Century Textual Findings and Analyses of the Translations Historical Background of the Translations and Link to the Judaizers General Conclusion Appendixes Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOn a winter''s day in the mid-1970s the photographer Marcia Bricker Halperin sought warm refuge and, camera in hand, passed through the revolving doors of Dubrow''s Cafeteria on Kings Highway. There, between the magical mirrored walls and steaming coffee urns, she found herself as if on a theater set, looking out at a tableau of memorable Brooklyn faces. Enchanted, Halperin returned to Dubrow''s again and again.In Kibbitz & Nosh, Halperin reminds us of the days when she would order a coffee, converse with the denizens of Dubrow''s on Kings Highway and at its Manhattan location in the Garment District, and in that relaxed atmosphere execute candid photographs. In keeping with the work of Vivian Maier and Robert Frank, these black-and-white images taken during the waning days of New York City''s legendary cafeteria culture are revealing and empathetic.Dubrow''s was a restaurant-cum-social club for a generation of New Yorkers; it was a place to chat with friTrade ReviewThere was a time when New York was home to dozens of restaurants like the Horn & Hardart Automats or the Belmore Cafeteria, the cabby mecca made famous in the movie 'Taxi Driver.' You'd grab a tray, shuffle down the counters and grab a seat. Marcia Bricker Halperin's record of New York's long-gone cafeterias, rendered in black and white, have graceful architecture, dazzling or moody lighting and more than a few characters, like Gene Palma, the slick-haired street drummer and Gene Krupa maven. * The New York Times *Table of ContentsPrologue 1. Sundays at Dubrow's, or: Remembrance of Creamed Spinach Past 2. See You at Dubrow's 3. Dubrow's, Kings Highway, Brooklyn: Where It's Happening, Come to the Highway 4. Dubrow's, Garment District, Manhattan: The Epicenter of the Schmatta Business Acknowledgments Biographies

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In this remarkable book, Hagar Salamon reveals unsuspected relationships and new domains of meaning communicated between species. Meat Matters is a major contribution at the vanguard of a challenging new scholarly field and should be required reading for ethnographers from across the disciplines."—Kay Kaufman Shelemay, G. Gordon Watts Professor of Music and African and African American Studies at Harvard University"A rich, sensitive and nuanced ethnography of the interlaced practices, ideas, meanings, beliefs, and symbols of meat for the Beta Israel community. Beautifully conceptualized, written and illustrated, Hagar Salamon's evocative book offers illuminating insights into the singular Ethiopian Jewish experience and Ethiopian culture more broadly."—Jonathan Miran, author of Red Sea Citizens: Cosmopolitan Society and Cultural Change in MassawaTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Enduring Exposures: Everyday Bonding with Creatures2. Zooming In: Creaturely Sentiments3. Zooming Out: Emerging from the Pen4. Shifting Focus/Lenses: Interreligious Negotiations5. Transposing and Splitting: Under New Hegemonies6. Candid Camera: Focusing the Lens on Lost Meats7. Upraising the Vision: God Watches over Flesh8. Concluding Words and Continuing QuestionsReferencesGlossary

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Book SynopsisJewish Life in Medieval Spain is a detailed exploration of the Jewish experience in medieval Spain from the dawn of Sephardic society in the ninth century to the expulsion of 1492. An important contribution of the book is the integration of the rise and fall of Jewish life in Muslim al-Andalus into the history of the Jews in medieval Christian Spain. It traces the collapse of Jewish life in Muslim Spain, the emigration of Andalusi Jewry to the lands of Christian Iberia, and the long and difficult confluence of these two distinct Jewish subcultures. Focusing on internal developments of Jewish society, it offers a narrative of Jewish history from the inside out, bringing to light the various divisions and rivalries within the Jewish community. This approach, in turn, allows for a deeper understanding of the complex relations between Spanish Jews and their Muslim and Christian neighbors. Jonathan Ray’s original perspective on the Jewish experience is particularly instructive when considering the widescale anti-Jewish riots of 1391. The combination of violence and mass conversion of the Jews irrevocably shifted the dynamics of inter-religious relations as well as those within the Jewish community itself. Yet even in the wake of these tragic events, the Jews of Spain continued to flourish, fostering a culture that they would carry into exile and that would preserve the memory of Jewish Spain for centuries to come.Trade Review"[W]ell documented with extensive sources, the text examines Jewish lifewith numerous examples provided by individual and communal stories...For those already knowledgeable about the broad outlines of Al-Andalus, the Reconquista, the early Inquisition, and Sephardic history generally—particularly those reading for academic purposes—this book provides a compelling micro perspective adumbrated by daily life events." * Choice *

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Book SynopsisA dazzling multi-generational examination exploring Jewishness in Europe, the Holocaust and the dark spectres of anti-Semitism and populism.Trade Review'What an extraordinary achievement. A story told with passion and adamantine dedication. David Joseph takes the reader with great tenderness on an absolutely heart-breaking journey of discovery.' -- Edmund de Waal CBE, author of The Hare with Amber Eyes'This is a totally gripping book. Deeply moving, utterly engaging and profoundly important.' -- Rob Rinder MBE'Highly recommended. An exceptionally researched family story which shines an uncomfortable light on the grotesque reality of the Holocaust and particularly those who stood by as the horrors unfolded.' -- Laura Marks OBE, Chair of the Trustees, Holocaust Day Memorial Day Trust'Throughout this book, it is impossible to ignore the struggle and persecution that Jewish people have faced in Europe for centuries, and still face today.' -- History of War Magazine, September 2023'Indeed, the struggles of those expelled from Burgenland are at times di cult to read about, but all the more valuable for this since this is a story that must not be forgotten and is a warning to present and future generations.' -- Family Tree Magazine, September 2023

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Book SynopsisRecent historic breakthroughs have introduced a new hope for peace in the Middle East. Following the lead of the first two Arab League countries who entered into peace agreements with Israel Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994 the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco each did so in 2020. Time will tell if the dove of peace will touch down in the hearts and minds of the Arab people across the region and whether or not these winds of change will result in a further departure from the decades-old Arab League mandates of hatred against Israel. The fact remains that since the emergence of the modern Zionist movement in the nineteenth century, the idea of the reestablishment of the Jewish national home in its ancient land has been under assault. The Bloody Price of Freedom traces the battle the democratic State of Israel has faced for its existence since its legally sanctioned establishment in 1948. The book analyzes the insidious attacks; maligning worldwide propaganda; economic, academic, and other boycotts; as well as the misapplication of international law in the United Nations and elsewhere that have been leveraged against Israel. A special section on the International Court of Justices 2004 nonbinding advisory opinion on the construction of Israels terrorism-prevention security fence includes detailed illustrative maps. This meticulously documented volume is essential reading for anyone interested in standing against the demonization of Israel and antisemitic attacks upon the Jewish people.

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Book SynopsisThis book investigates the transformative period in the history of the Jews of Libya (1938-52), a period crucial to understanding Libyan Jewry's evolution into a community playing significant roles in Israel, Italy and in relation with Qaddhafi's Libya. Against a background of a reform conscious Ottoman administration (1835-1911) and subsequent stirrings of modernisation under Italian colonial influence (1911-43), the Jews of Libya began to experience rapid change following the application of fascist racial laws of 1938, the onset of war-related calamities and violent expressions of Libyan pan-Arabism, culminating in mass migration to Israel in the period 1949-52. By focusing on key socio-economic and political dimensions of this process, the author reveals the capacity of Libyan Jewry to adapt to and integrate into new environments without losing its unique and historical traditions.Trade Review"Dr Roumani uses a wide range of archival and oral sources, many of which have never been used before. Throughout the book, he reveals a mastery of the social and political history, and a fine understanding of the lives, hopes, fears and aspirations of Libyan Jews. His book is a testimony to their suffering and their fortitude." -- From the Foreword by Sir Martin Gilbert."Maurice Roumani has given us an impeccably researched, richly documented, and keenly insightful survey of Libyan Jewry's social and political evolution in the twentieth century. He brings to the study not merely the observations of a trained scholar with all of the requisite linguistic and methodological skills, but also the real life experience of someone who lived through the turbulent events of the period and was an actual witness to some of them. It is to Roumani's great credit that he is able to achieve an admirable balance of overall scholarly dispassion with the intimate poignancy of personal engagement. The Jews of Libya will surely take its place alongside the pioneer studies of Renzo De Felice and Harvey Goldberg." -- Norman A Stillman, Schusterman/Josey Professor of Judaic History, University of Oklahoma.Table of ContentsIntroduction; The Changing Fortunes of Libyan Jews Under Italian Colonialism; The British Military Administration: Hopes and Disillusion; The Role of International Jewish Organisations: Rehabilitation and Protection of Minority Rights; Exodus: The Choice of Israel; Settlement in Israel: The Pains of Displacement and the Difficulties of Absorption; Closing the Circle in 1967: The Final Exodus and its Challenges; Index.

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Book Synopsis"Simple Guides Islam" provides a concise and accessible introduction to Islam. Written without bias, this guide presents engaging descriptions of the key concepts, beliefs and practices. Pocket sized and presented in an accessible format with clearly organised topics, enabling you to quickly grasp the essence of Islam. This guide is a reliable point of reference for further exploration and discovery.

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Book SynopsisAddresses ‘what it means to be human’ in a secular, post-Enlightenment world by exploring notions of self and subjectivity in Islamic and non-Islamic philosophical and mystical thought.Table of Contents Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction Part I I. The Problematic of the Self Is the Self a Modern Invention? The Opacity of the Self Degrees and Dimensions of Selfhood First-person vs. Third-person Perspective Descriptive vs. Normative Approaches A Multi-dimensional Model Overcoming the Terminological Fray Summary II. The View from and beyond the 'I' The Paradox of Self-knowledge Non-reflective Self-knowledge Self-knowledge as Abiding Presence The Varieties of Non-reflective Self-knowledge The Kantian Dilemma Summary III. Self-knowledge and the Levels of Consciousness The Humean Challenge and the Referentiality of the “I” Onto-phenomenological Structure of Consciousness What is It Like to Be a Self? Unity of Self and Consciousness Summary Part II IV. Self, Body, and Consciousness Consciousness in Neuroscience Neurobiological Theories of Consciousness The Center of the Self: Neurons or Consciousness? The Nerve Impulse and the Structure of Consciousness Graeco-Islamic-Indian Conversations Deciphering the Self through the Subtle Bodies Emotion and Subjectivity Summary V. Sculpting the Self Philosophy, Spirituality, and Self-knowledge Self-cultivation and Human Flourishing Self-perfection and the Ideal Self Meditation and Self-transparency Self-transcendence and Transformation Self, Freedom, Being-toward-beyond-death Summary VI. Consummation: 'I or I and I Bibliography Index Locorum Index of Names Index of Subjects

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Book SynopsisOn Forbes list of 10 Books To Help You Foster A More Diverse And Inclusive WorkplaceHow law, policy, and official state rhetoric have fueled the resurgence of Islamophobiawith a call to action on how to combat it. I remember the four words that repeatedly scrolled across my mind after the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. Please don't be Muslims, please don't be Muslims.' The four words I whispered to myself on 9/11 reverberated through the mind of every Muslim American that day and every day after. Our fear, and the collective breath or brace for the hateful backlash that ensued, symbolize the existential tightrope that defines Muslim American identity today. The term Islamophobia may be fairly new, but irrational fear and hatred of Islam and Muslims is anything but. Though many speak of Islamophobia's roots in racism, have we considered how anti-Muslim rhetoric is rooted in our legal system? Using his unique lens as a critical race theorist and law professor, Khaled A. Beydoun captures the many ways in which law, policy, and official state rhetoric have fueled the frightening resurgence of Islamophobia in the United States. Beydoun charts its long and terrible history, from the plight of enslaved African Muslims in the antebellum South and the laws prohibiting Muslim immigrants from becoming citizens to the ways the war on terror assigns blame for any terrorist act to Islam and the myriad trials Muslim Americans face in the Trump era. He passionately argues that by failing to frame Islamophobia as a system of bigotry endorsed and emboldened by law and carried out by government actors, U.S. society ignores the injury it inflicts on both Muslims and non-Muslims. Through the stories of Muslim Americans who have experienced Islamophobia across various racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines, Beydoun shares how U.S. laws shatter lives, whether directly or inadvertently. And with an eye toward benefiting society as a whole, he recommends ways for Muslim Americans and their allies to build coalitions with other groups. Like no book before it, American Islamophobia offers a robust and genuine portrait of Muslim America then and now.Trade Review“Much like other notable works on Islamophobia by scholars like Erik Love and Moustafa Bayoumi, Beydoun looks at the scope and impact of domestic “war on terror” legislation in how it racialized Muslims and transformed everyday life within Muslim communities. What he adds with ‘American Islamophobia’ is the terminology and language to describe the demonization of Muslims from the state — and the necessary legal and historical context to understand the depth of structural Islamophobia and the tools needed to dismantle it.” * The Intercept *“Beydoun’s book, American Islamophobia, provides urgent and compelling context to a global phenomena that has mushroomed on our shores.” * Scoop *"[Beydoun's] ability to intersperse complex academic argument with engaging stories and anecdotes ensures that not only does his writing draw you in, but also one never loses sight of the human stories of insecurity, suffering and loss that are at the book's heart." * Critical Studies on Terrorism *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Crossroads and Intersections 1. What Is Islamophobia? 2. The Roots of Modern Islamophobia 3. A Reoriented “Clash of Civilizations” 4. War on Terror, War on Muslims 5. A “Radical” or Imagined Threat? 6. Between Anti-Black Racism and Islamophobia 7. The Fire Next Time Epilogue: Homecomings and Goings Notes Index About the Author

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Book SynopsisThe mighty epic of Masada tells of Jews who preferred liberty to life itself. Their story centres on the bleak fortress of Masada in the Judean Desert after the conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Holy Temple by the Romans in 70 CE.Table of ContentsPrologue One Masada Two Between Heaven and Earth Three Yeshu and Aviel Four “Pax Romana” Five Urzillah, Child of the Negev Six Come to the Fair! Seven Mortar Eight The Ingathering of the Exiles Nine Sicarii! Ten The New Moon Eleven The Last Days Twelve Iddo Helps Thirteen Rome Is Impatient Fourteen Herod’s Palace Fifteen “How Can I Be Strong . . . ?” Sixteen The Gods Have Spoken! Seventeen Is There Hope? Eighteen Is There One God? Nineteen Free at Last Twenty “Death to the Jews!” Epilogue Word List

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Book SynopsisZinaida Poliakova (1863–1953) was the eldest daughter of Lazar Solomonovich Poliakov, one of the three brothers known as the Russian Rothschilds. They were moguls who dominated Russian finance and business and built almost a quarter of the railroad lines in Imperial Russia. For more than seventy-five years, Poliakova kept detailed diaries of her world, giving us a rare look into the exclusive world of Jewish elites in Moscow and St. Petersburg. These rare documents reveal how Jews successfully integrated into Russian aristocratic society through their intimate friendships and patronage of the arts and philanthropy. And they did it all without converting—in fact, while staunchly demonstrating their Jewishness. Poliakova’s life was marked by her dual identity as a Russian and a Jew. She cultivated aristocratic sensibilities and lived an extraordinarily lifestyle, and yet she was limited by the confessional laws of the empire and religious laws that governed her household. She brought her Russian tastes, habits, and sociability to France following her marriage to Reuben Gubbay (the grandson of Sir Albert Abdullah Sassoon). And she had to face the loss of almost all her family members and friends during the Holocaust. Women’s voices are often lost in the sweep of history, and so A Jewish Women of Distinction is an exceptional, much-needed collection. These newly discovered primary sources will change the way we understand the full breadth of the Russian Jewish experience.

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Book SynopsisMusic is haram, goes the old adage. This issue of Critical Muslim begs to differ, as Jeremy Henzell-Thomas urges the ummah to move forward from its anxieties that music is a licentious influence. Celebrating the rich tradition of musical arts throughout the Muslim world, we are invited to private audiences with performers from Bollywood to Central Asia and are offered an insight into the life of a Muslim punk in 1970s Britain. Putting the Muslim into classical music and the Islam into heavy metal, every genre is brought in from the theological cold. Critical Muslim is a quarterly magazine of ideas and issues showcasing ground breaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world.

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Book SynopsisIn this important book, Clarence-Smith provides the first general survey of the Islamic debate on slavery. Sweeping away entrenched myths, he hopes to stimulate more research on the neglected topic. He draws on examples from the 'abode of Islam', from the Philippines to Senegal and from the Caucasus to South Africa, paying particular attention for the period from the late eighteenth century to the present. Once slavery had disappeared, it was the Sufi mystics who did most to integrate former slaves socially and religiously, avoiding the deep social divisions that have plagued Western society in the aftermath of abolition.Trade Review'As a historian, Clarence-Smith has certainly made his case. Islam and the Abolition of Slavery is a tour de force.' * Times Literary Supplement *'Raises the profile of a debate which, for a long time, has been confined to a small group of Orientalists.' -- The Muslim World Book Review'Islam and the Abolition of Slavery is a tour de force which ranges over the entire Islamic world, from the Hijrah to the present, and for good measure includes comparisons with the attitudes and practice of other major world religions towards the "embarrassing institution".' * Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society *'An impressive survey . . . and objective analysis.' * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *

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Book SynopsisIn nineteenth-century Eastern Europe, the Jewish-run tavern was often the center of leisure, hospitality, business, and even religious festivities. As liquor became the region''s boom industry, Jewish tavernkeepers became integral to both local economies and local social life, presiding over Christian celebrations and dispensing advice, medical remedies and loans. Nevertheless, reformers and government officials, blaming Jewish tavernkeepers for epidemic peasant drunkenness, sought to drive Jews out of the liquor trade. Their efforts were particularly intense and sustained in the Kingdom of Poland. Historians have assumed that this spelled the end of the Polish Jewish liquor trade. However, in Yankel''s Tavern, Glenn Dynner uses newly discovered archival sources to demonstrate that many nobles helped their Jewish tavernkeepers evade fees, bans, and expulsions by installing Christians as fronts for their taverns. The result-a vast underground Jewish liquor trade-reflects an impressive lTrade ReviewGlenn Dynner has written a history of Jewish tavern keepers that serves as a point of entry into a much broader challenge to a surprisingly diverse swath of conventional wisdom about Jewish life in the Polish lands of the Russian Empire. For this reason, Yankel s Tavern should be required reading for anyone interested in Jewish history, Polish history, Russian imperial history, nationalism and national identity, and the economic history of eastern Europe. Without ever adopting an aggressive or polemical tone, Dynner has launched several debates that are sure to continue for years to come....[Dynner]offers a story of nuance and complexity, one that defies any attempt to squeeze it into the simplistic dualities that have long weakened both Polish and Jewish history. This alone should place Yankel's Tavern on everyone's must-read list. * AJS Review *[An] erudite, meticulously researched, and refreshingly original new book... * Jewish Review of Books *Yankel's Tavern is an interesting work that provides insight into the social, economic, political and religious realities of Jews during this time period. The book is a pleasure to read and accessible to the scholar and non-scholar alike. * Association of Jewish Library Reviews *Dynner s rich archival discoveries lead him into multifarious aspects of Jewish life in the Congress Kingdom. He offers a thoughtful survey of Jewish perspectives on the Polish insurrections of 1830 31 and 1863. * Times Literary Supplement *The sacred, the profane, and the 45-percent proof are at the heart of Glenn Dynner's new book, Yankel's Tavern: Jews, Liquor, and Life in the Kingdom of Poland. Like all fine scholarly work, this...volume contains multitudes. * Tablet Magazine *Meticulously researched, judiciously analyzed and deeply engaging, Yankel's Tavern sets a new standard in Jewish social history. Dynner succeeds admirably in cutting through the swath of filio-pietistic myth and anti-Semitic invective that envelops the Eastern European Jewish past. His enthusiasm for reconstructing the 'tragi-comic' lives of ordinary people is positively infectious. A rich and stimulating read. * Olga Litvak, author of Haskalah: The Romantic Movement in Judaism *Dynner shifts the focus of nineteenth-century Polish-Jewish history from government policy, ideological movements and secularization to the lives of real people and the persistence of traditional social, economic and cultural patterns. Using the pervasive liquor trade as a prism, he illuminates both the myths and the reality of the complexities and perplexities of the Polish-Jewish symbiosis. * Moshe Rosman, author of The Lords' Jews: Magnate-Jewish Relations in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth *Based upon massive new archival research, Glenn Dynner presents a wide-ranging portrait of the Jewish-run tavern, a central but overlooked institution of Polish Jewry. Drawing on a remarkable range of sources - legal, administrative, rabbinic, and literary - he illuminates the social, economic, religious and political ramifications of his subject. A sobering view of an intoxicating subject, told with sensitivity, nuance, and balance. * Jerry Z. Muller, author of Capitalism and the Jews *Dynner's short monograph is a remarkable achievement. The book is one of those rare academic accomplishments: persuasive yet concise. * Kevin Goldberg, European History Quarterly *Table of ContentsAuthor's Preface ; A Note on Translations ; Introduction ; Chapter 1: Entrance: Myths and Countermyths ; Chapter 2: Rural Jewish Prohibition in the Kingdom of Poland ; Chapter 3: The Urban Jewish Liquor Trade in the Kingdom of Poland ; Chapter 4: Patriots, Smugglers and Spies: Tavernkeepers during the Polish Uprisings of 1830 and 1863 ; Chapter 5: The Tavernkeepers Speak: Polish Jewish Tavernkeeping in the Wake of Peasant Emancipation ; Chapter 6: Farmers, Soldiers, and Students: Attempts to Transform Jewish Tavernkeepers ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Cohen’swide-ranging expertise encompasses Jewish exegesis from both Islamic and Christian milieus, and he engages meaningfully with Islamic and Christian hermeneutics themselves. Likewise, his ability to draw from earlier rabbinic literature provides the reader with critical context. Cohen’s philologically and historically informed argument details the medieval Jewish appropriation of hermeneutical tools from competing religious traditions. His work challenges us to explore the theological anxieties occasioned by turning to other faith traditions for tools to interpret one’s own sacred canon. Cohen offers a major contribution to the development of peshat and an invitation for future scholarship in hermeneutics and adjacent fields." * Speculum *"Cohen’s proficient use of both prior research and the primary sources is simultaneously far-reaching in breadth and granular in detail...Cohen’s insights are eye-opening, his examples clear and persuasive, and his conclusions leave no room for argument. For the scholar and lay person alike who mistakenly conceive of the Jewish tradition as self-contained and untouched by intellectual developments in the outside world, or for anyone interested in medieval Judaism, Cohen’s book is required reading." * Medieval Encounters *"Cohen has made his point and made it well...[The] tug of war between peshat and nonpeshat interpretation, and the fluctuation in what peshat itself could mean, reflect a larger interpretive question: Does the precise formulation of Scripture matter, or (as Abraham Ibn Ezra asserted) did the Bible’s human writers formulate God’s ideas in language of their own? Cohen’s book will leave readers with four centuries’ worth of fascinating discussion of that question." * Review of Biblical Literature *"The Rule of 'Peshat' is an enormously useful and brilliantly insightful work whose time has certainly come. Mordechai Z. Cohen's important contribution to the study of medieval Jewish biblical exegesis reflects his unsurpassed expertise in this area." * Baruch J. Schwartz, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem *"In this monumental study, Mordechai Z. Cohen reveals the theoretical complexities that attend the construction of peshat, the 'plain sense' or 'literal sense' of Jewish biblical hermeneutics. Cohen's erudite and wide-ranging analysis breaks down what has been viewed too easily as monolithic. Through his acute readings, peshat emerges as a multi-linguistic and cross-cultural tradition, as Jewish interpreters amalgamated influences from Christianity and Islam, from Byzantium and Western Asia, and from al-Andalus to northern France and the Rhineland." * Rita Copeland, University of Pennsylvania *Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1. Geonim and Karaites: Appropriating Methods of Qur'an Interpretation Chapter 2. The Andalusian School: Linguistic and Literary Advances in the Muslim Orbit Chapter 3. Rashi: Peshat Revolution in Northern France Chapter 4. Qara and Rashbam: Refining the Northern French Peshat Model Chapter 5. The Byzantine Tradition: A Newly Discovered Exegetical School Chapter 6. Abraham Ibn Ezra: Transplanted Andalusian Peshat Model Chapter 7. Maimonides: Peshat as the Basis of Halakhah Chapter 8. Nahmanides: A New Model of Scriptural Multivalence Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisSince the publication of their first controversial novels in the 1950s and 1960s, Philip Roth and Edna O'Brien have always argued against the isolation of mind from body, autobiography from fiction, life from art, and self from nation. In this book Dan O'Brien investigates these shared concerns of the two authors.Trade ReviewExceptional, original . . . O’Brien takes on a fascinating topic about which very little has been written and, in so doing, makes a valuable contribution to the growing corpus of books in the emergent field of Irish-Jewish studies. O'Brien's Fine Meshwork interlaces intricately the works, lives and preoccupations of two (variously) misunderstood contemporary writers so as to ask questions that go beyond considerations of nation and biography. O'Brien's carefully and playfully written study, with its bold thesis of flirtatious intertextuality, will do much to advance their cause, while offering new and exciting frameworks against which to consider Irish and Jewish-American literature both as separate entities and in relation to transnational and transatlantic studies.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1955, with a revised edition appearing five years later, H. G. Adler''s Theresienstadt, 19411945 is a foundational work in the field of Holocaust studies. As the first scholarly monograph to describe the particulars of a single camp - the Jewish ghetto in the Czech city of Terezin - it is the single most detailed and comprehensive account of any concentration camp. Adler, a survivor of the camp, divides the book into three sections: a history of the ghetto, a detailed institutional and social analysis of the camp, and an attempt to understand the psychology of the perpetrators and the victims. A collaborative effort between the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Terezin Publishing Project makes this authoritative text on Holocaust history available for the first time in the English language, with a new afterword by the author''s son Jeremy Adler.Trade Review'Adler's Theresienstadt 1941–1945, completed in London and first published in German in 1955, is monograph as monument. … A meticulous chronicle that is at once a sober and self-aware sociology of the absurd, a memoir in which the writer does not appear, and a penetrating ethnographic study. … Both a masterpiece of scholarship and a literary event …' J. Hoberman, BookForum'The value of Adler's work is that it does not just deal with one ghetto, but with the exercise of particular forms of power and the possibilities of human autonomy, with the 'coerced community' and the 'administered human being'. In this way, as Adler's son Jeremy points out in his afterword, it has exercised a profound influence on later writers, from Raul Hilberg and Hannah Arendt, to W. G. Sebald.' Peter Pulzer, The Times Literary Supplement'This immensely significant and moving chronicle is an indispensable resource. Essential.' J. Hardin, Choice'More than sixty years after its original publication, H. G. Adler's Theresienstadt remains indispensable to anyone who has more than a casual interest in what was among the most perverse and strange sites of incarceration in the Nazi empire. Although sadly few people realize it, Adler's book is also essential reading for anyone engaged in trying to understand the Holocaust.' Ben Barkow, German Historical Institute London Bulletin'Adler draws capably on ideas from anthropology, economics, education, ethics, Judaism, penology, philosophy, political science, and other such fields… It belongs in every library, public and private, that would house the best in Holocaust scholarship.' Arthur Shostak, The European LegacyTable of ContentsPart I. History: 1. The Jews in the 'Protectorate', 1939–41; 2. Theresienstadt: history and establishment; 3. Deportations to and from Theresienstadt; 4. Closed camp: November 1941/July 1942; 5. 'Ghetto': July 1942/summer 1943; 6. 'Jewish settlement area': summer 1943/September 1944; 7. Decline and dissolution; Part II. Sociology: 8. Administration; 9. The transport; 10. Population; 11. Housing; 12. Nutrition; 13. Labor; 14. Economy; 15. Legal conditions; 16. Health conditions; 17. Welfare; 18. Contact with the outside world; 19. Cultural life; Part III. Psychology: 20. The psychological face of the coerced community.

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Book SynopsisNew in paperback - The thrilling true story of an Israel spyâs epic journey to bring the notorious Butcher of Latvia to justice. A page-turner to rival anything by John le Carre, this real-life tale of espionage will leave readers on the edge of their seats.Trade Review‘What a wonderful book. Stephan Talty’s fast-paced account of how Herbert Cukurs, the Latvian aviator turned Nazi war criminal, was eventually brought to justice by Mossad operatives is as gripping as any novel. Hard as it is read the details of Cukurs’ horrific crimes, the outcome is both moving and uplifting, with the Latvian’s demise helping to bring other perpetrators of genocide to justice. Talty is at the top of his game.’ -- Saul David, author of Operation Thunderbolt and The Force‘Stephan Talty’s The Good Assassin is a gripping chronicle of one of the most brilliant operations launched against an escaped Nazi war criminal, and a fitting memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in Latvia and to the brave Israelis who travelled half way around the world to punish one of the key perpetrators of those crimes. At a time when Latvian ultranationalists are trying to rehabilitate Cukurs as a national hero, Talty explains why such a step would be a grave miscarriage of justice.’ -- Dr. Efraim Zuroff, chief Nazi-hunter, Simon Wiesenthal Center‘Talty efficiently mines archival records for vivid details and tracks the complexities of Medad’s undercover mission with flair. The result is a captivating and gruesome real-life spy thriller.’ -- Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisThis book presents up-to-date information on the origins of the Ashkenazic Jewish people from central and eastern Europe based on genetic research on modern and pre-modern populations. It focuses on the 129 maternal haplogroups that the author confirmed that Ashkenazim have acquired from distinct female ancestors who were indigenous to diverse lands that include Israel, Italy, Poland, Germany, North Africa, and China, revealing both their Israelite inheritance and the lasting legacy of conversions to Judaism. Genetic connections between Ashkenazic Jews and other Jewish populations, including Turkish Jews, Moroccan Jews, Tunisian Jews, Iranian Jews, and Cochin Jews, are indicated wherever they are known.Table of ContentsSummaryAcknowledgments1. An Introduction to Ashkenazic History and Genetics2. Encyclopedia of Ashkenazic Maternal Lineages3. Non-Ashkenazic Haplogroups in Populations Related to Ashkenazim4. ConclusionNotesBibliographyIndexAbout the Author

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