Description
Book SynopsisThis collection of essays was compiled in response to the proliferation of violence throughout the modern world. They constitute a multi-disciplinary approach to the intersection of violence with Jewish life and thought. Examined are ancient and modern examples of violence from the perspectives of Jewish studies, philosophy, history, psychology and sociology. Topics include the philosophical and psychological dimensions of violence and terror in Israel; religious Zionism; an overview of Jewish Law; religious societies in antiquity; anti-Semitism among American workers during World War II; British anti-Semitic symbolism; violence in Canadian Jewish communal life; issues of conscription in Britain during war time; and spousal abuse. In conclusion, David Shatz provides a Jewish perspective on the events of 9/11, followed by an examination of the halakhic response to the problem of evil by Moshe Sokol.
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 The Transformation of Violent Experiences: A Psychological Perspective Chapter 3 Jewish Religious Communities and Wife Abuse Chapter 4 The Treatment of Violence and Extra-Judicial Exercise of Law and Justice in Jewish Law Chapter 5 Jewish Violence in Antiquity: Three Dimensions Chapter 6 "Mercy is Vouchsafed From Heaven:" Halakhah's Response to Violence As Expressed In the Arukh Hashulkhan Orach Haim- Sections 560 and 576-8 Chapter 6 Legitimate Violence in Formative Judaism Chapter 7 Violence as a Factor in the Communal Life of the Montreal Jewish Community in the Early Twentieth Century Chapter 8 Anglo-Jewry and Military Conscription During the Great War Chapter 9 Novel Anti-Semitisms: Vampiric Reflections of the jew Britain, 1875-1914 Chapter 10 The Personification of Excess: Antisemitism and the Wages of Alienation Chapter 11 Ploughshares into Swords: Contemporary Religious Zionists and moral Constraints Chapter 12 "From The Depths I Have Called To You": Jewish Reflections on September 11th and Contemporary Terrorism Chapter 13 Is There a "halakhic" Response to the Problem of Evil? Chapter 14 Contributors
