Description
Book SynopsisDeals with the subject of how Jews think about and work with objects. This title draws from philosophy, cultural studies, literature, psychology, film, and photography to portray the vibrancy of Jewish practice in America. It offers an approach to an understanding of modern Jewish thought and its relation to American culture.
Trade ReviewKen Koltun-Fromm's fascinating account of American Jewish thinkers' engagement with material culture explores a subject largely commanded by social historians . . . [His] chapters engage fascinating topics in clear-headed and searching discussions.
* Shofar *
Material Culture and Jewish Thought in America invites us to re-examine a range of religious-philosophical sources, for which we should be grateful.
* Jewish Book World *
Koltun-Fromm brings a synthetic approach, and thus, fresh air, to what has too long remained a narrowly focused set of questions. Scholars in a variety of fields will find relevant and rewarding discussions in these pages. Volume 37, Number 4, Dec. 2011
* Religious Studies Review *
[This book] offers a bracing insight into the current, vibrant state of American Jewish studies.7/16/10
-- Josh Lambert * Forward *
In this tightly argued and sophisticated monograph, Koltun-Fromm seeks to locate and explore the experiences of American Jews with physical objects and things as diverse as journals and urban streets. . . . All libraries supporting such patrons should seriously consider its purchase. . . . Recommended.
* Choice *
Table of ContentsContents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Material Culture and Jewish Identity in America
1. The Material Self: Mordecai Kaplan and the Art of Writing
2. The Material Past: Edward Bernays, Joshua Liebman, and Erich Fromm
3. Material Place: Joseph Soloveitchik and the Urban Holy
4. Material Presence: Abraham Joshua Heschel and The Sabbath
5. The Material Narrative: Yezierska, Roth, Ozick, Malamud
6. The Material Gaze: American Jewish Identity and Heritage Production
Conclusion: American or Jewish Material Identity?
Notes
Bibliography
Index
