We are few : folklore and ethnic identity of the Jewish community of Ioannina, Greece / Annette B. Fromm.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fromm, Annette B.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Jews--Greece--Iōannina--History.

Jews.

Jews--Greece--Iōannina--Identity.

Jews--Greece--Iōannina--Folklore.

Jews--Greece--Iōannina--Social life and customs.

Manners and customs.

Identity (Philosophical concept).

History.

Greece--Iōannina.

Genre:

Folklore.

Physical Description:

xx, 199 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, MD : Lexington Books, [2008]

Summary:

The Jewish community of Ioannina in northwestern Greece traces its roots to Byzantine times, if not earlier. In the early twentieth century, at least half of the community's population immigrated to Athens, Israel, and the United States to pursue economic and religious opportunity. Combined with the cataclysm of the Holocaust, this steady outward movement created an abrupt rupture in their patterns of traditional culture. We Are Few brings this unique community to life in a series of ethnographic sketches of history and traditional culture in order to understand its intense allegiance to ethnic identity. Annette B. Fromm explores the decreasing inventory of cultural traditions from the patterns of daily life to the rituals and customs associated with life cycle events and holiday celebrations. Through the periodic return of individuals associated with the Jews of Ioannina-pilgrims-a new avenue of the expression of ethnic identity has been created. These visits reassure residents that the Jewish community of Ioannina still exists, no matter how dispersed. This study is useful for graduate-level students and researchers of anthropology and Jewish studies.

Contents:

The Jewish community of Ioannina: patterns written in history

Community today: patterns of daily life

Patterns and celebrations of life

The annual cycle: holiday patterns

The pilgrimage: new patterns.

Notes:

Originally published as thesis (Ph. D.)--Indiana University, 1992.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 183-196) and index.

ISBN:

9780739120613

0739120611

OCLC:

156784937