The life of Judaism / edited by Harvey E. Goldberg.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Goldberg, Harvey E.

Series:

Life of religion ; 2.

The life of religion ; 2

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Judaism--20th century.

Judaism.

Jewish way of life.

Judaism--Customs and practices.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 258 pages) : illustrations.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, c2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Approximately thirteen million people around the world define themselves as Jews, with the majority residing in the United States and Israel. This collection portrays the diversity of Jewish experience as it is practiced and lived in contemporary societies. The book's attention to material culture offers a much-needed addition to more traditional views advanced in the study of Judaism. Through ethnographic and autobiographical perspectives, the essays provide an appreciation of Judaism in daily activities, from domestic food preparation to worshipping; Jewish attachment to the cultures of specific communities, be they in Russia or Morocco; the impact of the Holocaust; the place of the State of Israel in Jewish life; and the role of women. Harvey E. Goldberg, a leading scholar in the anthropology of Judaism, provides an introduction to each chapter that demonstrates the links among the various themes. Ease of communication and travel has resulted in frequent contact--and at times, conflict--between Jews of similar and diverging backgrounds around the world. Visiting distinctive Jewish spaces has become a way of cultivating specific identities and senses of a Jewish past. As ritual, prayers, and attitudes toward authority undergo new constructions and interpretation, Judaism of "the book" also takes on new forms. These essays go a long way in helping us understand a contemporary and multifaceted Judaism, along with its history and texts.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1. The Ethos of an Eastern European Community

Chapter 2. Preparing for Passover in North Africa

Chapter 3. Religious Roles of Elderly Women

Chapter 4. Synagogue Life among American Reform Jews

Chapter 5. Orthodoxy in an American Synagogue

Chapter 6. Worship in the Havura Movement

Chapter 7. Turning to Orthodox Judaism

Chapter 8. Tradition and Innovation in the Marriage Ceremony

Chapter 9. A Bat Mitzvah among Russian Jews in America

Chapter 10. Books as a Path to Jewish Identity

Chapter 11. Memory and the Holocaust: Two Perspectives

Chapter 12. Meanings of the Western Wall

Chapter 13. A Moroccan Jewish Shrine in Israel

Chapter 14. Religion, Study, and Contemporary Politics

Chapter 15. Ethiopian Jewry and New Self-Concepts

Glossary

Sources of the Selections

Contributors

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based upon print version of record.

ISBN:

9786612762451

9781282762459

1282762451

9781597347129

1597347124

9780520935723

0520935721

OCLC:

475929720