The Life of Judaism

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.

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.

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Chapter 1 The Ethos of an Eastern European Community
Ghitta Sternberg
Chapter 2 Preparing for Passover in North Africa
Irene Awret
Chapter 3 Religious Roles of Elderly Women
Susan Starr Sered
Chapter 4 Synagogue Life among American Reform Jews
Frida Kerner Furman
Chapter 5 Orthodoxy in an American Synagogue
Samuel C. Heilman
Chapter 6 Worship in the Havura Movement
Chava Weissler
Chapter 7 Turning to Orthodox Judaism
Lynn Davidman
Chapter 8 Tradition and Innovation in the Marriage Ceremony
Einat Ramon
Chapter 9 A Bat Mitzvah among Russian Jews in America
Fran Markowitz
Chapter 10 Books as a Path to Jewish Identity
Claudio Segrè
Chapter 11 Memory and the Holocaust: Two Perspectives
Ismar Schorsch and Jackie Feldman
Chapter 12 Meanings of the Western Wall
Danielle Storper Perez and Harvey E. Goldberg
Chapter 13 A Moroccan Jewish Shrine in Israel
Yoram Bilu
Chapter 14 Religion, Study, and Contemporary Politics
Tamar El-Or
Chapter 15 Ethiopian Jewry and New Self-Concepts
Hagar Salamon

Glossary
Sources of the Selections
Contributors
Index