Judaism in the Modern World

A most welcome event. Now, in one easily accessible volume, all the collective wisdom of some of the very best contemporary Jewish scholarship is at one's fingertips. -Steven T. Katz,Cornell University As a teacher of a modern Jewish history course, I'll constantly be referring my students to this collection of insightful articles on major issues relating to modern Jewish identity by some of today's leading Jewish Studies scholars. -Lawrence Baron Nasatir, Professor of Modern Jewish History and Director, Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies, San Diego State University In this sweeping volume, fourteen of American Jewry's best scholars and thinkers confront the central issues that define Jews and Judaism in the modern world. . . . One emerges with renewed appreciation for the tragedies, hopes, ideals and paradoxes of twentieth century Jewish life. -Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H., & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University As anti-semitism finds new followers and Israel makes peace with old enemies, Jews in the modern world face constantly metamorphosizing relationships. From the eighteenth century to the present, unprecedented opportunities have grown up alongside new challenges for the Jewish people. While modern society is permitting Judaism a place, profound questions over Jewish identity are taking shape. The essays gathered in Judaism in the Modern World address the issue of Jewish persistence amidst changing forms of identity. Exploring a wide range of sources, the essayists examine historical issues, the Holocaust and its repercussions, literature, and theological dimensions while seeking the nature of Judaism in modern times. As they reassess Judaism's past while pursuing a meaningful Jewish future, these essays raise crucial questions about the tradition's central mythic structures, such as covenant and redemption. The contributors to this volume broach everything from feminism to the creation of the state of Israel. Sander Gilman illustrates how Jewish identity is inextricably linked to the physical, showing how racial identity both reflects and defines Jewishness. Raul Hilberg examines Holocaust remembrance, in the wake of Holocaust denial, as an act of revolt. A wide-ranging and thoughtful collection, Judaism in the Modern World will appeal to readers concerned with the fate of Judaism in the modern era.