Customer Reviews

Cultures of the Jews: A New History

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There are few more complex and also baffling subjects than the nature of the Jewish People and Judaism as a fusion between a civilization and a community/people/nation. Even more enigmatic is the survival and frequent thriving of Judaism during more than three thousand years of continuous pluralistic existance under a great variety of radically different conditions and in very different political and cultural environments.
This collection by David Biale is an outstanding introduction and profile of this historic riddle, presenting in clear but scholarly sound narratives an overview of the dynamics of Jewish cultures (note the plural) with their shared cores and diverse envelopes. Further such books by Biale are to be eagerly expected, hopefully together with a comprehensive theoretic treatment providing deep understanding of the past and supplying a basis for predicting and trying to weave the future.
This book is strongly recommended to scholars and intellectuals concerned with the history and nature of the Jewish People and to decision makers and policy planners trying to assure its thriving together with contributions to changing global cultures in the future. This book is also essential reading for students of the dynamics of cultures.
Professor Yehezkel Dror. Founding President, the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute (established by the Jewish Agency of Israel) and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

I have not read this entire work as yet but I am working on it. The essays offer more than enough detail for the nonscholarly reader to enjoy and learn without being overwhelmed. The writing is clear and well organized. For me, it is a treasure chest of information and insights about the history and social life of the Jewish people.

This book is particularly recommended for the unique subjects being discussed, as well as the 'non-continuity' of each chapter's material.
By this, I mean each chapter=subject does not relate to any previous or subsequent chapter.

This gives one the opportunity to choose whatever subjects interests him/her -- particularly to the non-Jew who seeks only information of select subjects.

The quality of the material is excellent and readable. I have an extensive 'Jewish' library; but have seen no book covering many of its 'unexpected' and most interesting subjects.

A 'must' purchase'; I have seen no book like it.

In surveying the overall history of the Jewish people one should have some sense of its overall direction and meaning. One should too give the reader a real sense of the transformations through various periods. One should also have a sense of the centrality of Israel, and the significance of the Jewish return to sovereignty.
This collection is lacking all these elements. While it contains many fine individual essays as an overall work it just does not hang together. Previous collections of essays on Jewish history as a whole, one thinks of the great Ben- Sassoon anthology are far superior to this one.

Perhaps a little academic, but an extremely interesting, modern take on Jewish culture.

The book is full of self-important drivel. As a result, it lacks clarity and coherence.