Customer Reviews

Jewish Eating and Identity Through the Ages (Routledge Advances in Sociology)

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I read an excellent piece in the Forward written by David Kraemer. The biography mentioned this book and I was excited to order it. I got it used (I can't possible afford it new) and it smelled of smoke. I worked to get much of the smoke out so that I could finally read this much waited for volume. It is really a waste of time and energy.

I teach Jewish Law in Israel to American post-high-school students. I cover more sources in one hour than Kraemer does in the entire book. The analysis is weak at best and the references to historical data lacking. I bought this book to give me insight from an academic perspective into Jewish eating customs. Instead, it was an aggravating pocket full of mumbles. Very little history in what is really just a survey of a few basic issues which really show he is no expert in the area of Jewish law and especially medieval commentaries.

In the kashruth section, for instance, he quotes Maimonides about the period of waiting between milk and meat, but omits Rashi -- a critical position to balance Rambam and R. Yaakov b. Meir. He claims that Rambam has no source -- really, I (and all super-commentaries) thought it was a clear interpretation of the Talmud in Hulin. He speaks with authority of the history of eating utensils as if no one in the ancient world had any -- a simply stroll in the British Museum will dispel much of that (or at least demand a more nuanced and supported view.) There are a few FULL SETS of pots and the like from the Byzantine period.

He mentions the new revisionist school's minimalist position about the extent of rabbinic power in the first and second century claiming that Philo is more representative of the Jew on the street. Perhaps that is so; however, in the footnote explaining his position he simply writes that the literature is vast and then only sites Seth Shwartz (another JTS professor) -- as if he is the only authority on the topic. This is a rather controversial view to site saying that everyone knows this already -- well Alon, Bickerman, and Tcherkover (the old classics on the topic of Judaism in the period) don't agree. Interesting that Kraemer basis this house of cards on Shwartz -- Shwartz in turn in his book thanks Kraemer for his help and around and around and around the academic blubber goes. This is JTS scholarship at its absolute worst. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours while we ignore what everyone else writes on the topic. Well maybe the Israelis are biased by Zionism or maybe the Israelis actually quote sources and that would be too much work for Kraemer.

Kraemer dismisses Milgrom and others with the wave of a hand regarding the extent and availability of meat by again quoting one source.

For me the only saving grace was the last chapter where it is revealed Kraemer's true agenda. Really Kraemer is afraid that his father not being Jewish may present a problem for those considering him a real Jew. This entire anti-rabbinic text is to rationalize his feelings of inferiority. Time to get over it.

I enjoyed the discussion of Jewish Deli's and his mentioning one I grew up with. The issue of Chinese food was also enlightening. But what a waste of money, time, and excitement for that.

"Jewish Eating.." tells why there are kosher "certified" products with no non-kosher food items in them (e.g. soft drinks and waters)--and far more. It traces the history of kashrus from biblical observance (following only what the text of the Torah says)to later Rabbical one-upsmanship ("Rabbinical kashrus) designed to see who could be more restrictive than the other, largely to prevent social intercourse (and other intercourse) between Jew and Gentile.

The author includes detailed Talmudic and historical scholarship to buttress his points, coupled to a wry sense of humor. Together, these make for a very good read for those Jews who want to know why we do (or are urged to do) with respect to traditional observance.

Simply learning why the pig became so reviled by Jews is worth the price of the book or the time spent reading it. But I won't tell you. This review constitutes a book trailer.

Jewish law about kashrut has changed much much more than I ever knew or would have guessed over the years. David's book illuminated this in a very readable fashion. I was quite surprised about how much stricter the laws of kashrut have become over the last few thousand years (and especially over the last few hundred years). David also explains why this evolution has taken place and that is in itself very interesting.