Tradition in a Rootless World: Women Turn to Orthodox Judaism [Paperback]

Lynn Davidman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520075455 | ISBN-13: 978-0520075450 | Publication Date: March 23, 1993

The past two decades in the United States have seen an immense liberalization and expansion of women's roles in society. Recently, however, some women have turned away from the myriad, complex choices presented by modern life and chosen instead a Jewish orthodox tradition that sets strict and rigid guidelines for women to follow.
Lynn Davidman followed the conversion to Orthodoxy of a group of young, secular Jewish women to gain insight into their motives. Living first with a Hasidic community in St. Paul, Minnesota, and then joining an Orthodox synagogue on the upper west side of Manhattan, Davidman pieced together a picture of disparate lives and personal dilemmas. As a participant observer in their religious resocialization and in interviews and conversations with over one hundred women, Davidman also sought a new perspective on the religious institutions that reach out to these women and usher them into the community of Orthodox Judaism.
Through vivid and detailed personal portraits, Tradition in a Rootless World explores women's place not only in religious institutions but in contemporary society as a whole. It is a perceptive contribution that unites the study of religion, sociology, and women's studies.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Davidman (sociology and women's studies, Univ. of Pittsburgh) offers an intriguing sociological exploration of the world of Orthodox Judaism and its resurgence among modern American women. The experiences of two distinctly different groups of single Jewish American women are traced as they return to their secular roots at a contemporary Orthodox synagogue (Lincoln Square) in New York City and a Lubovitch Hasidic community (Bais Chana) in St. Paul, Minnesota. Life experiences, individual reasons for returning, reflections on the meaning of Orthodoxy before and after conversion, and the roles of Orthodox Jewish women in modern American society are revealed, compared, and discussed throughout this study. This is an excellent introduction to an often misunderstood way of life. Highly recommended for synagogue libraries, public libraries, and Judaic studies collections.
- Ann E. Cohen, Rochester P.L.,
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A meticulously written and carefully researched study. . . . The book is objective, analytical, and insightful; it is also interestingly written with many fascinating examples and quotes. . . . An important point of departure for all future work on the subject." -- William B. Helmreich, The Jewish Press --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (March 23, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520075455
• ISBN-13: 978-0520075450
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Women and Judaism
  • #10 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Movements > Orthodox

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As the author, I want to correct some misimpressions offered, July 19, 1999

By 

Lynn R. Davidman (Providence, RI.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tradition in a Rootless World: Women Turn to Orthodox Judaism (Paperback)

I want to clarify some aspects of my book, TRADITION IN A ROOTLESS WORLD, that were left unclear by the first reviewer who wrote here. One is that the book does not focus on two synagogues in Manhattan but rather on one modern Orthodox synagogue community in Manhattan and the other a live-in school-cum-dormitory that is run by the Lubavitcher Hasidim in St. Paul Minnesota. The book has as its primary questions why contemporary women are attracted to Orthodox Judaism and how that transformation is accomplished through the interactions between the newcomers and the Orthodox (or Hasidic) institutions that they attend. I argue that each form of Orthodoxy has a particular approach to modernity that shapes all aspects of the re-socialization process, which affects the type of woman attracted to each group, the way the group presents its teachings on Orthodoxy, and the final outcome of the socialization process in each setting. The book is comparative throughout and seeks to make clear to a lay audience what the attraction of traditional religious forms is for contemporary women who have come of age since feminism.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars nicely done and especially good for . . ., March 22, 2004

By 

Michael Lewyn (Forest Hills, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tradition in a Rootless World: Women Turn to Orthodox Judaism (Hardcover)

people who haven't been exposed to Orthodoxy very much. Just to sum up briefly: the modern Orthodox Manhattanites profiled tend to have busy but slightly empty lives, and are trying to fit their new religious commitment into those lives. Their rabbis tend to focus less on beliefs about Divine existence and desires than on the utilitarian virtues of plugging into the wisdom of a 2000-year-old tradition. The women in the Lubavitch "sleepaway" camp tend to be younger, suffering from very troubled lives, more focused on Divine will, and looking to make a major change in those lives (not surprisingly- since people with satisfactory jobs are usually going to be unable to take a month off). Their rebbes view Chasidism as these women's personal destiny, rather than as a freely chosen alternative. For those of you who are more familiar with Orthodoxy, the charm of this book lies in offhand points that the book makes in passing: for example, its implication that Orthodox triumphalism (that is, the idea that Orthodoxy is the future of Judaism) was far more rare in the 1980s, and that the Lubavitchers were struggling with the Messianic issue (that is, the issue of whether the Rebbe, may his memory be a blessing, was the Messiah) even then.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good, February 26, 2011

By 

e - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Tradition in a Rootless World: Women Turn to Orthodox Judaism (Paperback)

Exactly what was said was given. The time in which it arrived was much sooner then expected as well. Excellent service!