The Way Into the Varieties of Jewishness [Hardcover]

Sylvia Barack Fishman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Way Into... | Publication Date: November 15, 2006

For everyone who wants to understand the varieties of Jewish identity, its boundaries and inclusions, this book shows the way into an essential aspect of Judaism and allows you to interact directly with the sacred texts of the Jewish tradition.

Dr. Sylvia Barack Fishman explores the religious and historical understanding of what it has meant to be Jewish from ancient times to the present controversy over "Who is a Jew?" Beginning with the biblical period, this volume takes you era-by-era through Jewish history to reveal who the Jewish community included and excluded, and discusses the fascinating range of historical conflicts that Jews have dealt with internally. It will provide an understanding of how the Jewish people and faith developed, and of what the major religious differences are among Jewish movements today.

Judaism throughout history. What did Judaism look like in the earliest periods of recorded Jewish history? How have early Jewish teachings influenced diverse forms of Jewishness historically and today? How did attitudes and behaviors diverge as Jews migrated and responded to their Christian or Muslim host cultures? How did various Jewish "enlightenments," social movements and political changes affect Jewish culture and religion?

Modern Judaism. Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform, Renewal--what are the many movements--and secular forms--of Judaism that exist today? How did each movement begin, and what role does each play in the landscape of modern American Judaism? What challenges does Judaism in general, and the movements in particular, face in the coming years and decades?

Conversion to Judaism. What were historical attitudes toward "Jews by Choice," and what are the attitudes today?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Anyone who's befuddled by the differences among Jewish communities will appreciate this marvelous primer by Brandeis University professor Fishman. Before turning to the many expressions of Judaism found in America, she devotes the first two chapters to a useful summary of the history of Judaism in the ancient world and in Europe. Then she examines contemporary Judaism's three main branches—Reform, Conservative and Orthodox. Here she explores many fascinating trends, ranging from the rise of feminism in Modern Orthodox Judaism to the tensions between more and less observant Conservative Jews. Fishman also discusses Reconstructionist, Renewal and secular Judaism, and she spends an entire chapter on converts to Judaism ("Jews by choice"). Today's Jewish communities face challenges. Reform Judaism, for example, must balance some members' growing interest in traditional practices with the resistance of other congregants. Conservative Judaism struggles with self-definition and loses some members to Reform and Orthodox communities. But all in all, Fishman finds contemporary American Judaism having a renaissance, with more Jews of all stripes availing themselves of top-notch adult education and taking advantage of the constant publication of Jewish literature and scholarship. This is an excellent introduction to the diversity of Jewish life. (Dec.)
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From Booklist

Fishman writes in her cogent introduction to this highly approachable account that its primary purpose is to describe the historical emergence and development of the diverse ways that Jews today connect to their Jewishness. She highlights some significant and striking diversities of the Jewish experiences in earlier times and portrays the broad spectrum of contemporary American modes of Jewishness. Chapter 1 discusses some of the biblical narratives and draws on archaeologists' and historians' views of the Israelite tribes that established themselves in what became the ancient land of Israel. Chapter 2 follows the evolutions of what would become Sephardic and Ashkenazi varieties of Jewishness in medieval and Renaissance societies. Chapter 3 explores what Fishman describes as religious decentralization, secularization emancipation,^B and the types of Jewish Enlightenments. The next four chapters comprise the book's major focus on the contemporary American form of Jewishness that evolved and developed in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Chapter 8 explores what Fishman labels the spiritual journeys of "Jews by choice," tracing Jewish attitudes toward conversion historically and in contemporary America. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 262 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing (November 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158023030X
• ISBN-13: 978-1580230308
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,842,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Conditions for Jewish Renaissance in America, December 14, 2006

By 

David Mittelberg - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way Into the Varieties of Jewishness (Hardcover)

Just when you were wondering what would be the book to send friends and family alike for the Holiday season, along comes a miraculous response to your quest. This incredibly readable book offers us all, an insightful and sympathetic analysis of the historical roots of Judaism together with the many varieties of Jewishness that have unfolded in contemporary America.

Tracing the continuum of diversity from biblical times through the 2000 years of diaspora life, Fishman explains how being Jewish and Jewish culture evolved in interaction with widely different cultures yielding diverse outcomes. Similarly, we are led through the story of American Jewry through the continuous development of the Orthodox , Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Renewal and Secular movements, all of which contribute to the culture and ethnic capital of American Jews. Finally, Fishman offers an innovative typology of Jews by Choice together with a sensitive discussion of the challenges faced by conversionary households who themselves bring a new source of energy and commitment to American Jewry.

Following the analysis of both the richness and comparative strengths and challenges of the different branches of American Jewishness, demonstrating how each in turn, has learned important lessons from the other, Fishman to turns her critical eye to the horizon of the next generation of American Jews. In so doing, Fishman suggests an agenda for those seeking to sustain American Jewishness. The renaissance of Jewish life so vibrant in an important minority of American Jews reported by Fishman, needs to be linked to the less affected vast majority of American Jews. This may be attained by developing enhanced social networks, opportunities for informal and experiential youth and adult education as well as the structured experience of Jewish Peoplehood through engagement with other Jewish communities in Israel and worldwide. This is a book that is informed by the latest thinking of the American Jewish renaissance it describes, yet written in a language every American, Jew and non Jew alike, can both understand and identify with. This rare combination indeed, makes it a must for all your Holiday reading.

David Mittelberg

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gem of a book, December 10, 2006

By 

L. Saxe - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way Into the Varieties of Jewishness (Hardcover)

For anyone - Jewish or non-Jewish - who wonders about Judaism, my colleague Sylvia Barack Fishman has written a highly accessible and engaging account of the "varieties" of ways in which Jewishness is expressed. What is unique, and in some ways breathtaking about this book, is that Professor Fishman places contemporary practice and beliefs in historical context. She provides readers with a scan of more than 3000 years of Jewish history. Her historical descriptions do not merely tell the story of how the Jewish people and Jewish traditions evolved, but she helps us understand how texts and history shape present-day behavior and identity. Fishman is an expert on Jewish family issues and the book will be of special interest to those who are joining Jewish families and/or converting to Judaism. But even for those who are familiar with the story, the book is a gem and gives one new perspective on what it means to be Jewish.