Fragile Branches: Travels through the Jewish Diaspora (Hardcover)

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Amazon.com Review

Fragile Branches: Travels Through the Jewish Diaspora is James R. Ross's account of his journeys among the world's most far-flung Jewish communities in countries including Uganda, India, Peru, and Brazil. Ross's accounts of the ways that each community discovered Judaism, and the ways that geographical isolation allows for both preservation and evolution of Jewish traditions, demonstrate a sophisticated grasp of theology and anthropology. His vivid anecdotal style (which grips the reader from the book's first scene--set "inside the gates of a small Jewish cemetery in Parintins, a dusty island town between the banks of the Amazon River") is that of a skilled literary journalist. Fragile Branches is not merely picturesque, however. Its concise introduction establishes the political and moral stakes of Ross's travelogues. Despite Israel's law of return (which permits immigration of anyone with one Jewish parent or grandparent), Ross notes that "Indians, Peruvians, and black Africans who practice Judaism face bureaucratic barriers and long delays from political and religious officials." Ross believes such harassment is unconscionable, considering that many of the Jews he visited have "sacrificed their jobs, friends, and even their families in their struggle to become Jews." In Fragile Branches Ross forcefully argues for the integrity of his subjects' religious identity, and against parochial notions of Judaism that would exclude them. "These disparate communities are searching for their places in the world. How we ... respond to them is nothing less than a reflection of how we look at ourselves." --Michael Joseph Gross

Review

As Ross acknowledges at the start, such non-normative Jews are immediately suspect to many Israelis, who fear that Judaism is being used by poor foreigners to gain Israeli citizenship under the country's Law of Return, which nationalizes all Jews who choose to move to Israel. "Undoubtedly," Ross writes, "some of them are driven...by economic opportunities that might await them in Israel. Yet I was convinced that nearly everyone I met was sincere in his or her commitment to Judaism." It is clearly one of Ross's goals to support these Jews in their efforts to be recognized as such, and to subtly chastize orthodox rabbis who throw roadblocks in their way.

Ross's writing can grow tiresome; his case studies never spring to life as one would hope. He is relentlessly sympathetic to his subjects, perhaps to a fault. Yet his book fills a void in the literature, and will become a standard work in Judaica. (Beliefnet, Sept. 2000) -- From Beliefnet

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (September 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573221651
• ISBN-13: 978-1573221658
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,450,083 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual and interesting communities, September 7, 2004

By	Shana Dietz (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This is a well-written, easy-to-read investigation of some unusual Jewish and Jewish wannabe communities in Uganda, Peru, Brazil, India, and even Israel. There are chapters on the ever-increasing discovery of Marranos and their descendents and an interesting one on the Karaite community, who are officially acknowledged as Jews by the rabbinic authorities in Israel though their rabbis are not. Ross focuses on several individuals in each chapter, which brings the research down to a personal and more readable level. He is also careful not to take any one `expert's' advice on the theories of some of the communitites who claim `Lost Tribe' status but brings objective reporting into the argument. Each chapter can be read independent of each other, with an introduction and conclusion linking them. On the whole, interesting and very readable of some unusual communities!

8 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, October 24, 2000

By A Customer

Well written. Well researched. Reads like classic novel.