A new interpretation of historical and contemporary Jewish texts that views diaspora as a positive outcome for Jews and for the world
Jewish people have always wandered. According to their origin story, they wandered from Ur of Chaldees to Canaan, then Egypt, and then back to Canaan. From there, they were exiled to Babylon, where they lived for centuries. They also settled in Persia, Egypt, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Ukraine, England, the United States, among many other places. Diaspora became normal to Jews, and though they may have hoped for a return to their "Promised Land" at the "End of Days," they made sense of their many homes, defending diaspora as the realm where Jewish life could grow, and they could fulfil their obligations to God.
Embracing Exile analyzes biblical and rabbinic texts, philosophical treatises, studies of Kabbalah, Hasidism, and a multiplicity of modern expressions. It offers revised readings of the Bible's book of Esther, a survey of Talmudic treatments of exile, an in-depth analysis of the thought of the early modern master, the Maharal of Prague, as well as the work of novelist Philip Roth, among other modern authors. David Kraemer shows that Diaspora Jews through the ages insisted that God joined them in their exiles, that "Zion" was found in Babylon and Eastern Europe, and that, as citizens of the world, Jews could only live throughout the world. The result is a convincing assertion that lament has not been the most common Jewish response to diaspora and that Zionism is not the natural outcome of either Jewish ideology or history. Kraemer also argues that as the world's most experienced surviving refugees, Jews also offer a model to more contemporary refugees, demonstrating how they may not only survive but thrive and endure.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
I cannot imagine a more timeless or timely book. David Kraemer brilliantly synthesizes vast amounts of Jewish thought and history into this remarkably elegant and persuasive book. It was a pleasure to read, and it left me shaken. * Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Here I Am * Embracing Exile will stand as a powerful rejoinder to the commonly accepted belief that Jewish life thrived best under sovereignty in their own land. Rather David Kraemer shows, with breadth, depth, and erudition, that exile and its related state of diaspora gave Jews a chance to blossom and to contemplate, write, rewrite, and rewrite again who they are and what that meant to them. Exile, here, is their natural habitat. * Hasia Diner, Paul and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History Emerita, New York University * David Kraemer possesses a panoramic view of Jewish history and the Jewish present that this revisionist book requires; he has both a catholicity of perspective and a sterling track record. There are books devoted to Jews and the idea of exile, but this book, like Shaul Magid's recent The Necessity of Exile, is of a different nature. Kraemer fleshes out his own ideology of diaspora, which is posed as an alternative to a Zion-centered view. In sum, this is a compelling read. * David N. Myers, Sady and Ludwig Kahn Distinguished Professor of Jewish History, UCLA * Embracing Exile shines as a work of intel-lec-tu-al his-to-ry * Brian Hillman, Jewish Book Council *
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Maße
Höhe: 239 mm
Breite: 160 mm
Dicke: 25 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-19-762354-1 (9780197623541)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
David Kraemer is Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he has also served as Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics for many years. As Librarian, he is at the helm of the most extensive collection of Judaica-rare and contemporary-in the Western hemisphere. He is the author of several books on Rabbinic Judaism and its texts, the social and religious history of Jews in antiquity, and Jewish rituals and their development.
Autor*in
Joseph J. and Dora Abbell LibrarianJoseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian, Jewish Theological Seminary in New York
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Biblical Explanations of Exile
3. Biblical Narratives of Diaspora
4. Zion in Babylon
5. Medieval Jewish Teachings on Exile
6. Exile, the Jewish Mystical Tradition, and the Sephardi Diaspora
7. The Great Theorizer: The Maharal of Prague
8. Hasidism and the Eastern European Diaspora
9. Haskalah (Enlightenment), Reform, and Early Zionism
10. Modern Jews on Exile/Diaspora
11. Exiles and their Diasporas: the Lessons of the Jews
Bibliography
