Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, PracticeHow can we define "Judaism," and what are the common threads uniting ancient rabbis, Maimonides, the authors of the Zohar, and modern secular Jews in Israel? Michael L. Satlow offers a fresh perspective on Judaism that recognizes both its similarities and its immense diversity. Presenting snapshots of Judaism from around the globe and throughout history, Satlow explores the links between vastly different communities and their Jewish traditions. He studies the geonim, rabbinical scholars who lived in Iraq from the ninth to twelfth centuries; the intellectual flourishing of Jews in medieval Spain; how the Hasidim of nineteenth-century Eastern Europe confronted modernity; and the post-World War II development of distinct American and Israeli Jewish identities. Satlow pays close attention to how communities define themselves, their relationship to biblical and rabbinic texts, and their ritual practices. His fascinating portraits reveal the amazingly creative ways Jews have adapted over time to social and political challenges and continue to remain a "Jewish family." |
Contents
Promised Lands | 22 |
Between Athens and Jerusalem | 108 |
The Rabbis | 115 |
Rabbinic Concepts | 140 |
The Rise of Reason | 187 |
From Moses to Moses | 209 |
East and West | 250 |
Whither Judaism? | 288 |
Bibliographical Notes | 307 |
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American Jews antiquity authority Babylonian Talmud belief biblical century Christian commentary concepts Conservative contemporary covenant created creation culture developed divine divorce early Eastern European European Jews Ezra Genesis geonim God's Greek halakhah halakhic Hasidic Hasidim Hebrew Bible holiday holy human ideas identity ideological individual interpretation Islamic Israeli Israelites issues Jerusalem Jewish communities Jewish law Kabbalah kabbalistic Karaite kashrut land of Israel later liturgy living Maimonides meaning Mendelssohn messiah midrash Mishnah Mishneh Torah mitzvot modern Moses movement Muslim non-Jews Oral Torah Orthodox Palestinian Passover Philo philosophical political practices prayer problem prophet rabbinic tradition Rabbis redemption Reform Judaism reject religion revelation rituals role Roman Sabbath scholars Scripture scrolls Se'adyah Second Temple Second Temple period secular seen sefirot Shabbat story Sukkot synagogues Tanak texts textual tradition theological tion trans translation understanding University Press Vilna Gaon women written yeshiva York Zohar