Pilgrimage and the Jews

The history and breadth of Jewish pilgrimage traditions is rich and varied. Here Gitlitz and Davidson tell the fascinating, and sometimes harrowing, story of Jewish pilgrimage from the beginnings of Judaism to the present time. They trace the history of Jewish pilgrimage and show how the repeated cycles of exile and return to Israel serve the Jews as a kind of pilgrimage in reverse. This lively account is sure to appeal to anyone interested in religious pilgrimage, tourism, and travel. From Jerusalem and the Mt. of Olives, to the tombs of King David, Rachel, and Joseph, from Galilee to Curacao, Jewish pilgrims seek out spiritual transcendence, a return to their roots, communion with those who have gone before, and connection to their common heritage as they visit holy shrines, important synagogues around the world, Nazi death camps, and the graves of leaders, among other holy places. But what makes these places holy? And what purpose do the pilgrimages serve? How has recent unrest in the Middle East contributed to, or detracted from, modern Jewish pilgrimage and its future? These questions and others are answered in these pages.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Preface Beginnings: Converging on Jerusalem Jerusalem, the State Cult, and the Three Harvest Pilgrimages Pilgrimage in the Early Diaporas Life on the Pilgrimage Road Oh, Zion: Jerusalem in the Center Jewish Saints Be Praised! The Cult of the Rebbe: Hasidic Pilgrimage Praying at the Tzadiq's Tomb: Sephardic Pilgrimage The Shrines of the Holocaust The Shrines of Nationhood Israel as a Shrine for the Diaspora Roots Pilgrimage Shrine Wars Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

About the Author :
David M. Gitlitz is Professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of Rhode Island. His book Secrecy and Deceit: The Religion of the Crypto-Jews won a National Jewish Book Award. Linda Kay Davidson is an instructor at the University of Rhode Island and has written four books on aspects of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela that have become standards in the field. Together, Gitlitz and Davidson have co-authored A Drizzle of Honey: The Lives and Recipes of Spain's Secret Jews, which won a National Jewish Book Award as well as the International Association of Culinary Professionals Prize for Scholarship, The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: The Complete Cultural Handbook, and Pilgrimage from the Ganges to Graceland: An Encyclopedia, selected by Library Journal as a Best Reference Source for 2002.

Review :
Gitlitz and Davidson examine pilgrimage in Judaism from biblical times to the present. Along with the biblical pilgrimage festivals and pilgrimage following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, they cover pilgrimage within Hasidic culture, Sephardic pilgrimage to the tombs of holy men, and the practice and function of pilgrimage among contemporary Jews. In the latter category are discussions of The Shrines of the Holocaust, The Shrines of Nationhood, and Israel as a Shrine for the Diaspora….[a]n engaging and evocative survey of the experience of Jews who, in diverse settings and for a variety of reasons, have sought the spiritual fulfillment that comes from visits to places that represent their heritage. It is a perceptive compendium on Jews' travels to sites sanctified by Jewish history and experience. Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. The authors trace the history and explore the varieties of Jewish pilgrimage in this fascinating book filled with maps, photographs (many from the authors' own collections), other illustrations, and copious notes….Recommended for Judaica collections. Pilgrimages to shrines are most commonly associated with Christians and Moslems. As coauthors of the National Jewish Book Award-winning A Drizzle of Honey: The Lives and Recipes of Spain's Secret Jews, Gitlitz and Davidson explore shrines important to Jews. They treat journeys to graves of holy men and women in Israel and elsewhere important to Sephardic and Hasidic Jews, shrines for recent political leaders, Holocaust sites, and roots pilgrimages. The book includes maps, photos, and a chronology surrounding the shrine wars between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem. Pilgrimage and the Jews serves as an excellent reference work for anyone interested in learning more about Jewish pilgrimages….[a] thorough, well-researched book. In this interesting book they tell the fascinating and sometimes harrowing story of Jewish pilgrimage from the beginnings of Judaism to the present day. They trace the history of Jewish pilgrimage and show how the repeated cycles of exile and return to Israel serve the Jews as a kind of pilgrimage in reverse. From Jerusalem and the Mt. of Olives, to the tombs of King David, Rachel and Joseph, from Galilee to Curacao, Jewish pilgrims seek out spiritual transcendence, a return to their roots, communion with those who have gone before, and connection to their common heritage, as they visit holy shrines, important synagogues around the world, Nazi death camps, and the graves of leaders, among other holy places. Explores the diverse history of Jewish pilgrimage from ancient times to the present; examples include travels to Jerusalem, to the grave sites of Hasidic rebbes; and to the sites of Nazi death camps.