About the Book
At a time when Jewish communities have become increasingly anxious about weakening Jewish identity, one response strategy is to engage with the concept of Jewish peoplehood as a social phenomenon, in its varied contexts and processes. This volume represents the first in-depth effort to address the concept of Jewish peoplehood since the initial attempts of early 20th century Jewish intellectuals Mordechai Kaplan and Salo Baron. Indeed, its substance goes far beyond the range of a contemporary academic anthology, constituting, rather, a dynamic think tank on the concept of Jewish peoplehood through bringing together intellectuals from France, Israel, the UK, and the United States. The collection offers both intellectual and practical frameworks for grappling with the policy outcomes of different understandings of the peoplehood concept. Contributors to this volume include noted figures from diverse walks of life: academic disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, a rabbi, a literary figure, and communal leaders.
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION Harry Fox (University of Toronto), The Embarrassment of Embarrassment by Harry Fox (University of Toronto), Judaism and Genocide: The Embarrassment of Jewish Jihad, BIBLE Diane Kriger, A Re-embracement of Judges, Challenging Public-Private Boundaries by Tzemah Yoreh (American Jewish University), Shekhem and the So-Called Rape of Dina by Miryam Segal (Queens College, City University of New York), An Embarrassment of Riches, A Pride of Depletion and the Ambiguity of Address by Paul Heger, Unabashedly Reading Desired Outcomes Into Scripture: Jewish Reaction to External Encroachment on its Cultural Heritage by Hindy Najman (University of Toronto), Rewriting as Whitewashing: The Case of Rewritten Bible by Shana Husband (University of Toronto), Establishing a Sacred Church in the New Testament, TALMUD AND MIDRASH - Laliv Clenman (University of Toronto), “It was not according to the will of the Sages”: Halakhic and Aggadic Responses to Pinhas’ Killing of Zimri and Kozbi in Numbers 25 by Eric Lawee (York University), Embarrassment and Re-Embracement of a Midrash on Genesis 2:23 by Pearl Elman, Deuteronomy 21:10-14: The Beautiful Captive Woman, Eva Mroczek (University of Toronto), A Peg to Hang on: Metaphor, Ancestral Merit and the Midrashic Relationship of David and Solomon by Eliezer Segal (University of Calgary), From Glutton to Gangster by Alon Goshen Gottstein (Beit Morasha), Did the Tannaim Interpret the Song of Songs Systematically? Lieberman Reconsidered by Yaakov Elman (Yeshiva University), The Halakhah Follows Rava…Except When It Doesn’t: A Mediation on Halakhic Decision-Making by Herbert Basser (Queens University) Rabbinic Mindsets Within the Universal Mythic Structures of Sacred History: A Few Interesting Cases by Simcha Fishbane (Touro College), Count Your Blessings: Jewish Mourning Rituals During the Spring Season (Sefirat Haomer), COMIC INTERLUDE - Ilana Kurshan, Making Fish for Shabbat (Yoma 75A), MEDIEVAL INTERPRETATION - Elisha S. Ancselovits, Embarrassment as a Means of Embracing Authorial Intent by Gyongyi Heged?s (University of Western Ontario), The Double Path: The Two Layers of Thinking and the Twofold Nature of Knowledge in the Work of Saadya Gaon by Albert Dov Friedberg (University of Toronto), Embarrassment as a Creative Force in Maimonides’ Meta-Halakhic Enumeration of the 613 Commandments by Alan Verskin (Princeton University), Teaching Philosophy to the Multitude: An Introduction to the Educational Theory Of Nissim ben Moshe of Marseilles, MODERN: Ira Robinson (Concordia University), Rabbi Natan Slifkin on Science and Torah: The Evolution of a Search for Truth by Bonna Devora Haberman (Hebrew University), Mapping Alternate texts of Gender Difference,byTirzah Meacham (University of Toronto), How Can They Be Better than Us? Embarrassment and Legislation by Justin Jaron Lewis (University of Manitoba), “Such things have never been heard of ”: Jewish Intellectuals and Hasidic Miracles by Edward Elkin, "Chosenness" by Aubrey L. Glazer, Dur?e, Devekuth, & Re-embracing the Godlover: Involution of Unio Mystica via Collocative HomosexuELity by Tanhum Yoreh (York University), Environmental Embarrassment, Genesis 1:26-28 vs. Genesis 2:15, AFTERWORD by Aubrey Glazer, Vixens Disturbing Vineyards: Why Fox's Embracement of Scriptures Can Be Embarrassing, HEBREW CONTRIBUTIONS.
About the Author :
Tzemah Yoreh (PhD, Hebrew University) was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Albright Institute Jerusalem (2006) and Ben-Gurion University (2006-2008). He is currently Assistant Professor of Bible at the American Jewish University.
Review :
“Every reading community has ways of confronting moments of embarrassment in its reading of scriptures. Scripture may be the holy books of religious communities or the foundational texts of civilizations. Contemporary readers of Aristotle who see his writing as foundational for Western philosophy, for example, must confront his views on slavery. This kind of confrontation, whether with religious, philosophical or canonical books of other kinds, may lead readers to reject scripture’s claims — or it may motivate them to re-read or misread scripture so as to eliminate, ameliorate or apologize for the problematic passages. Once this misprision has taken place, the formerly offending scriptures may be re-embraced. A community may also re-embrace scripture by rejecting traditional readings in favor of more originary readings.”
