The Jew in the Modern World: A Documentary History - Softcover

Mendes-Flohr, Paul; Reinharz, Jehuda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195389069 ISBN 13: 9780195389067

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2010

Synopsis

The last two centuries have witnessed a radical transformation of Jewish life. Marked by such profound events as the emancipation from the ghettoes of Europe, the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel, Judaism's long journey through the modern age has been a complex and tumultuous one, leading many Jews to ask themselves not only where they have been and where they are going, but what it means to be a Jew in today's world.

Tracing the dramatic changes in Jewish religion, culture, and identity from the seventeenth century to 1948, The Jew in the Modern World, Third Edition, remains the most complete sourcebook on modern Jewish history available. Now thoroughly expanded and updated, this critically acclaimed volume of primary materials features previously unpublished and inaccessible sources concerning the Jewish experience in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa; women in Jewish history; American Jewish life; the Holocaust; and Zionism and the nascent Jewish community in Palestine on the eve of the establishment of the State of Israel. The documents are arranged chronologically in each chapter and are meticulously and extensively annotated and cross-referenced. Providing useful tables detailing Jewish demographic trends, this unique text is ideal for courses in modern Jewish history, Zionism and Israel, the Holocaust, or modern European history.

About this title

About the Author:

Paul Mendes-Flohr is Professor of Modern Jewish Thought in the Divinity School and an associate member of the department of history at the University of Chicago. He is the author or editor of numerous books and serves as the editor-in-chief, with Peter Schäfer and Bernd Witte, of the twenty-two-volume German edition of the collected works of Martin Buber.

Jehuda Reinharz is the Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History at Brandeis University and President of the Mandel Foundation. He is the author, editor, or coeditor of numerous books, including Chaim Weizmann: The Making of a Statesman (OUP, 1993) and Chaim Weizmann: The Making of a Zionist Leader (OUP, 1985). His most recent book (with Yaacov Shavit) is Glorious, Accursed Europe (2010).

Review:

"The incredibly rich, diverse array of primary sources, logical organization, and clear presentation make it a first choice for use in all of my courses in modern Jewish history...The fact that one paperback voulme covers the entire range of most courses in modern Jewish history makes it an easy choice when I am contemplating what to assign students for reading."

-James Loefller, University of Virginia

"There are no serious competitors to The Jew in the Modern World [sic]. I consider it an essential text for the teaching of [modern Jewish history]."

-Avinoam Patt, American University

"The Jew in the Modern World is a crucially important sourcebook for the classroom and for the historian's library. If a student or historian of modern Jewish history is to own only one sourcebook, it ought to be this one."--Robin Judd, The Ohio State University

"There are more and more courses on modern Jewish history being taught across the United States, and an updated edition of this book will be useful for all of them. I would definitely assign a new edition of the book for my course on modern Jewish history."

-Rebecca Lesses, Ithaca College

"The main strength of The Jew in the Modern World is the quality and range of the primary sources, which are unavailable elsewhere in this succinct, user-friendly format. In some cases, the sources in this book cannot be found anywhere else, at least in translation. It is perfect for use in classroom discussions and analytical assignments involving primary sources. The fact that a single volume covers the entire range of modern Jewish history makes it an easy choice when I am contemplating what to assign students for reading."--James Loeffler, University of Virgina

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0195389069
• ISBN 13: 9780195389067
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 912