Teaching Jewish Civilization In British Universities

Examines the development of the International Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization against the backdrop of university Jewish studies in different parts of the world, and provides a world register of university studies on Jewish civilization, listing institutions around the world in which Jewish civilization is taught or researched. Essays offer a historical perspective on issues confronting university Jewish studies, and look at specific projects and the Israel experience. No index. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

After World War II, the centre of gravity for world Jewry moved utside Europe. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, large-scale emigration and post-war assimilation resulted in a disheartening contraction of European Jewry, with the notable exception of France. Today, Europe's Jews number only 17 percent of the world Jewish population. At the beginning of this century, they comprised 83 percent and were the centre of the modern Jewish experience. In a radical reversal, former peripheries became the centres, notably American Jewry, the largest and most dynamic of the Diaspora communities, and the State of Israel. An examination of the altered place of Europe and its future role in Jewish history is long overdue. Jewish Centers and Peripheries examines the dynamic relationship between European, American, and Israeli communities at times bringing personal knowledge of significant events pertinent to understanding the relationships. Collectively they suggest that present conditions are ripe for the re-emergence of European Jewry, though on a scale much diminished from that of the pre-Holocaust period. Moreover, the prospects for the rejuvenation of European Jewry mirror the possibilities for Jewish continuity everywhere. Jewish Centers and Peripheries is a strikingly informative assessment of the condition of world Jewry at the close of the century.

Nevertheless, the teaching of Sephardic civilization was incomplete and Eurocentric, with the Jews of Islam, an ongoing entity for over a thousand years, scarcely figuring in any course offerings.

A multilingual, transnational literary tradition, Jewish American writing has long explored questions of personal identity and national boundaries. These questions can engage students in literature, writing, or religion; at Jewish, Christian, or secular schools; and in or outside the United States. This volume takes an expansive view of Jewish American literature, beginning with writing from the earliest colonies in the Americas and continuing to contemporary Soviet-born authors in the United States, including works that engage deeply with religious concepts and others that embrace assimilation. It invites readers to rethink the nature of American multiculturalism, suggests pairings of Jewish American texts with other ethnic American literatures, and examines the workings of whiteness and privilege. Contributors offer varied perspectives on classic texts such as Yekl, Bread Givers, and "Goodbye, Columbus," along with approaches to interdisciplinary topics including humor, graphic novels, and musical theater. The volume concludes with an extensive resources section.