Nicholas Cook
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195170566
- eISBN:
- 9780199871216
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195170566.003.0005
- Subject:
- Music, Ethnomusicology, World Music
A Galician Jew who came to Vienna on a government scholarship, Schenker arrived just as a fully racial anti-semitism was developing; the binary pattern of thought discussed in Chapter 3 became most ...
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A Galician Jew who came to Vienna on a government scholarship, Schenker arrived just as a fully racial anti-semitism was developing; the binary pattern of thought discussed in Chapter 3 became most pernicious when linked to the binary opposition Jew/not Jew. True to the tradition of German cultural conservatism, Schenker constructed his identity through an extreme appropriation of high German culture, while at the same time maintaining his personal adherence to the Jewish tradition. Though attempts to explain Schenker's theory in terms of that tradition are ultimately unconvincing, his situation in an increasingly anti-semitic society explains much about the motivation of Schenker's project and the way it developed. These issues of culture and race are drawn out through comparisons with two of the principal Others of Schenker's cultural and intellectual universe: Richard Wagner, to whom Schenker's entire project can be understood as a response, and Arnold Schoenberg.Less
A Galician Jew who came to Vienna on a government scholarship, Schenker arrived just as a fully racial anti-semitism was developing; the binary pattern of thought discussed in Chapter 3 became most pernicious when linked to the binary opposition Jew/not Jew. True to the tradition of German cultural conservatism, Schenker constructed his identity through an extreme appropriation of high German culture, while at the same time maintaining his personal adherence to the Jewish tradition. Though attempts to explain Schenker's theory in terms of that tradition are ultimately unconvincing, his situation in an increasingly anti-semitic society explains much about the motivation of Schenker's project and the way it developed. These issues of culture and race are drawn out through comparisons with two of the principal Others of Schenker's cultural and intellectual universe: Richard Wagner, to whom Schenker's entire project can be understood as a response, and Arnold Schoenberg.
Moulie Vidas
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691154862
- eISBN:
- 9781400850471
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691154862.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This book offers a new perspective on perhaps the most important religious text of the Jewish tradition. It is widely recognized that the creators of the Talmud innovatively interpreted and changed ...
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This book offers a new perspective on perhaps the most important religious text of the Jewish tradition. It is widely recognized that the creators of the Talmud innovatively interpreted and changed the older traditions on which they drew. Nevertheless, it has been assumed that the ancient rabbis were committed to maintaining continuity with the past. This book argues on the contrary that structural features of the Talmud were designed to produce a discontinuity with tradition, and that this discontinuity was part and parcel of the rabbis‘ self-conception. Both this self-conception and these structural features were part of a debate within and beyond the Jewish community about the transmission of tradition. Focusing on the Babylonian Talmud, produced in the rabbinic academies of late ancient Mesopotamia, the book analyzes key passages to show how the Talmud's creators contrasted their own voice with that of their predecessors. It also examines Zoroastrian, Christian, and mystical Jewish sources to reconstruct the debates and wide-ranging conversations that shaped the Talmud's literary and intellectual character.Less
This book offers a new perspective on perhaps the most important religious text of the Jewish tradition. It is widely recognized that the creators of the Talmud innovatively interpreted and changed the older traditions on which they drew. Nevertheless, it has been assumed that the ancient rabbis were committed to maintaining continuity with the past. This book argues on the contrary that structural features of the Talmud were designed to produce a discontinuity with tradition, and that this discontinuity was part and parcel of the rabbis‘ self-conception. Both this self-conception and these structural features were part of a debate within and beyond the Jewish community about the transmission of tradition. Focusing on the Babylonian Talmud, produced in the rabbinic academies of late ancient Mesopotamia, the book analyzes key passages to show how the Talmud's creators contrasted their own voice with that of their predecessors. It also examines Zoroastrian, Christian, and mystical Jewish sources to reconstruct the debates and wide-ranging conversations that shaped the Talmud's literary and intellectual character.
Yaacob Dweck
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691145082
- eISBN:
- 9781400840007
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691145082.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter posits Leon Modena's writing practices within the context of early modern Venice, capital of Hebrew printing and center of manuscript production. The circumstances of Modena's life as ...
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This chapter posits Leon Modena's writing practices within the context of early modern Venice, capital of Hebrew printing and center of manuscript production. The circumstances of Modena's life as well as the cultural world of early modern Venice offer some context for why Ari Nohem (The Roaring Lion, 1840) did not appear in print in the seventeenth century. As a work of criticism, Ari Nohem reflected upon the transmission of Jewish tradition, particularly the transmission of esoteric information and the principles of Jewish law. Modena argued that the printing of legal and kabbalistic books had effected a radical change in the transmission of Jewish tradition, a change that he decried in no uncertain terms at several points. Ari Nohem polemicized against one medium, print, in the form of another, manuscript.Less
This chapter posits Leon Modena's writing practices within the context of early modern Venice, capital of Hebrew printing and center of manuscript production. The circumstances of Modena's life as well as the cultural world of early modern Venice offer some context for why Ari Nohem (The Roaring Lion, 1840) did not appear in print in the seventeenth century. As a work of criticism, Ari Nohem reflected upon the transmission of Jewish tradition, particularly the transmission of esoteric information and the principles of Jewish law. Modena argued that the printing of legal and kabbalistic books had effected a radical change in the transmission of Jewish tradition, a change that he decried in no uncertain terms at several points. Ari Nohem polemicized against one medium, print, in the form of another, manuscript.
Eli Yassif
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199206575
- eISBN:
- 9780191709678
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199206575.003.00015
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies, Judaism
This chapter emphasizes the continuity of central ideas over many centuries. Despite tremendous innovation and change within the literature, it persuasively connects folkloric motifs from a medieval ...
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This chapter emphasizes the continuity of central ideas over many centuries. Despite tremendous innovation and change within the literature, it persuasively connects folkloric motifs from a medieval Hebrew folktale with classical images from Jewish tradition. It addresses the question of the authority of narrative texts as historical documents as well as the question of narrative hermeneutics — in all its force and seriousness.Less
This chapter emphasizes the continuity of central ideas over many centuries. Despite tremendous innovation and change within the literature, it persuasively connects folkloric motifs from a medieval Hebrew folktale with classical images from Jewish tradition. It addresses the question of the authority of narrative texts as historical documents as well as the question of narrative hermeneutics — in all its force and seriousness.
Christina M. Puchalski
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- November 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195146820
- eISBN:
- 9780199999866
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195146820.003.0013
- Subject:
- Palliative Care, Patient Care and End-of-Life Decision Making, Palliative Medicine and Older People
This chapter examines spirituality, suffering, and prayerful presence in relation to end-of-life care in the Jewish tradition, describing the Jewish mourning practices and the stand of Judaism ...
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This chapter examines spirituality, suffering, and prayerful presence in relation to end-of-life care in the Jewish tradition, describing the Jewish mourning practices and the stand of Judaism concerning euthanasia, autopsies, and transplantation. It also provides a brief guide to prayerful presence, including pastoral visitation, and explains the Jewish belief that each person has a personal and direct relationship with God. However, Judaism does not place any special sacramental status upon Jewish clergy.Less
This chapter examines spirituality, suffering, and prayerful presence in relation to end-of-life care in the Jewish tradition, describing the Jewish mourning practices and the stand of Judaism concerning euthanasia, autopsies, and transplantation. It also provides a brief guide to prayerful presence, including pastoral visitation, and explains the Jewish belief that each person has a personal and direct relationship with God. However, Judaism does not place any special sacramental status upon Jewish clergy.
Jean Baumgarten
Jerold C. Frakes (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199276332
- eISBN:
- 9780191699894
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199276332.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism, Religion and Literature
Beginning in the sixteenth century, the problem of translating prayers into the vernacular was one of the important questions confronting Jewish society. The rabbinical authorities adopted an ...
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Beginning in the sixteenth century, the problem of translating prayers into the vernacular was one of the important questions confronting Jewish society. The rabbinical authorities adopted an ambivalent attitude that illustrates the tensions that this issue inevitably caused. As for the Yiddish authors, they decided in favour of a partial vernacularization of the prayers. Meanwhile, the history of bilingual holiday prayer books (makhzourim) followed a development similar to that of the other liturgical works Considered as a whole, these liturgical texts demonstrate the modest inroads made by the vernacular into Jewish religious life and testify to a transformation among the ordinary faithful of their religious experience. These texts were part of a vast religious offensive intended to organize the Jewish masses more effectively and to spread the teaching of Jewish traditions.Less
Beginning in the sixteenth century, the problem of translating prayers into the vernacular was one of the important questions confronting Jewish society. The rabbinical authorities adopted an ambivalent attitude that illustrates the tensions that this issue inevitably caused. As for the Yiddish authors, they decided in favour of a partial vernacularization of the prayers. Meanwhile, the history of bilingual holiday prayer books (makhzourim) followed a development similar to that of the other liturgical works Considered as a whole, these liturgical texts demonstrate the modest inroads made by the vernacular into Jewish religious life and testify to a transformation among the ordinary faithful of their religious experience. These texts were part of a vast religious offensive intended to organize the Jewish masses more effectively and to spread the teaching of Jewish traditions.
Tina Frühauf
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195337068
- eISBN:
- 9780199852260
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195337068.003.0006
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
The mass emigration of German Jews during National Socialism in 1933 had a profound impact on the identities of Jewish musicians. Because of their need for social and professional integration, they ...
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The mass emigration of German Jews during National Socialism in 1933 had a profound impact on the identities of Jewish musicians. Because of their need for social and professional integration, they needed to strike a balance between preserving an identity that had been shaped by the European musical tradition and adjusting to a new cultural situation. While the forced relocation and new living conditions affected the creative output of the émigré musicians, these also greatly influenced the musical life of their adopted countries. The US became a popular destination for German–Jewish artists, including musicians who found employment in synagogues to influence Jewish–American service with their organ playing and organ building. Unfortunately, the next generations of synagogue musicians apparently had no interest in further developing the organ in Jewish worship, as the German–Jewish culture seemed to have dissolved into American culture. The British Mandate of Palestine was a popular destination for Zionists from Russia and eastern European countries. Inspired by the new and different environment, German–Jewish musicians took interest in the music of Eastern Jewry and the Arabs. Many composers in the new Israel sought a musical synthesis of East and West either by combining the harmonic and compositional techniques of Western music with the rhythms, melodies, and instruments of Eastern music or by applying Eastern aesthetics without using the actual musical elements associated with Eastern music. Although organ music had not been a central part of the musical life of Palestine, many émigré musicians who were familiar with the organ from their youth in Europe revived their interest in the instrument, giving rise to an organ tradition. Unlike in the US, where organ music has almost disappeared, in Israel the music is still in a unique phase of development.Less
The mass emigration of German Jews during National Socialism in 1933 had a profound impact on the identities of Jewish musicians. Because of their need for social and professional integration, they needed to strike a balance between preserving an identity that had been shaped by the European musical tradition and adjusting to a new cultural situation. While the forced relocation and new living conditions affected the creative output of the émigré musicians, these also greatly influenced the musical life of their adopted countries. The US became a popular destination for German–Jewish artists, including musicians who found employment in synagogues to influence Jewish–American service with their organ playing and organ building. Unfortunately, the next generations of synagogue musicians apparently had no interest in further developing the organ in Jewish worship, as the German–Jewish culture seemed to have dissolved into American culture. The British Mandate of Palestine was a popular destination for Zionists from Russia and eastern European countries. Inspired by the new and different environment, German–Jewish musicians took interest in the music of Eastern Jewry and the Arabs. Many composers in the new Israel sought a musical synthesis of East and West either by combining the harmonic and compositional techniques of Western music with the rhythms, melodies, and instruments of Eastern music or by applying Eastern aesthetics without using the actual musical elements associated with Eastern music. Although organ music had not been a central part of the musical life of Palestine, many émigré musicians who were familiar with the organ from their youth in Europe revived their interest in the instrument, giving rise to an organ tradition. Unlike in the US, where organ music has almost disappeared, in Israel the music is still in a unique phase of development.
Keith Ward
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263937
- eISBN:
- 9780191682681
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263937.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, World Religions
This part of the book explores the four scriptural traditions: the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Christian, and the way in which they are interpreted by theologians. The chapter attempts to articulate ...
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This part of the book explores the four scriptural traditions: the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Christian, and the way in which they are interpreted by theologians. The chapter attempts to articulate and reconceptualize existing beliefs by a positive interaction with those of others. The Jewish tradition is one of the oldest, from which sprang Christian and Muslim views. Tracing the history of this tradition should give a greater understanding of some of the strands of belief which continue to shape later formulations, and which may significantly influence them.Less
This part of the book explores the four scriptural traditions: the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Christian, and the way in which they are interpreted by theologians. The chapter attempts to articulate and reconceptualize existing beliefs by a positive interaction with those of others. The Jewish tradition is one of the oldest, from which sprang Christian and Muslim views. Tracing the history of this tradition should give a greater understanding of some of the strands of belief which continue to shape later formulations, and which may significantly influence them.
Willi Goetschel
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780823244966
- eISBN:
- 9780823252510
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823244966.003.0009
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter examines the works of some of the most notable Jewish philosophers during the Enlightenment Period. It traces themes that unite and divide the projects of Baruch Spinoza, Moses ...
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This chapter examines the works of some of the most notable Jewish philosophers during the Enlightenment Period. It traces themes that unite and divide the projects of Baruch Spinoza, Moses Mendelssohn, and Salomon Maimon in the context of the Enlightenment trajectories in modern philosophy beginning with Michel de Montaigne and Etienne de La Boëtie. It analyzes Spinoza's controversial place in the history of Jewish philosophy and the legacy of the Jewish Enlightenment philosophers. This chapter suggests the Jewish philosophers saw themselves as developing projects that would embrace Jewish tradition as an emancipatory and progressive force and contribute to the project of critically rethinking the problem of the universal claim of philosophy in the face of the particularity that defines the universal terms of the project of modernity.Less
This chapter examines the works of some of the most notable Jewish philosophers during the Enlightenment Period. It traces themes that unite and divide the projects of Baruch Spinoza, Moses Mendelssohn, and Salomon Maimon in the context of the Enlightenment trajectories in modern philosophy beginning with Michel de Montaigne and Etienne de La Boëtie. It analyzes Spinoza's controversial place in the history of Jewish philosophy and the legacy of the Jewish Enlightenment philosophers. This chapter suggests the Jewish philosophers saw themselves as developing projects that would embrace Jewish tradition as an emancipatory and progressive force and contribute to the project of critically rethinking the problem of the universal claim of philosophy in the face of the particularity that defines the universal terms of the project of modernity.
Roberta Rosenthal Kwall
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780195373707
- eISBN:
- 9780190226589
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373707.001.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Legal History, Comparative Law
A myth exists that Jews can embrace the cultural components of Judaism without appreciating the legal aspects of the Jewish tradition. This myth suggests that law and culture are independent of one ...
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A myth exists that Jews can embrace the cultural components of Judaism without appreciating the legal aspects of the Jewish tradition. This myth suggests that law and culture are independent of one another. In reality, however, much of Jewish culture has a basis in Jewish law. Similarly, Jewish law produces Jewish culture. A cultural analysis paradigm provides a useful way of understanding the Jewish tradition as the product of both legal precepts and cultural elements. This paradigm sees law and culture as inextricably intertwined and historically specific. This perspective also emphasizes the human element of law’s composition and the role of existing power dynamics in shaping Jewish law. In light of this inevitable intersection between culture and law, this book argues that Jewish culture is shallow unless it is grounded in Jewish law. It develops and applies a cultural analysis paradigm to the Jewish tradition that departs from the understanding of Jewish law solely as the embodiment of Divine command. Its paradigm explains why both law and culture must matter to those interested in forging meaningful Jewish identity and transmitting the tradition.Less
A myth exists that Jews can embrace the cultural components of Judaism without appreciating the legal aspects of the Jewish tradition. This myth suggests that law and culture are independent of one another. In reality, however, much of Jewish culture has a basis in Jewish law. Similarly, Jewish law produces Jewish culture. A cultural analysis paradigm provides a useful way of understanding the Jewish tradition as the product of both legal precepts and cultural elements. This paradigm sees law and culture as inextricably intertwined and historically specific. This perspective also emphasizes the human element of law’s composition and the role of existing power dynamics in shaping Jewish law. In light of this inevitable intersection between culture and law, this book argues that Jewish culture is shallow unless it is grounded in Jewish law. It develops and applies a cultural analysis paradigm to the Jewish tradition that departs from the understanding of Jewish law solely as the embodiment of Divine command. Its paradigm explains why both law and culture must matter to those interested in forging meaningful Jewish identity and transmitting the tradition.
John M. Efron
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300083774
- eISBN:
- 9780300133592
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300083774.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
This chapter describes the complementary relationship enjoyed by science and Judaism. The Jewish scientist was not swayed by the nineteenth-century French philosopher Auguste Comte, who proclaimed ...
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This chapter describes the complementary relationship enjoyed by science and Judaism. The Jewish scientist was not swayed by the nineteenth-century French philosopher Auguste Comte, who proclaimed that in the coming positivist order, scientists, rather than priests, would be canonized. Few Jewish scientists have ever suggested that a man in a lab coat would or should replace the rabbi in his long, black coat. On the contrary, among Central European Jews in the nineteenth century, there were many who sought to make use of science in order to help them bolster their links to Jewish tradition. What this means is that for Jews in the modern period, science and religion have proven to be perfectly compatible, which raises a number of other questions. All of these questions are addressed here.Less
This chapter describes the complementary relationship enjoyed by science and Judaism. The Jewish scientist was not swayed by the nineteenth-century French philosopher Auguste Comte, who proclaimed that in the coming positivist order, scientists, rather than priests, would be canonized. Few Jewish scientists have ever suggested that a man in a lab coat would or should replace the rabbi in his long, black coat. On the contrary, among Central European Jews in the nineteenth century, there were many who sought to make use of science in order to help them bolster their links to Jewish tradition. What this means is that for Jews in the modern period, science and religion have proven to be perfectly compatible, which raises a number of other questions. All of these questions are addressed here.
Alan L. Mittleman
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780691176277
- eISBN:
- 9781400865789
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691176277.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This book explores one of the great questions of our time: How can we preserve our sense of what it means to be a person while at the same time accepting what science tells us to be true—namely, that ...
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This book explores one of the great questions of our time: How can we preserve our sense of what it means to be a person while at the same time accepting what science tells us to be true—namely, that human nature is continuous with the rest of nature? What, in other words, does it mean to be a person in a world of things? This book shows how the Jewish tradition provides rich ways of understanding human nature and personhood that preserve human dignity and distinction in a world of neuroscience, evolutionary biology, biotechnology, and pervasive scientism. These ancient resources can speak to Jewish, non-Jewish, and secular readers alike. Science may tell us what we are, the book says, but it cannot tell us who we are, how we should live, or why we matter. Traditional Jewish thought, in open-minded dialogue with contemporary scientific perspectives, can help us answer these questions. The book shows how, using sources ranging across the Jewish tradition, from the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud to more than a millennium of Jewish philosophy. Among the many subjects the book addresses are sexuality, birth and death, violence and evil, moral agency, and politics and economics. Throughout, the book demonstrates how Jewish tradition brings new perspectives to—and challenges many current assumptions about—these central aspects of human nature. A study of human nature in Jewish thought and an original contribution to Jewish philosophy, this is a book for anyone interested in what it means to be human in a scientific age.Less
This book explores one of the great questions of our time: How can we preserve our sense of what it means to be a person while at the same time accepting what science tells us to be true—namely, that human nature is continuous with the rest of nature? What, in other words, does it mean to be a person in a world of things? This book shows how the Jewish tradition provides rich ways of understanding human nature and personhood that preserve human dignity and distinction in a world of neuroscience, evolutionary biology, biotechnology, and pervasive scientism. These ancient resources can speak to Jewish, non-Jewish, and secular readers alike. Science may tell us what we are, the book says, but it cannot tell us who we are, how we should live, or why we matter. Traditional Jewish thought, in open-minded dialogue with contemporary scientific perspectives, can help us answer these questions. The book shows how, using sources ranging across the Jewish tradition, from the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud to more than a millennium of Jewish philosophy. Among the many subjects the book addresses are sexuality, birth and death, violence and evil, moral agency, and politics and economics. Throughout, the book demonstrates how Jewish tradition brings new perspectives to—and challenges many current assumptions about—these central aspects of human nature. A study of human nature in Jewish thought and an original contribution to Jewish philosophy, this is a book for anyone interested in what it means to be human in a scientific age.
Cass Fisher
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804776646
- eISBN:
- 9780804781008
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804776646.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This book challenges the long-standing view that theology is not a vital part of the Jewish tradition. For political and philosophical reasons, both scholars of Judaism and Jewish thinkers have ...
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This book challenges the long-standing view that theology is not a vital part of the Jewish tradition. For political and philosophical reasons, both scholars of Judaism and Jewish thinkers have sought to minimize the role of theology in Judaism. This book constructs a new model for understanding Jewish theological language that emphasizes the central role of theological reflection in Judaism and the close relationship between theological reflection and religious practice in the Jewish tradition. Drawing on diverse philosophical resources, the book's model of Jewish theology embraces the multiple forms and functions of Jewish theological language. The book demonstrates the utility of this model by undertaking close readings of an early rabbinic commentary on the book of Exodus (Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael) and a work of modern philosophical theology (Franz Rosenzweig's The Star of Redemption). These readings advance the discussion of theology in rabbinics and modern Jewish thought and provide resources for constructive Jewish theology.Less
This book challenges the long-standing view that theology is not a vital part of the Jewish tradition. For political and philosophical reasons, both scholars of Judaism and Jewish thinkers have sought to minimize the role of theology in Judaism. This book constructs a new model for understanding Jewish theological language that emphasizes the central role of theological reflection in Judaism and the close relationship between theological reflection and religious practice in the Jewish tradition. Drawing on diverse philosophical resources, the book's model of Jewish theology embraces the multiple forms and functions of Jewish theological language. The book demonstrates the utility of this model by undertaking close readings of an early rabbinic commentary on the book of Exodus (Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael) and a work of modern philosophical theology (Franz Rosenzweig's The Star of Redemption). These readings advance the discussion of theology in rabbinics and modern Jewish thought and provide resources for constructive Jewish theology.
Tina Frühauf
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195337068
- eISBN:
- 9780199852260
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195337068.003.0004
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
While the issue concerning the introduction of organs into Jewish worship services eventually faded, debates over whether organs could be played during Sabbath and holy days and whether Jewish or ...
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While the issue concerning the introduction of organs into Jewish worship services eventually faded, debates over whether organs could be played during Sabbath and holy days and whether Jewish or non-Jewish musicians should be allowed to play them on these days continued well into the twentieth century. Prior to the Second Rabbinical Conference of Frankfurt in 1845, Christian musicians were allowed to play the organ during Jewish liturgy. However, even after rabbis at the conference explicitly recommended that a Jewish musician play the organ, a consistent and enforceable solution remained an issue. Each congregation independently decided whether it wanted to hire an organist of Jewish or Christian faith. The lack of Jewish musicians trained in organ music left many Jewish congregations with no choice but to hire church musicians. In the early nineteenth century, state-supervised training of synagogue organists of Jewish origin started in Germany and other parts of Western Europe and, by the turn of the century, various synagogues had trained organists in place. Synagogue organists, however, continued to perform non-Jewish repertoire as a result of the early practice of hiring church musicians and the lack of Jewish-inspired organ works until the early twentieth century, when composers began writing music based on Jewish liturgical, paraliturgical, and folkloristic–traditional melodies that are distinct from Christian models.Less
While the issue concerning the introduction of organs into Jewish worship services eventually faded, debates over whether organs could be played during Sabbath and holy days and whether Jewish or non-Jewish musicians should be allowed to play them on these days continued well into the twentieth century. Prior to the Second Rabbinical Conference of Frankfurt in 1845, Christian musicians were allowed to play the organ during Jewish liturgy. However, even after rabbis at the conference explicitly recommended that a Jewish musician play the organ, a consistent and enforceable solution remained an issue. Each congregation independently decided whether it wanted to hire an organist of Jewish or Christian faith. The lack of Jewish musicians trained in organ music left many Jewish congregations with no choice but to hire church musicians. In the early nineteenth century, state-supervised training of synagogue organists of Jewish origin started in Germany and other parts of Western Europe and, by the turn of the century, various synagogues had trained organists in place. Synagogue organists, however, continued to perform non-Jewish repertoire as a result of the early practice of hiring church musicians and the lack of Jewish-inspired organ works until the early twentieth century, when composers began writing music based on Jewish liturgical, paraliturgical, and folkloristic–traditional melodies that are distinct from Christian models.
Roberta Rosenthal Kwall
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780195373707
- eISBN:
- 9780190226589
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373707.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, Legal History, Comparative Law
Chapter 1 furnishes an overview of cultural analysis and the study of halakhah and the Jewish tradition through a cultural analysis framework. It opens with a discussion of the emerging focus on law ...
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Chapter 1 furnishes an overview of cultural analysis and the study of halakhah and the Jewish tradition through a cultural analysis framework. It opens with a discussion of the emerging focus on law and cultural analysis in the academic world generally and identifies the salient themes of a cultural analysis approach to law. These themes stress the importance of power relationships, environment, cultural dissent, and multiple values in the development of law. Cultural analysis also relies on the narrative model because the lawmaking process is best served with stories representing a broad range of perspectives. This discussion emphasizes that law and culture should not be viewed as two distinct entities but rather as embodiments of one another. This chapter also introduces the book’s central theme: how a cultural analysis paradigm provides an ideal way of understanding the historical development and ongoing evolution of halakhah and the mesorah.Less
Chapter 1 furnishes an overview of cultural analysis and the study of halakhah and the Jewish tradition through a cultural analysis framework. It opens with a discussion of the emerging focus on law and cultural analysis in the academic world generally and identifies the salient themes of a cultural analysis approach to law. These themes stress the importance of power relationships, environment, cultural dissent, and multiple values in the development of law. Cultural analysis also relies on the narrative model because the lawmaking process is best served with stories representing a broad range of perspectives. This discussion emphasizes that law and culture should not be viewed as two distinct entities but rather as embodiments of one another. This chapter also introduces the book’s central theme: how a cultural analysis paradigm provides an ideal way of understanding the historical development and ongoing evolution of halakhah and the mesorah.
Nathaniel Deutsch
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520231917
- eISBN:
- 9780520927971
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520231917.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
Hannah Rochel Verbermacher, a Hasidic holy woman known as the Maiden of Ludmir, was born in early-nineteenth-century Russia and became famous as the only woman in the three-hundred-year history of ...
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Hannah Rochel Verbermacher, a Hasidic holy woman known as the Maiden of Ludmir, was born in early-nineteenth-century Russia and became famous as the only woman in the three-hundred-year history of Hasidism to function as a rebbe—or charismatic leader—in her own right. This book follows the traces left by the Maiden in both history and legend to fully explore her story for the first time. It offers insights into the Jewish mystical tradition, into the Maiden's place within it, and into the remarkable Jewish community of Ludmir. Her biography ultimately becomes a provocative meditation on the complex relationships between history and memory, Judaism and modernity. History first finds the Maiden in the eastern European town of Ludmir, venerated by her followers as a master of the Kabbalah, teacher, and visionary, and accused by her detractors of being possessed by a dybbuk, or evil spirit. The book traces the Maiden's steps from Ludmir to Ottoman Palestine, where she eventually immigrated and re-established herself as a holy woman. While the Maiden's story—including her adamant refusal to marry—recalls the lives of holy women in other traditions, it also brings to light the largely unwritten history of early-modern Jewish women. To this day, her transgressive behavior, a challenge to traditional Jewish views of gender and sexuality, continues to inspire debate and, sometimes, censorship within the Jewish community.Less
Hannah Rochel Verbermacher, a Hasidic holy woman known as the Maiden of Ludmir, was born in early-nineteenth-century Russia and became famous as the only woman in the three-hundred-year history of Hasidism to function as a rebbe—or charismatic leader—in her own right. This book follows the traces left by the Maiden in both history and legend to fully explore her story for the first time. It offers insights into the Jewish mystical tradition, into the Maiden's place within it, and into the remarkable Jewish community of Ludmir. Her biography ultimately becomes a provocative meditation on the complex relationships between history and memory, Judaism and modernity. History first finds the Maiden in the eastern European town of Ludmir, venerated by her followers as a master of the Kabbalah, teacher, and visionary, and accused by her detractors of being possessed by a dybbuk, or evil spirit. The book traces the Maiden's steps from Ludmir to Ottoman Palestine, where she eventually immigrated and re-established herself as a holy woman. While the Maiden's story—including her adamant refusal to marry—recalls the lives of holy women in other traditions, it also brings to light the largely unwritten history of early-modern Jewish women. To this day, her transgressive behavior, a challenge to traditional Jewish views of gender and sexuality, continues to inspire debate and, sometimes, censorship within the Jewish community.
Willi Goetschel
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780823244966
- eISBN:
- 9780823252510
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823244966.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This introductory chapter discusses the theme of this volume which is about the history of the development of Jewish philosophy and Jewish thought. It suggests that critical reflections on “Jewish ...
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This introductory chapter discusses the theme of this volume which is about the history of the development of Jewish philosophy and Jewish thought. It suggests that critical reflections on “Jewish philosophy” are as old as its modern use and that the widening of the scope from “philosophy” to “thought” made it possible to develop a more inclusive approach to Jewish tradition's significance for the emergence of modern philosophy. This volume argues against the presumption of Jewish philosophy as a separate and independent entity and category of philosophy and contends that it should be considered as representing a differential move that engages critically with philosophy, which it seeks to complicate, differentiate, and enrich.Less
This introductory chapter discusses the theme of this volume which is about the history of the development of Jewish philosophy and Jewish thought. It suggests that critical reflections on “Jewish philosophy” are as old as its modern use and that the widening of the scope from “philosophy” to “thought” made it possible to develop a more inclusive approach to Jewish tradition's significance for the emergence of modern philosophy. This volume argues against the presumption of Jewish philosophy as a separate and independent entity and category of philosophy and contends that it should be considered as representing a differential move that engages critically with philosophy, which it seeks to complicate, differentiate, and enrich.
Iryna Vushko
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780300207279
- eISBN:
- 9780300213386
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300207279.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses some political and socioeconomic effects of the Habsburg monarchy's reforms against the persistence of Jewish tradition in Vienna and in the province of Galicia. Through the ...
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This chapter discusses some political and socioeconomic effects of the Habsburg monarchy's reforms against the persistence of Jewish tradition in Vienna and in the province of Galicia. Through the initiative of Emperor Joseph II, the reforms flourished with the Edict of Toleration (1785) as its foundation. The Edict of Toleration sought to transform Jewish inhabitants into valuable citizens of Vienna: they would be given right to send their children to German-language state-sponsored schools and access to professional offices. The most compelling response to this decree came from Galicia, which was home to almost two-thirds of the Jewish population of the entire monarchy. The Jews in Galicia struggled with problems involving landownership, in the production and trade of apparel for the Ruthenian clergy, and restrictions on marriage, residency, and migration.Less
This chapter discusses some political and socioeconomic effects of the Habsburg monarchy's reforms against the persistence of Jewish tradition in Vienna and in the province of Galicia. Through the initiative of Emperor Joseph II, the reforms flourished with the Edict of Toleration (1785) as its foundation. The Edict of Toleration sought to transform Jewish inhabitants into valuable citizens of Vienna: they would be given right to send their children to German-language state-sponsored schools and access to professional offices. The most compelling response to this decree came from Galicia, which was home to almost two-thirds of the Jewish population of the entire monarchy. The Jews in Galicia struggled with problems involving landownership, in the production and trade of apparel for the Ruthenian clergy, and restrictions on marriage, residency, and migration.
Roberta Rosenthal Kwall
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780195373707
- eISBN:
- 9780190226589
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373707.003.0006
- Subject:
- Law, Legal History, Comparative Law
Cultural analysis seeks to preserve a tradition’s integrity and authenticity while simultaneously justifying the development of the tradition in response to cultural change. Chapter 5 explores these ...
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Cultural analysis seeks to preserve a tradition’s integrity and authenticity while simultaneously justifying the development of the tradition in response to cultural change. Chapter 5 explores these themes in the context of the fundamental question of “who is a Jew” according to Jewish law. The topic of membership became a source of conflict as a result of the Reform movement’s unilateral abandonment of the traditional Jewish law standard according to which someone is considered Jewish if born to a Jewish mother or has been converted according to halakhah. This chapter also discusses a set of debated rulings issued by the Conservative movement concerning Sabbath observance, an area of vital importance given the centrality of the Sabbath in Jewish law and culture. Both of the topics addressed in this chapter necessitate a careful delineation of whether, and how, to balance the particularity of the Jewish legal tradition with the social forces of modernity.Less
Cultural analysis seeks to preserve a tradition’s integrity and authenticity while simultaneously justifying the development of the tradition in response to cultural change. Chapter 5 explores these themes in the context of the fundamental question of “who is a Jew” according to Jewish law. The topic of membership became a source of conflict as a result of the Reform movement’s unilateral abandonment of the traditional Jewish law standard according to which someone is considered Jewish if born to a Jewish mother or has been converted according to halakhah. This chapter also discusses a set of debated rulings issued by the Conservative movement concerning Sabbath observance, an area of vital importance given the centrality of the Sabbath in Jewish law and culture. Both of the topics addressed in this chapter necessitate a careful delineation of whether, and how, to balance the particularity of the Jewish legal tradition with the social forces of modernity.
Willi Goetschel
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780823244966
- eISBN:
- 9780823252510
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823244966.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter examines the role of Hermann Cohen, Martin Buber, and Franz Rosenzweig as exponents of the development of Jewish philosophers from the period of the Wilhelminian Empire to the end of ...
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This chapter examines the role of Hermann Cohen, Martin Buber, and Franz Rosenzweig as exponents of the development of Jewish philosophers from the period of the Wilhelminian Empire to the end of Weimar Germany. It suggests that these three philosophers represent the changing opportunities and prospects of three generations of German Jewish thinkers. This chapter also argues that their works articulated a philosophic critique of the hegemonic discourse of philosophy and the conflicted way in which Jewish tradition has been (dis)figured by a cultural politics of assimilation.Less
This chapter examines the role of Hermann Cohen, Martin Buber, and Franz Rosenzweig as exponents of the development of Jewish philosophers from the period of the Wilhelminian Empire to the end of Weimar Germany. It suggests that these three philosophers represent the changing opportunities and prospects of three generations of German Jewish thinkers. This chapter also argues that their works articulated a philosophic critique of the hegemonic discourse of philosophy and the conflicted way in which Jewish tradition has been (dis)figured by a cultural politics of assimilation.
