The New German Jewry and the European Context / New Perspectives in German Political Studies (PDF)

Y. MICHAL BODEMANN is Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto, Canada. His major publications include A Jewish Family in Germany Today: An Intimate Portrait and Jews, Germans, Memory: Reconstructions of Jewish Life in Germany (editor), plus two volumes in German, Gedächtnistheater: Die jüdische Gemeinschaft und ihre deutsche Erfindung, which was listed on the German book critics list of ten best non-fiction books, and In den Wogen der Erinnerung: Jüdische Existenz in Deutschland. 

'This superb volume is the first to explore the contemporary return of a positive diasporic Jewish tradition in a variety of countries and contexts. Arguing that, Israel no longer serves as the "centre" of Jewish life, the authors investigate how Jews have revitalized Jewish culture and to some extent Jewish politics outside of Israel. Among its fascinating themes is a lively discussion of how German Turks and German Jews are engaged in a mutual rewriting of their respective narratives. This is a well-conceived and above all timely book about how the Jewish world is being redefined in today's Europe and America.' - Anson Rabinbach, Professor of History, Princeton University, USA

'The New German Jewry and the European Context is not only a comprehensive and scrutinizing historical and sociological study of the development of post-war Jewry in Germany, but also a courageous plea for a new beginning for Jewish culture in Europe. Having been in the shadow of the US and Israel for years, European Jewry - with its core in Germany - is now turning into a forerunner of a new European identity. However, this book and its contributors keep a critical distance from the object of their interest and give realistic perspectives about the chances and risks of the new German-Jewish, European-Jewish project. Even the sceptics will have to read it: there will be no better account of Germany's Jews for years to come. Whoever wants to understand Germany and its Jews has to read this book.' - Micha Brumlik, Professor of Education, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Germany and author of 'Kritik des Zionismus'