By
– August 30, 2011
This collection of essays addresses a variety of themes under the umbrella of an exploration of Jewish masculine identity.
The lead editor, Harry Brod, is a pioneer in the field of men’s studies and a professor of philosophy. The co-editor, Rabbi Zevit, is involved in Jewish spiritual renewal and teaching and writing in the areas of leadership, prayer, midrash, and Jewish values as well as men’s issues.
Readers who are comfortable and receptive to Jewish spiritual humanism as promulgated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and those ordained by him (Rabbi Zevit), will enjoy the autobiographical reflections on Jewish masculinity written by several contributors. Those seeking a uniformly scholarly text will be disappointed. Several high quality academic pieces are included and one could only wish that with better editing and greater selectivity a more high quality book would have resulted.
That being said, a paper by Silverman on circumcision, Gluzman’s psychohistorical reading of Herzl’s Altneuland and Bartal’s contribution on the internal struggles of Jewish men during the Haskalah are each serious, absorbing, and thought provoking.
The editors are to be commended for making this attempt to explore such a complex topic as contemporary male Jewish identity. A future volume including the perspectives of Jewish atheists, the Orthodox, the Israeli military, and Jewish men in positions of power in law, medicine, the media, finance, and politics would be a most valuable and welcome addition to the literature. Afterword, contributors, index, web resources.
The lead editor, Harry Brod, is a pioneer in the field of men’s studies and a professor of philosophy. The co-editor, Rabbi Zevit, is involved in Jewish spiritual renewal and teaching and writing in the areas of leadership, prayer, midrash, and Jewish values as well as men’s issues.
Readers who are comfortable and receptive to Jewish spiritual humanism as promulgated by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and those ordained by him (Rabbi Zevit), will enjoy the autobiographical reflections on Jewish masculinity written by several contributors. Those seeking a uniformly scholarly text will be disappointed. Several high quality academic pieces are included and one could only wish that with better editing and greater selectivity a more high quality book would have resulted.
That being said, a paper by Silverman on circumcision, Gluzman’s psychohistorical reading of Herzl’s Altneuland and Bartal’s contribution on the internal struggles of Jewish men during the Haskalah are each serious, absorbing, and thought provoking.
The editors are to be commended for making this attempt to explore such a complex topic as contemporary male Jewish identity. A future volume including the perspectives of Jewish atheists, the Orthodox, the Israeli military, and Jewish men in positions of power in law, medicine, the media, finance, and politics would be a most valuable and welcome addition to the literature. Afterword, contributors, index, web resources.
Steven A. Luel, Ph.D., is associate professor of education and psychology at Touro College, New York. He is a developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice. He is co-editor (with Paul Marcus) of Psychoanalytic Reflections on the Holocaust: Selected Essays.
