Broadening Jewish History

In Broadening Jewish History, author Todd Endelman expands the horizons of modern Jewish historiography by focusing on 'ordinary' rather than exceptional Jews, arguing that what those in the wider Jewish community did or felt does more to deepen our understanding of Jewish history than what a few exceptional individuals thought and wrote. His innovative study also makes a strong case for comparative history: only a comparison across national borders can reveal the Germanness of German Jewish history or the Englishness of English Jewish history, and thereby identify what is uniquely Jewish about each. Through a combination of historiographical essays and case studies, Endelman redefines the area under consideration and convincingly restates the need for Jewish social history to counterbalance the current focus on cultural studies. The essays constitute an important examination of the major trends in the writing of modern Jewish history. Here, the author spells out the assumptions that h