The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies

The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies is a comprehensive survey of of the field – past, present and future. Providing an overview of the key theoretical and methodological issues, as well as practical guidance on researching, it is the ideal guide for advanced students in Jewish Studies.

Topics covered include:

- The Hebrew Bible
- Medieval Jews and Judaism
- Judaism and Modernity
- Gender and Judaism
- Judaism and Material Culture

Survey ssays from internationally-renowned scholars and teachers including Sergio DellaPergola, Elie Rekhess, and Leonard J. Greenspoon. Providing overviews of Jewish history and the development of Judaism, The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies also guides students through central issues that cut across historical periods. Practical tools include a period-specific bibliography, a chronology, maps, and a glossary of key terms and concepts. This is the essential guide for all students exploring the rich and dynamic field of Jewish Studies.

Dean Phillip Bell is Dean, Chief Academic Officer, and Professor of Jewish History at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, Chicago, USA.

Introduction, Dean Phillip Bell, Dean and Chief Academic Officer (Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, Chicago, USA)
Part I
The Formation of Judaism and Jewish Society
1 The Hebrew Bible, Leonard J. Greenspoon, Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick Professor in Jewish Civilization and Professor of Classical & Near Eastern Studies and of Theology (Creighton University, USA)
2 The World of the Rabbis, Gary G. Porton, Sarah and Charles Drobny Professor of Talmudic Studies and Judaism (University of Illinois, USA)
New Contexts: Medieval Jews and Judaism
Comparative Medieval Perspectives, Elisheva Baumgarten, Senior Lecturer, Department of Jewish Studies and Gender Studies (Bar-Ilan University, Israel) and Marina Rustow, Charlotte Bloomberg Associate Professor in the Humanities (The John Hopkins University, USA)
3 Jews and the Islamic World: Transitions from Rabbinic to Medieval Contexts, Marina Rustow, Charlotte Bloomberg Associate Professor in the Humanities (The John Hopkins University, USA)
4 Medieval Jews and Judaism in Christian Contexts, Elisheva Baumgarten Senior Lecturer, Department of Jewish Studies and Gender Studies (Bar-Ilan University, Israel)
Changing Tempos and Foci: Looking to Modernity
5 Early Modern Jews and Judaism, Dean Phillip Bell, Dean and Chief Academic Officer (Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, Chicago, USA)
6 Modernity, Judaism, and Jews, Gil Graff, Executive Director (BJE: Builders of Jewish Education, Los Angeles, USA)
Part II
Reorienting Contemporary Jewry and Jewish Studies
7 Mainstreams and Margins: Rethinking Contemporary Jewry, Yehuda Kurtzer, President (Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, USA)
8 Women, Gender, and Judaism, Judith R. Baskin, Philip H. Knight Professor of Humanities and Associate Dean for Humanities (College of Arts and Sciences, University of Oregon, USA)
9 Jewish Arts and Material Culture, Judah M. Cohen, Lou and Sybil Mervis Professor of Jewish Culture, Indiana University (USA)
10 Jewish Demography, Sergio DellaPergola, Shlomo Argov Professor Emeritus of Israel-Diaspora Relations (Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University, Israel)
11 The State of Israel Studies, Michael Kotzin, Senior Counselor to the President of the Chicago Federation, and Elie Rekhess, Visiting Crown Chair in Middle East Studies and Professor of History (Northwestern University, USA)
Part III
Glossary
Maps
Timeline
Select Bibliography
Contributor Biographies
Index