cover image The Jewish Enigma: An Enduring People

The Jewish Enigma: An Enduring People

. George Braziller, $35 (266pp) ISBN 978-0-8076-1287-3

These lucid, highly readable essays by seven scholars address the central question of how the Jews, stateless for millennia, have endured as a people. According to the contributors, who include Jacob Lassner and Robin Spiro, the continuous interaction between the Jews and other citizens of the countries where they settled ensured their survival. One essay identifies the Jews' captivity under Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century B.C.E. as a model for later Jewish survival. Another piece offers a lively account of the Americanization of colonial Jews and of Jewish prominence in the nation's arts and entertainment. The most provocative essay argues that modern, secular anti-Semitism is an updated version of early Christian and pagan anti-Judaism. Muslim-Jewish interaction in the Middle Ages, the emancipation of European Jewry after the Enlightenment, and the persecution of Eastern European Jewry receive thoughtful treatments. The concluding historical overview of Zionism argues that a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation holds out the best hope for Israel's security. The book is handsomely illustrated with photographs, paintings and maps. Englander is senior lecturer in European Humanities at the Open University in England. (Sept.)