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Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies 25.1 (2006) 217-234


Book Notes

American Jewish Life

From the Lower East Side to Hollywood: Jews in American Popular Culture, by Paul Buhle. London: Verso, 2004. 304 pp. $25.00. ISBN 1-85984-598-3.

This investigation of the formative Jewish influence upon the rise and development of American popular culture draws upon oral histories with several generations of Jewish artists, little-utilized Yiddish scholarship, and the author's own connections with today's comic-strip artists. Buhle shows how the rich legacy of Yiddish prepared would-be artists to absorb the cultures of their surrounding environments, seeing the world through the eyes of others, and producing the talent required for theater, films, television, popular music and comics.

Ancient World and Archaeology

Jewish Funerary Customs, Practices and Rites in the Second Temple Period, by Rachel Hachlili. Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, 94. Leiden: Brill, 2005. 588 pp. + 72 pp. of plates. $240.00. ISBN 90-04-12373-3.

Research of burials constitutes one of the main reliable sources of information related to various aspects of funerary practices and rituals and offers a perception of ancient social life and community organization. This study outlines the material preserved in the ancient Jewish cemeteries of the Second Temple period (first century BCE to first century CE) at Jerusalem, Jericho, 'En Gedi, Qumran and some other tomb sites.

Art and Music

Five Centuries of Hanukkah Lamps from the Jewish Museum: A Catalogue Raisonné, by Susan L. Braunstein. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. 424 pp. $125.00. ISBN 0-300-10623-8.

The observance of Hanukkah as a time of freedom and miracles resonates strongly with Jews today as in centuries past, and the Hanukkah lamp is central to the celebratory ritual. The importance of the Hanukkah lamp is reflected in the collection of The Jewish Museum in New York: its 1,022 [End Page 217] lamps represent the largest assemblage of Hanukkah lamps in the world. This publication presents the Museum's collection in its entirety. These lamps will appeal to anyone interested in Jewish culture, history, and the beauty and diversity of these traditional objects.

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2005. 319 pp. $60.00. ISBN 0-8109-5930-5.

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, boasts world art spanning five continents and ranging from Rembrandt, Rubens, and a long-lost Poussin to creations by contemporary artists; a comprehensive Judaica holding; and an archaeology wing whose treasures include the Dead Sea Scrolls and a figurine thought to be the world's oldest artwork. The splendors of this museum are now displayed in nearly 300 full-color reproductions, accompanied by commentaries by its curators. The book is arranged in four sections that correspond to the organization of the Israel Museum—Art, Judaica and Jewish Ethnography, Archaeology, and the Youth Wing.

Biblical and Rabbinic Literature

Defending God: Biblical Responses to the Problem of Evil, by James L. Crenshaw. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. 275 pp. £22.99. ISBN 0-19-514002-8.

In the ancient Near East, when the gods detected gross impropriety in their ranks, they subjected their own to trial. When mortals suspect their gods of wrongdoing, do they have the right to put them on trial? What lies behind the human endeavor to impose moral standards of behavior on the gods? Is this effort an act of arrogance, as Kant suggested, or a means of keeping theological discourse honest? It is this question James Crenshaw seeks to address in this study of ancient theodicies.

Etz Hayim: Study Companion, edited by Jacob Blumenthal and Janet L. Liss. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2005. 394 pp. $22.00. ISBN 0-8276-0822-5.

Etz Hayim, the Torah commentary publication of the Conservative movement, contains 41 essays that examine various issues relating to the understanding and interpretation of the Bible. Prepared by eminent rabbis and scholars, these essays explore diverse, sometimes controversial, topics relating to Bible study, such as biblical archeology, marriage and family, revelation, and justice. The Etz...

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