The Uses of Tradition: Jewish Continuity in the Modern Era (review)

Book Reviews 105 for a social history. It is, therefore, not altogether surprising that several of his chapters start off excellently and then tum in unexpected directions. The chapter on literature actually devotes much of its space to still another discussion on the differences between the Orthodox camps of Frankfurt and Berlin; the chapter on "Economics and Society" becomes a detailed discussion of the functions of the rabbinate. The preferences and inclinations of the author are quite clear. Finally, it seems rather inaccurate as well as inappropriate in a work of academic research for Breuer to write that "there is little previous work worth mentioning," for in doing so, he disregards even works that he himself reviewed positively when they appeared over the years. It is true that publishers seem. to forever coerce authors to demonstrate the profound innovation of their work, and this seems especially true in Jewish Studies. I assume this goes a long way toward explaining the presumed obliviousness in this work to that scholarly literature. Robert Liberles D.:ie im Deutschen Reich, 1871-1819 (1986), which also has appeared in Hebrew and English. Concerning United States' Jewry, Steven Lowenstein's Frankfurt on the Hudson (1989) offers a model for social-historical investigation of tradition within modernity, and Jonathan Sarna'sJPS; The Americanization ofJewish Culture (1989) deals directly and imaginatively with the tensions identified by Wertheimer. In sum, The Uses ofTradition is a helpful, but not a signal work. Most students and scholars of Jewish studies, nevertheless, will certainly find several articles worthwhile.. Michael Berkowitz Department of History Ohio State University ...