Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory (The Samuel and Althea Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies)

An outstanding book, lucidand learned drawing from historical traditional and modern sources and fair to all, Yerushalmi is of course one of the masters of the field. All that and just a delightful, provocotive read.

During this COVID quarantine social distancing, I have found a number of new resources. One is the Sabbath teachings from the synagogue in our neighborhood. I heard a message from Deuteronomy the other day and the Rabbi mentioned this book. I'm reading it devotionally. What a blessing! The nature of memory and history. Jewish memory in its historic context. Wow!

This book is not easy reading to be sure. However, it was worth slugging away at it all the way to its conclusion. It provides some explanations for why the Jewish People have until recently not really sensed a need for legimate historiography. The final section concerning "remembering vs. forgetting", has lessons for Humanity at large.

This is the best book I have read all year for putting into perspective the seemingly chaotic confusion of our present state. Today billions have access to each other’s words, images, emotional reactions and thoughts — making visible the multiple realities existing outside any common frame. This book by examining the different functions of history and collective memory over the millennia, ends on a hopeful note, that out of the multitudes can emerge a common sense of our collective selves.

In the 30 years since Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi published his poignant and profound insight into the tension between history and sacred memory, it's hard to think of a more influential work by a Jewish historian. Or of one which so readily merits a re-reading by those who remember the impact it first made. As for those who aren't familiar with it, give yourself an intellectual treat-- a short study but one which --no pun intended-- you won't forget.

The author writes, and writes very lucidly, about the biblical injunction to remember. But he does not mention at all that the bible, or its authors, also attached an injunction to forget. Namely, to forget who they, they authors, were, when, where and why they wrote the HB, and in what language, and what of it is pure invention (namely, practically all of it). Judaism is not a religion or ideology of remembrance; it is a religion or ideology of remembrance/forgetting. One cannot do without other. The book came out in 1982--before the "new historians," before the Copenhagen School--and perhaps it was still possible at that time to write about the "remembrance" aspect alone. Since at least the mid-90s this is no longer possible, so the question may be asked, why the publisher in 1996 re-issued this book. It is a child of its time, and times have changed. "Is all of Jewish history 'Jewish'," asks the author. Answer: it it mostly Greek. At least the history of Scripture is.

A hard read, but amazing. Plow through the first 20 pages and it gets easier to read.

This is an essential book to anyone interested in Jewish History. This book should be read before one starts to study Jewish history because the book is all about the importance of History and why Jews for so long never kept historical records.

Ich bin sehr zufrieden mit der Bestellung, alles hat reibungslos funktioniert. Das Produkt war wie geschildert und ist pünktlich bei mir angekommen.

Heavy going but worth it.