With great vigour and from the vantage point of long experience of writing and teaching Jewish history, Moshe Rosman treats the key questions that postmodernism raises for the writing of Jewish history. What is the relationship between Jewish culture and history and those of the non-Jews among whom Jews live? Can we-in the light of postmodernist thought-speak of a continuous, coherent Jewish People, with a distinct culture and history? What in fact is Jewish cultural history, and how can it be written? How does gender transform the Jewish historical narrative? How does Jewish history fit into the multicultural paradigm? Has Jewish history entered a postmodern phase? How can Jewish history utilize the methodologies of other disciplines to accomplish its task? All these are questions that Jewish historians need to think about if their work is to be taken seriously by mainstream historians and intellectuals, or indeed by educated Jews interested in understanding their own cultural and historical past. While engaging with the questions raised by postmodernists, the author adopts a critical stance towards their work. His basic claim is that it is possible to incorporate, judiciously, postmodern innovations into historical scholarship that is still based on documentary research and critical analysis. The resulting endeavor might be termed 'a reformed positivism'. Rosman presents a concentrated, coherent, cogent argument as to what considerations must be brought to bear on the writing of Jewish history today. By highlighting in one book the issues raised by postmodernism, How Jewish is Jewish History? provides those in the field with a foundation from which to discuss how it should be practiced in light of this generation's challenges. It is a valuable resource for students of Jewish history and historiography and a handy tool for scholars who must confront the issues aired here in their own more narrowly focused scholarly works.
'Moshe Rosman’s How Jewish Is Jewish History is a lucid, engaged, but also dispassionate work certain to become a crucial point of departure for future discussions of fundamental questions facing Jewish studies. It asks, and sets out to offer some answers to the question as to whether historians can maintain the continuity and distinctiveness of the Jewish experience. Rosman sees Jewish historiography as having been altered at its core by postmodernism, and offers an incisive and original “polythetic approach” to this dilemma grounded in a “reformed” positivism. This is a wise, courageous, challenging book, subtle, made of many different parts, all of which are insightful, and likely to be of enduring significance.'
From the citation for the 2010 Jordan Schnitzer Book Award
'While addressing the
issues raised by postmodernism, Rosman provides a starting point from which to
discuss how this generation might tackle these challenges. For students of
Jewish history and historiography, this is a most worthwhile read . . .
Recommended.'
- S. D. Benin, Choice
'Provides clear and
insightful expositions of some central contemporary theoretical and
methodological issues as they relate to some crucial themes in Jewish history
in particular. It provides a learned and highly articulate defence of a
pragmatic, moderate, and 'centrist' position by one of the influential
practitioners of Jewish history writing . . . a highly valuable attempt to
confront some of the major challenges posed by recent innovations from a firm
position and in a coherent way. What is more, this collection has much to
contribute to the definition of a badly needed common ground between supporters
and opponents of postmodernism and thereby helps to diffuse much of the
unpleasant polemic that has often surrounded the emergence of postmodern
critiques.'
- Ferenc Laczó, European
Journal of Jewish Studies
'His brief, incisive,
and welcome conversation with contemporary Jewish historiography will be of
inordinate use to the perplexed of our time.'
- Steven Bowman, H-Judaic
'Both
thought-provoking and entertaining . . . thoroughly engaging and makes one
ponder deeply on the basic issues of Jewish historiography. It should be read
by all Jewish historians whether they are contemplating writing a grand
narrative or a micro-study.'
- John
Cooper, Jewish Historical Studies
'He presents a
comprehensive work in English on the problems and challenges of writing Jewish
history under the impact of postmodern ideas and multiculturalism, for which he
deserves credit . . . The book's strong points include its extensive
bibliography and excellent documentation.'
- Rivkah Duker Fishman, Jewish Political Studies Review
'Excellent
. . . it is a most important and essential book for anyone interested in Jewish
affairs. It is an overview of how academic theories of modernism are changing
and have changed perceptions. It is a vital analysis of how many different
approaches to Jewish history there are . . . Rosman raises all the fascinating
issues.'
- Jeremy Rosen, The Jewish
Press
‘Cogently
written, remarkably combining depth of analysis with clear, straightforward
writing . . . Rosman has confronted the sharpest challenges for Jewish
historiography laid down by contemporary modes of thinking.’
- Michael A. Meyer, Jewish Quarterly Review
‘Rosman reviews the newest developments in Jewish historiography in
the context of the historical theoretical debates of postmodern and
postcolonial studies. In particular, he focuses on the definition of “self” and
“other” in Jewish culture and history and on the relationship between
them.’
- Ekaterina Emeliantseva, Osteuropa
'Absolutely essential
reading for any student thinking of writing a thesis or even a serious paper on
Jewish history. It is a profound analysis of what the academic study of Jewish
history is and what should be taken into consideration in setting out to do
research in the field. Rosman asks penetrating questions regarding the
possibility of objective study of Jewish history in the light of the issues
raised by postmodernist thinking and he sensitively explores ways of dealing
with these questions. He applies his wide and perceptive reading in general
historiography to clarify the challenge of new modes of historical thought to
students of Jewish history. His mastery of the Jewish past, especially but not
only of Jewish life in eastern Europe, keeps the discussion from being purely
theoretical . . . While Rosman deals with complex issues, his writing is lucid
and his examples are fascinating. There is nothing like this book on the market
and it is therefore a crucial introduction for students. While Rosman's
examples are drawn from the context of Jewish history, the issues he raises
apply to the historiography of other religious and cultural groups. Therefore,
while this brilliant book should be required reading for all serious students
of Jewish studies, it should be equally interesting to students of other
traditions.'
- Shaul Stampfer, Religious
Studies Review
'Rosman's erudite
volume ranges over more theoretical ground than can be explained in a brief
review . . . a useful introduction to the heat that history and
historiographical disputes generate in contemporary Israel.'
- Michael C. Hickey, Shofar
'Incisive.'
- Nils Roemer, Studies in Contemporary
Jewry
'Rosman helps us
understand how history has become, in the hands of postmodern awareness, more
complicated, less unitary, and still deeply fascinating . . . an important
entry in an important debate over the understanding of our multiple pasts in
the complex present.'
- David Wolpe, Tablet
Magazine
‘Moshe Rosman is one of the few Jewish historians who can deal with the
theoretical issues besetting Jewish historiography, particularly in the light
of postmodernist thought. This book sets an agenda that will be discussed for
many years hence.’
- Shmuel
Feiner, Bar Ilan University