Jews and Feminism: The Ambivalent Search for Home

by Levitt,Laura

• ISBN13: 9780415914451
• ISBN10: 0415914450
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1997-06-25
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

By interrogating America's promise of a home for Jews as citizens of the liberal state,Jews and Feminismquestions the very terms of this social "contract". Maintaining that Jews, women, and Jewish women are not necessarily secure within this construction of the state, Laura Levitt links this contractual construction of belonging and acceptance to legacies of marriage as a contractual home for Jewish women. Exploring the immigration of Jews from Eastern Europe for America, as well as their desire to make this country their permanent home, Levitt raises questions about the search for stability in specific Jewish religious and cultural traditions which is linked to the liberal academy as well as feminist study, thus offering an account of an ambivalent Jewish feminist embrace of America as home.

Author Biography

Laura Levitt is Assistant Professor of Religion at Temple University where she also teaches in the Women's Studies Department.

Table of Contents

Preface

The Journey Home introduction -- Home One Embraces

Jewish Women at Home: Rabbinic Judaism, Liberal Jewish Theology

Two Reading Ketubbot Three Becoming Liberal Four The Sexual Contract Five Covenant or Contract?: Marriage as Theology Six Marriage as Feminist Theology?

Feminist Study: Reconfiguring Jewish Identity Seven Feminist Dreams of Home Eight Jews in Feminist Study

Ambivalent Embraces Nine Returning to Atlanta Ten Claiming America Eleven What's in a Name?

Conclusion

Writing Home

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