Sign-In
Cart
Jews and Power
Paperback
Series: Jewish Encounters
JudaismGeneral Political ScienceGeneral World History
Publisher Price: $28.95
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN10: 0805242244
ISBN13: 9780805242249
Publisher: Schocken Books Inc
Published: Aug 28 2007
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.78
Height: 0.99 Width: 6.94 Depth: 7.77
Language: English
Awards: National Jewish Book Award
ISBN13: 9780805242249
Publisher: Schocken Books Inc
Published: Aug 28 2007
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.78
Height: 0.99 Width: 6.94 Depth: 7.77
Language: English
Awards: National Jewish Book Award
From an eminent scholar of Yiddish literature and of Jewish history, a bold reconceptualization of the Jewish relationship to power and powerlessness [A] brilliant analysis. . . certainly a book for our times--courageous, honest, and cogent. --Jewish Book Council Part of the Jewish Encounter series
Taking in everything from the Kingdom of David to the Oslo Accords, Ruth Wisse offers a radical new way to think about the Jewish relationship to power. Traditional Jews believed that upholding the covenant with God constituted a treaty with the most powerful force in the universe; this later transformed itself into a belief that, unburdened by a military, Jews could pursue their religious mission on a purely moral plain. Wisse, an eminent professor of comparative literature at Harvard, demonstrates how Jewish political weakness both increased Jewish vulnerability to scapegoating and violence, and unwittingly goaded power-seeking nations to cast Jews as perpetual targets. Although she sees hope in the State of Israel, Wisse questions the way the strategies of the Diaspora continue to drive the Jewish state, echoing Abba Eban's observation that Israel was the only nation to win a war and then sue for peace. And then she draws a persuasive parallel to the United States today, as it struggles to figure out how a liberal democracy can face off against enemies who view Western morality as weakness. This deeply provocative book is sure to stir debate both inside and outside the Jewish world. Wisse's narrative offers a compelling argument that is rich with history and bristling with contemporary urgency.
Also in
Judaism
The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis: Commentary on the First Three Chapters
Smith, David Chaim
Paperback
$18.95
Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging
Buchdahl, Angela
Hardcover
$28.80
Conversations with My Rabbi: Timeless Teachings for a Fractured World
Schlanger, Rabbi Eli
Goldstein, Nikki
Hardcover
$28.49
The Books of Enoch: Complete edition: Including (1) The Ethiopian Book of Enoch, (2) The Slavonic Secrets and (3) The Hebrew Book of Enoch
Schnieders, Paul C.
Paperback
$23.74
As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us
Hurwitz, Sarah
Hardcover
$30.40
El Poder de la Kabbalah: 13 principios para superar los desafíos y alcanzar la realización
Berg, Rav
Paperback
$16.10
The Art of Jewish Joy: Crafts and Activities for Celebration and Connection
Ultman, Suzy
Kingloff, Amanda
Hardcover
$33.25
The Complete Jewish Study Bible (Hardcover): Illuminating the Jewishness of God's Word
Rubin, Rabbi Barry
Hardcover
$56.95
The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India
Kamenetz, Rodger
Paperback
$17.09
The Talmud Unmasked: The Secret Rabbinical Teachings Concerning Christians
Pranaitis, I. B.
Paperback
$8.85
This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation
Lew, Alan
Paperback
$18.99
The Book of Lilith: The Dark Feminine, Freedom, and the Power of Shadow Wisdom
Martin, Brian
Paperback
$15.59
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: A Jewish Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World
Lagnado, Lucette
Paperback
$16.14
For Times Such as These: A Radical's Guide to the Jewish Year
Katz, Ariana
Rosenberg, Jessica
Paperback
$29.99
The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering
Finkelstein, Norman G.
Paperback
$18.95
Passover Haggadah: A New English Translation and Instructions for the Seder
Rabbi Nathan Goldberg
Paperback
$12.34
Mind the Gap: How the Jewish Writings Between the Old and New Testament Help Us Understand Jesus
Henze, Matthais
Paperback
$37.05
God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--Revised and Expanded Edition
Starr, Mirabai
Paperback
$23.70
Eat Jewish: Over 100 Recipes That Blend Jewish Heritage, Modern Flavors, and Family Traditions
Strauss, Melinda
Hardcover
$27.00
Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire
Strauss, Barry
Hardcover
$28.49
The Little Encyclopedia of Jewish Culture: 101 People, Places, Things (and Foods) Every Jew Should Know
Klickstein, Mathew
Paperback
$13.29
Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith
Tverberg, Lois
Spangler, Ann
Paperback
$18.99
The Bible with and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently
Levine, Amy-Jill
Brettler, Marc Zvi
Paperback
$20.89
Art of Torah Cantillation, Vol. 1: A Step-By-Step Guide to Chanting Torah
Portnoy, Marshall
Wolff, Josee
Paperback
$33.20
Complete Gospel of Mary Magdalene: Gnostic Gospel, Sacred Feminine Wisdom, and the Secrets of Early Christianity
Q. Publishing, Rubbles
Paperback
$20.39
The Complete Books of Enoch: The Full Collection of These Sacred Texts (Large Print)
Publishing, Sefan
Paperback
$19.19
Moments That Matter: Marking Transitions in Midlife and Beyond
Geller, Rabbi Laura
Lieberman, Rabbi Beth
Paperback
$24.94
Separation and Its Discontents: Toward an Evolutionary Theory of Anti-Semitism
MacDonald, Kevin
Paperback
$20.85
Tough Questions Jews Ask 2/E: A Young Adult's Guide to Building a Jewish Life
Feinstein, Edward
Paperback
$20.89
We Plan, God Laughs: 10 Steps to Finding Your Divine Path When Life Is Not Turning Out Like You Wanted
Hirsch, Sherre
Paperback
$19.00
Messianic Daily Devotional: Messianic Jewish Devotionals for a Deeper Walk with Yeshua
Geoffrey, Kevin
Paperback
$17.09
Illuminating Scriptural Connections: A Qur'anic Commentary on the Torah
Sopher, Rick
Galadari, Abdulla
Hardcover
$33.20
The Complete 300-Book Apocrypha: 2026 Edition With 1-3 Enoch, Jasher, Jubilees, Ethiopian Books, Lost Gospels and Apocalypses, Plus Digital Library, A
Press, Covenant
Coalition, Covenant Christian
Hardcover
$54.96
Jewish Literacy Revised Ed: The Most Important Things to Know about the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History
Telushkin, Joseph
Hardcover
$40.38
Lost in Translation Vol 1: Rediscovering the Hebrew Roots of Our Faith
Klein, John
Spears, Adam
Paperback
$18.99
Josephus the Complete Works: Encounter the World and Traditions That Jesus Knew
Whiston, William
Hardcover
$37.99
The Ethiopian Bible In English Complete [Large Print]: A Historical and Canonical Guide to the 88 Books of the Orthodox Church
Decker, Rebecca Norma
Paperback
$29.99
An Anti-Zionist Path to Embodied Jewish Healing: Somatic Practices to Heal Historical Wounds, Unlearn Oppression, and Create a Liberated World to Come
Somerson, Wendy Elisheva
Paperback
$19.90
Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire
Strauss, Barry
Paperback
$18.00
The Antiquities of the Jews - A Classic History of Ancient Israel, the Jewish People, and the Biblical World
Flavius, Josephus
Hardcover
$57.99
A Rainbow Thread: An Anthology of Queer Jewish Texts from the First Century to 1969
Sienna, Noam
Paperback
$28.99
The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels
Cahill, Thomas
Paperback
From $9.99
Torah in English complete: Including: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
Schwarz, Noah
Jps
Paperback
$23.94
The Introduction to Messianic Judaism: Its Ecclesial Context and Biblical Foundations
Zondervan
Paperback
$26.99
The Radical Jewish Tradition: Revolutionaries, Resistance Fighters and Firebrands
Gluckstein, Donny
Stone, Janey
Paperback
$26.96