An authoritative guide to Jewish studies, reflecting the latest research in a diverse and flourishing field

Jewish studies is a dynamic, interdisciplinary field that draws on the methods of the modern academy—historical research, anthropology, literary studies, philosophy, religious studies, sociology, feminism, and the study of the arts and culture, among others—to illuminate the past and present of Jewish life, thought, and expression. This book provides an entry point to Jewish studies for readers who want to learn about the questions it raises and the insights it generates. Although no single volume can capture the full breadth of the field, this Princeton Companion encompasses some of the most important subfields of Jewish studies, presenting new historical research and introductions to the many other disciplines that can be brought to bear on Jewish history and experience.

The editors, all distinguished scholars of Jewish studies, have gathered contributions from a range of prominent and up-and-coming figures in the field. These contributors offer original perspectives that reflect new findings and novel contexts. Part I, “Rethinking the Past,” aims to give an overview of recent research trends in the study of Jewish history, covering the ancient world, the Middle Ages, and modern times. Part II, “Ideas and Expression,” surveys new research in the study of Jewish language, religion, philosophy, literature, art, music, and other humanities-centered approaches to Jewish life. Part III, "Interactions and Identity," brings the social sciences and anthropology into the picture, along with Israel studies and Mizrahi studies, to introduce the ways scholars today are seeking to shed light on how Jews identify themselves, interact with others, organize themselves, and behave politically and economically.

Leora Batnitzky is the Perelman Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of Religion at Princeton University. She is the author of How Judaism Became a Religion: An Introduction to Modern Jewish Thought (Princeton); Leo Strauss and Emmanuel Levinas: Philosophy and the Politics of Revelation; and Idolatry and Representation: The Philosophy of Franz Rosenzweig Reconsidered (Princeton). Eve Krakowski is associate professor of Near Eastern Studies and Judaic Studies at Princeton University. She is the author of Coming of Age in Medieval Egypt (Princeton). Steven Weitzman is the Abraham M. Ellis Professor of Hebrew and Semitic Languages and the Ella Darivoff Director of the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of The Origin of the Jews: the Quest for Roots in a Rootless Age (Princeton), a National Jewish Book Award Winner, and Solomon: The Lure of Wisdom.