Contested Utopia

Jewish Dreams and Israeli Realities

Marc J. Rosenstein (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

328 Seiten

2021
Jewish Publication Society (Verlag)
9780827614727 (ISBN)

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This first book to examine the Jewish state through the lens of Jewish utopian thought, from its biblical beginnings to modernity, offers a fresh perspective on the political, religious, and geopolitical life of Israel. As Marc J. Rosenstein argues, the Jewish people’s collective memories, desires, hopes, and faith have converged to envision an ideal life in the Land of Israel-but, critically, the legacy is a kaleidoscope of conflicting (and sometimes overlapping) visions. And after three millennia of imagining utopia, it is almost impossible for Jews to respond to Israel’s realities without being influenced-even unconsciously-by these images.

Charting the place of utopian thought in Judaism, Rosenstein then illustrates, with original texts, diverse utopian visions of the Jewish state: Torah state (Yavetz), holy community (based on nostalgic memories of the medieval community), national-cultural home (Lewinsky), “normal” state (Herzl), socialist paradise (Syrkin), anarchy (Jabotinsky), and a polity defined by Israel’s historic or divinely ordained borders. Analyzing how these disparate utopian visions collide in Israel’s attempts to chart policy and practice regarding the Sabbath, social welfare, immigration, developing versus conserving the land, and the Israel-Diaspora relationship yields novel perspectives on contemporary flashpoints. His own utopian vision offers a further entryway for both Israelis and Diaspora Jews into more informed and nuanced conversations about the “Jewish state.”

Marc J. Rosenstein is the former director of both the Israel Rabbinical Program at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and the Galilee Foundation for Value Education. He is the author of Turning Points in Jewish History (JPS, 2018) and Galilee Diary: Reflections on Daily Life in Israel.

List of Maps
Preface: Envisioning a Jewish State
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Jewish State as Utopia
How to Use This Book for Discussion

Part 1. Lands of Milk and Honey: Jewish Utopian Visions
1. The Eternal Quest for Utopia
2. Paradise Lost, Remembered, and Promised
3. Utopia, Apocalypse, Messiah

Part 2. A Jewish State: Zionist Utopian Visions
4. A Torah Society
5. Holy Community
6. A National Home
7. Statehood and Power
8. Enlightenment and Normalization
9. Promised Borders
10. A Model of Social Justice

Part 3. The Modern State of Israel: Reality Meets Utopia
11. Visions in Collision
12. A Utopian Travel Blog
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Erscheinungsdatum	25.01.2021
Zusatzinfo	3 maps, 1 table, index
Verlagsort	Philadelphia
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Judentum
ISBN-13	9780827614727 / 9780827614727
Zustand	Neuware