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Hanukkah in America: A History
Contributor(s): Ashton, Dianne (Author)
ISBN: 0814707394     ISBN-13: 9780814707395
Publisher: New York University Press
OUR PRICE:   $28.50  
Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats
Published: October 2013
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- History | Jewish - General
- Religion | Holidays - Jewish
- History | United States - General
Dewey: 296.435
LCCN: 2013014009
Series: Goldstein-Goren American Jewish History
Physical Information: 1.3" H x 6.1" W x 9.2" (1.55 lbs) 350 pages
Themes:
- Ethnic Orientation - Jewish
- Religious Orientation - Jewish
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

Explores the ways American Jews have reshaped Hanukkah traditions across the country

In New Orleans, Hanukkah means decorating your door with a menorah made of hominy grits. Latkes in Texas are seasoned with cilantro and cayenne pepper. Children in Cincinnati sing Hanukkah songs and eat oranges and ice cream. While each tradition springs from its own unique set of cultural references, what ties them together is that they all celebrate a holiday that is different in America than it is any place else. For the past two hundred years, American Jews have been transforming the ancient holiday of Hanukkah from a simple occasion into something grand. Each year, as they retell its story and enact its customs, they bring their ever-changing perspectives and desires to its celebration. Providing an attractive alternative to the Christian dominated December, rabbis and lay people alike have addressed contemporary hopes by fashioning an authentically Jewish festival that blossomed in their American world.

The ways in which Hanukkah was reshaped by American Jews reveals the changing goals and values that emerged among different contingents each December as they confronted the reality of living as a religious minority in the United States. Bringing together clergy and laity, artists and businessmen, teachers, parents, and children, Hanukkah has been a dynamic force for both stability and change in American Jewish life. The holiday's distinctive transformation from a minor festival to a major occasion that looms large in the American Jewish psyche is a marker of American Jewish life. Drawing on a varied archive of songs, plays, liturgy, sermons, and a range of illustrative material, as well as developing portraits of various communities, congregations, and rabbis, Hanukkah in America reveals how an almost forgotten festival became the most visible of American Jewish holidays.


Contributor Bio(s): Ashton, Dianne: - Dianne Ashton is Professor of Religion Studies and former director of the American Studies program at Rowan University. She is the author of four books, including the first modern biography of the American Jewish education trailblazer, Rebecca Gratz (1997), and, with Ellen M. Umansky, the widely read Four Centuries of Jewish Women's Spirituality: A Sourcebook (revised 2009).She is currently editor of the scholarly journal, American Jewish History.