{"product_id":"the-sacred-and-the-impure-in-judaism-law-food-and-identity-9780197677674","title":"The Sacred and the Impure in Judaism: Law, Food, and Identity","description":"\u003cem\u003eThe Sacred and the Impure in Judaism\u003c\/em\u003e examines the radicalization of certain Orthodox Jewish groups through the lens of \u003cem\u003ekashrut\u003c\/em\u003e, or Jewish dietary laws. Mata F. Topel begins with a historical look at \u003cem\u003echumratization\u003c\/em\u003e--the tendency among rabbis toward more rigorous interpretations of Jewish law--beginning in Hungary in the late 19th century and on through the nascent radicalization of Israeli Orthodox Jews in the 1950s. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThen, drawing on Orthodox \u003cem\u003ekashrut\u003c\/em\u003e manuals and interviews with \u003cem\u003ekashrut\u003c\/em\u003e supervisors, ritual butchers, and a diverse group of Orthodox men and women, Topel shows how changes to dietary laws have had a profound effect on the ritual density of everyday life in these communities. Detailed descriptions of the difficulties that Orthodox housewives have in carrying out preparations for the Jewish Passover reveal a certain obsession with following the commandments and customs mandated by authorities. Contrasting medieval practices with current ones, Topel shows that the number of rules for celebrating Passover has increased exponentially in recent decades, an important indication of the \u003cem\u003echumratization\u003c\/em\u003e process that effects significant segments of this population. However, she also finds exceptions: While many Orthodox rabbis demand that \u003cem\u003ekashrut \u003c\/em\u003esupervisors and housewives take great pains to avoid ingesting insects that may be found in vegetables and fruit, they have also become significantly more lenient when it comes to consuming non-kosher meat--so much so that most meat consumed by Orthodox communities today is not kosher. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Sacred and the Impure in Judaism\u003c\/em\u003e reveals considerable changes in the content and function of \u003cem\u003ekashrut\u003c\/em\u003e for Orthodox Jews in Israel and its diaspora, which contradicts ideas of purity within this community and the notion that their beliefs and practices are identical to European Judaism of the 18th and 19th centuries, while highlighting the multiple and intricate relationships that exist between a community's religion, food, and identity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Marta F. Topel, Miriam Adelman\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Oxford University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/26\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 192\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.60lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 5.80w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780197677674\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarta F. Topel\u003c\/strong\u003e is an anthropologist and the head of the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of São Paulo (USP). She has been a Visiting Researcher in the Liwerant Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Institute of Mediterranean, European and Comparative Ethnology (IDEMEC). \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMiriam Adelman\u003c\/strong\u003e holds advanced degrees in Sociology (MPhil, New York University, 1991) and Human Sciences (PhD, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, 2004). She was a professor and researcher in Sociology at the Federal University of Paraná for 27 years. She currently works as a freelance translator of academic texts (Spanish, Portuguese, and French to English) and has published poetry of her own, as well as translations of contemporary Brazilian and North American poets.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43639912038515,"sku":"9.7802E+12","price":35.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/9255\/0515\/files\/img_bbed3cd5-d252-41df-bab2-6680b33a6e1f.jpg?v=1755695793","url":"https:\/\/bookstorenmore.com\/products\/the-sacred-and-the-impure-in-judaism-law-food-and-identity-9780197677674","provider":"Bookstore N More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}