S. D. Goitein's magisterial five-volume work on Jewish communities in the medieval Mediterranean world offers an unparalleled view of how people lived; traveled; worshiped; and conducted their economic and social affairs. Living under Muslim rule; the Jews became increasingly urbanized and played a significant part in an expanding world economy. As major actors in the flourishing intellectual life of the period; they forged much of what constitutes traditional Judaism today and served as a conduit of Islamic learning to the Christian West.Goitein's masterpiece is now abridged and reworked by Jacob Lassner in a single volume that captures the essential narratives and contexts of the original. To understand the value of this distillation; we need to picture the remarkable; all-but-impenetrable cache of unique letters and documents found by accident in a geniza; or repository of sacred writings; in Old Cairo. These materials; unlike historical chronicles and literary texts of the time; represent the living experiences of people in a wide variety of settings throughout the entire Mediterranean and stretching as far east as the Indian subcontinent.Goitein explored and interpreted these texts as no other scholar had. Lassner; in turn; makes Goitein's findings available to a wide audience and then moves on to raise a host of new and tantalizing questions about the Jews of the Geniza and the relationship of their community to the hegemonic Muslim society.
#415306 in Books 1999-10-25Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .78 x 9.00l; 2.04 #File Name: 0520221877156 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Lovely photographs and beautiful poemsBy Simon HollowayThis book is absolutely beautiful - and so much more than what I had bargained for! I ordered this product expecting a counterpart to Vishniac's gorgeous "A Vanished World": a collection of pictures; in other words; of young children; presented in his inimical style; inspiring of nostalgia and pretty to appraise. Instead; what I discovered was a work worthy of actual study.The pictures in this volume are lovely; to be sure; but the real gem is found in the accompanying text and in the appendix. Interspersed between photographs are Yiddish poems; both in Yiddish and in a loose English translation. In the appendix; the poems appear again together with musical notation; which allows the reader to learn them as children's songs.I have a young daughter to whom I sometimes sing in Yiddish - a language that I have been attempting to learn. Had I any idea what assistance this wonderful book would have provided; I would have acquired it sooner! I thoroughly recommend it to fans of Vishniac's beautiful work; to lovers of Yiddish and to anybody with an interest in the world of European Jewish life.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Children of a Vanished World: Purchased at .comBy depChildren of a Vanished World has to be one of the most moving books I have ever read. So many wonderful pictures of so many beautiful children. The sweetness and innocence of the children was so apparent. When you include the music and lullabies; this book is truly about a world of children. Sadly; that world is gone; probably with most of the people in the photographs. I am so very glad I had the opportunity to read this book and would highly recommend reading it. Very well worth buying this book.31 of 33 people found the following review helpful. HAUNTING IMAGES OF INNOCENTS AND INNOCENCE DESTROYEDBy Shlomo PestcoeThis is a powerful book. In its pages we find starkly beautiful black and white photographs of children laughing; crying; playing; studying; working; in the course of their daily life... unaware of the horrific nightmare that will overtake them soon and destroy their world.The children's eyes look at you with all the innocent curiousity and wonder of eternal; universal childhood. You look again and apprehension grips you: in a few short years after being photographed; the future of many of these children will be brutally terminated in an unmarked mass grave or a crematorium. The poignancy of this harsh reality is driven home when you read editor Mara Vishniac Kohn's dramatic description of her father's desperate; futile efforts to use his photographs as a means of arousing the conscience of the world and inspiring action to save these children and their families. We learn that Roman Vishniac sent these photos to the White House; only to recieve a perfunctory note thanking him for "the excellent pictures you sent the President."I must express my heartfelt compliments and appreciation to the editors; Mara Vishniac Kohn and Miriam Hartman Flacks; for the way in which they have presented these precious images-- accompanying them with the lyrics of appropriate Yiddish children's songs; in the original Yiddish and English transliteration and translation; rather than the standard dry caption text. I am especially grateful to the editors for including the music and annotation for these wonderful songs.This book belongs in every home and library.
