Migration in Jewish Imagination and Experience

Migration has been a central, defining element of Jewish life since Antiquity. Over the centuries, it has become the subject of a rich and diverse mythology that re-imagines and re-interprets the movements of Jews across time and space in the past - whether distant or recent - according to the needs and concerns of the present. This volume considers the mythology of Jewish migration as a phenomenon in its own right, that reflects themes, concerns, and historical "realities" common to many Jewish communities. Employing methodologies from the fields of history, literary and cultural studies, and sociology, the essays interrogate mythologized narratives of Jewish migration drawn from a range of settings, exploring the diverse, yet often surprisingly similar "realities" that they represent.