Place and Displacement in Jewish History and Memory: Zakor V'makor

This book was a finalist in the 2009 Jewish Book Council Awards in the category of Anthologies and Collections. The twelve essays in this fascinating collection range broadly over time, covering the period from early modern era to the early twenty first century. Their geographical scope is also impressive, including Europe, north and south America, Australia, north and South Africa and the far east, the 'old' and the 'new' worlds. What unites these essays - whether dealing with centre or periphery - is the interrogation of place and (displacement) in the Jewish experience and in the construction of Jewish identities. These studies are given further complexity and unity of purpose by studying the relationship of history and memory in negotiating Jewish identities in relation to time and place. What emerges is a rich volume bringing together established academics and younger scholars. All the essays have a strong historical context but they provide insights informed by the fields of literary, cultural, geographical, anthropological, racial and ethnic and sociological studies. The dynamics between migration and settlement and the processes of racialisation run across this volume as a whole, adding to its multi-layered, challenging and ultimately exciting nature.