Description
In 1930, Columbia University appointed Salo Baron to be the Nathan L. Miller Professor of Jewish History, Literature, and Institutions-marking a turning point in the history of Jewish studies in America. Baron not only became perhaps the most accomplished scholar of Jewish history in the twentieth century, the author of many books including the eighteen-volume A Social and Religious History of the Jews. He also created a program and a discipline, mentoring hundreds of scholars, establishing major institutions including the first academic center to study Israel in the United States, building Columbia's Judaica collection, intervening as a public intellectual, and exerting an unparalleled influence on what it meant to study the Jewish past.
This book brings together leading scholars to consider how Baron transformed the course of Jewish studies in the United States. From a variety of perspectives, they reflect on his contributions to the study of Jewish history, literature, and culture, as well as his scholarship, activism, and mentorship. Among many distinguished contributors, David Sorkin engages with Baron's arguments on Jewish emancipation; Francesca Trivellato puts him in conversation with economic history; David Engel examines his use of anti-Semitism as an analytical category; Deborah Lipstadt explores his testimony at the trial of Adolf Eichmann; and Robert Chazan and Jane Gerber, both once Baron's doctoral students, offer personal and intellectual reminiscences. Together, they testify to Baron's singular legacy in shaping Jewish studies in America.
About the Author
Rebecca Kobrin is the Russell and Bettina Knapp Associate Professor of American Jewish History at Columbia University. She is the author of Jewish Bialystok and Its Diaspora (2010), editor of Chosen Capital: The Jewish Encounter with American Capitalism (2012), and coeditor of Purchasing Power: The Economics of Jewish History (2015).
Reviews
A wonderful addition to the literature on the pioneering Columbia University Jewish historian Salo Baron and his remarkable legacy. Replete with important insights concerning Baron, his times, the field of Jewish studies, and the writing of Jewish history. -- Jonathan D. Sarna, author of American Judaism: A History
This wonderful book is the best imaginable tribute to the "architect" of modern Jewish studies and history. Engaging with the work and legacy of Salo Baron critically as well appreciatively, the essays in this volume are brilliantly thought-provoking studies about the direction of Jewish historical studies, resonating with the perplexities and complexities that are as alive now as when Baron produced his epic work. -- Simon Schama, author of The Story of the Jews: Finding the Words 1000 BCE - 1429 CE
The essays in this book offer thoughtful and revealing assessments of Salo Baron's scholarship and position as a founding figure in Jewish studies in the United States. The volume limns not only Baron's remarkable accomplishments but also the contexts in which he came of age, produced his finest work, and became a public figure, both at Columbia University and throughout the world. -- Derek Penslar, Harvard University
Book Information
ISBN 9780231204859
Author Rebecca Kobrin
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press
This book brings together leading scholars to consider how Baron transformed the course of Jewish studies in the United States. From a variety of perspectives, they reflect on his contributions to the study of Jewish history, literature, and culture, as well as his scholarship, activism, and mentorship. Among many distinguished contributors, David Sorkin engages with Baron's arguments on Jewish emancipation; Francesca Trivellato puts him in conversation with economic history; David Engel examines his use of anti-Semitism as an analytical category; Deborah Lipstadt explores his testimony at the trial of Adolf Eichmann; and Robert Chazan and Jane Gerber, both once Baron's doctoral students, offer personal and intellectual reminiscences. Together, they testify to Baron's singular legacy in shaping Jewish studies in America.
About the Author
Rebecca Kobrin is the Russell and Bettina Knapp Associate Professor of American Jewish History at Columbia University. She is the author of Jewish Bialystok and Its Diaspora (2010), editor of Chosen Capital: The Jewish Encounter with American Capitalism (2012), and coeditor of Purchasing Power: The Economics of Jewish History (2015).
Reviews
A wonderful addition to the literature on the pioneering Columbia University Jewish historian Salo Baron and his remarkable legacy. Replete with important insights concerning Baron, his times, the field of Jewish studies, and the writing of Jewish history. -- Jonathan D. Sarna, author of American Judaism: A History
This wonderful book is the best imaginable tribute to the "architect" of modern Jewish studies and history. Engaging with the work and legacy of Salo Baron critically as well appreciatively, the essays in this volume are brilliantly thought-provoking studies about the direction of Jewish historical studies, resonating with the perplexities and complexities that are as alive now as when Baron produced his epic work. -- Simon Schama, author of The Story of the Jews: Finding the Words 1000 BCE - 1429 CE
The essays in this book offer thoughtful and revealing assessments of Salo Baron's scholarship and position as a founding figure in Jewish studies in the United States. The volume limns not only Baron's remarkable accomplishments but also the contexts in which he came of age, produced his finest work, and became a public figure, both at Columbia University and throughout the world. -- Derek Penslar, Harvard University
Book Information
ISBN 9780231204859
Author Rebecca Kobrin
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press
