Creating Judaism : history, tradition, practice

What is "Judaism"? What, if anything, unites ancient rabbis, Maimonides, the authors of the "Zohar", and modern secular Jews in Israel?

In "Creating Judaism", Michael L. Satlow offers a new way of understanding Judaism that recognizes both its immense diversity and its unifying features.

He argues that, despite changing definitions of Judaism, Jews have continued to see themselves as a "Jewish family" linked by shared traditions and texts.

Presenting a series of portraits of Judaism throughout time and from around the globe, Satlow explores how communities shaped Jewish tradition in light of historical circumstances.

He discusses communities such as the Karaites and the geonim who viewed Jewish tradition through the lens of Islam, the Jews of medieval Spain, the Hasidim of nineteenth-century Eastern Europe, and Jews in the United States.

Throughout the work, Satlow pays close attention to how communities define and see themselves as Israel, their relationship to biblical and rabbinic textual traditions, and their ritual practices.