A Cultural History of Jewish Dress is the first comprehensive account of how Jews have been distinguished by their appearance from Ancient Israel to the present. For centuries Jews have dressed in distinctive ways to communicate their devotion to God; their religious identity; and the proper earthly roles of men and women. This lively work explores the rich history of Jewish dress; examining how Jews and non-Jews alike debated and legislated Jewish attire in different places; as well as outlining the big debates on dress within the Jewish community today.Focusing on tensions over gender; ethnic identity and assimilation; each chapter discusses the meaning and symbolism of a specific era or type of Jewish dress. What were biblical and rabbinic fashions? Why was clothing so important to immigrant Jews in America? Why do Hassidic Jews wear black? When did yarmulkes become bar mitzvah souvenirs? The book also offers the first analysis of how young Jewish adults today announce on caps; shirts; and even undergarments their striving to transform Jewishness from a religious and historical heritage into an ethnic identity that is hip; racy; and irreverent. Fascinating and accessibly written; A Cultural History of Jewish Dress will appeal to anybody interested in the central role of clothing in defining Jewish identity.
#3346910 in eBooks 2002-07-29 2012-08-17File Name: B00DZMYBXW
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Wow ... for a somewhat random purchase I made; this is my new favorite book on film theoryBy CustomerIve had a problem resolving performance capture VFX into standard film theory so just randomly bought this book(I do a lot with xsens; motionbuilder; maya; nuke mixed with live action and motion capture footage). This this one of those books I really not hoping for much; but got way more then I was expecting. Is by far the best book on animation film theory; and perhaps film theory; that I have ever read. At least for me; where Im focused on integrating live action with motion capture with animation; this book hit every major point Im focused on. There are a bunch of different contemporary writers; all have a bit different viewpoint; but taken in whole is a great starting point for getting into a more comprehensive understanding of film theory. Every now and then one of the chapters gets a bit "stuffy" but the chapters arent long. Even chapters that I thought I wasnt going to find interesting; like the one on WW II malaria and animation; Im like "WOW" after I read it ... and that chapter ties into a later chapter (by a different author) that broadens the concept of "cell" animation.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The work and study outlined here is a great step forward in formal analysis of the animated formBy Julian GrantOutstanding film theory resource. The work and study outlined here is a great step forward in formal analysis of the animated form.