3 Review(s)

In Broadening Jewish History Todd Endelmanseeks to expand the horizons of modern Jewish historiography by focusing on'ordinary' rather than exceptional Jews, arguing that what ordinary people didor felt can do more to deepen our understanding of Jewish history than what afew exceptional individuals thought and wrote. He also makes a strong case forcomparative history, showing convincingly that only a comparison acrossnational borders can identify the Germanness of German Jewish history or theEnglishness of English Jewish history, and thereby reveal what is unique abouteach. This innovative collection of historiographical essays and case studiesredefines the area under consideration and deftly restates the need for Jewishsocial history to counterbalance the current focus on cultural studies. The essays offer an importantexamination of the major trends in the writing of modern Jewish history and theassumptions that have guided historians in their narration of the Jewish past.Professor Endelman shows in particular how the two watershed events oftwentieth-century Jewish history-the Holocaust and the establishment of theState of Israel-influenced Jewish historiography for decades thereafter. Healso demonstrates how progressive integration into the scholarly framework ofAmerican academia has shaped both the form and the content of Jewish historicalresearch. Each of the case studies focuseson a largely unknown figure whose career illustrates the often tortuous pathsof integration and acceptance that Jews faced. Some achieved fleeting fame butmany of the people who populate the volume remain altogether unknown, theirhistories recoverable only as statistics. In itswide-ranging analysis of trends in recent historical writing and its treatmentof key themes and issues, this book is essential reading for professionalhistorians, students, and indeed all those with an interest in Jewish history.