The Jew's Daughter
The Jew's Daughter

Author: Efraim Sicher

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2017-05-04

Total Pages: 323

ISBN-13: 1498527795

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A new approach to thinking about the representation of the Other in Western society, The Jew’s Daughter: A Cultural History of a Conversion Narrative offers an insight into the gendered difference of the Jew. Focusing on a popular narrative of “The Jew’s Daughter,” which has been overlooked in conventional studies of European anti-Semitism, this innovative study looks at canonical and neglected texts which have constructed racialized and sexualized images that persist today in the media and popular culture. The book goes back before Shylock and Jessica in TheMerchant of Venice and Isaac and Rebecca in Ivanhoe to seek the answers to why the Jewish father is always wicked and ugly, while his daughter is invariably desirable and open to conversion. The story unfolds in fascinating transformations, reflecting changing ideological and social discourses about gender, sexuality, religion, and nation that expose shifting perceptions of inclusion and exclusion of the Other. Unlike previous studies of the theme of the Jewess in separate literatures, Sicher provides a comparative perspective on the transnational circulation of texts in the historical context of the perception of both Jews and women as marginal or outcasts in society. The book draws on examples from the arts, history, literature, folklore, and theology to draw a complex picture of the dynamics of Jewish-Christian relations in England, France, Germany, and Eastern Europe from 1100 to 2017. In addition, the responses of Jewish authors illustrate a dialogue that has not always led to mutual understanding. This ground-breaking work will provoke questions about the history and present state of prejudiced attitudes in our society.

Esther Through the Centuries
Esther Through the Centuries

Author: Jo Carruthers

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2020-09-09

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1118714040

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This interdisciplinary commentary ranges from early midrashic interpretation to contemporary rewritings introducing interpretations of the only biblical book not to mention God. Unearths a wealth of neglected rewritings inspired by the story’s relevance to themes of nationhood, rebellion, providence, revenge, female heroism, Jewish identity, exile, genocide and ‘multiculturalism’ Reveals the various struggles and strategies used by religious commentators to make sense of this only biblical book that does not mention God Asks why Esther is underestimated by contemporary feminist scholars despite a long history of subversive rewritings Compares the most influential Jewish and Christian interpretations and interpreters Includes an introduction to the book’s myriad representations in literature, music, and art Published in the reception-history series, Blackwell Bible Commentaries

The Reluctant Queen
The Reluctant Queen

Author: Lin Wilder

Publisher: Lin Wilder

Published: 2021-10-02

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 0578991233

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I'm called Esther-a Persian name, and yet I'm a Hebrew. Had I been able to do so, one of the questions I would have asked my mother and father when I grew older was, "Why did you give me this name?" But now, of course, I know why. The story of the orphaned Jewish girl who saves the Jewish nation from extinction is the stuff of fantasy and legend. Did such a person exist? Could an anonymous girl have been selected to be wife of the ancient Persian king of kings? "Esther, soldiers will soon be combing the cities and countryside to look for the most beautiful young virgins. They will take hundreds of young girls for the king's harem. Then the king's eunuchs and servants will spend many months preparing the women for their night with him." His words came faster and faster, wanting to get through this." The author of the award-winning I, Claudia and My Name is Saul ancient novels returns with the story of Esther. Wilder's skills at blending historical fact with vividly imagined, well-founded characters have become her trademark. The Reluctant Queen is guaranteed to captivate both her loyal fans and eager newcomers, right down to its last riveting page.

Hideous Characters and Beautiful Pagans
Hideous Characters and Beautiful Pagans

Author: Heather Nathans

Publisher: University of Michigan Press

Published: 2017-03-01

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 0472122703

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While battling negative stereotypes, American Jews carved out new roles for themselves within the first theatrical entertainments in America. Jewish citizens were active as performers, playwrights, critics, managers, and theatrical shareholders, and often tied their involvement in these endeavors to the patriotic rhetoric of the young republic as they struggled to establish themselves in the new nation. Examining play texts, theatrical reviews, political discourse, and public performances of Jewish rights and rituals, Hideous Characters and Beautiful Pagans argues that Jewish stage types shed light on our understanding of the status of Jewish Americans during a critical historical period. Using an eclectic range of sources including theatrical reviews, diaries, letters, cartoons, portraiture, tax records, rumors flying around the tavern, and more, Heather S. Nathans has listened for the echoes of vanished audiences who witnessed and responded to these stereotypes onstage, from the earliest appearance of Shylock on an American stage in 1752 to Jewish theater artists on the eve of the Civil War. The book integrates social, political, and cultural histories, with an examination of those texts (both dramatic and literary) that shaped the stage Jew.

Esther
Esther

Author: Angela Elwell Hunt

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781410478429

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When an ambitious tyrant threatens genocide against the Jews, an inexperienced young queen must take a stand for her people.