Synopses & Reviews
Jacob Katz (1904-1998) was one of the greatest Jewish historians of the twentieth century. A pioneer of new foci and methods, Katz brought extraordinary insights to many aspects of Jewish life and its surrounding contexts. With a keen eye for both "forests" and "trees," Katz transformed our understanding of many areas of Jewish history, among them: Jewish-Christian relations in the Middle Ages, the social-historical significance of Jewish law, the rise of Orthodoxy in Germany and Hungary, and the emergence of modern antisemitism. In this volume, ten leading scholars critically discuss Katz's work with an appreciation for Katz's importance in reshaping the way Jewish history is studied.
About the Author
Jay M. Harrisis Harvard College Professor and Harry Austryn Wolfson Professor of Jewish Studies, <>Harvard University.Moshe Halbertalteaches Jewish Thought and Philosophy at the <>Hebrew Universityin Jerusalem.Israel Ta-Shmais Professor Emeritus at <>The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Table of Contents
Preface
Jay M. Harris
Rebel in Frankfurt: The Scholarly Origins of Jacob Katz
David N. MyersJacob Katz on Kalakhah and Kabbalah
Israel Ta-ShmaJacob Katz on Jews and Christians in the Middle Ages
David BergerEarly Modern Ashkenaz in the Writings of Jacob Katx
Elisheva CarlebachJacob Katz as Social Historian
Paula E. HymanJacob Katz on the Origins and Dimensions of Jewish Modernity: The Centrality of the German Experience
David EllensonHow Central Was Anti-Semitism to the Historical Writing of Jacob Katz?
Richard I. CohenA Hungarian Rhapsody in Blue: Jacob Katz's Tardy Surrender to Hagar's Allur
Michael K. SilberJacob Katz on Halakhah, Orthodoxy, and History
Moshe HalbertalJacob Katz as a Dissertation Advisor
Immanuel Etkes