Ethnic Identity and Religion - Tradition and Change in Liverpool Jewry (Paperback)

Explores the interaction between Jewish ethnic identity and Judaism as a religion in the context of modern society, utilizing a case study of the Liverpool (England) Jewish community. Detailed historical material and data drawn from indepth interviewing and participant observation are utilized in this study. The author focuses on the capacity of Jewish culture to adopt and to co-exist with a variety of cultures without losing its distinctiveness. He also assesses modernity as having a particular bearing on Jewish tradition because of the inseparable historical and ideological connections between Judaism and Jewish ethnic identity. With its emphasis on the juxtaposition and transformation of Jewish ethnic identity and religion, this book is valuable for both students and sociologists of religion and the general reading audience.