A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions: Can Diaspora Customs Survive
the Move to a New Land?
New Coffee Table Book Offers Look at Jewish Customs with Eye-catching
Photographs
Israel is a melting pot that other freedom loving nations can truly envy.
With so many people from countless lands rediscovering the home of their
forefathers, a tidal wave of different Jewish customs has found its way to
the Promised Land. What happens to these customs? Are they integrated into
the Israeli culture? Do immigrants cast away their customs upon arrival?
Or are immigrants able to retain the customs of their fathers while fitting
into the mainstream Israeli culture?
Esther Shklaim, in her book, A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions: Unity through
Diversity (Devora Publishing), finds the answers to these questions and
more. The young people interviewed for this book explain the Jewish holiday
customs as practiced in their family's country of origin. They reveal how
immigrating to Israel has impacted these ancient traditions. The book also
addresses the important question of how and why various customs exist.
A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions: Unity through Diversity, filled with over
200 attractive photographs and illustrations, is a masterpiece for the eyes
that brings to life the unique flavor of the Jewish holiday experience
across the world. The book shows the diversity of customs and traditions
that have found their way to Israel. They reflect a flourishing Jewish
history that is forming a cohesive Jewish future, as the Children of Israel
return to their home.
About the author:
Esther Shkalim is an acclaimed poet in Israel. She has a Masters' in Jewish
Studies from Washington University, and a PhD candidate from the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. She is an instructor on art and heritage for the
Israel Education Ministry, and founded the Center of Jewish Communities at
the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv.
Esther was born in Tehran, Iran, and moved to Israel with her
family in 1958. She has seen the Persian traditions of her family change
dramatically since their aliyah to Israel. "My father, for example, does
everything in the house, he washes dishes and cooks, which would have been
inconceivable when I was a girl."
Esther lives in Ra'anana and has three grown children.
Title: A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions: Unity through Diversity
Author: Esther Shkalim
Publisher: Devora Publishing Pub date: December, 2006 Pages: 309
ISBN: 1-932687-56-4 Hardcover, $34.95
Stuart Schnee
Public Relations, Marketing & Sales
US Tel: 973-796-2753
Israel Tel: +972-54-790-9120
Fax: +972-2-561-0943
Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author
and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL)
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