The Soul of Judaism - (Religion, Race, and Ethnicity) by Bruce D Haynes (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A glimpse into the diverse stories of Black Jews in the United States

What makes a Jew? This book traces the history of Jews of African descent in America and the counter-narratives they have put forward as they stake their claims to Jewishness.

The Soul of Judaism offers the first exploration of the full diversity of Black Jews, including bi-racial Jews of both matrilineal and patrilineal descent; adoptees; black converts to Judaism; and Black Hebrews and Israelites, who trace their Jewish roots to Africa and challenge the dominant western paradigm of Jews as white and of European descent.

Blending historical analysis and oral history, Haynes showcases the lives of Black Jews within the Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstruction and Reform movements, as well as the religious approaches that push the boundaries of the common forms of Judaism we know today. He illuminates how in the quest to claim whiteness, American Jews of European descent gained the freedom to express their identity fluidly while African Americans have continued to be seen as a fixed racial group. This book demonstrates that racial ascription has been shaping Jewish selfhood for centuries. Pushing us to reassess the boundaries between race and ethnicity, it offers insight into how Black Jewish individuals strive to assert their dual identities and find acceptance within their respective communities.

Putting to rest the simplistic notion that Jews are white and that Black Jews are therefore a contradiction, the volume argues that we can no longer pigeonhole Black Hebrews and Israelites as exotic, militant, and nationalistic sects outside the boundaries of mainstream Jewish thought and community life. The volume spurs us to consider the significance of the growing population of self-identified Black Jews and its implications for the future of American Jewry.

Review Quotes

"The Soul of Judaism is the most comprehensive study of its kind to date... [it] should stand on the shelves of everyone who is interested in the shifting dynamics of religion, ethnicity and race in America."-- "Nova Religio"

"The Soul of Judaism tells us as much about the 'soul of America' as it does about the interesting investments made over time by those seeking to deconstruct and bypass the hard-and-fast borders that often make it impossible for many of us to think of black identity and Jewish identity at one and the same time."-- "American Journal of Sociology"

"Haynes presents a balanced, nonjudgmental synopsis of diverse blocs of Jews of African descent whose self-imposed nomenclature reveals whether traditional Halakah affects what is and what is not permissive religious behavior in the everyday practice of traditional Judaism ... cholarly but reader friendly, the book confronts the dynamics of separation, integration, and acculturation of Jews of African and Caribbean heritage into the political, religious, and social history of American Jewry, primarily Ashkenazi and Sephardi. In sum, the author adroitly portrays the present and future colorization of American Jews."--CHOICE

"Haynes...surveys an underreported aspect of contemporary American Judaism in an accessible book. [The author] provides detailed information about the origins, history, culture, and differences of discrete categories of black Jews. [A]good introduction to the subject."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"In a highly readable and intellectually engaging book, Haynes examines, among other contentions, how the 'whitening' of Jewish identity continues to limit the claims of black Jews and black Hebrews, the formalized and strengthened factors that influence black Americans who convert to Judaism, and the approaches blacks and Jews use to navigate diverging interests of two stigmatized group identities."-- "Journal of American History"

"In his new beautiful book, The Soul of Judaism, Bruce Haynes brings together his expertise in sociology, Jewish studies, and African-American studies to explore the history and situation of Jews of African descent in the United States. In doing so, he also adds to the large literature on the racialization of European-heritage Jews in the West."-- "Reading Religion"

"The caliber of thought and conceptualization that has gone into this book is staggering. Haynes hasnt just located a color line thats segregated Jewish communities from one another and limited Jewish Studies scholarship, hes crashed clear through it. His careful language regarding the trickiest matters of race, ethnicity, and religious identity will be tools we all utilize in the next several waves of scholarship as Jewish Studies grapples with its color issue, as it now must. After hearing the voices represented in this book there is no going back. Welcome to 21st century Judaism."--Michael Alexander, Maimonides Chair in Jewish Studies, University of California, Riverside

"This book is a revelation. By exploring blackness in Judaism, Bruce Haynes opens up important questions about racism, antisemitism, and the immense variety of Jewish experience, both religious and racial. Jews in the US and in the diaspora have to recognize that Judaism is not white. We have to embrace the African (and Asian, and Latin@) dimensions of Jewish identity and history. Jews who see themselves as black will find The Soul of Judaism both enlightening and welcoming. Jews who consider themselves white will find their souls are more black than they realized. As rising antisemitism and negrophobia join forces once again around the world, it is immensely valuable to learn how deeply blackness and Judaism are conjoined, as they have been for millennia."--Howard Winant, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara

"This eye-opening look at the different ways Jews of African descent view themselves not only challenges readers' thoughts about how Jews identify as white in the New World, it also offers the intriguing perspective of Black Jews who feel they are the true descendants of the biblical chosen people... "The Soul of Judaism" is highly recommended for anyone who thinks seriously about Judaism and Jewish identity in the contemporary world."--The Reporter