Oxford University Press Jews from Elsewhere: Forgotten Diasporas and Singular Jewish Identities

Most people, when thinking about Jews, consider only two categories: the Ashkenazim of European origin, and the Sephardim (often being lumped together with a vaguely-defined group of Middle Eastern "Mizrahi" Jews). Noticeably few of us are even aware of the history of the geographically-dispersed Jewish diaspora, including communities in India, China, and Africa, which reveal a fascinating diversity of Jewish people. This comes as no surprise - there are not many reference works to consider, and consequently not much education for the general public about Jews outside these two main groups. Jews from Elsewhere aims to begin to fill that information void. Edith Bruder has gathered scholars from around the world and a variety of disciplines to sort out the dynamics of those lesser-known, often slumbering worlds. Thirty-four contributors bring to light the cultural universes of these diverse communities, and open up to general readership a millennia-long, interconnected, global history. In this monumental work of scholarship, communities such as the non-Rabbinical Jews of Ethiopia, those scattered around the Amazon rainforest, and the "new Jews" of Asia and Africa (who may or may not claim to belong to the famed Lost Tribes of Israel) are shown to rebuke the common understanding that all Jews share a single common genealogical, cultural, or religious denominator. Available for the first time in English, this collection is essential reading for anyone interested in the history and development of the Jewish diaspora.