Tag Archives: cosmopolitanism

(Whitehead) Social consciousness World Consciousnss (Judaism)

Posted on March 12, 2014 by zjb

Maybe it’s the case that Judaism is defined by what Whitehead called “social consciousness,” not “world consciousness.” (Religion in the Making, pp.37-43). Or might it be possible today to plot out a form of Jewish world consciousness? By social consciousness, Whitehead … Continue reading →

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(Out of the German Ghetto) Virtual Modernity & The Vilna Gaon (Eliyahu Stern) (The Genius)

Posted on January 9, 2014 by zjb

Like many, I was immediately surprised by Eli Stern’s thesis placing the Vilna Gaon (the Gra) as a cornerstone to the modern Jewish project. The thesis is based on a multiple modernities template, indicating that modernity took different forms in … Continue reading →

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Hinduism and Judaism (Alan Brill Blogs from India)

Posted on November 12, 2013 by zjb

I can hardly think of a more interesting Jewish cultural interface than the one with India. It’s one that combines history of religions and international relations. Alan Brill is now blogging from Benares, India. A Fulbright scholar, he is working … Continue reading →

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Jews & Arabs (Middle East Studies — Jewish Studies)

Posted on October 18, 2013 by zjb

An interesting article in the NYT about American Jewish students taking Arabic and studying in the Middle East. The article speaks to both enchantment and disenchantment, idealism and realism as they play out in relation to daily life and politics. … Continue reading →

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Greek Wisdom — Sukkot Ecclesiastes (Ben Shahn)

Posted on September 18, 2013 by zjb

(Ben Shahn, Ecclesiastes or The Preacher, 1965) Vanity of vanities! It’s Sukkot, which means time to dip into Greek Wisdom, a new more cosmopolitan paradigm for Jewish philosophy after Torah and prophecy. In this vein, I’m recommending if I haven’t already … Continue reading →

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Egypt Good For Israel Good For Egypt?

Posted on July 5, 2013 by zjb

Of course the front page of this morning’s Maariv asks the wrong question. To ask if the upheavals across the Arab world and now in Egypt are “good for Israel” is understandable enough if you happen to live in or … Continue reading →

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Culinary Judaism (Trans-Ethnic)

Posted on May 29, 2013 by zjb

Culinary Judaism is trans-ethnic. I like this hole-in-the-wall on the Upper West Side, between Broadway and Amsterdam. But also local. You find a joint like this in Syracuse or Bloomington. Tin foil holds the whole thing together.

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From Umm Kulthum to Rachid Taha (Cosmopolitanism)

Posted on May 13, 2013 by zjb

Something new to listen to. What a thought! In the little world of twentieth century philosophy and thought that I inhabit, sometimes sadly, cosmopolitanism means Germany and German Jews and maybe, just maybe German modernism. But isn’t that all a … Continue reading →

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CFP: Intersections of Jewish and Postcolonial Thought (AJS 2013)

Posted on April 4, 2013 by zjb

I found this call for papers online at H-Judaic and wanted to post it here. The contact information appears below: Postcolonial theory is one of the most influential theoretical strands of our time and it has a profound impact on … Continue reading →

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A Jewish Thought and Culture Blog (Lebanon)

Posted on October 22, 2012 by zjb

“Philosophy and Law” is a  Jewish thought and culture blog that stumbled across me the other day when I posted about Syria. The “reading log” at the website suggests a completely new and generative orientation to Jewish thought and philosophy. … Continue reading →

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