A solid, accessible, concise overview of Jewish history from the earliest times to the early 21st century. Michael Brenner uses migration, mobility, and dislocation as unifying themes for a sprawling history. Brenner isn't a great prose stylist (at least in translation), some of his decisions on space allocation seem more a reflection of a modernist bias than historical importance (Bob Dylan gets twice as much space as the Baal Shem Tov, for instance), and the lack of endnotes, let alone footnotes, in a university press book is a travesty. Still, as a basic introduction to Jewish history, this is useful to have to hand. ( )

From: REVIEW ESSAY: 6 JEWISH HISTORY AND HISTORIANS'
by Marc Sapers

"Brenner has chosen as the central theme for his presentation the phenomenon of Jewish mobility, migration, shifting of centres for Jewish life and creativity, with the tension between homeland and exile frequently in the background. Each of the twenty chapter titles is in the form of 'From X to Y' (with the letters generally representing place names): 'From Ur to Canaan,' 'From Jerusalem to Yavneh,' 'From Medina to Baghdad,' 'From Everywhere to Auschwitz.' Only occasionally does this pattern seem strained, as in 'From Tétouan to Teheran', where the latter city plays no role at all in the chapter.

In counterpoint with the mobility theme is the Pesach Haggadah, a narrative of dislocation used as an archetype of Jewish experience. Facing the opening of each chapter is a page from a manuscript or printed Haggadah, generally with text or illustration connected with the chapter's theme. In addition, incorporated into the chapters are many striking examples of Jewish art that exemplify and illuminate topics being discussed. These pictures on the glossy paper of the book are appealing in themselves and well integrated into the narrative. It is a beautifully produced volume.

The writing does not reveal a distinguished stylist - nothing of the flair (sometimes out of control) of Graetz or the purple prose of Simon Schama - but, in the translation by Jeremiah Riemer, it is clear and free of the jargon that often makes contemporary academic writing opaque to many readers, exposition that doesn't call attention to itself but serves effectively to communicate.

In addition to the narrative, the author reveals an obvious interest in population statistics, which he not infrequently integrates into the text and incorporates into a three-page appendix at the end. The data provided for the number of Jews in Istanbul and Salónica (140), Frankfurt (178), Odessa (230), the Habsburg Empire (232-36), the Czarist Empire (243), and several central and East European cities (295-96) undergird the central thesis of dynamic changes in population centres. The book is generally characterised by fairness and balance in discussing controversial issues. I was especially interested in the treatment of Reform Judaism and found it to be without a hint of condescension, with sympathetic presentation of such figures as Abraham Geiger (202, 204), Isaac Mayer Wise (215-16), Stephen S. Wise (301,3 12) and Leo Baeck (308). (This balance does not apply to all historical movements, however; Karaism, a major medieval challenge to rabbinic Judaism continuing into modern times, is given only one paragraph (79-80), and none of its major figures is mentioned.)"

Source: European Judaism: A Journal for the New Europe, Vol. 44, No. 2 (Autumn 2011), pp. 131-139. ( )

Brenner's book is accessible, knowledgeable and concise. It is an excellent starting point for those wanting to learn more about the history of the Jewish people. The book also contains interesting images from various versions of the Haggadah through the centuries from different countries. This underlines the deep respect one gets upon completion of the book for a people who have maintained their culture through centuries of diaspora. Recommended for students of religion and history. ( )