While Jews are commonly referred to as the "people of the book;" American Jewish choreographers have consistently turned to dance as a means to articulate personal and collective identities; tangle with stereotypes; advance social and political agendas; and imagine new possibilities for themselves as individuals; artists; and Jews. Dancing Jewish delineates this rich history; demonstrating that Jewish choreographers have not only been vital contributors to American modern and postmodern dance; but that they have also played a critical and unacknowledged role in the history of Jews in the United States.A dancer and choreographer; as well as an historian; author Rebecca Rossen offers evocative analyses of dances while asserting the importance of embodied methodologies to academic research. Featuring over fifty images; a companion website; and key works from 1930 to 2005 by a wide range of artists - including David Dorfman; Dan Froot; David Gordon; Hadassah; Margaret Jenkins; Pauline Koner; Dvora Lapson; Liz Lerman; Sophie Maslow; Anna Sokolow; and Benjamin Zemach - Dancing Jewish offers a comprehensive framework for interpreting performance and establishes dance as a crucial site in which American Jews have grappled with cultural belonging; personal and collective histories; and the values that bind and pull them apart.
#771606 in eBooks 2014-07-31 2014-07-31File Name: B00MLD1F58
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. A Fabulous Story and Wonderful BookBy Richard B. SchwartzI am a great fan of Sidney Kirkpatricks writings. A Cast of Killers is one of my top 10 True Crime books and Hitlers Holy Relics is a worthy addition to that list. Kirkpatricks success results; in large part; from his uncanny ability to pick a great story to tell. He then offers up the facts in a lively and suspenseful narrative with a fully-realized setting and a list of engaging characters. The story--the fundamental story--is what really delivers the goods here.A young American lieutenant is sitting in Belgium; interrogating German POWs. One comes in and; very willing to please; offers to tell him a story. The story concerns the Nazi appropriation of the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire and their hidden location in Nurnberg. What are the odds that the American lieutenant would be: a former German citizen; fluent in the language; a Ph.D. in art history who studied under Erwin Panofsky and; before the war; was a member of the UC-Berkeley faculty? And when the report of the jewels existence and sequestration was sent up the chain of command; where it was likely to be lost in an endless bureaucratic shuffle . . . what are the odds that the pertinent senior commander would be George S. Patton; Jr.; who would not only know the nature of the materials themselves but also appreciate the myth/ritual/political uses to which such individuals as Hitler and Himmler might put them?The book then explores the search for the jewels and accompanying materials (including the lance tip reputed to have been used to pierce the side of the crucified Christ); a story that occupies a few weeks of calendar time but involves a long list of complex details; interrogations; side trips and cultural analysis.The book is nicely illustrated; carefully documented and beautifully written. A combination of true crime and compelling popular history; this is a book for WWII buffs; art historians; crime readers and everyone who appreciates a compelling; fascinating story. The account of Himmlers castle; the details of its `renovation and the dark purposes for which it was intended is itself worth the price of the book.Dont miss this one.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Wanting MoreBy Terrence OlginKirkpatricks work was definitely helpful. This was my first introduction to the life work of Walter Horn. I agree with a lot of the reviews I read on here. I believe a reader will like this story if they are willing to look a little past what was taught in school or what the media or even what most people believe about the Third Reich. I was hoping Kirkpatrick was going to push the envelope more in his research. At times the book felt it was going that way and it was like someone but the brakes on and it changed back to the main plot.If Horn was like an Indiana Jones that did not come out in the pages very well. The Otto Rahn story was more Indy like. I believe if you are new to the Nazi plunder and the number of stories; legends; and myths regarding the Crown jewels then this book is a must. If you are a seasoned student; researcher; or professional it falls short. I would have like to have seen Kirkpatrick write further on Himmlers link to the Teutonic knighthood; deeper symbolism explanation; and how and why an International cabal help bring the Third Reich into existence. Another valuable piece would have been of Pattons interests in the Crown jewels too. Often times such historical events are engineered to cause global changes that most people remain unaware of and simply accept it as they go. I would find a companion or sequel to this book as I suggested in this paragraph more helpful and give further clarity.For the casual World War 2 reader or researcher; I think they will like the way this book reads. It almost is like a screen play. I do recommend this book if you dont know much about the looting; plundering; and recovery of Nazi booty from the war. I found myself asking more questions than I had answers from the book.Overall; Kirkpatricks snapshot approach is a thumbs up. But if you are a dedicated researcher or history buff you will need to continue to seek answers.17 of 18 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating And TroublingBy John D. CofieldHitlers Holy Relics is the story of the search for the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire; ancient symbols of German nationhood which were used by Hitler; Himmler; and other Nazis as a way of claiming legitimacy for their regime. During World War II the jewels were hidden in a bunker in the city of Nurnberg. After Nurnberg was captured by the US Army in 1945 the search for the jewels began; led by Walter Horn; German born and American educated; who carefully tracked down the treasure.This is a fascinating story on several levels. The descriptions of the last few months of World War II and the immediate post war period in Germany are vivid and give a good picture of what the ordinary civilians in Nurnberg and elsewhere suffered through. Horns painstaking search for the jewels is as intriguing as any detective story. Most of all; I appreciated the vast amount of information provided on the Nazis use of mythological and religious imagery and their distortions of history and religion to justify their crimes.
