NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FINALISTWINNER OF THE 2012 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION’S SOPHIE BRODY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN JEWISH LITERATURE Sacred Trash tells the remarkable story of the Cairo Geniza—a synagogue repository for worn-out texts that turned out to contain the most vital cache of Jewish manuscripts ever discovered. This tale of buried communal treasure weaves together unforgettable portraits of Solomon Schechter and the other modern heroes responsible for the collection’s rescue with explorations of the medieval documents themselves—letters and poems; wills and marriage contracts; Bibles; money orders; fiery dissenting religious tracts; fashion-conscious trousseaux lists; prescriptions; petitions; and mysterious magical charms. Presenting a panÂoramic view of almost a thousand years of vibrant Mediterranean Judaism; Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole bring contemporary readers into the heart of this little-known trove; whose contents have rightly been dubbed “the Living Sea Scrolls.†Part biography; part meditation on the supreme value the Jewish people has long placed in the written word; Sacred Trash is above all a gripping tale of adventure and redemption. (With black-and-white illustrations throughout.)
#780407 in Books Metropolitan Books 2009-03-17 2009-03-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.57 x 1.37 x 6.50l; 1.78 #File Name: 080507676X512 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A compelling historical analysisBy Simeon SimeonovThis is a well-researched and well-argued book. The author convincingly situates a microhistory of Chicago's South Side real estate market within a broader history of the negotiation of racial relations in the Civil Rights Era. Satter demonstrates that a variety of agents; from state representatives to university administrators and real estate agents championed various regulations and practices that effectively discriminated against an aspiring set of working- and middle-class African Americans migrating from the post-WWII South. These regulations and practices; Satter contends; were one of the main factors militating against the creation of a racially diverse and inclusive middle class in a period of rapid economic growth. However; since Satter is the daughter of one of the actors in this fascinating history - a fact she introduces in the beginning of her book - her interpretation of some of the historical evidence can seem biased and arbitrary.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Imminently readable historical narrative of redlining in Chicago. Rigorously well documented. Recommended without qualification.By Joel C.Beryl Satter does an excellent job documenting in excruciating detail how segregation; particularly in northern cities; was a consequence of government policy and exploitation by the real estate industry; and how these forces in conjunction with racial animus excluded Black Americans from full participation in American life. History blended with narrative; Satter gives a compelling account of the uphill struggle that black families faced in their attempt to own a home. Often when someone gives a account of history embedded in a narrative; they gloss over their sources and the details that support their account. Not so with Family Properties. The book is rigorously documented with footnotes and sources. Recommended without qualification.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. BrilliantBy Chris Wilson-SimpkinsIf you live indoors; or ever wanted to; read this book. Did you ever wonder why housing in America is so segregated? Did you ever think that the subprime mortgage crisis couldn't have been caused by a sudden rash of "irresponsible borrowers"? This warm and humane book lays bare some of the forces that have driven residential real estate speculation since the 1950s; mixing personal stories with crystal clear analysis of the larger forces shaping our lives. Its combination of richly researched detail and beautifully crafted writing delighted me on every page. It is a pleasure that will make you smarter.
