Taking Stock: Cultures of Enumeration in Contemporary Jewish Life

by Michal Kravel-Tovi (Editor), Josh Friedman (Contributor), Carol A. Kidron (Contributor)

Taking Stock is a collection of lively, original essays that explore the cultures of enumeration that permeate contemporary and modern Jewish life. Speaking to the profound cultural investment in quantified forms of knowledge and representation―whether discussing the Holocaust or counting the numbers of Israeli and American Jews―these essays reveal a social life of Jewish numbers. As they trace the uses of numerical frameworks, they portray how Jews define, negotiate, and enact matters of Jewish collectivity. The contributors offer productive perspectives into ubiquitous yet often overlooked aspects of the modern Jewish experience.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published June 6, 2016