Sections:
Orientations & Methodological Questions
Overviews & Thematic Studies
Antiquity, Bible & Rabbinics
Medieval & Early Modern
Modernity, Holocaust & Israel Studies
"The challenge of defining essential books in Jewish studies is as difficult as it is needed. Difficult, because there is so much important work out there and how do you choose what to include? Needed, because it takes experience to sift through the available books and interested readers rightfully want to know where to look.
"Top ten"-type lists are inevitably idiosyncratic, but I've been conscious of trying to include a wide range of methodologies and approaches. I'm an intellectual historian by training and this no doubt shows in my selections, but I've tried to also include some material culture, sociology, language and literary studies, and more. One omission: I was not satisfied with any of the available selections on liturgy, so that important topic is not covered in this list."
Idk why there's 55 books.
