Emily Gottreich | University of California, Berkeley (original) (raw)

Papers by Emily Gottreich

Hespéris, Tamuda, 2016

Moroccan Jews and the American Historical Imaginary: A Survey Across Time American scholarship on... more Moroccan Jews and the American Historical Imaginary: A Survey Across Time American scholarship on Moroccan Jews is not easily separated from the larger body of American research on the Maghreb. This article argues that research agendas have been shaped by larger concerns in American social science, emphasizing topics like race relations, religious and national identity, evolving modernities, language and culture, and emerging political realities. To demonstrate this point, the engagement of American scholarship with Moroccan Jewry is traced over time, beginning with nineteenth-century captive accounts, to travel writing, to post-war trends in cultural anthropology, and more recently, to post-modern inquiries into the place of ethnic and religious minorities in Moroccan society.

Routledge eBooks, Oct 24, 2018

Arab Studies Quarterly

Reviewed by Emily Gottreich Is there anything left to be said about the agonizing drudgery that i... more Reviewed by Emily Gottreich Is there anything left to be said about the agonizing drudgery that is Israel-Palestine? Even the question itself feels old. After all, the paradigm of settler colonialism has long been established, the extenuating historical circumstances are well known, and the violence of occupation continues to make itself felt on a daily basis. What possible political, economic, or historical angles remain that could further our understanding of the conflict? The skeptic in me says none. Luckily, there are scholars like Saree Makdisi hard at work to reveal just how misplaced such skepticism is, showing us that yes, there is more to be learned, and deeper understandings to be gained, if only we look in the right places and through the right lenses. Tolerance is a Wasteland: Palestine and the Culture of Denial is an immensely satisfying book. By looking in new places in new ways, it scratches an intellectual itch that I suspect many of us interested in the conflict have but few can fully articulate: Namely, how can the opposite of something known to be true also be perceived as true, over and over again? Or to put it more concretely: Why do liberals and progressives (mostly American, mostly Jewish) continue to support Israel despite the patent illiberality of that country's politics and practices? Given that the author of Tolerance is a Wasteland, Saree Makdisi, is a Professor of English and Comparative Literature, he poses the central question of the book far more elegantly. He asks: How can a violent project of colonial dispossession and racial discrimination be repackaged … into something that can be imagined, felt, and profoundly believed in as though it were the exact opposite: the embodiment of ecological regeneration, multicultural tolerance and democratic idealism? (1) Makdisi not only raises this seemingly impossible question, he answers it. The mechanism responsible for repackaging the uglier truths of Zionism and Israeli statecraft vis-à-vis Palestinian is something that Makdisi terms "the denial

The American Historical Review, 2015

Encyclopedia of Diasporas, 2005

Anthropos, 2017

We prove that the mod 2 Betti numbers of double coverings of a complex hyperplane arrangement com... more We prove that the mod 2 Betti numbers of double coverings of a complex hyperplane arrangement complement are combinatorially determined. The proof is based on a relation between the mod 2 Aomoto complex and the transfer long exact sequence. Applying the above result to the icosidodecahedral arrangement (16 planes in the three dimensional space related to the icosidodecahedron), we conclude that the first homology of the Milnor fiber has non-trivial 2-torsion.

From the Origins to the Present Day

The American Historical Review, 2009

Page 1. Sarah A. Stein Page 2. plumes Page 3. This page intentionally left blank Page 4. PLUMES O... more Page 1. Sarah A. Stein Page 2. plumes Page 3. This page intentionally left blank Page 4. PLUMES OstrichFeathers, Jews, and a LostWorld of Global Commerce Sarah Abrevaya Stein Yale University Press New Haven and London Page 5. ...

The Arabic term for Morocco is al-Maghrib al-Aqs& the extreme west, indicating the country's ... more The Arabic term for Morocco is al-Maghrib al-Aqs& the extreme west, indicating the country's location at the westernmost limit of the Islamic world. Morocco is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean to the north, Algeria to the east, and the Sahara to the south. The country has a diverse physical environment, encompassing several distinct climactic zones shaped by the Rif Mountains in the north and the three Arias Mountain Ranges in the central part of the country. The southern regions contain two major plains, the coastal Sfis and the Dar'a, which in turn give way to the pre-Saharan oases. Morocco is one of four countries (together with Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya) that comprise the Maghreb. Its population is predominantly Muslim, divided into Arab and Berber ethnic groups. A substantial European population resides there as well.

Weaving together threads from Jewish history and Islamic urban studies, "The Mellah of Marra... more Weaving together threads from Jewish history and Islamic urban studies, "The Mellah of Marrakesh" situates the history of what was once the largest Jewish quarter in the Arab world in its proper historical and geographical contexts. Although framed by coverage of both earlier and later periods, the book focuses on the late 19th century, a time when both the vibrancy of the mellah and the tenacity of longstanding patterns of inter-communal relations that took place within its walls were being severely tested. How local Jews and Muslims, as well as resident Europeans lived the big political, economic, and social changes of the pre- and early colonial periods is reconstructed in Emily Gottreich's vivid narrative. Emily Gottreich has taught courses in Jewish history and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard, the University of California, Davis, and the University of California, Berkeley, where she currently serves as Vice Chair of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies.

The Journal of North African Studies

In this introduction, we chart the intellectual journey of Susan Gilson Miller and discuss her sc... more In this introduction, we chart the intellectual journey of Susan Gilson Miller and discuss her scholarly contributions to the field of North African Studies, Moroccan historiography and Moroccan Jewish history. We note Miller's long commitment to foregrounding Maghribi voices, including female and minority accounts. Miller's work on the Jewish communities of Morocco in particular has skillfully shown the complex position of these communities across time and space. Using Arabic sources, as well as French and Spanish pre-colonial and colonial archives, Miller also deployed the analysis of urban space to document and write communal histories. These local threads of Miller's work interweave with larger historical concerns to create a unique global approach to her historical subjects.

Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 2013

International Journal of Middle East Studies, May 1, 2003

... 35 (2003), 287-305. Printed in the United States of America DOI: 10.1017.S0020743803000126Emi... more ... 35 (2003), 287-305. Printed in the United States of America DOI: 10.1017.S0020743803000126Emily Gottreich ... Emily Gottreich is Vice-Chair of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of California, Berkeley, USA; e-mail: emilyrg@uclink.berkeley.edu. ? ...

Modern Jewish Studies, Jul 2013

Moroccan Jews became “modern” through a complex process of cultural and legal changes resulting i... more Moroccan Jews became “modern” through a complex process of cultural and legal changes resulting in large part from their close encounter with imperial Europe. Institutions like the Alliance Israélite Universelle and the protégé system had an undeniable influence on the transformation of Moroccan Jewish identity and expectations during this period. In order to fully historicize Moroccan Jewish modernity, however—to locate its beginnings as well as its ending (not to mention its myriad meanings)—this article argues for broadening our inquiry to encompass earlier time periods, alternative geographies, and deeper registers of change than those imposed by an exclusive focus on a European impact followed by a local response. To that end, it analyses a cataclysmic event in Jewish history during the period prior to colonial penetration: the rise and fall of the messianic movement known as Sabbateanism, so-named after its founder, Shabbatai Zevi the “false Messiah” [1626–1676] of Izmir. Inspired by current trends in Ottoman history, this article attempts to locate Sabbateanism within contemporary social and political developments in Morocco during a formative period that witnessed both the integration of the Sephardim and the rise of the Alawi state. Such a contextualization begins sketching the parameters of an early modern period in Moroccan Jewish history at the same time as it compels us to recognize the consistencies in Moroccan Jewish society that survived the subsequent colonial period in North Africa, when seemingly everything changed.

Encyclopedia of Jews of the Islamic World, 2010

Hespéris, Tamuda, 2016

Routledge eBooks, Oct 24, 2018

Arab Studies Quarterly

The American Historical Review, 2015

Encyclopedia of Diasporas, 2005

Anthropos, 2017

From the Origins to the Present Day

The American Historical Review, 2009

The Journal of North African Studies

Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 2013

International Journal of Middle East Studies, May 1, 2003

Modern Jewish Studies, Jul 2013

Encyclopedia of Jews of the Islamic World, 2010

Anthropos, 2017

schehene verstehen und beurteilen zu wollen. Sie stellte neue Fragen und bildete neue Begriffe, u... more schehene verstehen und beurteilen zu wollen. Sie stellte neue Fragen und bildete neue Begriffe, um verstehen zu können. Richard J. Bernstein würdigt die Haltung Arendts, wenn er schreibt: "Die Relevanz dessen für den Pro zeß in Jerusalem sollte klar sein. Eichmann stellte einen neuen Typus von Verbrecher dar, und die Art des von ihm begangenen Verbrechens war beispiellos. Eichmann zu verstehen erfordert deshalb neue Wege des Denkens über Verantwortung, Urteilen und das Böse" (129). Der Jerusalemer Eichmann-Prozess war ein Wendepunkt für Arendts philosophisches Denken. Das Urteilsvermögen des Menschen stellte sie fortan in den Vordergrund und sah in dessen Mangel die Ursachen des Verbrechens. Sie schreibt: "Dieser Mangel wirkt sich fatal in der Gesellschaft aus, die nicht mehr auf tradierte Regeln, Werte und Normen zurückgreifen kann. In Zeiten des Traditionsverlustes ist man nur auf sein eigenes Urteil angewiesen. Menschen ohne Urteilsvermögen fühlen sich in solchen Zeiten bedroht und sind bereit, jede ihnen angebotene Doktrin ohne Beurteilung und Kritik anzunehmen. Menschen, die kein Urteilsvermögen ausgebildet haben, tauschen ihre Individualität und ihr eigenes Denkvermögen gegen vermeintliche äußere Sicherheiten ein und werden auf diese Weise zu Handlangern der Demagogen" (245 f.). Die Geschichte wiederholt sich nicht, aber die Verhaltensweisen der Menschen verfallen immer wieder in dieselben Denk-und Handlungsmuster. Als Fazit schreibt der Autor dieser Abhandlung über Hannah Arendt: "In diesem Zusammenhang ist es immer relevant und zu jeder Zeit aktuell, von Hannah Arendt zu lernen, mutig Querdenker bzw. 'Denker ohne Geländer' zu sein. Das unerschütterliche dauerhafte Erbe, das Hannah Arendt uns hinterlassen hat, ist das unabhängige Denken und Urteilen. Für sie ist ein Leben ohne Denken, Handeln und Urteilen nicht menschlich" (268). Es lohnt sich, diese Abhandlung zu lesen, nicht nur um ein besseres Verständnis der deutschen Vergangenheit zu erwerben, sondern um auf dem Hintergrund aktueller Tendenzen demagogischer Verführung der Massen die eigene Urteilskraft und Freiheit zu bewahren.

Association for Jewish Studies Review, 2014

Harvard Middle East and Islamic Review, 1998

American Historical Review, Jun 2009

Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, May 2012

This volume, edited by Nasser Rabat, is the most ambitious book on the subject of the courtyard h... more This volume, edited by Nasser Rabat, is the most ambitious book on the subject of the courtyard house to date. This introverted yet Janus-faced building type has existed for thousands of years and is known in most parts of the world -in this book from Cuernavaca to Kabul. Its study is important both because of its manifestation in disparate cultural areas and its non-Western origins. This makes the form an ideal subject for moving beyond regionally limited analytic frameworks, and toward the transcultural stances required when employing architecture to question values previously accepted as universal.

THE MELLAH OF MARRAKESH: JEWISH AND MUSLIM SPACE IN MOROCCO'S RED CITY

"[The Mellah of Marrakesh] captures the vibrancy of Jewish society in Marrakesh in the tumultuous... more "[The Mellah of Marrakesh] captures the vibrancy of Jewish society in Marrakesh in the tumultuous last decades prior to colonial rule and in the first decades of life in the colonial era. Although focused on the Jewish community, it offers a compelling portrait of the political, social, and economic issues confronting all of Morocco and sets a new standard for urban social history." -- Dale F. Eickelman

Weaving together threads from Jewish history and Islamic urban studies, The Mellah of Marrakesh situates the history of what was once the largest Jewish quarter in the Arab world in its proper historical and geographical contexts. Although framed by coverage of both earlier and later periods, the book focuses on the late 19th century, a time when both the vibrancy of the mellah and the tenacity of longstanding patterns of inter-communal relations that took place within its walls were being severely tested. How local Jews and Muslims, as well as resident Europeans lived the big political, economic, and social changes of the pre- and early colonial periods is reconstructed in Emily Gottreich's vivid narrative.

Published with the generous support of the Koret Foundation.

With only a small remnant of Jews still living in the Maghrib at the beginning of the 21st cent... more With only a small remnant of Jews still living in the Maghrib at the beginning of the 21st century, the vast majority of today's inhabitants of North Africa have never met a Jew. Yet as this volume reveals, Jews were an integral part of the North African landscape from antiquity. Scholars from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Israel, and the United States shed new light on Jewish life and Muslim-Jewish relations in North Africa through the lenses of history, anthropology, language, and literature. The history and life stories told in this book illuminate the close cultural affinities and poignant relationships between Muslims and Jews, and the uneasy coexistence that both united and divided them throughout the history of the Maghrib.

Religious Studies Review, Dec 2008

study of the hasidic tale, its history, its place in hasidic society, and its importance for unde... more study of the hasidic tale, its history, its place in hasidic society, and its importance for understanding the theology and sociology of Hasidism. The first part of the book is a bio-bibliographical study of the major authors who collected and published the hasidic tales. Some of them were associated with the hasidic movement, and some were writers whose motivations were more financial than spiritual. The collections were often printed as chapbooks that appealed to a more popular audience, even though they were written in Hebrew. The second part of the book, constituting the bulk of the work, collects and analyzes hasidic stories thematically. Among the topics considered, are the hasidic tale as seen internally by the hasidic movement, the zaddiq, and his relation to his followers and his opponents. Another major theme is areas of life that the zaddiq was believed to have the power to control like health, children, and livelihood. The magical and supernatural worlds are also the domain of the zaddiq, and stories about the zaddiq's powers in this realm are also analyzed. The book is enhanced with a very helpful glossary, gazetteer of place names, bibliography, and index. This is a pioneering work that will interest not only those interested in Hasidism, but also students of folklore, popular religion, and spirituality.

Journal of North African Studies, Mar 2008

The American Historical Review, Jun 2008