Surviving for over five hundred years, the Hutterites have created the world's most successful communal society. In the past, the colony was an "ark," isolated from the secular world. Today, Hutterite colonies face challenges from globalization and the advent of new technologies. A recent reality TV show and an inflammatory book by former members have brought an unwelcome spotlight to the community.Inside the Ark presents quite a different picture from these sensational offerings. As the authors note in this new edition, "it is easy to find fault with any social organization, less easy to analyze it from a dispassionate standpoint." In this award-winning book, they offer a thoughtful and thorough analysis of Hutterite society and seek to understand a complex and often misunderstood community.

Inside the Ark: The Hutterites in Canada and the United States

History

Katz, Yossi

Lehr, John

Americas

University of Regina Press

<p><p>Judaism is a religion and a way of life that combines beliefs as well as practical commandments and traditions, encompassing all spheres of life. Some of the numerous precepts emerge directly from the Torah (the Law of Moses). Others are commanded by Oral Law, rulings of illustrious Jewish legal scholars throughout the generations, and rabbinic responsa composed over hundreds of years and still being written today. Like other religions, Judaism has also developed unique symbols that have become virtually exclusive to it, such as the Star of David and the menorah. This book argues that Judaism impacts human geography in significant ways: it shapes the environment and space of its believers, thus creating a unique "Jewish geography."</p></p>

Judaism and Human Geography (Emunot: Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah)

World

Academic Studies Press

Military cemeteries are one of the most prominent cultural landscapes of Israel. Their story reflects largely the main social processes that Israeli society has been undergoing since the War of Independence (1948)until today. Until the end of the 1970s, the military tombstones and their surroundings were uniform and equal, according to rules set by the State. However, since the 1980s families of the fallen soldiers started to add on the tombstone personal expressions, as well as personal objects, photographs, military artifacts etc. Thus the military tombstone and the Israeli military cemetery became one of the expressions of the dramatic transformation, from a society which emphasized the importance of the collective, to a society which intensifies the significance of the individual. The book is based on many archival documents, as well as interviews and photographs, all of which shed light on one of the most sensitive issues in Israeli society and express its importance as a central component of Israeli identity.

The Tombstone in Israel’s Military Cemetery since 1948: Israel’s Transition from Collectivism to Individualism

Africa

De Gruyter Oldenbourg

The State of Israel is the only Western state where the majority of lands are still owned by the State and by a public body related to it (The Jewish National Fund). At the root lies the divine command stating that the Land of Israel belongs to God and therefore should not be traded in perpetuity (Leviticus 25). This principle has been applied to almost all of the State lands, and was established in a Basic Law. Since the 1980s there were many pressures in Israel to privatize at least part of the State's and JNF's lands, due to the general privatization process of Israel's economy, the deepening globalization process, and the transformation of Israel to an individualistic society. However, only a small portion of the lands were privatized, constituting 4% of the area of Israel. The book is based wholly on primary sources. It describes and analyzes the history of the ideological, social and legal processes that took place and their development since the beginning of the 20th century until today- processes that brought about the unique phenomenon of the State of Israel as an advanced capitalistic state whose lands are mostly state-owned.

The Land Shall Not Be Sold in Perpetuity: The Jewish National Fund and the History of State Ownership of Land in Israel

Middle East

Walter de Gruyter

The Land Shall Not Be Sold in Perpetuity: The History of State Ownership of Land in the State of Israel

This work reveals the role, contribution and modus operandi of Zionist private enterprise in the Jewish rural and urban settlement of Palestine between the start of the century and the outbreak of the First World War. The book demonstrates that the role of private enterprise was extensive both in terms of land purchases and in terms of settlement activities. The author recapitulates these efforts, categorizes these activities as unique and identifies the underlying rationale of "national capitalism". The private investors and companies employed economic-commercial means to secure national-Zionist objectives. They were willing to be content with limited profits and received in compensation the emotional gains accruing from their contribution to building the Land of Israel.

The Business of Settlement: Private Entrepreneurship in the Jewish Settlement of Palestine, 1900-1914

Hebrew University Magnes Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Katz, Yossi. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Katz, Yossi