Going to the People

“A remarkable achievement, demonstrating the vitality of Jewish folklore and ethnographic studies a hundred years after An-sky’s pioneering expedition.” —Folklore

Taking S. An-sky’s expeditions to the Pale of Jewish Settlement as its point of departure, the volume explores the dynamic and many-sided nature of ethnographic knowledge and the long and complex history of the production and consumption of Jewish folk traditions. These essays by historians, anthropologists, musicologists, and folklorists showcase some of the finest research in the field. They reveal how the collection, analysis, and preservation of ethnography intersect with questions about the construction and delineation of community, the preservation of Jewishness, the meaning of belief, the significance of retrieving cultural heritage, the politics of accessing and memorializing “lost” cultures, and the problem of narration, among other topics.

“Going to the People proves itself a useful addition to scholarship on Jewish folklore and ethnography by introducing major issues in these fields, as well as the historical figures and contemporary scholars who have shaped (and continue to shape) their development.” —Western Folklore

“This book’s essays portray the various threads and trends in Jewish ethnography in Poland and Soviet Russia, the US, the new Jewish State of Israel and, eventually, in postcommunist societies. The endurance and evolution of Jewish folk culture is analyzed using techniques applicable to all groups and communities. . . . Recommended.” —Choice

“I read through this collection with pleasure and fascination. . . . These are valuable voices that should be heard.” —Gabriella Safran, Stanford University

“This volume brings together some of the most innovative research in the field.” —Eugene Avrutin, author of Photographing the Jewish Nation: Pictures from S. An-sky’s Ethnographic Expeditions