Jews, Sports, and the Rites of Citizenship

"These essays are based on history and anthropology but they also offer a compelling analysis of modernity. . . . Citizenship and nationhood cannot be divorced from both the physical and the intellectual attributes of a group, which these authors clearly convey."--Contemporary Jewish Life "The eleven essays present some interesting topics and research."--Choice "What makes this collection significant is that it resists simply crowing about Jewish athletes . . . rather this collection brings together not sportswriters but rather historians, anthropologists, sociologists, and cultural theoreticians to give athletics a gravitas it seldom obtains. . . . The writing is at turns vivid, provocative, persuasive, speculative - never dry, never dull. Its essential theory - how athletics shapes cultural identity - is a rewarding and important premise for serious students of contemporary athletics."--Aethlon "This book provides scholars with a good introduction to an important topic."--American Jewish History "This stimulating collection of essays--covering the United States, Europe, and the Middle East--provides an unfailingly informative and engaging perspective on Jewish involvement in sports. . . . For students of ethnic studies and Jewish studies, and for general readers interested in sports or Judaism, the book is a must."--Stanley Brandes, professor of anthropology, University of California, Berkeley