Fragile Branches Author:James R. Ross The question of who is a Jew has perplexed, troubled, and angered people around the world for as long as Jews have existed. In some cases, it has been a matter of life and death. Among Jews, it is a source of endless frustration and dispute: The question is one of the central current debates among the Israeli rabbinate, who determine who may mar... more »ry, divorce, and be buried as a Jew, and who may be granted citizenship and asylum.
And yet, as difficult as it can be to be a Jew in an often hostile world, Jewish communities around the world have endured. From a small outpost in the Amazon to a Ugandan village, these fragile branches of Jewish culture, cut off from mainstream Judaism, exist on every continent and in nearly every country. While such isolated communities are part of the tree of Jewish life, they have retained and reshaped rituals and traditions that have been lost elsewhere.
Through descriptions of his visits to six unusual Jewish communities-in Peru, Brazil, India, the Amazon, Israel, and Uganda-James Ross offers a new perspective on ancient questions, thoughts, and rituals. In Fragile Branches, he challenges us to reexamine our own relationship to tradition and provides us with an inspiring reminder of the diversity and richness of Jewish life.« less