This week, the American Jewish World newspaper published a review of Judith Brin Ingber’s new book on Jewish and Israeli dance, Seeing Israeli and Jewish Dance (Wayne State University Press). But a review does the article no justice – it’s more a delicious discussion of Judith’s passion and interest and dance, and a preview into how that passion fills the pages of this book. My favorite parts:
Here are images of Jewish bodies in motion: Hasidic men dancing the “bottle dance”; kibbutzniks in the 1940s dancing in a celebration of Chag Ha’Bikkurim (Festival of the First Fruits); Kurdish elders in a line dance at the Dalia Festival in Israel more than 50 years ago; the elegant Pearl Lang, arms outstretched and a leg raised high, in her solo Song of Deborah, about the first biblical woman judge; and Minneapolis resident Stuart Pimsler in a prayerful pose, towel draped over his head like a tallis, from his postmodern Schvitz (Sweat), a nostalgic piece about Jewish steam baths.
These photos and dozens of others illustrate Seeing Israeli and Jewish Dance (Wayne State University Press), a beautiful, large-format art book, comprised of erudite articles, edited by Judith Brin Ingber.
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Seeing Israeli and Jewish Dance, with 182 illustrations and photographs, is a beautiful, dazzling, encyclopedic work about Israeli folk dance and Jewish dance in the Diaspora that quite simply deserves a place in any Judaica library.
Read the entire article online here.
Eds Note: Judith Brin Ingber will discuss and sign copies of Seeing Israeli and Jewish Dance at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15 at Birchbark Books, 2115 W. 21st St., Minneapolis (across from Kenwood School). The reading will be preceded by a prix fixe dinner at the adjacent Kenwood Cafe. For details, call Birchbark Books at 612-374-4023 or e-mail: [email protected].
