Editor’s Introduction

Authors: Samuel Heilman

Publish Date: 2009/05/07

Volume: 29, Issue: 2, Pages: 91-92

PDF Link

Abstract

This number of Contemporary Jewry marks a first since our move to publishing three issues per volumeyear with Springer the publication of a specialtopic issue While we plan to continue putting out issues containing papers on a range of topics submitted by researchers and scholars in the field of the social scientific study of contemporary Jewry we also want to focus at least once a year on a single subject We have of course done this in the past—most recently with volume 251 which was devoted to consideration of the National Jewish Population Survey of 2001 The purpose of such special issues one of our three numbers per volume is to allow for a more indepth consideration of matters that are not always fully addressed elsewhere Some of these will be central to the field while others will put the spotlight on aspects of contemporary Jewish life that have been in the thinking of the editors and board too long in the shadowsIn these special issues we shall turn to leading experts in the field to serve as guest editors and sometimes as writers too While all articles will be subject to the same rigorous procedures of scholarly anonymous peer review and editing this sharing of the editorial duties with guest editors will I hope keep the journal fresh and avoid its perspective becoming too much the vision of one person or group We at Contemporary Jewry remain open and eager to hear from readers and all those interested in the field about topics that you would like included in the years ahead and will entertain any and all proposals—as long as these are serious informed and of interest as well as accessible to the increasingly broad readershipThis special issue as our able editors Sergio DellaPergola and Uzi Rebhun respectively Head and Deputy Head of the Division of Jewish Demography and Statistics at the Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry The Hebrew University of Jerusalem point out in their introduction deals with the general question of Jewish population and demography Answering the question of “how many Jews are there and where” as their foreword makes clear is one that goes far beyond the narrowest boundaries of demography The papers here touch on matters that for many are at the heart of Jewish continuity and existence They deal with questions of the movement and migration of Jews Jewish identification the changing nature of the Jewish family and of course the question of relationships with the Jewish state and various Jewish settlements There can be no question that Contemporary Jewry must periodically examine these matters We shall not provide the final word on population questions but we hope to add to the discussionFuture special issues of our journal are already in various stages of preparation The topics include an issue on what some have called “secular Judaism” guest edited by Barry Kosmin of Trinity College Another issue debates and explores the veracity of the socalled “distancing hypothesis” which argues that younger Diaspora Jews primarily Americans have expressed increasing distance from Israel A third edited by Randall Schnoor of York University and Richard Menkis of the University of British Columbia will examine Canadian Jewish studies often lumped together with examinations of American Jewish realities A case will be made that Canada’s Jewry deserves its moment in the spotlight in the pages of our journalWe shall be turning to many of you for more ideas—and for more papers and reviews finding people willing to do peer review remains an ongoing struggle While we at the journal understand that the pressure to publish falls most powerfully on our junior colleagues we want to encourage our “immortals” and senior scholars to consider submitting their work to us too The pages of Contemporary Jewry should be the place where our most vital and interesting ideas are shared As our readership continues to grow—both via our enlarged online presence and hard copy—there is even more reason for this journal to become the place that serious people turn for an understanding of contemporary JewryFinally we should like to expand our readership beyond the narrowest confines of the field We want readers who are not only part of the academy but also those who understand that scholarship and a researcher’s eye can contribute significantly to our understanding With this in mind if each of you makes it your mission to find a new subscriber we shall continue to go from strength to strengthAs always in addition to the hard work done by the guest editors the many anonymous reviewers and of course the authors I want to thank Naomi Portnoy of Springer and our Managing Editor Yoel Finkelman without whom what you see in the pages ahead would not be thereAs we are going to press we are saddened to learn of the passing of one of our former editors Professor Jerry Winter Emeritus of Connecticut College Notwithstanding a debilitating illness he continued his scholarly work to the end and remained an active member of the ASSJ May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him

Keywords: