Inventing New Beginnings

"In Inventing New Beginnings: On the Idea of Renaissance in Modern Judaism, Asher Biemann invited his readers to rethink time . . . The book exemplifies the merits of meticulous problematizing without imposing answers. Beginning-anew is also a celebration of heritage, continuity, and seld-ascertainment, which is especially vital for marginalized minorities. Living with a fractured past can obtain a redemptive quality provided that it remains subject to retemporalizations of time rather than (elusive) radical new beginnings." ~Martina Urban, Journal of the American Academy of Religion

"This is an ambitious book of immense complexity . . . certainly worthy of critical reflection." ~Michael A. Meyer, American Historical Review.