Rezensiertes Werk: Schweigmann, Greve: Chaim Zhitlowsky. Philosoph, Sozialrevolutionär und Theoretiker einer säkulären nationaljüdischen Identität. - Hannover: Wehrhahn Verlag 2012. 472 S., 27 Abb.

Rezensiertes Werk: Benaim: Annette: Sixteenth-Century Judeo-Spanish Testimonies. An Edition of Eighty-four Testimonies from the Sephardic Responsa in the Ottoman Empire. - Leiden: Brill 2012. XXVI. 576 S. - (= Études sur le Judaïsme Médiéval, Bd. 52)

Rezensiertes Werk: Reents, Christine und Melchior, Christoph: Die Geschichte der Kinder- und Schulbibel. Evangelisch – katholisch – jüdisch. - Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Rumprecht, 2011. 676 S., 408 Abb., 1CD. - (= Arbeiten zur Religionspädagogik, Bd. 48)

Rezensiertes Werk: Timm, Erika; Birnbaum, Eleazar und Birnbaum, David(Hg.): Ein Leben für die Wissenschaft/A Lifetime of Achievement. Wissenschaftliche Aufsätze aus sechs Jahrzehnten von Salomo A. Birnbaum/Six Decades of Scholarly Articles by Solomon A. Birnbaum. 2 Bde. - Berlin – Boston: De Gruyter 2011. Band 1, 540 S., Band 2. XXVII, 458 S.

Rezensiertes Werk: Schirrmeister, Sebastian: Das Gastspiel – Friedrich Lobe und das hebräische Theater 1933–1950. - Berlin: Neofelis 2012. 172 S.

Rezensiertes Werk: Gelber, Yoav: Nation and History. Israeli Historiography Between Zionism and Post-Zionism. - London – Portland, Oregon: Vallentine Mitchell 2011. XIV, 335 S.

Rezensiertes Werk: Ben-Yehuda, Nachman: Theocratic Democracy. The Social Construction of Religious and Secular Extremism. - Oxford – New York: Oxford University Press 2010. XVI, 296 S.

Die christliche Kabbala des deutschen Humanisten Johannes Reuchlin ist entscheidend von seiner Vorstellung vom Wesen und von der Funktion des Symbols bestimmt. Dieser Beitrag sucht nach dem Ursprung von Reuchlins Symbolbegriff und stellt die These auf, dass Dionysius Pseudo-Areopagitas Bemerkungen über eine symbolica theologia Reuchlins Sicht auf die jüdische Mystik grundlegend beeinflusste. Darüber hinaus wird die Frage diskutiert, ob Reuchlins Idee von einer symbolischen Theologie, die auch in der modernen Forschung fortwirkt, den frühen Kabbalisten tatsächlich gerecht wird, oder ob Reuchlins Rezeption nicht vielmehr einer neuplatonischen Literatur geschuldet ist, die den jüdischen Mystikern überhaupt nicht zugänglich war. / The Christian kabbalah of the German humanist Johannes Reuchlin is largely determined by his conception of the essence and the function of the symbol. This essay attempts to trace Reuchlin’s concept of the symbol back to its sources. It proceeds from the hypothesis that Dionysius Pseudo-Areopagita’s remarks on a symbolica theologia essentially influenced Reuchlin’s approach to Jewish mysticism. Further, the question will be discussed whether Reuchlin’s idea of a symbolic theology does justice to the kabbalists from 13th century Spain. On close inspection it will become apparent that Reuchlin’s reception of a neo-platonic tradition in its Christian manifestation had no bearing on Jewish mysticism.

Die Zeitschrift möchte die fruchtbare und facettenreiche Kultur des Judentums sowie seine Berührungspunkte zur Umwelt in den unterschiedlichen Bereichen dokumentieren. Daneben dient die Zeitschrift als Forum zur Positionierung der Fächer Jüdische Studien und Judaistik innerhalb des wissenschaftlichen Diskurses sowie zur Diskussion ihrer historischen und gesellschaftlichen Verantwortung. / The journal aims at documenting the fruitful and multifarious culture of Judaism as well as its relations to its environment within diverse areas of research. In addition, the journal is meant to promote Jewish Studies within academic discourse and discuss its historic and social responsibility.

This dissertation is a genealogical examination of the construction, representation, and disputation surrounding the meaning of sexual acts identified under the rubric of sadomasochism. I argue for an enlargement and expansion of the question, "What is masochism and what it means" and suggest that the polysemic text of contemporary S/M be accorded a measure of interpretive understanding in the light of a liberal, humanistic, and democratic notion of sexual freedom. The analysis begins with the descriptions of masochistic and sadistic behaviors initially identified and portrayed within the discourses of psychoanalysis and criminology. I argue that the disparate and distinct literatures and behaviors of masochism and sadism make the struggle for consensus about meaning nearly impossible. The study therefore proceeds with the analysis focussing primarily on texts (both literary and social) in which the operative category is masochism. The genealogy then advances to evaluation of mid 20th century attempts by various sociologists to establish the meaning of masochism, concentrating chiefly on the practice of S/M among gay men. Social science begins to direct attention away from exclusively pathological behavior, instead investigating those who incorporate S/M practice into well-adjusted personality patterns. Through participation in safe, non-coercive, mutually satisfying S/M practice, the complementary goals of social affiliation and erotic pleasure are shown to be achieved. In the final section I analyze and critique descriptions of the progression of masochism into a fully realized, though fragmented and decentralized assemblage of movements in the contemporary gay male milieu. Finally, I suggest that this search for affiliation and transcendence within contracted limits be granted as much tolerance and understanding within the tradition of radical democratic freedom as are other more traditional forms of sexual expression.