I'm interested in small American Jewish communities, how American Jews identify themselves, Jewish women's issues, and Greek Jewry. Phone: 4178364163 Address: 901 S. National English Dept. Missouri State University Springfield, MO 65897
Authored by Mara Cohen-Ioannieds, MSU faculty. This volume examines the development of the non-li... more Authored by Mara Cohen-Ioannieds, MSU faculty. This volume examines the development of the non-liturgical parts of the Central Conference of American Rabbis\\u27 Haggadot. Through an understanding of the changes in American Jewish educational patterns and the CCAR\\u27s theology, it explores how the CCAR Haggadah was changed over time to address the needs of the constituency. While there have been many studies of the Haggadah and its development over the course of Jewish history, there has been no such study of the non-liturgical parts of the Haggadah that reflect the needs of the audience it reaches. How the CCAR, the first and largest of American-born Judaisms, addressed the changing needs of its members through its literature for the Passover Seder reveals much about the development of the movement. This in turn provides for the readers of this book an understanding of how American Judaism has developed.https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/books/1012/thumbnail.jp
Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary e-Journal, 2016
The homesteading experience is being revisited with the regrowth of Midwestern Studies. What has ... more The homesteading experience is being revisited with the regrowth of Midwestern Studies. What has been ignored and is now being investigated are the women homesteaders, who worked with their men (husband, brother, or father) to build farms on the wild plains. However, often forgotten among these women are the Jewish women who battled to keep their religion in an environment that was unknown to them. By understanding this minority in the western expansion experience, a greater understanding of the American experience can be uncovered.
The oral qualities of the Hebrew Bible diminished over time as it was written down and codified. ... more The oral qualities of the Hebrew Bible diminished over time as it was written down and codified. This paper examines one book of the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Esther, and how translations shape its use. This book is particularly interesting to the storyteller because the Book of Esther is still recited as a story as part of the Jewish festival of Purim. Since the requirements of the festival include the recitation of this story, the book’s translation influences the celebration significantly. The ultimate point of this paper is to highlight the importance of the storyteller in the translation process.
Authored by Mara Cohen-Ioannieds, MSU faculty. This volume examines the development of the non-li... more Authored by Mara Cohen-Ioannieds, MSU faculty. This volume examines the development of the non-liturgical parts of the Central Conference of American Rabbis\\u27 Haggadot. Through an understanding of the changes in American Jewish educational patterns and the CCAR\\u27s theology, it explores how the CCAR Haggadah was changed over time to address the needs of the constituency. While there have been many studies of the Haggadah and its development over the course of Jewish history, there has been no such study of the non-liturgical parts of the Haggadah that reflect the needs of the audience it reaches. How the CCAR, the first and largest of American-born Judaisms, addressed the changing needs of its members through its literature for the Passover Seder reveals much about the development of the movement. This in turn provides for the readers of this book an understanding of how American Judaism has developed.https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/books/1012/thumbnail.jp
Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary e-Journal, 2016
The homesteading experience is being revisited with the regrowth of Midwestern Studies. What has ... more The homesteading experience is being revisited with the regrowth of Midwestern Studies. What has been ignored and is now being investigated are the women homesteaders, who worked with their men (husband, brother, or father) to build farms on the wild plains. However, often forgotten among these women are the Jewish women who battled to keep their religion in an environment that was unknown to them. By understanding this minority in the western expansion experience, a greater understanding of the American experience can be uncovered.
The oral qualities of the Hebrew Bible diminished over time as it was written down and codified. ... more The oral qualities of the Hebrew Bible diminished over time as it was written down and codified. This paper examines one book of the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Esther, and how translations shape its use. This book is particularly interesting to the storyteller because the Book of Esther is still recited as a story as part of the Jewish festival of Purim. Since the requirements of the festival include the recitation of this story, the book’s translation influences the celebration significantly. The ultimate point of this paper is to highlight the importance of the storyteller in the translation process.
The Interior Borderlands:Regional Identity in the Midwest and Great Plains, 2019
An understudied minority in the middle states, those that comprise the Great Plains and the Midwe... more An understudied minority in the middle states, those that comprise the Great Plains and the Midwest, are the Jews. As soon as Jefferson bought the region from the French, Jews moved in. However, the majority of Jews began to arrive with their Christian German compatriots in the 1860s, especially during Reconstruction. The influx of Eastern European Jews fleeing the rise of anti-Semitism starting in 1880 significantly changed the culture of American Judaism, as they brought a different set of religious practices and cultural norms than what existed among the German Jews. The impact of the homestead experience and living in small, far-flung newly created towns greatly influenced these new Americans both as American and American Jews. Scholars of Jewish studies have lumped the Great Plains and the Midwest into the Midwest, but have created the Upper Midwest – a large portion of the Great Plains – as a sub-region. Additionally, they have included in the Midwest what others define as South. These divisions have to do with cultural experiences that depended on geography, economic opportunity, immigrant expectations and desires, and the influence of the established Jewish community. There were a number of agricultural communities in the Upper Midwest that offered Eastern European Jews the experience of agriculture, something they had been denied in their home country, while removing them from the urban areas where the established German Jews felt these immigrants were an embarrassment. This chapter will examine these cultural differences to help define the boundaries of the Midwest, Great Plains, and Upper Midwest. This study will build on the not only my works on the Ozarks, which straddles the Midwest and the South, but also the work of Amy Hill Shevitz on the Ohio River Valley and the histories of specific communities in the Midwest. These, with the voices of those who lived there, will help establish the Jewish Midwestern experience. The work of Uri D. Herscher, A. James Rudin, Tobias Brinkman, J. Sanford Rikoon, and Donald M. Douglas, among others, will provide information about the Jewish agricultural colonies. One should not forget the voices of those who experienced this great experiment, like Rachel Calof, Sophie Trupin, and Kate Herder. Robert E. Levinson, Linda Mack Schloff, and others examine the Jews specifically of the Great Plains. No study would be complete without the work of Hasia Diner on Jewish peddlers in the American West and Lee Shai Weissbach on the small-town Jewish experience. Scholars of American Judaism have a different understanding of time; they do not see the periods as the Colonial, the Expansion, Reconstruction, etc., but rather in waves, like the First Wave (from 1624-1860), the Second Wave (1860-1880), etc. Thus, that they have defined this region of the Great Plains and the Midwest slightly differently than others does not seem so unusual. This chapter will help explain how the cultural experience of Jews in the Middle States has created a border between the Upper Midwest and the rest of the Midwest and how their experiences helped create American Judaism and America.
This historical fiction is based on the memoir by Katie Herder about her experiences in the Am Ol... more This historical fiction is based on the memoir by Katie Herder about her experiences in the Am Olam commune outside Newport, Arkansas. Due out in 2019.
This volume examines the development of the non-liturgical parts of the Central Conference of Ame... more This volume examines the development of the non-liturgical parts of the Central Conference of American Rabbis’ Haggadot. Through an understanding of the changes in American Jewish educational patterns and the CCAR's theology, it explores how the CCAR Haggadah was changed over time to address the needs of the constituency. While there have been many studies of the Haggadah and its development over the course of Jewish history, there has been no such study of the non-liturgical parts of the Haggadah that reflect the needs of the audience it reaches. How the CCAR, the first and largest of American-born Judaisms, addressed the changing needs of its members through its literature for the Passover Seder reveals much about the development of the movement. This in turn provides for the readers of this book an understanding of how American Judaism has developed.
Just released from Hadassah Word Press publishers is We are in Exile/Estamos En Galut a novella a... more Just released from Hadassah Word Press publishers is We are in Exile/Estamos En Galut a novella about the decline of the ancient Jewish community in the city Rhodes during the 1930s that was destroyed by the Holocaust. Intended for young adults, but suitable for adults, this novel follows Dora and her sister Hannah as they become young adults in the traditional community of the Rhodelisi. Hannah, the eldest, has dreams of traveling to exotic Atlanta, Georgia, USA with her friend to find jobs and live with their elder brothers. These brothers had already left to send money home to support their families. Through Alejandro, the youngest of the five children, the reader learns about the differences between the Jews and the Christians living in Rhodes. As their grandmother Hannah is forced to stretch the household funds farther and farther, Moses and Miriam, the children’s parents, come to the heart-wrenching decision that they must leave the island and emigrate to America. While they take Grandmother Hannah with them, the rest of their family stays behind.
This book includes Ladino, the language of the Jews of Rhodes, song lyrics and sayings to add to the flavor of the story. Traditional practices and Jewish customs are also presented to help keep the lost community alive.
What is not often remembered in Ozarks’ history is the experimental Jewish commune in Newport, Ar... more What is not often remembered in Ozarks’ history is the experimental Jewish commune in Newport, Arkansas. The Am Olam movement was founded in the later part of the 19th Century as a part of the emerging Russian socialist movement to combat Russian anti-Semitism and help Jews flee Czarist Russia. Am Olam’s leadership brought their people to the American Midwest to farm. The push for agriculture was a way to break the Jew as merchant and intellectual stereotype. The Newport colony was their second attempt at a communal farm and the second attempt to fail. Kate Herder, daughter of one of the founders of this movement, wrote a memoir when she was in her 70s about her experiences in Newport. Because she spoke no English, her connection to the Newport community was weak. Because she was not Christian or Western European, her understanding of and appreciation for the Ozarks culture was also minimal. These factors color her relationship with Newport community, but provide us with a wonderful outsider perspective. Despite the socialist nature of the commune, it was Judaism that bound the community together and this too is important to examine. Not released to the public until 1999, the portion of Herder’s memoir that is about her experience in the Ozarks presents a colorful view of life in a forgotten Ozarks community. This paper will examine how Herder describes the community’s connection with each other which, while feeling isolated in the Ozarks.
The question of who is Jew reflects on who can have membership in a Jewish community. Every Jewis... more The question of who is Jew reflects on who can have membership in a Jewish community. Every Jewish movement argues this question of membership and this paper addresses the most liberal movement, Reform Judaism, and its response to membership. In an effort to be all inclusive, the Reform synagogues around the country have opened their doors to those who practice Judaism in different ways and to those who are interested in practicing Judaism. The influence of these non-Jews on the Jewish community has encouraged Jews to question the level at which non-Jews are allowed to participate in Judaism and congregation governance. Tied into this issue is the question of the act of conversion and how important it is in defining oneself as Jewish. This paper examines the role that non-Jews are allowed to have in Reform congregations and how both the Jews and non-Jews feel about this. SMALL TALK, a message board for small Reform communities in North America, has numerous times hosted conversations on this topic and here is a gathering of the feelings of these small communities who are regularly threatened with closure.
Research concerning the inter-relationship of tourism and religion has focused mainly on pilgrima... more Research concerning the inter-relationship of tourism and religion has focused mainly on pilgrimages and other forms of religious-oriented tourism as they apply mainly to Christianity and Islam. Certain authors, most notably the anthropologist Erik Cohen have explored the subject of pilgrimages in eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Brahmanism. By contrast, relatively little research has been conducted concerning the travel patterns of Jewish people, especially outside Israel.
This paper focuses on one aspect of Jewish travel within the US. It examines, in particular, the influence that Jewish culture and religion have in defining the motivation among American Jews to travel within the US and in shaping their choice of destination. To demonstrate these influences, the paper reports on a preliminary study of a small multi-denominational congregation (i.e., catering to Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Secular Jews) in a Midwestern community. An important finding is that, when on vacation, many American Jews, regardless of whether they belong to Orthodox or more moderate sects, will often seek out Jewish sites such as synagogues, homes of famous persons, or entire neighborhoods.
These side-trips to Jewish sites can be labeled “pilgrimages of nostalgia,” a phenomenon that is not purely religious. Rather these pilgrimages reflect the high importance that Judaism assigns in identifying with the ways of one’s ancestors. The trips to Jewish sites are a way for Jews to express their association with their past, their culture, and their religious background.
Research concerning the inter-relationship of tourism and religion has focused mainly on pilgrima... more Research concerning the inter-relationship of tourism and religion has focused mainly on pilgrimages and other forms of religious-oriented tourism as they apply mainly to Christianity and Islam. Certain authors, most notably the anthropologist Erik Cohen have explored the subject of pilgrimages in eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Brahmanism. By contrast, relatively little research has been conducted concerning the travel patterns of Jewish people, especially outside Israel.
This paper focuses on one aspect of Jewish travel within the US. It examines, in particular, the influence that Jewish culture and religion have in defining the motivation among American Jews to travel within the US and in shaping their choice of destination. To demonstrate these influences, the paper reports on a preliminary study of a small multi-denominational congregation (i.e., catering to Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Secular Jews) in a Midwestern community. An important finding is that, when on vacation, many American Jews, regardless of whether they belong to Orthodox or more moderate sects, will often seek out Jewish sites such as synagogues, homes of famous persons, or entire neighborhoods.
These side-trips to Jewish sites can be labeled “pilgrimages of nostalgia,” a phenomenon that is not purely religious. Rather these pilgrimages reflect the high importance that Judaism assigns in identifying with the ways of one’s ancestors. The trips to Jewish sites are a way for Jews to express their association with their past, their culture, and their religious background.
Research concerning the inter-relationship of tourism and religion has focused mainly on pilgrima... more Research concerning the inter-relationship of tourism and religion has focused mainly on pilgrimages and other forms of religious-oriented tourism as they apply mainly to Christianity and Islam. Certain authors, most notably the anthropologist Erik Cohen have explored the subject of pilgrimages in eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Brahmanism. By contrast, relatively little research has been conducted concerning the travel patterns of Jewish people, especially outside Israel.
This paper focuses on one aspect of Jewish travel within the US. It examines, in particular, the influence that Jewish culture and religion have in defining the motivation among American Jews to travel within the US and in shaping their choice of destination. To demonstrate these influences, the paper reports on a preliminary study of a small multi-denominational congregation (i.e., catering to Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Secular Jews) in a Midwestern community. An important finding is that, when on vacation, many American Jews, regardless of whether they belong to Orthodox or more moderate sects, will often seek out Jewish sites such as synagogues, homes of famous persons, or entire neighborhoods.
These side-trips to Jewish sites can be labeled “pilgrimages of nostalgia,” a phenomenon that is not purely religious. Rather these pilgrimages reflect the high importance that Judaism assigns in identifying with the ways of one’s ancestors. The trips to Jewish sites are a way for Jews to express their association with their past, their culture, and their religious background.
This paper examines the dialogue between Rabbi Henry Berkowitz, editor of the first stand alone C... more This paper examines the dialogue between Rabbi Henry Berkowitz, editor of the first stand alone Central Conference of American Rabbis’ (CCAR) haggadah, and Rabbi Samuel Cohon, editor of the second stand alone CCAR haggadah. Their debate is significant for two major reasons. First, because the haggadah was created purposely to meet the needs of the community at the time and this then becomes a clash of generations; the first generation haggadah and the second generation haggadah separated, ultimately by 16 years. Second, because Berkowitz was in the first Hebrew Union College (HUC) graduating class and, thus, felt he carried some responsibility for the formation of American Reform Jewry.
This paper examines the cultural barriers crossed when teaching a Jewish topics course in a unive... more This paper examines the cultural barriers crossed when teaching a Jewish topics course in a university with a minimal Jewish presence in a predominately Christian city. The course is a upper level general education course designed to be interdisciplinary. It uses autobiography and biography to show how a person’s public and private life are interconnected and ultimately connected to the community around them. This particular section used autobiographies and biographies of Jewish Americans. The students’ reactions to the texts are most revealing about their preconceived notions of not only autobiography but Judaism. Through these responses, we will see how the students grow in their understanding of the Jew in American history and American Jewish history. This is most important in the current climate of multi-cultural education practices.
This presentation addresses the role that the Temple Israel congregants played in the creation of... more This presentation addresses the role that the Temple Israel congregants played in the creation of the documentary and their reaction to the completed project. A study, such as this oral history, cannot progress efficiently or effectively without the acceptance and participation of the members. The length of time needed to gather the materials and the complexity of purpose resulted in some misinterpretations of the ultimate purpose of the project and tension between researchers and community. However, with the completion of something tangible the attitudes of the community have changed.
The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) developed the Union Haggadah to meet the needs o... more The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) developed the Union Haggadah to meet the needs of their constituents. The first CCAR accepted haggadah was published for public consumption in 1907 and the next revised edition was published in 1923. This paper will examine some changes in the non-liturgical portions of the Union Haggadah between these two editions in regards to the perceived needs of the users. One of the quests of the Haggadah Committee was to preserve the seder because fewer Reform Jews were participating in a seder. Using not only the haggadah in its various forms, but annual reports by the committee undertaking this task, and letters from committee members and various others, the development of a more appropriate non-liturgical material to enlighten the user about Passover and the seder will be uncovered.
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Papers by Mara W . Cohen Ioannides
Scholars of Jewish studies have lumped the Great Plains and the Midwest into the Midwest, but have created the Upper Midwest – a large portion of the Great Plains – as a sub-region. Additionally, they have included in the Midwest what others define as South. These divisions have to do with cultural experiences that depended on geography, economic opportunity, immigrant expectations and desires, and the influence of the established Jewish community. There were a number of agricultural communities in the Upper Midwest that offered Eastern European Jews the experience of agriculture, something they had been denied in their home country, while removing them from the urban areas where the established German Jews felt these immigrants were an embarrassment. This chapter will examine these cultural differences to help define the boundaries of the Midwest, Great Plains, and Upper Midwest.
This study will build on the not only my works on the Ozarks, which straddles the Midwest and the South, but also the work of Amy Hill Shevitz on the Ohio River Valley and the histories of specific communities in the Midwest. These, with the voices of those who lived there, will help establish the Jewish Midwestern experience. The work of Uri D. Herscher, A. James Rudin, Tobias Brinkman, J. Sanford Rikoon, and Donald M. Douglas, among others, will provide information about the Jewish agricultural colonies. One should not forget the voices of those who experienced this great experiment, like Rachel Calof, Sophie Trupin, and Kate Herder. Robert E. Levinson, Linda Mack Schloff, and others examine the Jews specifically of the Great Plains. No study would be complete without the work of Hasia Diner on Jewish peddlers in the American West and Lee Shai Weissbach on the small-town Jewish experience.
Scholars of American Judaism have a different understanding of time; they do not see the periods as the Colonial, the Expansion, Reconstruction, etc., but rather in waves, like the First Wave (from 1624-1860), the Second Wave (1860-1880), etc. Thus, that they have defined this region of the Great Plains and the Midwest slightly differently than others does not seem so unusual. This chapter will help explain how the cultural experience of Jews in the Middle States has created a border between the Upper Midwest and the rest of the Midwest and how their experiences helped create American Judaism and America.
This book includes Ladino, the language of the Jews of Rhodes, song lyrics and sayings to add to the flavor of the story. Traditional practices and Jewish customs are also presented to help keep the lost community alive.
This paper focuses on one aspect of Jewish travel within the US. It examines, in particular, the influence that Jewish culture and religion have in defining the motivation among American Jews to travel within the US and in shaping their choice of destination. To demonstrate these influences, the paper reports on a preliminary study of a small multi-denominational congregation (i.e., catering to Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Secular Jews) in a Midwestern community. An important finding is that, when on vacation, many American Jews, regardless of whether they belong to Orthodox or more moderate sects, will often seek out Jewish sites such as synagogues, homes of famous persons, or entire neighborhoods.
These side-trips to Jewish sites can be labeled “pilgrimages of nostalgia,” a phenomenon that is not purely religious. Rather these pilgrimages reflect the high importance that Judaism assigns in identifying with the ways of one’s ancestors. The trips to Jewish sites are a way for Jews to express their association with their past, their culture, and their religious background.
This paper focuses on one aspect of Jewish travel within the US. It examines, in particular, the influence that Jewish culture and religion have in defining the motivation among American Jews to travel within the US and in shaping their choice of destination. To demonstrate these influences, the paper reports on a preliminary study of a small multi-denominational congregation (i.e., catering to Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Secular Jews) in a Midwestern community. An important finding is that, when on vacation, many American Jews, regardless of whether they belong to Orthodox or more moderate sects, will often seek out Jewish sites such as synagogues, homes of famous persons, or entire neighborhoods.
These side-trips to Jewish sites can be labeled “pilgrimages of nostalgia,” a phenomenon that is not purely religious. Rather these pilgrimages reflect the high importance that Judaism assigns in identifying with the ways of one’s ancestors. The trips to Jewish sites are a way for Jews to express their association with their past, their culture, and their religious background.
This paper focuses on one aspect of Jewish travel within the US. It examines, in particular, the influence that Jewish culture and religion have in defining the motivation among American Jews to travel within the US and in shaping their choice of destination. To demonstrate these influences, the paper reports on a preliminary study of a small multi-denominational congregation (i.e., catering to Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and Secular Jews) in a Midwestern community. An important finding is that, when on vacation, many American Jews, regardless of whether they belong to Orthodox or more moderate sects, will often seek out Jewish sites such as synagogues, homes of famous persons, or entire neighborhoods.
These side-trips to Jewish sites can be labeled “pilgrimages of nostalgia,” a phenomenon that is not purely religious. Rather these pilgrimages reflect the high importance that Judaism assigns in identifying with the ways of one’s ancestors. The trips to Jewish sites are a way for Jews to express their association with their past, their culture, and their religious background.