A Jew’s Best Friend? The Image of the Dog Throughout Jewish History
Philip I. Ackerman-Liebrman, assistant professor of Jewish Studies and Law, as well as affiliated assistant professor of Islamic Studies and History, at Vanderbilt University, delivered a JTS Library Book talk on October 7th, on his new book, A Jew’s Best Friend? The Image of the Dog throughout Jewish History.
A Jew’s Best Friend? The Image of the Dog throughout Jewish History discusses specific cultural manifestations of the relationship between dogs and Jews from ancient times to the present. Covering a geographical range extending from the MIddle East throughout Europe and to North America, the contributors provide a unique cross-cultural transnational, diachronic perspective in this scholarly volume. Important themes in the book include the constant tension between domination/control and partnership that underpins the relationship of humans to animals, as well as the connection between Jewish societies and their broader host cultures. All readers interested in cultural history in general or Jewish history in particular, dog owners, dog lovers, and those involved with cultural studies at the university level can deepen their understanding of the human-canine relationship by reading this volume.
