A Culture of Tough Jews ─ Rhetorical Regeneration and the Politics of Identity

Organized around three types of tough Jews--the defier, the gangster, and the hero--Moscowitz cites three purposes that guide A culture of Tough Jews: at its core the book reifies the figure of the vital Jew, conceives theoretical application of rhetorical regeneration as a resource for rhetorical invention, and presents a case study for postmodern critique of intercultural identity plus politics. There are five chapters: the clout of the defier: the vital Jew in Shadow; gangsters, assimilation, and performance paradox; the vital gangsta and postmodern blackface; heroism and transformative performativity; regen(d)erating exile: deterritorializing the Zionist hero. Annotation c2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

David Moscowitz (PhD, Indiana University) is Assistant Professor of Communication, Associate Director of Women’s and Gender Studies, and a faculty affiliate in film studies, Jewish studies, and African American studies at the College of Charleston.