The Jewish Family in Comparative Perspective: An Introduction

This chapter introduces the collective volume of Jewish families in global perspective. It provides a comparative framework within which to analyze the fifteen chapters each of which focuses on a variety of aspects of the family institution in different settings. The chapters include a statistical and demographic overview of Jewish families over a historical and geographic span: Latin America; Australia; Africa (Ivory Coast; Ethiopia); Europe (Germany, Finland); Israel; Russia; India; Canada; and a comparative focus on South Africa and Argentina. We revisit the comparative framework in a concluding chapter, after the data in the intervening chapters has been presented and analyzed. The framework makes clear that Jewish families develop in interaction with their surrounding environments, on both intimate and broader levels, spanning both history and events both internal and external (originating outside of the societal context of focus). Because of the variety of settings presented, we are alerted to the differential impact of common influences on the families we compare, subject to the particular setting and surroundings. The intention of the chapter is to provide a broader context within which to digest the intriguing material presented in each of the following chapters.