aIn this ground-breaking work, Nurit Stadler accomplishes the seemingly impossible by penetrating the exclusive male enclave of the ultra-orthodox yeshiva. Her methods are not merely innovative, but truly inspired. The results are remarkable.a
--Shaul Kelner, Vanderbilt University

The ultra-Orthodox yeshiva, or Jewish seminary, is a space reserved for men, and for a focus on religious ideals. Fundamentalist forms of piety are usually believed to be quite resistant to change. In Yeshiva Fundamentalism, Nurit Stadler uncovers surprising evidence that firmly religious and pious young men of this community are seeking to change their institutions to incorporate several key dimensions of the secular world: a redefinition of masculinity along with a transformation of the family, and participation in civic society through the labor market, the army, and the construction of organizations that aid terror victims. In their private thoughts and sometimes public actions, they are resisting the demands placed on them to reject all aspects of the secular world.

Because women are not allowed in the yeshiva setting, Stadleras research methods had to be creative. She invented a way to simulate yeshiva learning with young yeshiva men by first studying with an informant to learn key religious texts, often having to do with family life, sexuality, or participation in the larger society. This informant then invited students over to discuss these texts with Stadler and himself outside of the yeshiva setting. This strategy enabled Stadler to gain access to aspects of yeshiva life in which a woman is usually unable to participate, and to hear aunofficiala thoughts and reactions which would have beensuppressed had the interviews taken place within the yeshiva.

Yeshiva Fundamentalism provides an intriguing -- and at times surprising -- glimpse inside the all-male world of the ultra-orthodox yeshivas in Israel, while providing insights relevant to the larger context of transformations of fundamentalism worldwide. While there has been much research into how contemporary feminism has influenced the study of fundamentalist groups worldwide, little work has focused on ultra-Orthodox menas desires to change, as Stadler does here, showing how fundamentalist men are themselves involved in the formulation of new meanings of piety, gender, modernity and relations with the Israeli state.

'A Well-Worn Tallis for a New Ceremony' is a study of contemporary ultra- Orthodox religiosity in Israel. Throughout the pages of this book, Nurit Stadler analyzes the ongoing reconstruction of Haredi culture in the Jewish state - a process which has been spurred on by the challenges of modernity, the worldwide resurgence of religion, and the strong sway of Israeliness. Despite its founders' and present leadership's long-standing efforts to cultivate and buttress an enclave community, various modern trends and state institutions, such as secularization, consumerism, feminism, and the military, are having a profound impact on the yeshiva world. More specifically, modernity is making inroads into Israel's Haredi "ghetto" and transforming many aspects of the group's everyday life. Over the course of her extended research on this community, Stadler has discerned changes in several key areas: religious life, family structure, and the sector's interface with government authorities and the rest of the populace. A Well-Worn Tallis for a New Ceremony sheds light on all of these developments.

Voices of the Ritual analyzes the revival of rituals performed at female saint shrines in the Middle East. In the midst of turbulent political contention over land and borders, Nurit Stadler shows, religious minorities lay claim to space through rituals enacted at sacred spaces in the Holy Land. Using ethnographic analysis, Stadler explores the rise of these rituals, their focus on the body, female materiality, and their place in the Israeli-Palestinian landscape. Stadler examines the varied features of the practice and implications of the rituals, looking at themes of femininity and material experience. She considers the role of the body in rituals that represent the act of birth or the circle of life and that aim to foster an intimate connection between the female saint and her worshippers. Stadler underscores the political, cultural, and spatial elements of this practice, bringing attention to how religious minorities (Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze, among others) have utilized these rituals to assert their right to the land. Voices of the Ritual offers a valuable assessment of religious ritual practice that encrypts female themes into a landscape that has historically been defined by war and conflict.