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embchess's review
2.0
An interesting piece of history but ultimately a disappointing book. That such treasure troves exist is fascinating and the “discovery” of the Cario Geniza is well told, but the book runs out of steam after that. An amalgam of anecdotes and vignettes regarding those who touched, learned or benefited from the find never coalesces into a clear picture of the discoveries or their import.
siria's review
4.0
A geniza(h) is a kind of storeroom found in a Jewish synagogue or cemetery, used to store old Hebrew religious texts, as it was forbidden to throw away or destroy any document which contained the name of God. Over time, genizot also came to contain many writings of a secular nature in languages like Yiddish or Ladino, because even personal letters and legal contracts could begin with a divine invocation. The Cairo Geniza is one of the largest medieval genizot, with documents and document fragments numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
The title of this book is a little misleading—Sacred Trash is really more a collection of linked biographies about key scholars, such as Solomon Schechter and S.D. Goitein, who've worked on the Cairo Geniza since its "discovery" in the late 19th century. To that extent, it may be a little dense for someone who doesn't have much background in the area; certainly, while I've read some about this Geniza before, and about the Jewish community of Fustat, there were parts that went over my head. Hoffman and Cole do seem to assume a Jewish readership, or at least a readership which has done more focused reading in the area than I have. Still, I think if you do have an interest in the area, or even just in the role of serendipity, chance, and hard work in scholarly endeavours, Sacred Trash makes for a very interesting read.
The title of this book is a little misleading—Sacred Trash is really more a collection of linked biographies about key scholars, such as Solomon Schechter and S.D. Goitein, who've worked on the Cairo Geniza since its "discovery" in the late 19th century. To that extent, it may be a little dense for someone who doesn't have much background in the area; certainly, while I've read some about this Geniza before, and about the Jewish community of Fustat, there were parts that went over my head. Hoffman and Cole do seem to assume a Jewish readership, or at least a readership which has done more focused reading in the area than I have. Still, I think if you do have an interest in the area, or even just in the role of serendipity, chance, and hard work in scholarly endeavours, Sacred Trash makes for a very interesting read.
jlmreader's review
5.0
Reading Sacred Trash made me realize how much the treasures of the Cairo Gineza have informed much of what I have learned about Jewish prayer, text and history. And, the Gineza has not yet given up all it's treasures. Texts are still being examined and cataloged. The story of how a tiny, forgotten room in a Cairo synagogue has influenced Jewish Studies for well more than a century is very well told by Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole. This book is excellent.
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