User:Mbibicoff

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me on my talk page. Adam (Wiki Ed) (talk) 20:58, 11 September 2016 (UTC)

Upon reading reading the introduction and conclusion to my book, I have decided to improve an existing Wikipedia article, entitled "Jewish assimilation"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_assimilation. This article discusses the basic theory and reality of the Jewish community's interaction with and adaptation of mainstream societal norms. In order to improve this article, I will draw on my book as a source: The Transformation of German Jewry 1780-1840 by David Sorkin, as this will allow me to add to the discussion regarding the historical roots of Jewish assimilation. The article already briefly mentions the assimilation of German Jewry in particular, but only goes so far as to say that assimilation occurred extensively among Ashkenazim during the end of the 18th century, and especially, in Germany. I believe that, using my book as a source, I will be able to add more detail to this explanation. Sorkin makes it clear in the book's introduction that assimilation of German Jewry was distinct because it revolved around the sacrifice of traditional Jewish autonomy for the sake of partial integration and legal rights. Therefore, it created a new German-Jewish subculture that combined aspects of both the minority and majority cultures in an unprecedented manner. Another source I will use is Michael C. Hickey's review of the text, From Assimilation to Antisemitism: The "Jewish Question" in Poland, 1850-1914' by Theodore R. Weeks: https://networks.h-net.org/node/10000/reviews/10317/hickey-weeks-assimilation-antisemitism-jewish-question-poland-1850-1914, which touches on the struggles of Polish Jews under a general atmosphere of uncertainty regarding assimilation. I will refer to a broad historical overview of the Jewish experience and the development of the concept of assimilation in European nations: http://www.yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/assimilation.