And I Shall Dwell among Them: Historic Synagogues of the World »

Augmenting the photographs in And I Shall Dwell Among Them: Historic Synagogues of the World is an essay focusing on the social and cultural history of the Jews by Yom Tov Assis, a distinguished scholar of Jewish culture and history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Neil Folberg's first-person account of making the photographs accompanies each of the chapters, which are divided by geographic regions of his extensive travels.

Library Journal

This volume offers exquisite reproductions of excellent photographs of little-known synagogues around the world. In his images taken in India, Italy, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, among other places, Folberg (In a Desert Land, LJ 2/1/88) shows the immense diversity of Jewish houses of worship. Well-chosen location and detail shots demonstrate the relationship of synagogues to the cultures in which Jews found themselves, highlighting the adaptability of a people on the move. Indeed, the photographs are a visual record of the wanderings and adaptations of the Diaspora. Each building has been photographed in detail, and many of the synagogues in the book have been photographed for the first time. The essay "The Synagogue Through the Ages" complements the photographs, discussing the buildings in their cultural and social contexts. This beautiful book is recommended for lay readers and specialists alike.-Martin Chasin, Adult Inst., Bridgeport, Ct.