Abstract
Symbolic Houses in Judaism enriches our understanding of the relationship between dwelling and belonging in Jewish tradition. Mimi Levy Lipis explores the fields of meaning attached to ritual objects in the shape of houses and textual metaphors of houses. She does so with methods from architecture, Jewish, cultural, and gender studies, thereby connecting the study of specifically Jewish objects with discourses outside of Jewish tradition. This creates a rich tapestry of methods, which allows a deeper understanding of the significance of wedding rings, spice boxes and rimmonim (decoration of the Torah scroll) in the shape of a house, the structure and interpretation of the chuppah (wedding canopy) and the sukkah as a temporary dwelling place in Jewish tradition, and the reference to ritual houses in seminal Jewish texts. Levy Lipis concludes that ‘By applying the symbolism and iconology of the house to so many different rituals as well as to god [sic], the Text, and the community, the religion supports a concept of belonging that is not exclusive, but hybrid and multifaceted, integrating several places of belonging, local and distant, geographical and religious, real and metaphorical’ (p. 207). This conclusion finds support in Jewish history: Jews are not associated with only one geographical place nor are they confined to one ritual environment. Instead, Jewish religious practice is portable, and can be enacted just about everywhere. Hence, places and spaces of belonging and habitation are constructed through objects and texts as well as temporary physical dwellings, each embodying a different aspect of Jewish religious identity. Levy Lipis’ book is a fascinating journey of discovery, rich in detail and exciting to read. The frequent augmentation of the text with photographs, which illustrate and contribute another layer of argument, is a very helpful feature of the book. Addressed to a specialist audience, the lay reader can nonetheless benefit from the rich description and methodological acumen of the author.