Sue Fishkoff is the author of The Rebbe’s Army and Kosher Nation. She is a national correspondent for the JTA news agency and lives in Oakland, California.
“The breadth of Fishkoff’s research is remarkable: no crumb, no bug
is too minute for discussion. At the same time, she broaches larger
questions about religious identity and acculturation, about
marketing, commercialization, and globalization. As Kosher Nation
ably demonstrates, what and how we eat remains a highly effective
means of telling the story of who we are. . . . Expertly
chronicled.”
—Commentary
“Fishkoff has made full use of her journalistic toolkit to
deliver a fascinating look at a seemingly niche industry. Following
the investigative DNA of Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan,
Fishkoff shines a light on a national food trend that needed
investigation.”
—The Huffington Post
“A refreshingly straightforward and well-researched piece of
journalism. . . . Kosher Nation will likely find a home in college
classrooms, book groups, and any place where discussing and
exploring the subject at greater length is encouraged. . .
. As the wrinkles of Jewish history unfold, readers will
surely look to Kosher Nation for insight on how the foods Jews eat
(and don’t eat) shape the Jewish community and, remarkably, the
world.”
—The Forward
“Fishkoff deliciously serves up the kashrut industry in Kosher
Nation. [She is] entertaining and sympathetic throughout.”
—The Wilson Quarterly
“Informative and richly researched. . . . Sensitive to the ways in
which kashrut is at once a hoary ritual practice and a modern-day
business, a spiritual pursuit and an earth-bound enterprise,
Fishkoff has us see the many internal contradictions that keep the
system spinning . . . documenting them instead of erasing them, and
as a result they emerge with full force, to endow her narrative
with bite and backbone. . . . A lively portrait of what is means to
keep kosher in the twenty-first century . . . a fascinating tale of
how the instruments of modernity often enlarge rather than diminish
the parameters of religious experience.”
—Jenna Weissman Joselit, The New Republic
“Fishkoff delves into the ins and outs of why the kosher industry
continues to grow at an astounding rate despite the small number of
observant Jews who actually require kosher-certified food. . . .
[A]n impressive arsenal of firsthand stories and inside information
keeps the narrative moving. . . . Kosher Nation will engage readers
with both the religious and professional facets of this complex and
misunderstood standard as she explains why so many people prefer
kosher cuisine despite its higher costs.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Kosher food has a definite spiritual meaning, but Fishkoff
examines all aspects of the industry, from certifying agencies to
kosher butchers to the effects of globalization, presenting general
trends through anecdotes about individuals involved. This
makes the book more relatable. . . . Fishkoff accessibly
presents information about current trends and their historical
precedents. . . . She shows how definitions of kosher change
in response to intra-Jewish developments, as well as to trends in
America at large, such as industrial farming, the ascendance of
big-box stores and ethical concerns like sustainable agriculture,
animal welfare, and working conditions. She is careful to
define all terms that might be unfamiliar to readers without a
Jewish background, and she provides a helpful glossary at the end
of the book. Thorough and approachable.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A revealing behind-the-scenes exploration of the kosher food
industry and the people who work in it. Comprehensive, absorbing,
and sometimes disturbing, Kosher Nation explains what ‘kosher
supervision’ means and how it affects every American who purchases
food.”
—Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of
American Jewish History, Brandeis University, and author of
American Judaism: A History
“Like the eyes of the dedicated mashgichim Fishkoff profiles,
Kosher Nation leaves no corner of this once-mysterious world in the
dark. Comforting as kugel yet daring as kosher bacon bits, this
book should be glued to the back of the Talmud as mandatory
reading.”
—David Sax, author of Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami,
Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen
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