Eit Yosef:
Re-presenting Yosef
by Jorian Polis Schutz
A wide-ranging exploration of the biblical figure of Joseph, through a series of essays on the Jewish holidays.
Available now for pre-order!
$29.95
$29.95
Eit Yosef is a book about losing and recovering Yosef—the biblical figure we can’t afford to lose again.
About Eit Yosef
He keeps getting lost. He keeps getting found. He is the dreamer in the basement of history, working beneath the surface, shaping what happens above. Yosef (Joseph) is the Exile’s secret architect: he built the bridge in, and he holds the key out.
Over nine experimental forays in Torah learning, author Jorian Polis Schutz uses the festivals of the Jewish calendar to explore the kaleidoscopic themes of Yosef’s journey, from the depths of a forlorn pit to the heights of Egyptian power. His dreams, his trials in exile, his burial, and his mysterious associations with the future redemption all find expression through the rhythm of the Jewish year.
Polis Schutz sees the figure of Yosef as a man of our time, whose dramatic personal story reflects upon the history and circumstances of the Jewish nation in Exile. Just as his story suffuses every stage of the Jewish calendar, it contains deep echoes and lessons for our historical age. The result is a work both poetically evocative and deeply proficient in classical sources—a rare combination that speaks to scholars and seekers alike.
Book Details
Title: Eit Yosef
Author: Jorian Polis Schutz
Publisher: Deuteronomy Press
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 170
Dimensions: 6″ x 9″
Price: $29.95
ISBN: 978-1-959586-06-7
About the Author
Jorian Polis Schutz is a writer, artist, publisher, curator, educator, community builder, and gentleman ecologist based in Central Virginia. He founded the Iyyun Kollel in Brooklyn in 2015 and the Mahaz homestead program in 2021. His previous publication with Deuteronomy Press was An Introduction to Sabbath Agriculture.
From the Book
“The midrash likens Yehudah’s approaching of Yosef to a man who approaches a deep well, ties together all the ropes and strings he can find, and draws out beautiful cool water to drink. And then the well is open for business, and all who are thirsty may come to drink. These strings may still be the lines of letters and sentences we apply to our page, to reach the underground source of Yosef’s flow. The water is Yosef’s Torah, essential for our generation’s thirst…”
What You’ll Discover
- Exploration of the figure and associated themes of Yosef (Joseph) as highlighted in biblical and rabbinic sources, including Yosef Hatzadik’s (the righteous) unique personality; the signifance of Yosef’s dreams, his experiences in Egyptian exile, and his death and burial there; and Yosef’s connection to the Land of Israel and his mysterious associations with future redemption
- Essays on major moments of the Jewish calendar:
- High Holidays
- Sukkot
- Chanukah
- 15th of Shevat
- Purim
- Pesach
- Shavuot
- 9-15th of Av
- Two additional Hebrew appendices
