ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses the processes of transgression and redefinition in the process of emerging Jewish identities. The book explains that a physical marker of the boundary between Israel and the nations is the circumcision, commanded in Genesis 17 to Abraham for him and the male members of his household to mark the covenant and those who are included in it. Attitudes towards intermarriage in the State of Israel are often very negative because it is regarded as a consequence of assimilated life in the Diaspora that should be avoided in Israel. The book traces the materiality of boundaries with powerful gatekeepers in religious and state authorities that impose limits and that constrains and enables the performance of religious life. The book finally deals with the modern period identities, including Jewish identity that is subject to invention and contestation among many authorities and boundary keepers.
