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WORK TITLE: Coming of Age in Jewish America
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://pmunro.net/
CITY: Livermore
STATE: CA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://pmunro.net/main/about/ * http://pmunro.net/main/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/MunroPK-CV-June-2016.pdf
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 2015051318
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n2015051318
HEADING: Munro, Patricia Keer, 1957-
000 00597nz a2200157n 450
001 9941390
005 20150820163631.0
008 150820n| azannaabn |n aaa
010 __ |a n 2015051318
040 __ |a DLC |b eng |e rda |c DLC
100 1_ |a Munro, Patricia Keer, |d 1957-
372 __ |a Bar mitzvah–United States |2 lcsh
373 __ |a Sonoma State University |2 naf
374 __ |a College teachers |2 lcsh
375 __ |a Female
670 __ |a Coming of age in Jewish America, 2016: |b E-cip t.p. (Patricia Keer Munro) data view (b. 1957 ; visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and teaches sociology of religion at Sonoma State University)
PERSONAL
Born 1957; married.
EDUCATION:Northwestern University, B.S., 1979; San Francisco State University, M.A., 2004; University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D., 2014.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Academic and sociologist. Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies, Berkeley, CA, visiting scholar, 2014-16; Berkeley’s Center for Jewish Studies, Berkeley, CA, visiting scholar, 2016–. Has also lectured at Sonoma State University, 2015.
MEMBER:American Sociological Association, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion/Association for the Sociology of Religion, Association for Jewish Studies, Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry, World Union for Jewish Studies.
WRITINGS
Contributor to Journal of Jewish Identities.
SIDELIGHTS
Patricia Keer Munro is an academic and sociologist. She graduated from Northwestern University and San Francisco State University before completing a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2014. Munro served for two years as a visiting scholar at the Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies and then as a visiting scholar at Berkeley’s Center for Jewish Studies. She has contributed an article to the Journal of Jewish Identities and has presented on a number of topics, including Jewish supplementary schools, shifts in urban-suburban demographics, meaning and content in Jewish and Protestant congregational websites, pluralism in Bay Area synagogues, and Jewish identities.
Munro published Coming of Age in Jewish America: Bar and bat Mitzvah Reinterpreted in 2016. The account looks into the contemporary bar/bat mitzvah scene of the United States, illustrating its difference between other Jewish traditions elsewhere and even around the country. Munro takes a participant-observer position in approach to her study of the shift in significance of this ritual, from one of public acknowledgement of a spiritual coming of age to a major ceremony involving a significant number of family, friends, and the greater community. Munro conducted interviews with synagogue rabbis, administrators, educators, and bnai mitzvah and their parents to measure this cultural shift in significance of the ritual.
Writing in Choice, L.D. Loeb found the account to be “well written,” adding that “both terminology and Jewish ceremonial practice are commendably clarified.” Loeb noted that “strangely,” however, Munro practically “ignores the role of the cantor,” often seen as the central figure in Reform and Conservative congregations’ ritual preparations. Ultimately, Loeb “highly recommended” Coming of Age in Jewish America for all reading levels. In a review in the Jewish Book Council Website, Carol Poll found the book “particularly compelling.” Poll commented that “the book is filled with powerful, often poignant quotes from the over two hundred interviews that Munro conducted in the San Francisco Bay area in Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and unaffiliated synagogues.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Choice, October 1, 2016, L.D. Loeb, review of Coming of Age in Jewish America: Bar and Bat Mitzvah Reinterpreted, p. 222.
ONLINE
Jewish Book Council Website, http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/ (August 25, 2017), Carol Poll, review of Coming of Age in Jewish America.
Patricia Keer Munro Website, http://pmunro.net (August 25, 2017).*
Who am I and what is this website about?
PKM-summary3 pic
I came to sociology and academia in a roundabout way: my lived experience as an intermarried and engaged Jew and a homeschooling parent led me to question many of the assumptions of mid-20th century American and Jewish culture. These personal choices have led me to question the broader cultural assumptions about who a Jew can marry, what kind of work a woman should do, and how children should be taught long before I entered academia. Once in graduate school, I acquired a language and tools with which to explore these issues..
I fell in love with and married a non-Jewish man at the same time I was becoming more engaged in Judaism. Our personal situation and the solutions we found raised general issues of identity, reproduction of culture, and balancing inclusion and boundaries, issues that underlie my academic work.
I grew up as second-wave feminism was cresting in the 1970s and continue to be a strong feminist. Yet second-wave feminism made the assumption that work outside the home was real in a way that maintaining households and raising children was not. When I chose to stay home with our young children, it was counter to expectations for my class and culture. Yet that experience taught me a great deal about this labor. My experiences, along with those of others, developed into third-wave feminism, which works toward gender equity for both men and woman, not only in income, but in life choices.
Both my husband’s and my negative experiences in public school led us to homeschool our children. That experience was one of the highlights of my life. It enabled us to know our children in ways few parents are privileged to do, as well as to experiment with many modes of learning. Yet it was also a choice made from privilege. My husband’s income enabled me to stay home; our combined education and cultural knowledge allowed us to make choices not open to all. The nature of education continues to be one of my abiding interests.
My research, which focuses on the sociology of American religion and American Judaism in the 21st century, continues to develop out of the interplay between lived and observed experience. This website contains a summary and description of my book; discussions of past and current research, and a blog in which I play with and develop new ideas.
A link to my curriculum vitae is here:
MunroPK CV June 2016
1
Curriculum Vitae, May 2016
Patricia Keer Munro
Patricia Keer Munro
957 Roxanne Street
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 980-5580
email: pkmunro@berkeley.edu
website: pmunro.net
Patricia Keer Munro, Ph.D.
Visiting Scholar, Center for Jewish Studies
4401 Dwinelle Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
Spring 2016-present: Visiting Scholar, Center for Jewish Studies, University of
California-Berkeley
Fall 2014-Spring 2016: Visiting Scholar, Berkeley Institute for Jewish Law and
Israel Studies, , University of California-Berkeley
2015: Lecturer in Sociology of Religion, Sonoma State University, Sociology
Department
EDUCATION
University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D., Sociology, 2014
Dissertation: “What if I Drop the Torah?”: Tensions and Resolutions in
Accomplishing B’nai Mitzvah Rituals
Examines relationship between ritual, institution, and participants to
understand how American Jews negotiate American culture and Judaism.
Committee: Ann Swidler (chair), Claude Fischer, David Hollinger
(History)
Qualifying Exams: Theory, Religion, Gender & Family; additional work in Race
and Ethnic Relations
Joint Doctoral Program in Jewish Studies: University of California, Berkeley,
and The Graduate Theological Union
Extensive coursework in Jewish Texts, Ritual, and History, spanning Biblical
through Modern Eras, 2000-2004.
Advisor: Daniel Boyarin
San Francisco State University, M. A., Jewish Studies, History, and Sociology
2004
Thesis: “Return from Exodus: the Jews of Hellenistic Egypt”
Compares three texts written by the Jews of Hellenistic Egypt to understand
how these communities interpreted and rationalized Judaism to themselves, to
the Judeans, and to others.
Committee: Fred Astren (chair), Marc Dollinger, Pamela Vaughn
Northwestern University, B.S. Communication Studies and Jewish studies 1979
2
Curriculum Vitae, May 2016
Patricia Keer Munro
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
2011-2012: Berman Foundation Dissertation Fellowship ($16,000)
Administered by the Association of Jewish Studies on behalf of the Berman
Foundation to support study of contemporary Jewish-American experience.
2008-2009: Dean’s Normative Time Fellowship ($16,000)
PUBLICATIONS
Coming of Age in Jewish America: Bar and Bat Mitzvah Reinterpreted
Rutgers University Press, 2016.
Through examining the place of Bar and Bat Mitzvah in contemporary synagogue
life, this book shows how rabbis and teachers, congregants and families form an
interdependent system structured by a set of inherent tensions. While the findings
focus on Jews, the system can be generalized to better understand how ritual
mediates change in institutions.
“What are THEY doing on the Bimah?: How Intermarriage Changes Jewish Ritual,”
Journal of Jewish Identities, Jan 2015.
Examines how congregations balance the desire to include non-Jewish parents in
synagogue life and in Bar/Bat Mitzvah rituals with the need to maintain
boundaries around Jewish ritual. Finds that this negotiation is leading to an
understanding of Jewish identity marked by Hebrew and covenant.
SCHOLARSHIP AND RESEARCH IN PROGRESS
“’To See the World through a Jewish Lens’: How Education Directors Mediate
Goals and Attitudes in Jewish Supplementary Schools.” Manuscript under
preparation
Analyzes attitudes and goals of Jewish supplementary school directors, along
with their interpretations of other stakeholders’ attitudes and goals to
understand how these key leaders, negotiate competing interests and mediate
the divergent goals of leadership and laity.
“Places of Refuge, Places of Renewal: A Comparison of Jewish and Protestant
Congregational Websites.” Manuscript under preparation.
Compares synagogue and Protestant church statements, finding a distinct
difference in content that contradicts the tendency of sociologists to see all
American religions as variations on a theme.
“Theorizing Change in Religious Life: The Case of Gay Marriage.” Manuscript
under preparation.
This paper first proposes a theoretical model for change in religious life, then uses
the specific example of changes in marriage, one of the central rituals in American
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Curriculum Vitae, May 2016
Patricia Keer Munro
life, regarding who is allowed to marry whom to understand how change in
religious and social life occurs.
“Generations and Affiliations: Changes in urban-suburban Demographics from an
Organizational Perspective.” Research in progress.
Approaches the question of changing urban-suburban demographics from an
organizational perspective, raising questions about how different generations
express Jewish identity through differing participation in cultural, religious,
political, and educational Jewish organizations.
“The Challenges of Jewish Pluralism: Bay Area Judaism as a Case Study.”
Collaboration in process with Nurit Novis (Haifa University, Israel).
Combining individual interviews on views of God with observations and
interviews regarding synagogue practices, this paper uses the Bay Area as a case
study to examine how a pluralist approach to Judaism has shaped this
community’s many approaches to Jewish practice and culture.
SELECTED TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Sonoma State University, Department of Sociology,
2015: Lecturer, Sociology of Religion
University of California, Berkeley, Department of Sociology
S 2012: Instructor of Record: Writing Seminar
F-2003-S-2007 Graduate Student Instructor
2006-2007: Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory
S 2006: Sociology of Family
S 2005, F 2005, F 2007: Evaluation of Evidence/Research Methods
F 2003, F 2004, S 2005 Introduction to Sociology
RESEARCH SUPERVISION AND MENTORING
University of California, Berkeley, Department of Sociology
2011-2013: Mentor
Guided research assistant Kendra Nervik through joint research on Jewish
and Christian congregations, which led to her independent projects and
presentation at ASA, and eventual acceptance into the Ph.D. sociology
program at UW-Madison.
2011-2012: Supervised Research Assistants,
Taught three undergraduate students methods for transcribing, formatting,
and analyzing interviews and other qualitative data for dissertation
research. Worked collaboratively to code and analyze data found.
2008-2009: Directed Undergraduate Students in Research Apprentice Program
Trained three undergraduate students to collect and analyze website data
for all San Francisco Bay Area synagogues; develop interview schedules;
conduct and transcribe interviews.
4
Curriculum Vitae, May 2016
Patricia Keer Munro
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
“Theorizing Change in Religious Life: The Case of Gay Marriage.” Association of the
Sociology of Religion. Seattle, WA; forthcoming, August 2009.
“’To See the World through a Jewish Lens’: How Education Directors Mediate
Goals and Attitudes in Jewish Supplementary Schools.” Joint Conference on
Research in Jewish Education. Towson, MD; June 2016
“Generations and Affiliations: Changes in urban-suburban Demographics from an
Organizational Perspective.” Association for Jewish Studies. Boston, MA;
December 2015.
“Places of Refuge; Places of Renewal: Meaning and Content in Jewish and
Protestant Congregational Websites.” American Sociological Association. New
York, NY; August 2013.
“Inclusion and Exclusion: The Problem of Pluralism in Bay Area Synagogues.” 16th
World Congress of Jewish Studies. Hebrew University, Israel; July 2013.
“‘What are YOU Doing on the Bimah?’: Decisions and Consequences Regarding
Participation in Bar/Bat Mitzvah Services.” Young Scholars’ Workshop on
Rituals and Symbols in Contemporary Jewish Cultures: Between Preservation and
Change. Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel; July 2013.
“‘Welcome to our Haimish, Vibrant, Contemporary Congregation’: Patterns of
Identity in Synagogue Websites.” Association for Jewish Studies. Chicago, IL;
December 2012.
“Setting Boundaries, Building Bridges: Liturgy as Interpretation.” Society for the
Scientific Study of Religion. Phoenix, AZ; November 2012.
“Inclusion or Exclusion: Placing Boundaries around B’nai Mitzvah Participation.”
Association for Jewish Studies. Washington, DC; December 2011.
“Keeping it Real: The Creation of Authenticity in Bar/Bat Mitzvah Rituals.”
Association for the Sociology of Religion. Las Vegas, NV; August 2011.
“Who Owns the Bimah?: Negotiating Public and Private Space in Jewish
Congregations.” American Sociological Association. Las Vegas, NV; August
2011.
“Through the Lens of B’nai Mitzvah: The Reproduction of American Judaism.”
Association of the Sociology of Religion. San Francisco, CA; August 2009.
“Divisions in Community: B’nai Mitzvah and the Synagogue.” Association of Jewish
Studies. San Diego, CA; December 2006.
“Jew vs. Jew: The Barcelona Disputation.” Association of Jewish Studies
Conference. Boston, MA; December 2003.
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Curriculum Vitae, May 2016
Patricia Keer Munro
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Sociological Association;
Sections: Sociology of Culture; Family; Religion
Society for the Scientific Study of Religion/Association for the Sociology of
Religion
Association for Jewish Studies
Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry
World Union for Jewish Studies
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
2016-present: Coalition Building Committee of the Jewish Community Relations
Council
2008 and 2012: Job Market Practice Talk Coordinator, UC-Berkeley Sociology
Department
2006: Conference Co-coordinator for Organizing Committee, Frontiers in
Qualitative Sociology: A Conference in Honor of Arlie Hochschild
2006-present: Member of Board of Directors, Livermore Shakespeare Festival,
Livermore, CA
1980-present: various leadership roles including: President, Vice-President,
Chairs of Membership, Education, and Programs, Congregation Beth Emek,
Pleasanton, CA
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Print Marked Items
Munro, Patricia Keer. Coming of age in Jewish
America: bar and bat mitzvah reinterpreted
L.D. Loeb
CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries.
54.2 (Oct. 2016): p222.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association CHOICE
http://www.ala.org/acrl/choice/about
Full Text:
Munro, Patricia Keer. Coming of age in Jewish America: bar and bat mitzvah reinterpreted. Rutgers, 2016. 211 p bibl
index afp ISBN 9780813575940 cloth, $90.00; ISBN 9780813575933 pbk, $27.95; ISBN 9780813575957 ebook,
$27.95
(cc)
54-0618
BM707
2015-32495
CIP
For those unfamiliar with US Jewish religious life, there is much to be gleaned from this regional (San Francisco Bay)
study of a central religious practice that varies among present-day Jewish communities. For those professionally
involved in US Jewish community affairs, it offers the benefits of participant-observation for understanding the
contemporary bar/bat mitzvah scene. Coming of age religiously at 12 or 13 has evolved from a simple public
acknowledgement of a shift of ritual and moral responsibility from parent to child into a major ceremonial procedure,
often involving large numbers of community, family, and friends in an often-expensive celebration usually taking place
at a congregational Sabbath service. The research uses ethnographic methods primarily emphasizing the interviewing
of synagogue rabbis, educators, and administrators, as well as parents and bnai mitzvah, to explore the dynamic
process of preparation and goal shifting to accommodate contemporary needs. Strangely, this otherwise very
commendable exercise all but ignores the role of the cantor, who in most Conservative and many Reform
congregations is the key instructor responsible for the participants' ritual preparation. Seemingly, none were
interviewed for this project. Well written; both terminology and Jewish ceremonial practice are commendably clarified.
Summing Up: *** Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.--L. D. Loeb, University of Utah
Loeb, L.D.
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Loeb, L.D. "Munro, Patricia Keer. Coming of age in Jewish America: bar and bat mitzvah reinterpreted." CHOICE:
Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Oct. 2016, p. 222+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA479868839&it=r&asid=d9894620ada26d819a5e1de1f348420f.
Accessed 9 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A479868839
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Coming of Age in Jewish America: Bar and Bat Mitzvah Reinterpreted
Patricia Keer Munro
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Rutgers University Press 2016
230 Pages $27.95
ISBN: 978-0813575933
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Review by Carol Poll
Patricia Keer Munro’s Coming of Age in Jewish America: Bar and Bat Mitzvah Reinterpreted is particularly compelling given the major role that the bar and bat mitzvah ritual has taken in American Judaism. In today’s America, writes Munro, Jewish identification is often a matter of choice. Outside of the Orthodox community, the bar and bat mitzvah ritual has become “the primary means of inculcating Jewish belief and practice” in the child and the family. It is, as Munro suggests, a system in which the youngster, parents, the clergy, congregations, and the larger community are involved in its performance.
Two major cultural shifts have contributed to the significance of bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies: rising rates of intermarriage and the growing gender equality brought about by feminism. The Reform movement’s 1983 Resolution on Patrilineal Descent required evidence that children had a Jewish upbringing; the bar and bat mitzvah has become prima facie evidence of that. Feminism sparked a demand that girls fully participate in their bat mitzvah ceremonies and that they, like their brothers, take on adult religious obligations and be counted in the minyan.
The book is filled with powerful, often poignant quotes from the over two hundred interviews that Munro conducted in the San Francisco Bay area in Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and unaffiliated synagogues. In addition, she has drawn upon her own experiences as a bar and bat mitzvah tutor. The result is that Munro provides many strategies for revitalizing the bar and bat mitzvah process for community and congregational leaders. She also postulates a helpful analytical model that identifies four “inherent tensions” that shape the bar and bat mitzvah system. A chapter is devoted to each of structural strains and ways to address them. One chapter, for example, is devoted to clarifying boundaries among participants; this includes a discussion of the role of non-Jewish parents, relatives, and friends within the ceremony. The last chapter includes important policy recommendations to ensure that the bar and bat mitzvah experiences provide youngsters and their families with a “Jewish cultural tool kit” and ensure their ongoing “Jewish allegiance in an American context.”
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