Number Our Days: A Triumph of Continuity and Culture Among Jewish Old People in an Urban Ghetto

Barbara Myerhoff

ISBN 10: 0671254308 / ISBN 13: 9780671254308

Published by Touchstone, 1980

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Synopsis:

When noted anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff received a grant to explore the process of aging, she decided to study some elderly Jews from Venice, California, rather than to report on a more exotic people. The story of the rituals and lives of these remarkable old people is, as Bel Kaufman said, "one of those rare books that leave the reader somehow changed."
Here Dr. Myerhoff records the stories of a culture that seems to give people the strength to face enormous daily problems -- poverty, neglect, loneliness, poor health, inadequate housing and physical danger. The tale is a poignant one, funny and often wise, with implications for all of us about the importance of ritual, the agonies of aging, and the indomitable human spirit.

About the Author: The chairperson of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Southern California, Dr. Myerhoff collaborated on a film about her work while she was doing the research for Number Our Days. It won the 1977 Academy Award for best short documentary. Her last book, Peyote Hunt, was nominated for a National Book Award.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Number Our Days: A Triumph of Continuity and...
Publisher: Touchstone
Publication Date: 1980
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Very Good