Matching Items (4)
Description
Conversion to Judaism has a long history, and changes in Jewish law for converts over the centuries have reflected changes in the relationship between the Jewish community and the larger societies within which Jews have lived. As American Jews now live in the most open society they have encountered, a split is developing between Orthodox and liberal Jewish rabbinic authorities in how they deal with potential converts. This split is evident in books written to advice potential converts and in conversion narratives by people who have converted to Judaism. For this project over 30 people who were in the process of converting to Judaism were interviewed. Their stories reflect the ways in which liberal Judaism has been affected by American ideals and values, including feminism and an emphasis on spiritual individuality.
ContributorsCohen, Mariam (Author) / Gereboff, Joel (Thesis advisor) / Woodward, Mark (Committee member) / Cohen, Adam (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
Description
While the implementation of both mild hybrid and start-stop technology is widespread as a factory option in newer vehicles, the adaptation of hybrid technology to older or unequipped vehicles has not been fully realized. As such, a straight forward hybrid conversion system that is easily adapted to different vehicles regardless of drivetrain configuration, has been developed and applied to a test vehicle for less than $2,000. System performance was recorded both before and after hybridization using real world drive cycle tracking charts. The vehicle established a fuel economy baseline of 22.93 mpg, and achieved 26.58 mpg after the conversion. This corresponds to a 15.92% increase in fuel economy. Accounting for initial system costs and annual fuel saving, this corresponds to a 6-year payback period. Based on these results, it can be concluded that an inexpensive aftermarket hybrid system is both feasible and effective at improving fuel economy.
ContributorsBeeney, Tyler (Author) / Rogers, Bradley (Thesis advisor) / Madakannan, Arunachalanadar (Committee member) / Henderson, Mark (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
This dissertation research employs biological distance and mortuary analyses in tandem with historical sources to investigate the degree to which conversion, as opposed to migration, contributed to the spread of Islam in southern Iberia. The dynamics of the 8th century conquest of Iberia by Muslim Arab and Berber forces from North Africa, and the subsequent 800-year period of religious, political, and social change, remain contested and poorly understood. Migration of Islamic peoples to the peninsula once was invoked as the primary vehicle of Islamic influence, but religious conversion, whether true or nominal, increasingly is regarded as a key component of those changes. This dissertation proposes that conversion, whether a prelude to or a component of Islamization, altered social group affiliations and interactions among those living in southern Iberia. Such changes in social relations and the resultant patterns of mate exchange will be recognizable by means of altered biological patterns of phenotypic variation. Through the examination of ~900 individuals from both Iberian and North African skeletal collections, this study concludes that conquest resulted in a great increase in phenotypic variability in the peninsula from the 8th-11th centuries. The data further indicate that males contributed this phenotypic variability to the samples in the Early Conquest period. Females, most frequently from Hispano-Roman Christian groups, appear to have ‘intermarried’ with these early conquerors and with the Muwallads, male Islamic converts, and are included in the early Muslim burial programs. From the 11th to the 14th centuries, the data presented here demonstrate a stasis and even a slight decrease in phenotypic variability in southern Iberia, which may be explained by endogamy among religious groups in this region.
ContributorsBolhofner, Katelyn L (Author) / Buikstra, Jane E. (Thesis advisor) / Stojanowski, Christopher (Committee member) / Curta, Florin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Three main affiliations fall under the umbrella of American Jewry: Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative. Each differs in practice, but remains connected by the basis of their beliefs, ארון הספרים (Ah-rohn ha-sefarim). It is important to note that the term ‘Orthodox’ encompasses a vast and diverse group of Jews that vary in practice. Here, I will discuss two Orthodox subgroups, Hareidi Jews and Modern Orthodox Jews. In this essay, I discuss and explore the topic of Israeli and American conversion to Judaism, the relationship between conversion and Israeli politics, and its effect on Jews around the world. I utilize an array of sources, including political and religious texts, modern interpretation, and my own experience. I begin by briefly describing Jewish roots in the United States and Israel. Next, I rigorously outline American and Israeli Jewish affiliations, followed by a generous explanation of Jewish identity and conversion practices in the United States and in Israel. I end by sharing the effects of conversion practices on the global Jewish community and potential solutions to the problems that arise.
ContributorsNaiman, Claire (Author) / Shemer, Judith (Thesis director) / Bronowitz, Jason (Committee member) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies (Contributor, Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch (Contributor, Contributor) / Thunderbird School of Global Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05