“By turning his attention to how American Jewish thinkers appealed to visual metaphors to affirm Jewish authenticity, Ken Koltun-Fromm sheds new light on an important topic. This is, as far as I know, the first attempt to take the matter of visual discourse in the context of American Judaism seriously. ”
 — Elliot Wolfson, New York University

“Sure to strike an immediate nerve and to be a springboard for lively scholarly and public discussions, especially as it tackles highly timely issues such as gender, conversion, and race.”
 — Asher Biemann, University of Virginia

“[T]his volume is not about traditionalist philosophical and theological underpinnings of the rabbinic covenant of learning Jewish authenticity but instead about creative Talmud Torah that speaks of two minds: emotional and experiential.  A compelling read. Recommended.”
 — Choice

“Koltun-Fromm has written an important book, one that serves as a reminder not only of the value of boundaries and distinctions—particularly for minority groups—but also of the need for 'new relations of justice'.”
 — Modern Judaism

“This volume will have great appeal for anyone interested in classic Jewish literary sources and popular culture that have contributed to the American Jewish psyche. Not only does Koltun-Fromm’s deep investment in the fallible constructions of authenticity bring new and provocative insights into media we thought we knew, it is itself a demonstration of the sort of psychological and intellectual challenges with which American scholars of contemporary “Jewish studies” continue to struggle.”
 — Studies in Contemporary Jewry