History gives you insight of the same quality of truth as poetry or philosophy or a novel. Simon Schama historyinsightphilosophy Change image and share on social
The most gloomy prognosis about Jewish life is that it will disappear between the two extremes of ultra-Orthodoxy on the one hand and total assimilation on the other. But those are very exaggerated scenarios. Simon Schama assimilationdisappearexaggerate share on social
I would passionately make the case that the harder the times, the more we need things that aren't just about keeping our job and making a buck - important though those things are. Arts programming isn't some sort of add-on or ornamental luxury. Simon Schama addartbuck share on social
I am strongly of the opinion that chronology is very important. The great arc of time is what children are wired for. Simon Schama arcchildchronology Change image and share on social
The British who arrived in the United States in the eighteen-thirties and forties had imagined the young republic as a wide-eyed adolescent, socially ungainly and politically gauche, but with some hint of promise. Simon Schama adolescentarrivebritish share on social
Sculptures created from found materials like ice and thorns, driftwood, and even bleached kangaroo bones all presuppose that artistic design will yield to the cycles of time and climate, whether over an hour or a decade. Simon Schama artisticbleachbone share on social
I used to have a monthly cookery column, and am a big cook, so that whole sense of connecting what one does with food to one's cultural identity has always been fascinating to me. Simon Schama bigcolumnconnect Change image and share on social
In the Einstein way, I can't believe in a universe that doesn't have some sort of prime mover, identical with all of created nature. I have a whole lot of a harder time with supposing the fine print of the Torah was a direct revelation. Simon Schama createdirecteinstein share on social
Jewish history has been in my cultural DNA since I was a child growing up in post-war London. In the midst of that dark, gray, lamenting monochromatic world of the '50s, I had a sense that both Jewish and English history were full of color and light and animation. Simon Schama 50sanimationchild share on social
Jewish history turns out not to be an either/or story - as in, either pure Judaism detached from its surroundings or else assimilation - but rather, for the vast majority, the adventure of living in between. Simon Schama adventureassimilationdetach share on social