JL;DR SUMMARY Liat Maggid-Alon, a historian, delves into the emergence of the Jewish bourgeoisie in Egypt during the early-to-mid 20th century, analyzing how modernity, religion, nationalism, and minority politics intersected within this newly established upper-middle-class Jewish community. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.