The Jew within: Self, Family, and Community in America Book

"Cohen and Eisen have written that rare work, a book that really matters! . . . The Jew Within tells the story of how American Jews live and understand their Judaism over the span of their lives, in their families, and among their friends." --Riv-Ellen Prell Rocked by reports of soaring intermarriage rates, rampant assimilation, and diminishing population, the American Jewish community has been concerned with issues of Jewish identification and continuity. What matters most to American Jews and why? To answer this and other critical questions, Arnold Eisen and Steven Cohen, two fo the keenest observers and analysts of American Jewish life, probe beneath the surface to explore the foundations of belief and behavior among moderately affiliated American Jews. Among their thought-provoking conclusions are that the construction of Jewish meaning in America is personal and private and that communal loyaties and norms no longer shape Jewish identity as they did several decades ago.Read More