Peoplehood—everyone’s talking about it. But what does it actually mean and why is it important to the future of Judaism?
“Why is this conversation important? Why does it merit your attention? If you care about Jewish identity and community, then you know that we have no trouble identifying the problems that fragmentize us as a people but have far less success identifying that which unites us. Without a unifying, collective notion of Jewish identity that is meaningful and robust, it is virtually impossible to make a strong case for Jewish continuity.”
—from the Introduction
This call to Jewish community explores the purpose, possibilities, and limitations of peoplehood as a unifying concept of community for a people struggling profoundly with Jewish identity. It defines what peoplehood is—and is not—and explores both collective and personal Jewish identity and the nature of identity construction.
Drawing on history, sacred texts and contemporary scholarship, The Case for Jewish Peoplehood identifies some of the obstacles that challenge a shared notion of peoplehood: personal choices, construct of membership and boundaries, growth of Jewish illiteracy, identity fragmentation between Israeli and Diaspora Jewry, and the generational divide affecting traditionalists, baby boomers, and generations X and Y.
To help you join the conversation, the authors support a vision for the future and provide practical guidance and recommendations for getting there.
Cuprins
Foreword: Peoplehood and Community ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction: Jews in the ‘Hood 1
1. Defining Peoplehood 13
2. Collective Jewish Identity 37
3. Constructing a Personal Jewish Identity 59
4. Pro-Choice Judaism: Are There Too Many Identity Options? 71
5. Membership and Boundaries 87
6. Peoplehood and Intermarriage 99
7. Jewish Literacy and the Peoplehood Prerogative 117
8. Irreconcilable Differences? Jewish and Israeli Identity 133
9. Stepping Across the Generational Divide 149
10. Dreams, Desired Outcomes, and the Jewish Future 165
Notes 183
Despre autor
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin is author of several books that have made Jewish philosophy, theology, and history accessible to the broad public, including Jewish Literacy and Jewish Wisdom.