Zionisms, Old and New
Arthur Hertzberg's classic anthology The Zionist Idea has received a 21st century makeover. But is the new version really an improvement over the old one? And what does Yossi Klein Halevi have to say in 2018 that hasn't been said before?
Awe and Joy
S. Y. Agnon curated a stunning anthology of Jewish texts, published later in English as Days of Awe. In his introduction to the anthology, the eminent scholar Judah Goldin grappled with the idea of awe—and so does this author.
“When Orchards Burn Their Lamps of Fiery Gold”
Emma Lazarus’s 1882 poem for Rosh Hashanah responded to the crises of her day, foreshadowed “The New Colossus,” and resonates today.
The Jewish Preview of Books—September 2018
A quick look at Jewish books being published this month.
Jewish Acculturation in America: A Symposium
Five leading Jewish thinkers discuss the continuing impact of the American melting pot.
Stirring the Pot
A rejoinder to Jack Wertheimer, David Biale, Edieal Pinker, and Erica Brown.
The Burnt Pot
Response #4: “On the bottom of the pot live Jewish clichés, nostalgia, kitschiness, and an uninformed Jewish pride.”
The Future Is Now
Response #3: Edieal Pinker argues from statistics that American Jewry is at an inflection point containing the seeds of a revival.
Looking Backward and Forward
Response #2: David Biale revisits his provocative 1998 essay on Jewish assimilation.
An Exceptional Minority?
Response #1: Jack Wertheimer argues that Jewish assimilation is not an inexorable process.