Why Am I a Jew? A Contemporary Guide for the Perplexed

The Jewish people must form a response to one of the most dramatic periods in their long history. As their collective culture is transformed and revolutionized, necessary questions are asked—and answers are needed.

In the blink of a historical eye—less than three hundred years—the Jewish people endured cultural upheaval, political persecution, widespread secularization, declared emancipation, a horrific annihilation in Europe, the rise of a thriving community in the United States, the liquidation of communities in the Islamic world, and the establishment of a Jewish national homeland.

The culmination of such hardship and rejuvenation is a storied Jewish identity, one that has been forced to express itself in and out of the diaspora. Amid such drastic change, remembering what makes Jews who they are is of paramount importance.

• 208 pages
• Paperback