This collection offers in-depth ethnographic studies of Jewish supplementary schools across various regions in the United States. It highlights the diverse experiences, educational practices, and cultural significance of these institutions within the Jewish community. By showcasing the unique challenges and successes faced by these schools, the book provides valuable insights into how they contribute to Jewish identity and continuity in contemporary society.
Exploring the impact of societal changes such as suburbanization, population growth, and feminism, this insightful guide delves into the evolving landscape of contemporary American Judaism. It highlights how these factors have reshaped Jewish religious practices and community life, offering a comprehensive understanding of the current dynamics within the faith.
Winner of the National Jewish Book Award in American Jewish Studies—an engaging firsthand portrait of American Judaism today American Judaism has been buffeted by massive social upheavals in recent decades. Like other religions in the United States, it has witnessed a decline in the number of participants over the past forty years, and many who remain active struggle to reconcile their hallowed traditions with new perspectives—from feminism and the LGBTQ movement to "do-it-yourself religion" and personally defined spirituality. Taking a fresh look at American Judaism today, Jack Wertheimer, a leading authority on the subject, sets out to discover how Jews of various orientations practice their religion in this radically altered landscape. Which observances still resonate, and which ones have been given new meaning? What options are available for seekers or those dissatisfied with conventional forms of Judaism? And how are synagogues responding? Offering new and often-surprising answers to these questions, Wertheimer reveals an American Jewish landscape that combines rash disruption and creative reinvention, religious illiteracy and dynamic experimentation.
