Jewish Identity: The Challenge of Peoplehood Today

By Ruth Shamir

Dr. Shamir skillfully guides the reader through a myriad of issues that are today at the center of a passionate debate both in Israel itself as well as in the Diaspora, where half of the world's Jews still live. The debate - and hence the main themes of the book - revolves around such questions as:
- Are we a nation or just a religious community?
- How do Israelis and Jews around the world conceptualize their loyalties?
- How acceptable is Jewish fundamentalism and how does Israel deal with the Arab population within its borders?
- How do Diaspora Jews view Israeli identity and how do Israelis define the identity of Diaspora Jews?
- Above all, who is a Jew?
However difficult it may be to accomodate the many complex and continually changing Jewish identities under the single roof of Judaism, Dr. Shamir contends that we have no alternative - neither for Israelis nor for the Jews of the Diaspora. But if that overarching identity is to be preserved, Jews must internalize the core ideas of multiculturalism to create a multifaceted Jewish identity that positively reflects the freedoms of today's world.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9652296716
• ISBN13: 9789652296719
• Release Date: May 2015
• Publisher: Gefen Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.8" x 9.3"