Forum on Contemporary American Jewry: Grounds for Optimism or Pessimism?

Arnold Dashefsky; Ira M Sheskin; Steven Bayme; Mijal Bitton; Carmel U Chiswick; Steven M Cohen; Sylvia Barack Fishman; Lawrence Grossman; Harriet Hartman; Samuel Heilman; Bethamie Horowitz; Debra R Kaufman; Shaul Kelner; Barry A Kosmin; Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz; Deborah Dash Moore; Pamela S Nadell; Bruce A Phillips; Riv-Ellen Prell; Jonathan D Sarna; Leonard Saxe; Jennifer A Thompson

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-03907-3_2

Book chapter

Forum on Contemporary American Jewry: Grounds for Optimism or Pessimism?

Arnold Dashefsky, Ira M Sheskin, Steven Bayme, Mijal Bitton, Carmel U Chiswick, Steven M Cohen, Sylvia Barack Fishman, Lawrence Grossman, Harriet Hartman, Samuel Heilman, …

American Jewish Year Book 2018, pp.51-111

American Jewish Year Book, Springer International Publishing

03/15/2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03907-3_2

Abstract

Assimilation

Contemporary Jewry

Denominations

Intermarriage

Judaism

US Jewry

In the current volume of the Year Book, the editors follow up on the optimistic vs. pessimistic assessment of American Jewish life, which was discussed in the 2017 Year Book. A summary of the original arguments formulated by Cohen and Liebman in regard to the characteristics of American Jews as viewed originally in 1987 is examined. The 19 participants in the current Forum were asked to review the original 1987 essays by Cohen and Liebman as well as the contemporary assessment by Cohen (all provided in Chap. 10.1007/978-3-030-03907-3_1 of this volume) and to provide a commentary in which they would cite relevant data to support their position. All authors were asked to provide a thermometer reading on how warmly or coolly they felt toward Cohen’s contemporary assessment of American Jewish life. Scores ranged from a hot 100 to a cold 5. The median score was 60, and the mean was 56.

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Title: Forum on Contemporary American Jewry: Grounds for Optimism or Pessimism?
Creators: Arnold Dashefsky - Department of Sociology and Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA
Ira M Sheskin - Department of Geography and Jewish Demography Project, Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, USA
Steven Bayme - Contemporary Jewish Life Department, AJC, New York, USA
Mijal Bitton - New York University, New York, USA
Carmel U Chiswick - George Washington University, Washington, USA
Steven M Cohen - Independent Scholar, New York, USA
Sylvia Barack Fishman - Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, USA
Lawrence Grossman - AJC, New York, USA
Harriet Hartman - Rowan University, Glassboro, USA
Samuel Heilman - Queens College of the City University of New York, Queens, USA
Bethamie Horowitz - New York University, New York, USA
Debra R Kaufman - Northeastern University, Boston, USA
Shaul Kelner - Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA
Barry A Kosmin - Trinity College, Hartford, USA
Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz - Berman Jewish DataBank, Jewish Federations of North America, New York, USA
Deborah Dash Moore - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
Pamela S Nadell - American University, Washington, USA
Bruce A Phillips - Magnin School of Graduate Studies, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles, USA
Riv-Ellen Prell - University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
Jonathan D Sarna - National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, USA
Leonard Saxe - Brandeis University, Waltham, USA
Jennifer A Thompson - Jewish Studies Interdisciplinary Program, California State University, Northridge, USA
Publication Details: American Jewish Year Book 2018, pp.51-111
Series: American Jewish Year Book
Publisher: Springer International Publishing; Cham
Identifiers: 9924027389701921
Academic Unit: Department of History; Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies; Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program; Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies; Steinhardt Social Research Institute
Language: English
Resource Type: Book chapter

Forum on Contemporary American Jewry: Grounds for Optimism or Pessimism?

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