Uncharted

Uncharted: American Jews and Judaism in the Twenty-First Century assesses the changes taking place among American Jews and their institutions. Bruce Phillips writes about how intermarriage is reshaping American Jewry; Adina Bankier-Karp and Harriet Hartman question whether denominations make sense anymore; while Jennifer Thompson and Richard Heiberger examine Jews at the margins of communal life and how they express and explore their Jewish identity. Stuart Schoenfeld and Bruce Phillips demonstrate an “urban Jewish renewal” in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Lilach Lev-Ari, Ariela Keysar, and Bruce Phillips compare Sephardic Jews in two world cities: Paris and Los Angeles. Steven Windmueller assesses the broader trends in anti-Semitism and changing political behaviors, while Matt Boxer deeply explores the relationship between American Jews and Israel. Sergio Della Pergola places American Jews and Judaism in a comparative international perspective. Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz and Ilana Horwitz write about the much-neglected topic of Jewish poverty and economic vulnerability. In addition to academics, the volume also includes perspectives from practitioners doing innovative work. Aubrey Golding describes Jewish foodways. Jessy Gross Dressin presents her innovative Jewish outreach organizing for young adults. Alissa Bernstein discusses her work with young adults and Israel. Laura Geller reflects on her projects for engaging and serving the baby boomers who are now Jewish seniors. Daniel Libenson writes about privatized Judaism from the perspective of a social entrepreneur and foundation CEO.