The Battle Over Jewish Identity

The debate over Jewish identity dominates headlines. Jews in the United States and abroad are desperately searching for answers. As we enter the next century, the battle over "Who Is a Jew?" is sure to continue as Jews argue over who holds the correct interpretation of Jewish law and who will control the future of the Jewish people and Israel. According to some participants in the debate, "War has been declared."

The full range of arguments and opinions about "Who Is a Jew?" appear in an engaging and thought-provoking new book. In "Who Is a Jew?" Conversations, Not Conclusions (Jewish Lights / April 1998 / $23.95 / Hardcover), veteran journalist Meryl Hyman interviews leaders from the religious, academic, and political communities in the United States, Israel, and England. She presents their thoughts in their own words - on who is "Jewish enough" to be considered a Jew, and by whom. Meryl Hyman, a veteran reporter and editor, has worked for most of her career at Gannett Newspapers. She has a degree in journalism from Ohio University and began her career as Esquire magazine, after which she wrote and edited for several magazines. She has served as a media consultant on the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C. She lives in Westchester County, New York.

The following list includes those celebrities trying to answer this question:

From the United States

• Rabbi Norman Lamm (Orthodox) president, Yeshiva University, New York City

• Rabbi Avi Shafran (Orthodox) spokesperson for Agudath Israel in the United States, New York City

• Rabbi Dr. Ismar Schorsch (Conservative) Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Assembly, New York City

• Rabbi Joel H. Meyers (Conservative) Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Assembly, New York City

• Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis (Conservative) Rabbi, Valley Beth Shalom Congregation, Encino California

• Rabbi David A. Teutsch (Reconstructionist) President, The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Wyncote, Pennsylvania

• Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie (Reform) President, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, New York City

• Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman (Reform) President, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch (Reform) Director, Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), New York City

From Israel -

• Bobby Brown (Orthodox) Diaspora Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Jerusalem

• Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau (Orthodox) Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi and President of the Chief Rabbinate Council of Israel, Jerusalem

• Rabbi David Hartman (Orthodox) Founder and Director, The Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem, and Professor Emeritus of Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Hebrew University, Jerusalem

• Rabbi Nachman Bulman (Orthodox) Mashgiach Ruchni (Spiritual Leader) and Dean of Students, Ohr Somayach Yeshiva, Jerusalem

• Menachem Revevi (Orthodox) Director General, United Israel Office, Jerusalem

• Rabbi Emanuel Feldman (Orthodox) Editor, Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, Jerusalem

• Rabbi Einat Ramon (Conservative) Director, Information Bureau of Masorti, the Conservative movement in Israel

• Rabbi Benjamin Segal (Conservative) President, Seminary of Judaic Studies, Jerusalem

• Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch (Reform) Executive Director, World Union for Progressive Judaism

• Rabbi Uri Regev (Reform) Director and Counsel, The Israel Religious Action Center, and member of the Neeman Commission, Jerusalem

• Avraham Burg, Chairman of the Executive, the Jewish Agency for Israel/World Zionist Organization, Jerusalem

• Theodor Kolleck, former Mayor of Jerusalem

• Dr. Zvi Zohar, Senior Research Scholar and Director of the Center for Contemporary Halakha, The Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem

• Zamira Segev, Executive Director, Hemdat, the Council for Freedom of Science, Religion, and Culture in Israel, Jerusalem

From England -

• Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Sacks (Orthodox) Chief Rabbi, The United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, London

• Rabbi David Rosen (Orthodox) former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Director of Interfaith Relations and Co-Liaison to the Vatican, Israeli office of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, Jerusalem

• Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (Orthodox) Founder and Executive Director, L'Chaim Society of Oxford University, London

• Rabbi Dr. Abraham Levy (Sephardi Orthodox) Rabbi, the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue, London

• Rabbi Tony Bayfield (Reform) Chief Executive, Reform Synagogues of Great Britain, London

• Rabbi Rodney Mariner (Reform) Convenor of the Beit Din of Liberal/Reform Synagogues of Great Britain and Europe, London

• Rabbi Prof. Jonathan Magonet (Liberal) Principal, Leo Baeck College, London