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
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