A Dream of Zion: American Jews Reflect on Why Israel Matters to Them
Similar to last year'sWhat Israel Means to Me, this collection of short essays edited by Salkin (Being God's Partner) unabashedly puts American Zionism on display, as contributors describe their personal connection to Israel. The section heads reflect the roles Israel has always played for diaspora Jews: a part of their Jewish identity, a refuge from oppression and a religious center. The authors range from the usual suspects like the Anti-Defamation League's Abraham Foxman and politician Henry Waxman to historian Jonathan Sarna and Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, along with rabbis and prominent deceased Jewish-Americans like Supreme Court justices Louis Brandeis and Felix Frankfurter. The essays express a variety of feelings about Israel. Some, like theologian Arthur Green, feel discomfort with the occupation of the West Bank: Without a two-state solution, I believe, Israel is impossible, and will not survive. Not surprisingly, most express sentiments closer to those of Jewish scholar Lisa Grant: My experiences of and in Israel touch me in profound ways—emotionally, intellectually, socially, and spiritually. This collection will mainly appeal to readers who feel similarly attached.(Nov.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.