The new American Judaism
Subtitle: how Jews practice their religion today
By: Jack Wertheimer
Published: 2018
Language: eng
Number of pages: 379
ISBN-13: 9780691181295
Copyright date: 2018
Subjects: Judaism; Jews; Identity
Description: "American Judaism has been buffeted by massive social upheavals in recent decades. Like other religions in the United States, it has witnessed a decline in the number of participants over the past forty years, and many who remain active struggle to reconcile their hallowed traditions with new perspectives—from feminism and the LGBTQ movement to “do-it-yourself religion” and personally defined spirituality. Taking a fresh look at American Judaism today, Jack Wertheimer, a leading authority on the subject, sets out to discover how Jews of various orientations practice their religion in this radically altered landscape. Which observances still resonate, and which ones have been given new meaning? What options are available for seekers or those dissatisfied with conventional forms of Judaism? And how are synagogues responding?"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-365) and index.
Table of contents: title: Part I. The religious lives of ordinary American Jews; title: Finding meaning: the importance of belief, belonging, and good deeds; title: A Judaism for peak moments: how non-Orthodox Jews practice; title: Diversity among the Orthodox; title: Part II. The leaky vessels of denominational Judaism; title: Is Reform Judaism ascendant?; title: Conservative Judaism: a reappraisal; title: The battle for the soul of modern Orthodoxy; title: Who needs Jewish denominations?; title: Part III. Where religious renewal flourishes; title: Not your grandparents' synagogue; title: Orthodox outreach: nourishing the Jewish world; title: Looking for Judaism in unconventional places; title: Conclusion: A new remix.