The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identity for the Next Century (review)

Book Reviews 159 The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identity for the Next Century, by Alan M. Dershowitz. Boston: Little,Brown and Company, 1997. 395 pp. $24.95. I can imagine the genesis of this book. After a late evening party, when most of the guests had already left, Alan Dershowitz, with a glass of celery tonic in hand, sat down on a comfortable chair and began talking about the future of American Jewry. "I think I understand what is on the minds and in the souls ofmany Jews" (p. 15), he writes and probably articulated. As he expounded his thoughts his words may have sounded trenchant and profound, his listeners must have been enthralled by his observations, a heated discussion ensued, and one of the people sitting with him may have suggested that his remarkable insights had to be published. And Dershowitz, a brilliant attorney, teacher, and legal scholar, must have agreed and declared that he would write this book. This scenario may be a total fabrication, but The Vanishing American Jew reads as if it started in this fashion. Dershowitz begins portentously. "American Jewish life is in danger of disappearing" (p. I). Hence his book is a "call to action for all who refuse to accept our demographic demise as inevitable" (p. 2). The author argues that "the long epoch of Jewish persecution is finally coming to an end and that a new age of internal dangers to the Jewish people is on the horizon" (p. 7). The present and coming generations of American Jews "crave a more positive and relevant Jewish identity" (p. 13), Dershowitz postulates, and for the rest of the book he recommends solutions to alleviate potential future problems. "I want to help define and defend the new Jewish state of mind" (p. 16), readers are informed. Dershowitz wants both to reassure anxious Jews that Judaism will survive in the United States in the twenty-first century and to remind them of how far Jews have progressed in American society. He also has ideas about how to preserve the Jewish future. He thinks a better education in Judaica is a must; he points out that there are different kinds of Jewish practices and that Jews should respect coreligionists who choose to march to the beat of their own drummer; and he argues that many Jewish Americans appreciate their heritage and want to preserve, even while modifying, revered traditions. Moreover, recognizing the reality of existing conditions, he notes that Jews must fmd ways to incorporate non-Jews who marry Jews into the Jewish fold without requiring that they convert. The Vanishing American Jew is informed by the background of a man who has a deep knowledge of Jewish history and culture. As a former Yeshiva student he is cognizant of the fact that Jewish thoughts and practices have evolved and have been modified over the centuries, that the concept of spirituality is complex, and that the Talmud provokes and stimulates individuals who like to engage in intellectual studies and the pursuit ofsocial justice. He recognizes as well that just about everything written 160 SHOFAR Fa111998 Vol. 17, No.1 in the Five Books of Moses can be offset by some other comment within those same books. The Vanishing American Jew, after discussing a wide array of subjects of general Jewish interest like antisemitism and Israel, ultimately focuses upon how many Jews have been "lost" and how best to encourage other Jews to retain aspects of their heritage. The narrative is filled with stories, jokes, and anecdotes which clearly illustrate the author's main points. Those who have some knowledge of the topics discussed and who are looking for significant new perspectives will be disappointed. Those who prefer a nice read that includes comments and observations that many of their friends may have also made, and who like to see their own thoughts reiterated by an "authority," will be pleased. If this is the kind of book you enjoy, then The Vanishing American Jew-easy to understand, easy to agree with, and not particularly taxing to the intellect-is the book for you. Leonard Dinnerstein Judaic Studies University of Arizona New York Jews and the...