45. Beckerman's Search For Meaning

This week, Uri and Rivky compare their travel woes from last week's storm, and then Uri gives several more disclaimers about how he isn't a supporter of Jews for Jesus. (The lady doth protest too much?) They then dive into this week's topic - an article written by writer and editor, Gal Beckerman, entitled American Jews Face A Choice: Create Meaning or Fade Away, which reviewed five new books touching on American Jewish identity, and what will sustain it in the future. Beckerman argues that what defines the experience of non-Orthodox Jews in America today is not antisemitism, it’s assimilation. So, how will American Jews continue to affiliate as Jews? What will continue to bind them to any sort of Jewish identity? Uri and Rivky ask, is non-Orthodox Judaism really doomed to be killed by assimilation? How does Israel, and Zionism, relate to this? And how does Orthodoxy fit into this? Relevant articles: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/books/review/steven-weisman-chosen-wars.html?module=inline https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/17/style/ivanka-trump-jared-kushner.html