Similar to last year's What 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.)
