Observing Americas Jews

Rejecting the conventional wisdom that American ethnic groups proceed in orderly fashion through the stages of self-segregation, acculturation and assimilation, Sklare argues, in one of these essays, that a majority of American Jews have not totally assimilated. Elsewhere, he challenges the view that Jews who intermarry do so because of self-hatred or social or psychological aberrations; the real causes, he contends, are the complacency of liberal Jewish parents and the ideal of romantic love. The late Sklare, a Brandeis sociologist, made influential contributions to the study of American Jewish life. This collection of book chapters and articles from journals such as Commentary and Mainstream investigates American Jewry's rituals, worship and attitudes toward Israel; perceives a loss of direction in Conservative Judaism; addresses questions of Christian-Jewish relations; and examines the condition of urban Jews who are unattached to their communities. (Aug.)