A Journey of the 'Straight Way' or the 'Roundabout Path:' Jewish Identity in the United States and Israel

Publication Date: January 2003

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Author(s): Arnold Dashefsky; Bernard Lazerwitz; Ephraim Tabory

Research Area: Culture and religion

Keywords: American Jews; Israeli Jews; Jewish identification

Type: Report

Coverage: United States Israel

Abstract:

In this chapter we will focus on understanding Jewish identity by focusing on the American and Israeli Jewry. The chapter begins with a review of the evolution of Jewish identity within Jewish civilization, go on to examine the conceptualization and measurement of that identity in sociology, review the sources and consequences as well as the role of the denominations in shaping identity, and offer some concluding thoughts and implications for further research.