The Myth of the Jewish President

Publication Date: October 1980

Publisher: Eugene Borowitz

Author(s): Jonathan D. Sarna

Research Area: Culture and religion; Politics

Keywords: Culture; Diversity; Jewish security; Political Behavior

Type: Brief

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

The author asserts that the idea that America is a country in which even a Jew can be elected president is a myth, albeit a comforting myth. This myth has both positive and negative effects, the author contends, including: to help Jews and Christians to coexist in America, to reinforce beliefs of American exceptionalis, to provide a polemical shield to the prejudiced, and to bridge the gap between Jewish hopes and American realities.