Author Richard Rubin will lead a provocative discussion about his latest book, “Jewish in America: Living George Washington’s Promise,” at Sid Jacobson JCC on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 11 a.m.
In his talk, Rubin, who was a professor of political science at Swarthmore College for 27 years, will explore the current state of American Jewish identity, intermarriage, and the role of Jews in shaping American life.
Since George Washington promised Jewish Americans the full privileges and protections of U.S. citizenship, Jews have flourished in America as nowhere else in the world. But has that come at the expense of their Jewish identity?
Rubin argues that while most American Jews have been “Americanized,” they continue to be shaped by Jewish history, culture, and religion in ways that affect everything from their social attitudes to their child-rearing methods to their voting patterns.
Rubin will examine the evidence for this “fusion” of American vales with Jewish ones, which results in a “hybrid” Jewish identity that American Jews must cultivate and pass on to future generations.
The conversation will also include discussion of tensions between American Jews and Israel and the impact of Jewish culture on America and American culture’s impact on Jews.
Sid Jacobson JCC is located at 300 Forest Drive in East Hills.
To learn more, visit sjjcc.org and click on Learning + Recreation. To learn more about Jewish In America: Living George Washington’s Promise, visit jewishinamericabook.com.
