Jewish Identity: The Challenge of Peoplehood Today

Though the seemingly impossible dream of a sovereign Jewish state became a reality more than sixty years ago, the question of Jewish identity remains as much an enigma as ever: Are we a nation or just a religious community? How do Israelis and Jews around the world conceptualize their loyalties? How acceptable is Jewish fundamentalism and how does Israel deal with the Arab population within its borders? How do Diaspora Jews view Israeli identity and how do Israelis define the identity of Diaspora Jews? Above all, who is a Jew? Dr. Shamir Popkin skillfully guides the reader through a myriad of issues that are today at the center of a passionate debate both in Israel itself as well as in the Diaspora, where half of the world's Jews still live.