Studies in Contemporary Jewry XI Values, Interests, and Identity: Jews and Politics in a Changing World

This collection of original articles addresses the often conflicting roles of values, interests, and identity in contemporary Jewish politics. The book focuses particularly on the interplay of politics and Jewish history. There are two conceptions of Jewish politics in the contemporary era. According to the first, Jewish politics consists of the activities of Jewish organizations in pursuit or defense of manifest Jewish concerns. In contrast, the second approach conceives Jewish politics more broadly, and thus includes within its purview the activities and responses of individual Jews (not just those of organizations) in pursuit of any goals, issues and policies, not only those of intrinsically Jewish concern.