The idea was to talk with American Jews and not about American Jews.
As an Israeli living temporarily in New York, I wanted to have in-depth discussions with Jewish leaders and activists, women and men who are on the ground, working directly with today's diverse and vibrant Jewish community. I invited them to sit down and talk about their stories, which together form the story of Jewish America.
In these talks, we discussed their views about the big issues facing today's Jewish community – from intermarriage to BDS and identity politics - and also their own personal and professional stories: A journalist helped me understand what "Jewish press" means and why the current dynamic between American Jews on Twitter is so poisonous; a Reform rabbi gave me a peek into the world of rabbinate and prayers; and a U.S. Army chaplain spoke about Apache helicopters and Muslim and Christian comrades. Each of them told a fascinating story, and together they help create an up-to-date collage of American Jewry.
>> A chaplain. A rabbi. A professor. An editor. A soldier. These are the faces of Jewish America | A special interview project
