Bethamie Horowitz
Brandeis University, Sociology, Faculty Member
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Research Interests: Art and Political Science
In the current volume of the Year Book, the editors follow up on the optimistic vs. pessimistic assessment of American Jewish life, which was discussed in the 2017 Year Book. A summary of the original arguments formulated by Cohen and... more
In the current volume of the Year Book, the editors follow up on the optimistic vs. pessimistic assessment of American Jewish life, which was discussed in the 2017 Year Book. A summary of the original arguments formulated by Cohen and Liebman in regard to the characteristics of American Jews as viewed originally in 1987 is examined. The 19 participants in the current Forum were asked to review the original 1987 essays by Cohen and Liebman as well as the contemporary assessment by Cohen (all provided in Chap. 1 of this volume) and to provide a commentary in which they would cite relevant data to support their position. All authors were asked to provide a thermometer reading on how warmly or coolly they felt toward Cohen’s contemporary assessment of American Jewish life. Scores ranged from a hot 100 to a cold 5. The median score was 60, and the mean was 56.
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The publication of the Pew study of Jewish Americans unleashed a slew of interpretations and commentary, revealing dueling ways of thinking about American Jewry. In one prevalent reading, these facts represent a “grim portrait” whose... more
The publication of the Pew study of Jewish Americans unleashed a slew of interpretations and commentary, revealing dueling ways of thinking about American Jewry. In one prevalent reading, these facts represent a “grim portrait” whose results are “devastating,” evidence of “so much assimilation.” In contrast, I offered a different reading of these same facts, arguing that the study’s findings show the “surprising persistence and durability of Jewishness in America” (Horowitz 2013).
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Joke: A Jew is found on a deserted island. He gives the guy that finds him a tour of the island on which he has been living for several years. There is not one, but two shuls [synagogues] on the island. Why two?" This is the shul I... more
Joke: A Jew is found on a deserted island. He gives the guy that finds him a tour of the island on which he has been living for several years. There is not one, but two shuls [synagogues] on the island. Why two?" This is the shul I go to, and that is the one I wouldn't set foot in!"
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Over the course of the twentieth century changing circumstances have prompted American Jewish educators to develop new educational strategies to address these needs, and these developments are an important aspect of the sociology of... more
Over the course of the twentieth century changing circumstances have prompted American Jewish educators to develop new educational strategies to address these needs, and these developments are an important aspect of the sociology of American Jewish education. ...
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In this paper I describe the current state of knowledge about contemporary American Jewish identity and propose an agenda for future research-"both to advance [our] scientific understanding and to provide information relevant to... more
In this paper I describe the current state of knowledge about contemporary American Jewish identity and propose an agenda for future research-"both to advance [our] scientific understanding and to provide information relevant to policy decisions. " Not surprisingly,
Jewish identity has been a central concern both in the realm of research about American Jewry and to American Jewish educational programming, but what it means and how to best study it have come under question in recent years. In this... more
Jewish identity has been a central concern both in the realm of research about American Jewry and to American Jewish educational programming, but what it means and how to best study it have come under question in recent years. In this article, four scholars describe the ...
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This summary report presents the findings of a preliminary evaluation of birthright israel. The evaluation was designed to find out what participants learned, cognitively and affectively, about Israel and how the experience affected their... more
This summary report presents the findings of a preliminary evaluation of birthright israel. The evaluation was designed to find out what participants learned, cognitively and affectively, about Israel and how the experience affected their Jewish identification and their relationship to Israel and the Jewish community. Along with the results of a preliminary survey of participants conducted one month post-trip, the present report describes the results of a detailed survey of participants and non-participants conducted three months post-trip. Qualitative data obtained from ethnographic field observation, interviews, focus groups, and workshops are described in a separate report, but have informed some of the conclusions presented here.
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... 232 Bethamie Horowitz Table 6 Current Jewish Practices by Locale Perfect Cases Only*+ 3rd Generation or Higher US National Excluding New York Area New ... Synagogue Weekly 10 5 5 Fasts on Fast of Esther 6 2 3 Buys Kosher Meat(NA) 5 35... more
... 232 Bethamie Horowitz Table 6 Current Jewish Practices by Locale Perfect Cases Only*+ 3rd Generation or Higher US National Excluding New York Area New ... Synagogue Weekly 10 5 5 Fasts on Fast of Esther 6 2 3 Buys Kosher Meat(NA) 5 35 Jewish Social Ties Most Friends ...
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ABSTRACT
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ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT