DESCRIPTION
Discover what Jewish people in America
have to say about Israel—their voices have
never mattered more than they do now.
As anti-Israel sentiment spreads around the world—from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to former President Jimmy Carter—it has never been more important for American Jews to share their feelings and thoughts about Israel, and foster a connection to Israel in the next generation of Jewish and Christian adults.
This inspirational book features the insights of top scholars, business leaders, professionals, politicians, authors, artists, and community and religious leaders covering the entire denominational spectrum of Jewish life in America today—and offers an exciting glimpse into the history of Zionism in America with statements from Jews who saw the movement come to life. Presenting a diversity of views, it will encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to think about what Israel means to them and, in particular, help young adults jump start their own lasting, personal relationship with Israel.
Contributors include:
Marc D. Angel • Bradley Shavit Artson • Samuel Bak • Sharon Brous • Nina Beth Cardin • Shoshana S. Cardin • Steven M. Cohen • Elliot N. Dorff • David Ellenson • Russ Feingold • Sylvia Barack Fishman • Abraham H. Foxman • Debbie Friedman • Jane Friedman • Niles Elliot Goldstein • Harold Grinspoon • Nat Hentoff • Dov Hikind • Peter Himmelman • Esther Jungreis • Karyn D. Kedar • Danny Maseng • Shulamit Reinharz • Thane Rosenbaum • Jonathan D. Sarna • Debbie Wasserman Schultz • Lynn Schusterman • Rami M. Shapiro • Danny Siegel • Aryeh Lev Stollman • David A. Teutsch • Stephen Joel Trachtenberg • Gordon Tucker • Henry A. Waxman • David Wolpe • And many more …
PRAISE FOR
“Bravo to Rabbi Salkin for gathering these impressive personal testimonies. They serve an urgent and vital purpose—reminding us of the nearly four-thousand-year bond between the Jewish People and Israel, and educating us on Israel’s enduring meaning for American Jewry.”
—David A. Harris, executive director, American Jewish Committee
“A touching, emotional, funny book.… Every essay touches a nerve in every American Jew who loves Israel. I highly recommend this book as a personal joy to read and to give as a gift to those who ask, ‘Why should I care about Israel?’”
—June Walker, chairperson, Conference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish Organizations
“The shared ahavat Yisrael (love for the Land and the People of Israel) uniting the incredible diversity of voices in this important anthology redefines ‘Pro-Israel.’”
—Rabbi Arik W. Ascherman, executive director, Rabbis for Human Rights
“Rabbi Salkin and Jewish Lights did it again! Thank you for this inspiring gift for Israel’s 60th! A must for lovers and dreamers of Zion around the world … and a great resource for anyone who explores a contemporary engagement with Israel.”
—Rabbi Uri Regev, president, World Union for Progressive Judaism
“A powerful collection of personal testimonies … Christians who care about Christian-Jewish relations need to read this collection in order to understand the inescapable importance of Israel in that relationship. It also helps us understand why church statements and actions against Israel are so painful to Jewish friends.”
—David Blewett, national director,
National Christian Leadership
Conference for Israel (NCLCI)
“Here are voices from all over the community, from all ages, from all kinds of Jews. Together they show us the how and the why of our profound connection to Israel. This book answers the questions, why do we care so much and why should the fate of this tiny country affect us in America so deeply? The answers are personal and communal and revealing. This is an important book for all those interested in the Jewish people and their incredible story.”
—Anne Roiphe, novelist, journalist and author of 13 books
“In this sixtieth year of Israel’s independence, it is incumbent on American Jewry to take a step back to reflect on the meaning of Israel’s existence in our own lives. Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin has done us an immense favor in bringing together such a wide spectrum of writers and thinkers to ponder this question.”
—Rabbi Robert R. Golub, executive director, MERCAZ USA, the Zionist arm of the Conservative Movement
“As Rabbi Nachman of Breslov wrote—‘wherever I travel I go to Israel.’ For me and millions of other Jews—as well as Christians—Israel, both spiritually and existentially, is at the very core of our identities. Wherever we go in life, Israel is on our minds, in our hearts and shaping our ethos. A Dream of Zion does a wonderful job in bringing together a rich variety of paths through which we encounter and relate to Israel, her struggle for peace and security, and the meaning it has for our lives. If you love Israel—both the nation and state—and it vibrates the strings of your neshama, this book is a must read.”
—Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, president, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
“A Dream of Zion is exactly that—filled with miracles and triumph, the joy of coming home, and at the same time, aspiration and hope, that Israel can become the land flowing with justice and righteousness. Sixty years of love can be found on page after page, a worthy testament to the vitality of the dream and of the reality.”
—David M. Elcott, PhD, executive director, Israel Policy Forum
“Explores the connection to Israel from many varied perspectives that reflect on the historical, religious, and contemporary underpinnings of this special and unique relationship. You will identify with some, disagree with others, but you are certain to be stimulated to thoughtful reflection on this central aspect of Jewish life.”
—Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman, Conference of Presidents
of Major American Jewish Organizations
“In this compelling volume one hears the multiplicity of views and emotions American Jews have for Israel. It demonstrates that there is no single American Jewish perspective of Israel. At this time when there are so many misconceptions about American Jewish attitudes towards Israel this book will serve an important purpose.”
—Deborah E. Lipstadt, PhD, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and
Holocaust Studies, Emory University
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