Members of the Tribe

I could pen a very long review, but since only three others -- in two decades -- have read & reviewed Mr. Chafets' book, it may not be worth my time. The book gets four stars because it's very well-written, flows solidly for the most part and is a GREAT idea. Too many Americans Jews remain sheltered in their urban enclaves, concocting stereotypes about the "rest of America" they never visit. I am more like Ze'ev, though I've seen and written about 49 states and traveled through on my own, living in many of those. Anyway, the chapters on the South, Midwest, Plains and Texas are by far the most interesting. Though those locales are losing folks (at least as of 1988 when the book was written & I cannot imagine it's changed for the better), those stories do allay many of my concerns about Jews completely abandoning the beauty of small town/rural America. My complaint, and the main reason the book won't receive five stars, is the middle. My goodness, there is far, far too much about New York City and the northeast. Look, we know the Jewish population of New York City is two million or so with another million perhaps in the metro area -- for a total of probably half of the US Jewish population. But aside from the wonderful (and impecunious) Chasidic (aka the real/traditional Jews), most are the same: secular, ungrateful, pathetically liberal, materialistic, sheltered, and so on. It proves how being "educated" makes you dumber. Boring. Too much time there. And that was close to, if not more than, half the book. These are the Jews that give us good Jews a bad name. I also don't know how Chaffets claims he hit 30+ states. I didn't count 20, frankly. I am glad he noted many times over that America has been BY FAR the most tolerant, fair and free nation for Jews of any in our history. The same, of course, can be said for other minorities immigrating here, yet this FACT goes lost upon too many of our most fortunate/secular Jews today. Think Spielberg, Streisand and other liberal Jews who've abused America to make their fortune, truly admire this exceptional American experience? No, and they should be ashamed. I won't get into politics, but the intelligent Republican Jew from the book, wisely working for Pat Robertson in 1988, nailed it when he noted that most liberal/suburban American Jews are bigoted toward Christians. How true. They fear our best friends: right wing Christians, and ignore the anti-semitism from the radical left (many their own) and Radical Islam. I would add ignorant and arrogant. But a good book, overall. Too bad most American Jews will never read it. They have Jake Gyllenhaal and Jay Leno to watch. I am glad I read, though.

This is a very readable look at Jews in America in the late 1980's. Author Ze'Ef Chavets grew up in Suburban Detroit, moved to Israel, then returned two decades later to interview a cross section of Jewish people in the USA. We hear from religious Jews, secularists, poor Jews, holocaust survivors, Jewish converts, those who married outside the faith, etc. Their opinions range widely, as one would expect from other ethnic groups. I enjoyed reading about the once-strong presence in certain Southern towns, the various and disputing Chasidic sects, and the Jewish singles weekend in the Catskills of New York. Chavets lets his subjects open up, and adds his own views as well. There are many spoken words about culture, assimilation, intermarriage, and life in the USA, but the author missed some things too. Some U.S. cities go unheard from, as do Jews that dislike Israel's treatment of Palestinians, and those that no longer worship in disgust over the holocaust. Also, the book's questionable title refers to Jews as members of a tribe - so do some anti-Semites. This is an interesting and often humorous book, but it has some flaws.

Zev's wit truly comes through in his travels through Jewish Americana. He finds the most intriguing stories to report, from the zaniest to the unbelievable. This is a must read.

great book. Zev Chafets takes the reader on a tour of small-town Jewish America.