Jews: The Essence and Character of a People

In this landmark work, Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, vice president emeritus of the World Jewish Congress, and Aron Hirt-Manheimer, editor of Reform Judaism Magazine, answer the question: What makes a Jew a Jew? These prominent Jewish scholars search for the soul of the Jewish character-from the archetype of Abraham and Sarah to the ambivalence of Kafka, Freud, and Woody Allen. They delve beyond conventional discussions of Jewish identity and explore the very essence of Jewish existence. Highly regarded, Jews explains how and why great Jewish figures throughout history, who have been victimized by anti-Semitism, have succeeded to rise again and endure.

Author Biography: Arthur Hertzberg, author of The Zionist Idea, Jewish Polemics, The Jews in America, and Judaism, is Bronfman Visiting Professor of the Humanities at New York University and Professor Emeritus of Religion at Dartmouth. A world-renowned Jewish scholar, he has served as president of the American Jewish Policy Foundation and the American Jewish Congress and vice president of the World Jewish Congress.

Aron Hirt-Manheimer is the editor of Reform Judaism magazine and coauthor of Jagendorf's Foundry. He is a 1988 recipient of the Anne Frank Medal.