Overview

Examines how young Jewish Americans’ fundamentally Jewish values have led them to organize in solidarity with Palestinians Unsettled digs into the experiences of young Jewish Americans who engage with the Palestine solidarity movement and challenge the staunch pro-Israel stance of mainstream Jewish American institutions. The book explores how these activists address Israeli government policies of occupation and apartheid, and seek to transform American Jewish institutional support for Israel. Author Oren Kroll-Zeldin identifies three key social movement strategies employed by these activists: targeting mainstream Jewish American institutions, participating in co-resistance efforts in Palestine/Israel, and engaging in Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns. He argues that these young people perceive their commitment to ending the occupation and Israeli apartheid as a Jewish value, deeply rooted in the changing dynamics of Jewish life in the twenty-first century. By associating social justice activism with Jewish traditions and values, these activists establish a connection between their Jewishness and their pursuit of justice for Palestinians. In a time of internal Jewish tensions and uncertainty about peace prospects between Palestine and Israel, the book provides hope that the efforts of these young Jews in the United States are pushing the political pendulum in a new direction, potentially leading to a more balanced and nuanced conversation.

Full Product Details

9781479821457

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""Kroll-Zeldin's sensitive and textured examination of what leads some young American Jews to engage in Palestine solidarity initiatives couldn't come at a better time. Understanding why some individuals choose to reach across the ethnic divide to enact social and political change helps unravel the ongoing mystery of how some people manage to skirt the dominant expectations of their communal upbringing. And it illuminates a key question around how individuals and groups draw markedly different lessons from the same apparent teachings as they move through the world, trying to make it just a little bit better.""-- ""Mira Sucharov, author of Borders and Belonging: A Memoir"" ""Oren Kroll-Zeldin has produced a crucial and timely work, addressing not only Jewish solidarity with Palestine at a pivotal and historic moment, but also offering a vision of a Jewish future that is fully attuned to our histories and traditions while transcending the ugly nationalism that has characterized our community since the creation of the State of Israel. Kroll-Zeldin illuminates a past, a present, and most importantly a future that is not merely centered around political activism but offers a Jewish voice that brings us into solidarity with social justice movements around the world. This book is a valuable contribution.""-- ""Mitchell Plitnick, co-author of Except for Palestine"" ""The young American Jewish activists represented in this book...confidently root opposition to Israeli apartheid and ethno-nationalism--along with dedication to anti-racism, feminism, queer liberation and climate justice--in Jewish ethics and values. They create new and bolder forms of action on social media and in the streets. And they courageously take leadership of a growing anti-Zionist movement in the US, often challenging their own traditional upbringing. I am proud and heartened to welcome the publication of this timely new book.""-- ""Rosalind Petchesky, Co-editor/author, A Land With A People: Palestinians and Jews Confront Zionism"""

Oren Kroll-Zeldin has produced a crucial and timely work, addressing not only Jewish solidarity with Palestine at a pivotal and historic moment, but also offering a vision of a Jewish future that is fully attuned to our histories and traditions while transcending the ugly nationalism that has characterized our community since the creation of the State of Israel. Kroll-Zeldin illuminates a past, a present, and most importantly a future that is not merely centered around political activism but offers a Jewish voice that brings us into solidarity with social justice movements around the world. This book is a valuable contribution. * Mitchell Plitnick, co-author of Except for Palestine * Kroll-Zeldin’s sensitive and textured examination of what leads some young American Jews to engage in Palestine solidarity initiatives couldn’t come at a better time. Understanding why some individuals choose to reach across the ethnic divide to enact social and political change helps unravel the ongoing mystery of how some people manage to skirt the dominant expectations of their communal upbringing. And it illuminates a key question around how individuals and groups draw markedly different lessons from the same apparent teachings as they move through the world, trying to make it just a little bit better. * Mira Sucharov, author of Borders and Belonging: A Memoir * The young American Jewish activists represented in this book…confidently root opposition to Israeli apartheid and ethno-nationalism—along with dedication to anti-racism, feminism, queer liberation and climate justice—in Jewish ethics and values. They create new and bolder forms of action on social media and in the streets. And they courageously take leadership of a growing anti-Zionist movement in the US, often challenging their own traditional upbringing. I am proud and heartened to welcome the publication of this timely new book. * Rosalind Petchesky, Co-editor/author, A Land With A People: Palestinians and Jews Confront Zionism *

Author Information

Oren Kroll-Zeldin is Assistant Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies as well as Assistant Director of the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice at the University of San Francisco. He is the co-editor of This Is Your Song Too: Phish and Contemporary Jewish Identity.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available