About the Book

Sixty-one of the most accomplished Jews in America speak intimately--most for the first time--about how they feel about being Jewish, the influence of their heritage, the weight and pride of their history, the burdens and pleasures of observance, the moments they've felt most Jewish (or not). In unusually candid interviews conducted by former "60 Minutes producer Abigail Pogrebin over the course of eighteen months, celebrities ranging from Sarah Jessica Parker to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, from Larry King to Mike Nichols, reveal how being Jewish fits into their public and most private lives. This book of vivid, personal portraits reveals how the experience of being Jewish is amplified by fame and also how the author's evolving Jewish identity was changed by what she heard.
- Dustin Hoffman, Gene Wilder, Joan Rivers, and Leonard Nimoy talk about their most startling encounters with anti-Semitism.
- The challenges of intermarriage are explored by Kenneth Cole, Steven Spielberg, Eliot Spitzer, and Ronald Perelman.
- Attitudes toward Israel range from unquestioned loyalty to complicated ambivalence in the musings of Mike Wallace, Richard Dreyfuss, Natalie Portman, and Ruth Reichl.
- William Kristol scoffs at the notion that Jewish values are incompatible with Conservative politics.
- Alan Dershowitz talks about why, despite his Orthodox upbringing, he gave up morning prayer.
- Shawn Green, baseball's Jewish star, describes the burden of that label.
- Tony Kushner finds parallels in being Jewish and being gay.
- Leon Wieseltier throws down the gauntlet to Jews who haven't taken the trouble to study Judaism.
These are just a few snapshots frommany poignant, often hilarious conversations -- with public figures whom many of us felt we already knew.

Product Details

Media: Paperback Book, 385 pages

Language: English

Publisher: Broadway Books

Edition: Unknown

ISBN-10: 0767916131

Publication Date: Aug. 14th, 2007

ISBN-13: 9780767916134

Dimensions: 5.82 x 8.16 x 0.90 inches

Shipping Weight: 0.69 lbs

• Categories: Jewish Studies