Sliding to the Right: The Contest for the Future of American Jewish Orthodoxy
Written by one of the country's leading experts on American Judaism, this insightful book offers a comprehensive snapshot of Orthodox Jewry in the United States. It explores how the community has evolved since World War II and considers its future trajectory. Through detailed analysis, the author provides a nuanced understanding of the community’s development over the decades.
The book incorporates rich details of everyday life, including fine-grained observations of cultural practices and descriptions of educational institutions. Samuel Heilman skillfully delineates the various Orthodox Jewish groups, highlighting the ongoing contest between the proudly parochial, contra-acculturative Haredi Orthodoxy and the accommodationist Modern Orthodoxy. This dynamic shapes the community’s ongoing debates about its future direction.
Overall, the narrative presents a picture of an Orthodox Jewry that has grown both in numbers and religious intensity. The community has moved farther to the religious right as it strives to define itself and preserve age-old traditions amidst the challenges of modernity, secularization, technological advances, and the pervasive influence of contemporary American culture.