Twilight of American Jewry

This week marked the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on America. Most of us didn't realize it at the time, but those attacks also marked the beginning of the end of the golden age of American Jewry--on both sides of the ideological divide. Most American Jews make their home on the political Left, and together with black Americans they comprise the most loyal Democratic voting bloc. American Jews have clung to the Democratic Party despite the fact that over the past decade and a half, their position in the party has become increasingly precarious. After the September 11 attacks, the American anti-war movement rose as a force in the party. The movement was quick to conflate its anti-Americanism with hostility for Israel. Jewish anti-war activists were forced to choose between Zionism and pacifism.