Polarized: Why American Jews Are Divided and What to Do about It

Offers a multi-disciplinary examination of the major divides within the American Jewish community prior to, and in the wake of, the Israel-Hamas war and lays out a blueprint for how American Jewry can develop a much-needed, vocal center capable of productive discourse despite areas of disagreement.

Not only has polarization long been recognized as one of the most pressing problems facing the American Jewish community but, in fact, American Jews are among the most divided communities in the United States, a fracture that has deepened dramatically in the wake of the October 7th terrorist attacks against Israel and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war. Drawing on insights from law, sociology, psychology, history, and Jewish tradition, Professor Roberta Kwall examines how these divisions developed, how they both reflect and differ from polarization in our broader society and, most importantly, how and why they pose an existential threat to American Jewish communal life. In tracing the evolution of internal Jewish divides over religious practice, Israel, and antisemitism, she makes clear that different groups of Jews, like all people, are shaped by distinct moral priorities, fears, and understandings of political issues, and she shows how generation gaps and campus culture have intensified these conflicts.

Fortunately, beyond diagnosing the divisions that plague the American Jewish community, Kwall offers a path forward for rebuilding a strong American Jewish center capable of sustaining disagreement without fragmentation. Guided by Jewish teachings on speech, disagreement, and moral responsibility, she proposes a consensus platform that can promote communal dialogue, institutional planning, and educational initiatives by prioritizing respectful discourse over ideological victory.

Author: Roberta Rosenthal Kwall
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Published: 10/01/2026
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 9.11h x 6.11w x 0.71d
ISBN: 9798881842505


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/27/2026

About the Author
Roberta Rosenthal Kwall is the Raymond Niro Law Professor at DePaul University College of Law, and the author of Remix Judaism: Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World; The Myth of the Cultural Jew: Culture and Law in Jewish Tradition; The Soul of Creativity: Forging a Moral Rights Law for the United States; and co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Law. Her articles have appeared in The Free Press, the Chicago Tribune, and many Jewish outlets.