The End of Jewish Radar: Snapshots of a Post-Ethnic American Judaism

by Martin S. Jaffee

Explore what it means to be Jewish in contemporary America with a collection of columns by Professor Martin S. Jaffee, which first appeared in Seattle's The Voice of Jewish Washington. From his early days as a boy in suburban Long Island, Jaffee's Jewish radar has served him faithfully. He's always been able to spot a fellow Jew from a mile away, and his faith has helped him through many tough times. It's time to laugh along with the professor as he makes humorous observations and also considers more serious issues such as faith, tradition and family. In this volume you'll read essays Jewish radar in the post-ethnic Twilight Zone; Groucho's paradox; Experiments in popular Jewish mythology; The hardest Jewish conversation; And much more! Jaffee's column "A View From the U," is a fan favorite for Jews throughout the Pacific Northwest and was recognized in 2007 by the Jewish Press Association of America with the Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Journalism. Now, everyone can experience his wit and insights in The End of Jewish Radar.

228 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2009

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, a professor of Jewish studies at the U. of Washington, Seattle, has written an opinion column for his local Jewish paper for some years. This book collects a number of these essays. They're short (~3 pages each), entertaining, self-deprecating, often thought-provoking, & sometimes somewhat pointed. Some sample topics: "Groucho's Paradox: On Joining the Club," "Jewish Radar in the Postethnic Twilight Zone," "Who Is Pious? Whoever Suspects Piety," "The Annual Christmas Whinefest," "Papal Bull," ... &c. I enjoyed them enormously. The author is himself Orthodox. If I have one criticism, it is that while he takes a couple of (legitimate) jabs at the more liberal forms of Judaism, he doesn't do the same for any aspects of Orthodoxy.