The Assimilation of American Jews

As a son of Jewish immigrants, I was greatly offended by Daniel Gordis’ article (“Blending In, American Judaism Finds Itself Without Identity,” Commentary, Dec. 31). In this country Jews have achieved prosperity equal to that of the days of David and Solomon. Gordis suggests that we forsake this and instead embrace the culture of oppression. The “accents, ethnic behaviors and religious rituals” of Eastern European Jewish immigrants are no more representative of Judaism than ghettos and pogroms.

It would be detrimental to ourselves and disrespectful to America if we were to cling to Old World norms, rather than embrace the noble values of this great nation. Since the first Jews arrived in New Amsterdam, immigrants have come to this country to partake in the American way of life. If we had kept our shtetl mentality, no Jew would ever have sat on the Supreme Court or run the State Department or owned a Hollywood movie studio. Rather than perpetuate the cultures that persecuted us for centuries, let us exalt the ideals so eloquently presented by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence and by God himself in the Torah.

RANI SITTY

Studio City

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The context of assimilation of the American Jew has changed remarkably this century. After flight from Russian pogroms to America, my grandparents’ assimilation was one of financial survival in a strange new world. They raised their children to get an education and succeed. And succeed they did, albeit in an environment of a quietly American anti-Semitism. Their Judaism was different from Grandma and Grandpa’s, but they gave me a good Jewish education: how to celebrate our holidays, how to eat kosher, how to pray in Hebrew, and most important, a joy and pride in my heritage.

The American context now, at least in my immediate environment, is one of openness and acceptance of diversity. My 6-year-old son watches the Rugrats Hanukkah special on TV and his Christian neighbor friends come over to light Hanukkah candles and exchange gifts. At work, diversity is a value that is openly embraced.

I think Jews in America have never been more accepted and comfortable being Jewish and expressing it. And that’s just the kind of environment I want my children to grow up in.

CARL CEDAR

Anaheim