July 16, 1998 - "Are you a Jewish American or an American Jew?" is an old question that speaks volumes about the experience of American Jewry. Mostly, it speaks about the agonizing struggle to preserve Jewishness amidst rampant assimilation.

In a new source book produced by the Orthodox Union (OU) released in time for Tisha B’Av, author Rabbi Yaacov Haber draws on Biblical, talmudic and other traditional wisdom to answer one underlying question: Should Jews try to assimilate as much as possible or maintain themselves as a distinct group?

Entitled Walls, the title alludes to both the walls of Jerusalem breached during the traditional three weeks of mourning as well as the cultural "walls" Jews erect in contemporary society.

"For centuries, the Walls of Jerusalem have symbolized the strength and unity of the Jewish people…. But walls do more than merely unite that which is within; they also separate that which is within from external influences," notes Rabbi Haber in the introduction.

"While the Jew was, for centuries, the ultimate Other and outsider, in America in the 90s, the question is no longer are Jews too marginalized; but rather, are Jews too Americanized?" said Rabbi Raphael B. Butler, Executive Vice President of the OU.

The 36-page source book touches upon a fundamental struggle familiar to virtually all Jews reared on baseball and apple pie: Do we have to choose Jewish values over American values? Should we preserve our role as historic outsider? To what extent should we erect cultural walls to deter our assimilation into mainstream society?

The source book, which is part of the OU’s Pardes Project -- the phenomenally successful informal education program -- and will be used by thousands of Jews all over the world, forces readers to grapple with pragmatic, real life questions such as; would you make an effort to live in a Jewish neighborhood? Do you think its important to have friends who are Jewish? Do you think its important to marry Jewish; why?

Intended to serve as a as a springboard for lively discussions around the world, the source books include compelling, and often conflicting sources. Some of the topics addressed are "the historical loneliness of the Jew," the theological root of anti-Semitism and the purpose of exile.

"The conflict of where to erect a cultural wall is at the heart of many of our daily decisions such as determining whether or not a movie is appropriate for our children. We are engaged in this clash of values on an individual and a societal level all the time, whether we are conscious of it or not," said Rabbi Yaacov Haber, creator of the Pardes Project and Director of the OU’s Department of Jewish Education.

NOTE TO EDITORS: FREE SOURCE BOOK AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

Founded in 1995, the Pardes Project, an international adult education project designed to promote spiritual growth, has more than 15,000 participants on more than 50 college campuses and in 11 countries including Australia, Singapore, South Africa and Germany. Open to Jews on all religious levels, the Pardes Project consists of monthly Jewish discussion groups on topics such as gender, ecology, addiction, tolerance and other issues.

For more information, call 1-800-4CHAVER.

The Orthodox Union, celebrating 100 years of service to the Jewish community of the United States and countries throughout the world, is a world leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 200,000 products in 56 countries around the globe.

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