Archive
L.A.’s First Jewish Mayor?
Since the mid 1950s Los Angeles has been the second largest Jewish community in the United States, but has never had a Jewish mayor. New York, by contrast, elected its first Jewish …
The Jewish Religious Scene in Southern California
This post originally appeared in The Jewish Journal. As I wrote upon my return from from the annual meeting of the Association for Jewish Studies, embarrassed that Los Angeles was conspicuously absent …
Jewish Identity and the High Holidays
My dual roles as a Jewish sociologist and a sociologist of American Jewry come to the forefront during the Jewish High Holidays. Each year, as I take part in the holidays, I …
Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities, Contentions, and Complexities
Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities, Contentions, and Complexities Reza Aslan and Aaron J. Hahn Tapper, editors (Palgrave Macmillan: 2011) This book is an exploration of contemporary …
Religion and Politics, by the Numbers
This post originally appeared on Trans/Missions, the USC Knight Chair in Media and Religion blog. The great American political experiment has passed many milestones along the path toward a more inclusive society. …
Passing on the Faith: Transforming Traditions for the Next Generation of Jews, Christians, and Muslims
Passing on the Faith: Transforming Traditions for the Next Generation of Jews, Christians, and Muslims James L. Heft (ed.) (Fordham University Press: 2006) This books was supported by the USC Center for …