Polarized

This book diagnoses the roots of American Jewish polarization and offers a concrete, tradition-grounded path toward rebuilding a resilient center. American Jews are among the most politically and religiously divided communities in the United States, a fracture that has intensified alongside national polarization and surged dramatically in the wake of October 7, 2023. Drawing on law, sociology, psychology, and Jewish tradition, Roberta Kwall examines how these divisions developed, why they now pose an existential threat to Jewish communal life, and how they differ in crucial ways from polarization in the broader American public.

The book unfolds in four parts. It first situates Jewish polarization within America's polarized political and religious landscape, explaining how liberal and conservative Jews are shaped by distinct moral priorities, fears, and understandings of religious liberty. It then traces the evolution of internal Jewish divides—over religious practice, Israel, and antisemitism—showing how generational change and campus culture have intensified conflict. Turning to the post-October 7 landscape, the book analyzes how rising antisemitism, academic radicalization, and shifting political alliances have made American Jews not only polarized, but polarizing.

The final section is prescriptive. Kwall articulates a practical model for rebuilding a strong American Jewish center capable of sustaining disagreement without fragmentation. Grounded in Jewish teachings on speech, disagreement, and moral responsibility, she proposes a consensus platform that can guide communal dialogue, institutional planning, and educational initiatives. By prioritizing respectful discourse over ideological victory, the book argues, American Jews can restore internal cohesion while modeling a healthier civic culture for a deeply divided nation.