We Stand Divided

The Rift Between American Jews and Israel

By: Daniel Gordis

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

From National Jewish Book Award Winner and author of Israel, a bold reevaluation of the tensions between American and Israeli Jews that reimagines the past, present, and future of Jewish life.

Relations between the American Jewish community and Israel are at an all-time nadir. Since Israel’s founding 70 years ago, particularly as memory of the Holocaust and of Israel’s early vulnerability has receded, the divide has grown only wider. Most explanations pin the blame on Israel’s handling of its conflict with the Palestinians, Israel’s attitude toward non-Orthodox Judaism, and Israel’s dismissive attitude toward American Jews in general. In short, the cause for the rupture is not what Israel is; it’s what Israel does.

These explanations tell only half the story. We Stand Divided examines the history of the troubled relationship, showing that from the outset, the founders of what are now the world’s two largest Jewish communities were responding to different threats and opportunities, and had very different ideas of how to guarantee a Jewish future.

With an even hand, Daniel Gordis takes us beyond the headlines and explains how Israel and America have fundamentally different ideas about issues ranging from democracy and history to religion and identity. He argues that as a first step to healing the breach, the two communities must acknowledge and discuss their profound differences and moral commitments. Only then can they forge a path forward, together.

©2019 Daniel Gordis (P)2019 HarperAudio

A Must Read!

A must read for any American Jew who has any reservation about the significance of Israel to the continuity of the Jewish people.

Profound analysis of the divide between Israelis and American Jews

As someone struggling to understand progressive Jews’ perspectives on Israel, this book has taught me much that I don’t know. It is very deeply researched, well balanced, and contains a lot of historical background. It is also very timely. Highly recommended reading or listening.

Thoughtful, important, inspiring

The empathy that Gordis brings to his subjects may be enough to heal significant wounds and overcome fear and pain.

A must read!

A deep, well researched and unbiased look into a most relevant issue for all Jews.

Spot on

Danile Gordis continues to inspire me!!! On to his next book. Suggested title “2020 and American Jews — time to come home”

An interesting look at an age old issue

This book provides an interesting look at an age old issue that is the Israeli Jewish versus the American Jewish communities; and the ways that the divide has always been present, if not subtly so.

Gordis discusses the ways in which American Democracy shaped American Jewry's views on the world and on the religion, versus the ways in which Israel was founded and grew to shape Israeli Jewry's views on the world, the religion, and the people as a whole.

A great and interesting read.

Jews Will Argue With Each Other

This is one of the finest books about contemporary Judaism out there and deserves to be compared to such works as Jew Vs. Jew and Like Dreamers. Even if you have no particular interest in Judaism, this book is valuable as an exercise in recognizing that people are going to choose different legitimate values and this will lead to disagreements without anyone being a villain. For example, there is a question that haunts this book; if we were to decide that it is not possible for there to be a peace treaty with the Palestinians and the Arab world and the only Israel that will be possible is one always at war would you still want there to be a Jewish State? Like any serious moral dilemma, the only possible answer is that there are no good answers that one could offer with a clear conscious.

Provocative expose of Jews in US and Israel

Fred Sanders narrates beautifully.
Gordis really digs down into history and explains the evolution of the Jewish American-Israeli relationship using historians, world leaders, poets, literary giants and .orgs. There is a divide that may not ever be completely reconciled however, it cannot be ignored because the survival of both depends on each other in order to guarantee the global Jewish future. This book is a motivator for dialogue and a lot of listening on both sides.

Well-written and superbly narrated.

Informative, enlightening and very relevant. Enjoyed this a lot. Recommended to any person curious about Israel and the diaspora.

Such an insightful, important book

Any Jew, especially those in Israel or America, will gain a lot by reading this insightful book. Gordis deeply understands, and articulately communicates, the interdependencies between Israel and American Jewry, and demonstrates the challenges and vulnerabilities that exist. Really well done. My only problem was with the narrator - and it should not be enough to discourage anyone from listening to the books. His voice is nice and he has good delivery, but he mispronounces a lot of Hebrew words, and made a number of silly mistakes: in describing Entebbe he said an “Air Force plane” instead of an “Air France” plane; he once called Herzl “Hershel;” and in talking about how Gordis’s brother smuggled a transistor radio into Yom Kippur services in 1973 when the war broke out, and could then get news to everyone in the synagogue, the narrator read "most valuable player" as "most valuable prayer." Gordis is so good on his podcast - too bad he didn't read this book. But don't let that discourage you. 99% of the time the narrator is fine and 100% of the time Gordis is excellent.