Daniel Gordis, The Rift Between American Jews and Israel

Jewish People & Ideas: Conversations with Jewish Thought Leaders

Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President and the Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College. The author of more than ten books, Gordis is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and writes regularly for the Jerusalem Post. Gordis’ history of the State of Israel, entitled Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn, received the 2016 National Jewish Book Award as “Book of the Year.” Gordis’ writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers including the New York Times, The New Republic, the New York Times Magazine, Azure, Commentary Magazine and Foreign Affairs, and his books have received numerous awards. Professor Alan Dershowitz has called Gordis “one of Israel’s most thoughtful observers.” I sat down with Danny in his office at Shalem College in Jerusalem. We spoke about his newest book We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel, what’s causing the tension between some part of the American Jewish community and the state of Israel and what can be done about it.