Catalysts of Connectedness : The transformative power of critical experiences in identity formation (Studies of Jews in Society)

This book provides contemporary insight into what characterizes, sustains and transforms the connectedness of Australian Jewish young adults. Whether ethnocultural or religious, the variability in identity choices of young people who seem to have common upbringing experiences makes identity a bit of a black box. Catalysts of Connectedness argues that Jewish education significantly affects young adults' Jewish connectedness, but that without Jewish peers, communal involvement and a sense of homeland, this effect is negligible. It also suggests that Jewish parents, particularly the ways they raise their children, either by exerting warming or cooling the effects of the Jewish education and critical Jewish experiences, tend to be more influential than the communal programs designed to promote their children's Jewish socialization. Offering insight into identity formation, bicultural minorities and Australian Jewry, this book is a must for scholars of contemporary Jewry.