American Jews tell stories about who they are and where they come from through a range of everyday objects and supposedly secular organizations. In her book, Beyond the Synagogue: Jewish Nostalgia as Religious Practice, religious studies professor Rachel B. Gross examines the ways many American Jews express longing for Eastern European heritage and argues that such nostalgic activities should be understood as religious practices. Her analysis illuminates how many American Jews find and make meaning within American Judaism today and points to the limits and possibilities of nostalgia, including challenges in embracing diversity among American Jews.
