Jack, I appreciate and understand your perspective, but that still does not discount what I wrote (one could certainly argue with the ultimate implications, but not the factual aspect). My statement that Zionism united Jews around the world (is there any other issue that Moroccan, Russian, Yemeni, American and Ethiopian Jews view in fairly similar terms) around an ideal of national identity is absolutely true. Again, you can argue with the implications, that is fair enough. And we can certainly agree that there always needs to be open and constant analysis and criticism. I do think, however, that there is little to stand on in claiming the oppression of Yiddishkeit. Of course it is sad how the language and culture has been often shunned by highly acculturated children of immigrants and such. But that said, in the United States, Yiddish culture IS precisely seen as being Jewish culture. That was my whole point. So to only prop up Yiddishkeit, as Katie seems to suggest, I am saying is a really narrow conceptualization of what it could mean to be Jewish.