The Jewish Review of Books (JRB) is celebrating its thirteenth year and marking an important turning point as it transitions to become a wholly independent nonprofit organization, the Jewish Review of Books Foundation.

In "Confusion and Illusions: 1939," authors Jehuda Reinharz and Yaacov Shavit discuss the challenges faced by Jewish leaders in Europe, the United States, and Palestine leading up to World War II, particularly focusing on the plight of Polish Jews amidst rising anti-Semitism and deteriorating conditions.

During the 1960s, a Jewish graduate student at the University of Michigan encountered ambivalence towards Jewish identity among his peers and faculty members while pushing for a Jewish studies program.