This ethnic heritage unit is about Jews in the United States. The first section presents basic facts, such as a map of Israel, map of Eastern Europe, facts about Israel, a bibliography about Jews, and a list of Jewish organizations in the United States. The second section discusses early Jewish settlement in North America, Jewish contributions to the discovery of America, Jewish life in the colonies, Jewish holidays, and Jewish traditions of Passover, Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah, and circumcision. A third section presents background information concerning immigration, the revolutionary war, immigration from Central Europe in the early 19th century, Jews on both sides of the civil war, and Jewish contributions to the American labor movement, as well as the Yiddish theater and newspapers as a bridge between two worlds. Cultural patterns in Europe and USSR are discussed in another section in light of some 20th century Jews who contributed to American life, Jewish historical consciousness, and Theodore Herzl in particular. Another section presents Jewish community organizations, Yom Ha'atzmaut, and "The Law of Return" as conflicting interests within the United States. The last section focuses on current Jewish concerns for human rights, separation of church and state, religion, higher education in Israel, archaeology in Israel, Jewish education in the United States, and travel to Israel by American Jews. Each section is divided into two parts--one denotes the theme of contributions of Jews to American life and/or their integration into American life and the second part refers to the relationship of Jews to Israel and/or their retention of ethnicity in the United States. (ND)