The People's Politicians Book Fair author explores how pop culture influences presidents. Tevi Troy with President George W. Bush in the White House r Jacob Kamaras JNS.org y ehuda Avner's 2010 book, The Prime Ministers, reveals a tradition of voracious readers among Israel's leaders, whose homes were lined with books in multiple languages. While those homes remind Tevi Troy of the residences of America's Founding Fathers, Troy's new book, What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama Tweeted: 200 Years of Popular Culture in the White House (Regnery History), begins with President Barack Obama's reference to the cast of the Jersey Shore reality TV show during the congressional battle over health care. Troy, 46, is a last- minute addition to this year's Jewish Book Fair. The deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush, for whom he also served as Jewish community liaison, will reveal the way in which popular culture has influenced presi- dents — from Lincoln's love of theater to Obama's favorite TV show, The Wire — at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10, at the JCC in West Bloomfield. Troy believes current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reading habits fall in line with the scholarly group of early Israeli leaders depicted by Avner. But in What Jefferson Read, he chronicles the opposite trend developing in the U.S. Israel's youth as a nation when com- pared to the U.S. likely accounts for this discrepancy, he says in an interview with JNS.org. "Maybe there's something about the original founding generation, that in order to establish a state or know what makes a good government, you need as a reader to be steeped in these great questions that man has debated for centuries. Whereas when you're a caretaker leader, perhaps you don't need to read as carefully" Troy's book lays out a historical tra- jectory in which the increasing preva- lence of pop culture in American soci- ety has meant that U.S. presidents must be in tune with that culture in order to both get elected and then be "men of the people" while in office. What presidents may sacrifice in the process of immersing themselves in pop culture, however, is their ability to be scholars and "men of higher under- standing:' Troy writes. What does that trend mean for American Jews? Troy says that pop culture is dispro- portionately shaped by Jewish voices, so if a president needs to be aware of the culture, the president is "clearly aware" of Jewish influences on culture as well. Troy chronicles a long his- tory of American presidents welcoming Jewish artists to the White House and also brings to light vari- ous unique factoids about how U.S. presidents relat- ed to Jews. John Quincy Adams, for example, after his presidency began working on but never completed a written history of the Jewish people. How can modern presidents more effectively mold their images? Troy offers his formula in "Rules for Presidents Engaging Pop Culture" in his book's appendix. He says the book is recommended reading for future presidents and their campaign staffs, who "need to look at [pop culture] seri- ously, and have a plan and a strategy for approaching it:' The same goes for Jewish organiza- tions and leaders, Troy says. "I think the new generation of Jewish leaders needs to adapt to new technolo- gies, just like political leaders need to take these technologies into account:' What lesson can the Jewish commu- nity as a whole glean from Troy's book? "I think Jews should be appreciative of the home we found in America and the welcoming nature of the American community, and also of the role the presidents have played in this process" he says. "But I also think that they need to, when they are in the entertainment world, take their role seriously and think about what messages they are conveying about the Jewish community" Purchase of : : : $1 II $10.00 II 1 ■ •0 I or more II II 1 II I O ft 1 II 1 I Not valid with any other offer. Not valid on breakfast specials.' II With coupon. Exp 12/15/13 Purchase of $20.00 or more I Not valid with any other offer. Not valid on breakfast specials. With coupon. Exp 12/15/13 .1 I L II Graduation Catering reakfast and dinner Open days www.leitwonevisland.com "Much-heralded Star Deli slow-cooks its own tender temptations" — Danny Raskin, 2012 TAR ELI HOURS: MON-SAT 7-9:30 • SUN 7-8 * Potato Latkes * Handcut Lox * Our Regular Tuna & Fat-Free Tuna Can't Be Beat! * Vegetarian Chopped Liver * Homemade Potato Salad & Coleslaw COMPARE OUR LOW PRICES WITH ANY DELICATESSEN IN TOWN! 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