IN SEARCH OF AMERICAN JEWISH CULTURE.(Review)(Brief Article)

Stephen J. Whitfield. Univ. Press of New England/Brandeis Univ., $26 (320p) ISBN 0-87451-754-0

American Jewish culture is both omnipresent and in danger of extinction--these are the messages of Brandeis American Studies Professor Whitfield's (American Space, Jewish Time) scholarly and entertaining yet confusing book. We never learn exactly what he means by "American Jewish Culture," despite an early chapter devoted to the definition. Instead we are taken on a whirlwind tour, yo-yoing through the 20th century as our guide points out all the talent of Jewish descent. "The role call," he gushes, "is awesome." The bulk of this book--in thematic chapters on such topics as …