Judaism is, through its scholarly traditions, both inclusive and isolationist. In the Bavli Talmud the rabbis discuss whether or not the Torah, or any other sacred writing, can be translated into the languages of the "goyim" (Hebrew for nations, generally referring to nations other than Israel) and have that translation continue to retain the qualities that make the text sacred. In a statement of unlimited universality the Mishna gives only minimal assurance that translation does not interfere with sacredness. The position is one of assimilation, welcoming cross-cultural interface with the host nation. This paper considers Jewish relations with host nations, specifically suggesting that the "Halakah" (Law) leans decisively toward acculturation rather than assimilation deserves a serious revisiting by U.S. Jews. The paper provides a historical overview of Jewish immigrants' reaction to the U.S., particularly post-World War II. Considering the price for Jewish assimilation, it contends that the issue Joseph faced in Egypt was self-definition and asserts that this is the same critical question facing assimilated U.S. Jews today in light of two significant events, the Shoah and the state of Israel. The paper discusses the assimilationist discourse in relation to the Jewish discourse of social responsibility. It finds that understanding that discourse to participate in the social and political life of the U.S. culture is quite different from adopting that discourse as your own; that acculturation is understanding and contributing to the host culture while retaining the content that affords a full and complete connection with the horizons that make a person Jewish. (Contains 13 references and 10 notes.) (BT)