Description
Book SynopsisBrings together two often neglected topics in the study of American Jews the roles of women and of Jewish communities outside the Northeast. This book traces the history and contributions of Jewish women in the American West. It contains stories from the memoirs and records of Jewish pioneer women.
Trade Review"[This book] is a landmark of scholarship in Western Womens history." * Oregon Historical Quarterly *
"Jeanne E. Abrams enriches our understanding of Jewish women and the ways in which, through practical and spiritual commitments, they promoted Judadism, extended the reach of its rituals, spread knowledge of its tenets, and guaranteed their faith a permanent and vibrant presence in the American West." * American Jewish History *
"Respected authority Abrams breaks new ground with this work broadly researched in newspapers, memoirs, correspondence, other archival materials, and a vast secondary literature." * Choice *
"Abrams has written a sweeping, challenging, and provocative history of Jewish women in the American West. . . . Overall, Jewish Women is a pathbreaking work. . . . It is a fast and engrossing read. As a piece of scholarly writing it should be required reading in any course on the American West that seeks to broaden the definition of what it means to be a Westerner." * Colorado Book Review Center *
"Abrams pathbreaking study is filled with remarkable stories, attesting to the fact that Jewish women played a prominent role in commerce, politics, education, the professions, and religious life." * Reform Judaism *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: A View from the West 1 From the Old Country to the New Land: "Going West" 2 Building a Foundation 3 From Generation to Generation 4 Religious Lives of Jewish Women in the West 5 From "Women's Work" to Working Women 6 Scaling the Ivy Walls and into the Professions 7 Entering the Political World Conclusion: Opening New Doors Notes Bibliography Index About the Author
