Description
Book Synopsis'Jews in America' documents the remarkable story of the Jewish presence in the New World, from the time of Columbus to the 1920s, when the Jewish community in the United States was four million strong and an essential part of American society and culture. Drawing on a mix of contemporary books, manuscripts, globes, maps and engravings from the world-renowned collections of the New York Public Library, Jews in America is a vivid document of everyday Jewish-American life, worship, law, and commerce. It tells the fascinating story of the first Jewish immigrants' arrival in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam in 1654 (later New York City), Jewish interaction with the four colonial powers in the Western Hemisphere (Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands and England), and on the ideas and beliefs that they influenced. The final chapter looks at the evolving cultural role of Jews in late 19th and early 20th century New York, especially the rise of the Yiddish theatre.
Trade Review"Reproductions exhibit excellent quality; many are in color on high-grade paper. The volume is well-referenced with endnotes. It concludes with a brief essay on the Jewish division of the New York Public Library. Summing Up: Highly recommended" R Hartsock, "Choice" "A handsome book" "For the library it is a testament to its Jewish division which contains one of the foremost collections of Judaica and Hebraica in the world" Michael Hirsch, "The Portolan" "A beautifully crafted catalogue of choice Jewish treasures" Esther Nussbaum, "Jewish Book World" "From the very beginning it is full of fresh insights" "This is a fascinating story, superbly told" David Herman, "Jewish Renaissance" "Gives a flavour of an important strand in the history of the United States" Cassone
Table of ContentsContents: Preface Introduction I Discovery II New Christians, Conversos, and the Inquisition: The Dutch and the Portuguese in Brazil, Suriname, and the Caribbean III Arriving in New Amsterdam - and then, New York IV Jewish Indians, Puritans and Quakers, the Christian Millennium, and the Hope of Israel V Communities and Constitutions in Colonial North America VI The Long Nineteenth Century of the Jews in America The Dorot Jewish Division of The New York Public Library Further Reading Illustrations, Credits, and Acknowledgments Index
