Jonathan D. Sarna

Illuminating essays about the Jewish community of Boston. Though there's a good deal of overlap -- several pieces discuss the migration of Jews from Roxbury and Dorchester to the suburbs --most of the essays are written lucidly, especially the ones about synagogues and schools. The one exception is the piece about Zionism, which doesn't explain the difference between one vague philosophical label and another and doesn't really prove that Boston-area Zionists had a major impact on the show more movement. I also wish that the maps could've been bigger, as they were too difficult to read. These are minor flaws, though, in an overall excellent work. show less

What it says on the tin, including discussions of the ebb and flow of assimilation, the rise of Reconstructionism as the only US-grown version of Judaism, and the role of civil rights/support for Israel in the second half of the twentieth century.

I thought this book was a little disappointing. I really wanted to enjoy it, but I found that it was really a detailed look at the relationship between American Jews and Ulysses S. Grant during and after the Civil War. Grant's order to expel the Jews was short-lived and quickly overturned by Lincoln. Its effect wasn't widespread and wasn't felt by the larger pockets of southern Jews. Based on the title of the book, I was expecting more details about the people who were affected by the order; show more i.e. their personal hardships or change in social status. The discussion of the short-term effects of the order to expel the Jews was actually only a small portion of this book. The rest of the book was about Grant's apparent attempt to restore his relationship with American Jews by involving them in his presidential administration.

I will say that the author has really done his research. Per his estimate, the number of Jews living in America during the mid-1800s was relatively small, so they aren't a common subject in Civil War or Reconstruction literature. In this regard, I doubt you'll find better research than what's in this book. The author is also a good writer, which is refreshing in a book about a somewhat obscure topic. I just unfortunately did not find this to be a page-turner, but it may be a good read for people with interest in Grant or American Jews during the Reconstruction era. show less

A comprehensive survey of the entirety of American Jewish history. It is written for the general reader but does not lack at all in depth or breadth. It is backed by original sources primarily derived from the Reform movement, ostensibly inasmuch as that is the movement that really, according to the author, gathered momentum after reaching this side of the Atlantic. In their search for religious freedom in America, many Jews who began life as Orthodox Jews in Europe sought to free themselves show more from the constraints of literalist renditions of Torah, halachah and "old-fashioned" liturgies in an attempt to assimilate into the New World where, it was hoped, people could be judged not on their race or religion. Jew immigrants, like the Christians before them, wanted to be judged on who they were as individuals in accordance with "modern" humanist thought that stemmed largely from Renaissance thinkers, albeit with a Jewish slant in most instances. Sarna takes the reader through the major Jewish philosophers who were instrumental in growing the religion and leaves the reader with a sense that Jews can likely tell where their people are headed since there is too much deja vu all over again.If you have any desire to know about American Jewish social and intellectual history, this book belongs in your library. show less