The Jews of Boston : essays on the occasion of the centenary (1895-1995) of the combined Jewish philanthropies of greater Boston

by Jonathan D. Sarna (Editor)

Other authorsEllen Smith (Editor)
Hardcover, 1995

Status

Available

Call number

974.4

Collection

Publication

Boston : Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston

Description

Published on the 350th anniversary of the first Jews to arrive in America, this comprehensive history of the Jews of Boston is now available in a revised and updated paperback edition. The stunning work combines illuminating essays by distinguished Jewish historians with 110 rare photographs to trace the community from its tentative beginnings in colonial Boston through its emergence in the twentieth century as one of the most influential and successful Jewish communities in America. The volume also presents fascinating information about Boston's synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods as well as the evolution of Jewish culture in Boston and the United States. Praise for the previous edition: "The writing is engaging and lucid, and the superb, profuse illustrations enhance the text. While numerous community histories have been published, this volume is in a class by itself--and will set the standard for all future works of this kind."--Library Journal "For those of us who grew up with anecdotes of what being a Jew was like in, say, the South End in 1910, or in Roxbury or Chelsea in 1920, this history, collected in one place for the first time, fills in the blanks. It gives us the context for our inherited folk tales."--Alan Lupo, Boston Globe… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member simchaboston
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
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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 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.
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Language

Original language

English

Physical description

256 p.; 9.25 inches

ISBN

1555532179 / 9781555532178

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