From Haven to Home
350 Years of Jewish Life in America
edited by Michael W. Grunberger
George Braziller Publishers: 2005
ISBN: 0807615595
Book Description:
2005 marked the 350th anniversary of the first Jewish settlement in America. From Haven to Home
celebrates this important occasion by bringing together an eminent
group of Judaic scholars who take stock of American Jewish life, from
the arrival of the first small group in Manhattan in 1654 to the
present.
The contributors examine a wide range of
topics, including the early history of the American Jewish community
and the various significant phases of Jewish immigration, which saw the
initial group of twenty-three burgeon into a thriving community of
several million by the early twentieth century. Also addressed is the
role of Jews in the Civil War and in World War II, anti-Semitism in
America, the daily life and struggles of American Jewish women, and
American Jews and politics. The essays are amply illustrated with items
from the collection of the Library of Congress's Hebraic Section, among
them the first Hebrew bible printed in America and the first Yiddish
American cookbook, as well as selections of photographs, prints,
diaries, maps, and sheet music.
Central to the Jewish experience in America is that country's
commitment to ideals of freedom, opportunity, religious liberty,
equality, and pluralism. The continuity of the faith, in fact, depends
on it. From Haven to Home—the story of Jews in America—is therefore also the story of America and American ideals.
