Jewish Life in Small-Town America : A History

by Lee Shai Weissbach

• ISBN13: 9780300106718
• ISBN10: 0300106718
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2005-05-11
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

In this book, Lee Shai Weissbach offers the first comprehensive portrait of small-town Jewish life in America. Exploring the history of communities of 100 to 1000 Jews, the book focuses on the years from the mid-nineteenth century to World War II. Weissbach examines the dynamics of 490 communities across the United States and reveals that smaller Jewish centers were not simply miniature versions of larger communities but were instead alternative kinds of communities in many respects. The book investigates topics ranging from migration patterns to occupational choices, from Jewish education and marriage strategies to congregational organization. The story of smaller Jewish communities attests to the richness and complexity of American Jewish history and also serves to remind us of the diversity of small-town society in times past.

Author Biography

Lee Shai Weissbach is professor of history at the University of Louisville.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction: Searching for Patterns	1	(219)
1 Patterns of Evidence: Identifying Small Communities	11	(21)
2 Patterns of Settlement: The Early Years	32	(19)
3 Patterns of Settlement: The Era of Mass Migration	51	(19)
4 Patterns of Stability and Mobility	70	(24)
5 Patterns of Livelihood and Class	94	(32)
6 Patterns of Family Life	126	(30)
7 Patterns of Congregational Organization	156	(21)
8 Patterns of Synagogue History	177	(21)
9 Patterns of Religious Leadership	198	(22)
10 Patterns of Culture: The German Jews	220	(23)
11 Patterns of Culture: The East Europeans	243	(28)
12 Patterns of Prejudice and of Transformation	271	(24)
Epilogue: Patterns of Endurance and Decline	295	(20)
Reading the Manuscript Census	315	(10)
Bibliographic Essay	325	(12)
Appendix of Tables	337	(22)
Notes	359	(66)
Index	425