Jewish Life in Small-Town America: A History

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Yale University Press, Oct 1, 2008 - History - 448 pages
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.
 

Contents

Identifying Small Communities
11
The Early Years
32
The Era of Mass Migration
51
4 Patterns of Stability and Mobility
70
5 Patterns of Livelihood and Class
94
6 Patterns of Family Life
126
7 Patterns of Congregational Organization
156
8 Patterns of Synagogue History
177
The East Europeans
243
12 Patterns of Prejudice and Transformation
271
Patterns of Endurance and Decline
295
Reading the Manuscript Census
315
Bibliographic Essay
325
Appendix of Tables
337
Notes
359
Index
425

9 Patterns of Religious Leadership
198
The German Jews
220

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About the author (2008)

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

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