Jewish Life in the American West
This beautifully illustrated book provides new perspectives on life in the West from the 1840s to the 1920s, as well as on the Jewish experience in America. Kahn (coeditor, California Jews) provides an introduction, followed by four essays that carry the story beyond the community and local histories and open the way to a more balanced picture of the West's diverse history. The essays address larger motifs, stressing the mobility of the Jewish settlers, their many stops throughout the West, and the effect such travel had on their acculturation. They give special attention to relations with non-Jews, the lives of women, migration patterns, and the role of Jews in Western urban development. A selected readings list suggests community histories and focused studies for further exploration. The book builds on Jews of the American West, edited by Moses Rischin (who provides an afterword here), and thematically advances its scholarship. Recommended for collections of American history and particularly of American Jewish history, as well as for specialized collections on the American West. David B. Levy, Enoch Pratt Lib., BaltimoreCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.