Customer Reviews

The Americanization of the Synagogue, 1820-1870 (Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture and Life)

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Rabbi Dr. Leon Jick, of blessed memory, presents in this invaluable volume a crucial understanding of the history of early congregational life in America. Taking a hard look at the Judaic landscape in the United States, one will be immediately struck by the mind-boggling diversity of practice and faith across the great spectrum of American Judaism. In The Americanization of the Synagogue, Rabbi Jick (himself a Reform rabbi) strips the historical process of congregational development down to its core elements. Rabbi Jick offers the reader the experiences and patterns of adjustment to the New World which largely account for the haphazard development of congregational life for Jews in 19th-century America. His work explores such issues as lack of rabbinical presence during much of the 19th century, the strains of economic necessity, lack of Jewish resources and educational programs, acculturation patterns, and the impact of Protestant Christianity on the self-image of early Jewish congregations. Whether you belong to the Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox streams of American Judaism, you will find Dr. Jick's work to be an invaluable resource in understanding the history and composition of American Jewry.