Customer Reviews

The Jews of Boston

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I purchased this book because it covered Jews in Colonial American and my prior knowledge had been confined to the very small Jewish communities (only a few dozen families) in New York City, Newport, Rhode Island, and Philadelphia before and during the Revolutionary War. I was somewhat disappointed to find that the Jew who came to Boston in 1649 remained in the colonies for less than three months. Others came and went for another century and apparently only one resided in Boston in 1695. New York remained the dominant Jewish community throughout and a permanent Jewish community was not truly established in Boston until 1843 when enough emigrants had arrived to ensure consistent minyanim.

Of note is that Protestants in America including those in Boston actively recruited Jews from Central Europe to emigrate in the early 19th century. They sincerely hoped (and expected) the Jews would convert to Christianity and saw themselves as saviors doing God's work in saving Jewish souls. Of course, the reality was that few converted.

The essays that make up this book are extremely well written although they add a gloss for the average reader. It is intended to generate a sense of pride in the Jewish community, and no doubt succeeds handsomely. Certainly this volume far eclipses works presenting histories of other ethnic and religious groups in the US such as Roman Catholics, Scotch-Irish, Germans, Presbyterians, etc. But the most valuable aspect for the non-Jew is that this volume presents the lives and histories of Jews for Jews, not Jews as how they want to be seen by non-Jews. Their posture towards a benevolent US, albeit heavily laced with virulent strains of anti-semitism, is fascinating. The US provided a (compared to the states in Europe) safe place for Jews to live and prosper and they responded with a surfeit of community activism and philanthropy.

As a final aside, this volume did not materially aid me in my research into colonial America. In particular I was searching for Jewish participation in the Revolutionary War, and if the reader can offer any references that could be of use, I would be most appreciative. Unfortunately, this book skipped over such items, and indeed all wars in which the US participated, except for the recruitment of 8,000 Jewish men into the "Jewish Legion" of the British Army in 1917 which fought in Palestine. Perhaps a future volume could add an essay or two concerning Jews in the US military.

This is an excellent book for those interested in the history of Boston's Jewish community. It is well researched, has lots of interesting photos, and was perfect for my husband who needed some specific information regarding a person who had lived early in the 20th century.

This review is from: The Jews of Boston (Paperback)

Being a second-generation West Ender and having to leave the West End by eminent domain, "The Jews of Boston" evoked a floodgate of emotions in me from which to reflect, learn, and view from photos. Granted, there is only a small section devoted to the West End, but it was also important and interesting to learn of the other Jewish neighborhoods in the Boston area. This book gives an excellent historical account of the struggles our people had to confront during the turn of the last century as they settled into Boston.

This book is very well written. Very informative. I like it very much! If you are a Jew from Boston, then you will feel very comfortable in immersing yourself in the history, geography and knowledge which can be found within these pages. You will get a sense of what type of life your parents/grandparents endured.

L'Chaim to nostalgia as we walk down memory lane.....!

S.