L'Chaim!: To Jewish Life in America: Celebrating from 1654 Until Today [Hardcover]

Susan Goldman Rubin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2004 | Grade Level: 5 and up

Published in association with The Jewish Museum

Coinciding with the 350th anniversary of the first recorded Jewish settlement in North America, this lavishly illustrated introduction to Jewish life is a compilation of compelling first-person reports and well-documented facts. Brimming with photographs, paintings, memorabilia, and other artifacts from the renowned Jewish Museum and other sources, and with text by award-winning author Susan Rubin, this book provides readers with a wide range of examples of North American Jewish life all across the U.S. and Canada. This book continues the growing library of Abrams' high-quality, award-winning, and accessible Judaic-content books. AUTHOR BIO: Susan Goldman Rubin is the author of many acclaimed books for children on creative figures, among them Degas, Van Gogh, Gaugin, and Steven Spielberg. Her biography of Margaret Bourke-White was named ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Smithsonian Notable Book for Children. She lives in Malibu, California.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up - A beautifully produced and illustrated book. Rubin focuses on particular individuals to show how European immigrants have found ways to be both Jewish and American. Though there are some experiences that reflect the tension between the religious and the secular world, the tone of the book is upbeat. The author does not provide a history, but uses a series of vignettes connected by a basic chronological narrative. For instance, the chapter "Jews in the American Revolution" focuses on Haym Salomon and does not discuss general Jewish attitudes toward the Revolution, or ideas about Jews that were held by members of the Revolutionary movement. Rubin is meticulous in her use and crediting of quotations, and they contribute to the text's liveliness and immediacy. Some of the most interesting vignettes are about Jewish cowboys and pioneers. The illustrations include paintings, photographs, and maps. Artifacts from the Jewish Museum are shown and matched to the text in terms of period, but they do not always relate to or amplify the narrative. Although Rubin attempts to show the diversity of American Jewry by focusing on African-American Jews and an Iranian Jew, one noticeable omission is feminism and its impact on Jewish life in America. L'Chaim is more likely to enjoy success as a gift book rather than as a resource for research. It could, however, be a jumping-off point for more serious reading, especially if students use the extensive bibliography, which has useful notations for adult books that are appropriate for younger readers. - Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-9. Among those disembarking in New Amsterdam in 1654 were a group of Jews, who, like their fellow immigrants, left their homes in search of religious freedom. They found harsh treatment here at first; Peter Styvesant branded them second-class citizens. But they also discovered a land rich in opportunity--350 years of it--which Rubin celebrates in this exceptionally attractive package, packed with quotes, personal stories, and photos of art from The Jewish Museum. That's a lot of history to take in, and, consequently, it's hard not to feel rushed as one reads. Then, too, because this honors Jewish contributions and successes, individuals such as mobster Meyer Lansky and the Rosenbergs, whose actions had a huge impact on American Jews, are left out of the mix. There's no denying, though, that the art is gorgeous, and Rubin, as always, writes with clarity and enthusiasm. This may be a selective history, but it's a good one, and it brings to light a wealth of information not readily available to younger readers. Notes for the many direct quotes and picture credits are appended. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810950359
• ISBN-13: 978-0810950351
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,318,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The young person's book for the 350th anniversary, December 19, 2004

By 

James Schuyler "Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives" (Richmond VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: L'Chaim!: To Jewish Life in America: Celebrating from 1654 Until Today (Hardcover)

Finally, there is a work for young people on the 350th anniversary of Jewish settlement in America that meets the high standards of adult books created for the 350th. Noted young adult book author Susan Goldman Rubin has written the junior version of American Judaism by Jonathan Sarna--the young person's book of the year for the 350th. L'Chaim achieves its purpose by focusing on individuals and families who have helped shape the American Jewish experience. Rubin is an award-winning writer who has written many biographies of creative people, so she is ideal to tell this story. The book is accompanied by extraordinary photographs of objects and images from the collection of the unsurpassed Jewish Museum in New York City.

What a wonderful book to read, to use as a reference, and to pass down to younger children and grandchildren in the future!

4.0 out of 5 stars A well-rounded history!, July 5, 2006

By 

Heidi Estrin (The Book of Life podcast, www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: L'Chaim!: To Jewish Life in America: Celebrating from 1654 Until Today (Hardcover)

Produced in association with The Jewish Museum, this book is an

overview of Jewish life in America from the earliest Colonial days to the present. Eighteen chapters follow Jewish-American history chronologically, with a few chapters zeroing in on topics of particular interest such as the life of Rebecca Gratz or Irving Berlin's army experiences. The large, square volume with its many color photographs has the feel of a coffee-table book, and its short tid-bits of information suit it to browsing more than to research purposes.

Photographs and art objects from The Jewish Museum are large, well-reproduced, and clearly captioned, and the pages are made attractive with color accents (there is hardly a white page in the whole book!).

This book was named a 2004 Notable Children's Book of Jewish Content by the Association of Jewish Libraries.

An audio interview with the author is available on The Book of Life podcast's July episode at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.