7. The Jewish Metropolis: New York from the 17th to the 21st Century

by Daniel Soyer (Editor)

Overview

The Jewish Metropolis: New York City from the 17th to the 21st Century covers the entire sweep of the history of the largest Jewish community of all time. It provides an introduction to many facets of that history, including the ways in which waves of immigration shaped New York’s Jewish community; Jewish cultural production in English, Yiddish, Ladino, and German; New York’s contribution to the development of American Judaism; Jewish interaction with other ethnic and religious groups; and Jewish participation in the politics and culture of the city as a whole. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field, and includes a bibliography for further reading. The Jewish Metropolis captures the diversity of the Jewish experience in New York.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781644694886
Publisher:	Academic Studies Press
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Series:	The Lands and Ages of the Jewish People
Pages:	326
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Daniel Soyer is professor of History at Fordham University. He is author, with Annie Polland, of The Emerging Metropolis: New York Jews in the Age of Migration, 1840-1920, and coeditor of the journal American Jewish History.

Table of Contents

Introduction: New York as a Jewish City Daniel Soyer vii

Important Note xvi

1 Colonial Jews in New Amsterdam, New York, and the Atlantic World John M. Dixon 1

2 New York Jews and the Early Republic Howard B. Rock 19

3 The Other Jews: Jewish Immigrants from Central Europe in New York, 1820-1880 Tobias Brinkmann 39

4 From the Pale of Settlement to the Lower East Side: Early Hardships of Russian Jewish Immigrants Gur Alroey 62

5 Yiddish New York Ayelet Brinn Eddy Portnoy Daniel Soyer 91

6 "Impostors": Levantine Jews and the Limits of Jewish New York Devin E. Naar 115

7 Jewish Builders in New York City, 1880-1980 Deborah Dash Moore 147

8 New York Jews and American Literature David Mikics 168

9 "I Never Think about Being Jewish-Until I Leave New York": Jewish Art in New York City, 1900 to the Present Diana L. Linden 184

10 Jewish Geography in New York Neighborhoods, 1945-2000 Jeffrey S. Gurock 205

11 New York and American Judaism Rachel Gordan 229

12 Jews and Politics in New York City Daniel Soyer 256

13 How Are New York City Jews Different from Other American Jews? Steven M. Cohen 278

Contributors 296

Index 299

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This is an excellent collection of essays by an all-star cast of scholars and edited by Soyer… [A]s a short, smart introduction to the history of Jews of New York City, this volume is unsurpassed… Recommended.”

– J. D. Sarna, Brandeis University, CHOICE

“The authors in The Jewish Metropolis have a miraculous gift of fresh eyes, reframing the encounter of Jews and New York for all to see the critical role this encounter played in shaping both the City of New York and the trajectory of Jewish history. Starting in the colonial era but focusing mostly on the last century and a half, this collection highlights how Jews from a multitude of backgrounds and places have molded this city and allowed it—with all its diversity, energy and conflict—to shape them to their core as well. Delving into such varied topics as New York City’s linguistic landscape, racial politics, economy, foreign language press, and complex associational life, this remarkable volume underscores how one specific ethno-religious group—the Jews—shaped the development of the most important city in North America, making it into a unique ‘Jewish metropolis’ in their eyes.”

—Rebecca A. Kobrin, Russell and Bettina Knapp Associate Professor of American Jewish History, Columbia University

“The Jewish Metropolis gives readers a fascinating whirlwind tour of Jewish New York from the 1620s to the 2020s. Every essay is enlightening, erudite, and thoroughly enjoyable.”

—Tyler Anbinder, author of City of Dreams: The 400-Year Epic History of Immigrant New York

“An intellectual feast! The authors of The Jewish Metropolis attempt the impossible task of telling the story of New York City’s Jews in a single, modest-sized volume, and succeed brilliantly. The volume is no mere recitation of names and events, but a series of informative and provocative essays on a wide variety of topics; on Yiddish and Ladino; how the city’s Jews prayed and how they voted; where they lived and who built their houses, and many other subjects. Expert or greenhorn, anyone interested in the story of the centuries-long symbiosis between the city and its Jewish population will come away both challenged and enlightened.”

—Peter Eisenstadt, Editor-in-Chief, The Encyclopedia of New York State

“In The Jewish Metropolis, a strong cast of historians explores the rich, complex, and contradictory history of New York City and its Jews. Their research is deep, their writing is clear, and their analyses are subtle. Scholars and general readers alike will learn from this valuable volume.”

—Robert W. Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian and Professor emeritus, Rutgers University

"In this fascinating volume of thoughtful essays, written by a panoply of scholars, New York’s intensely rich Jewish dimension is thoroughly explored and explained....These informative and erudite essays shine a light on a city that supposedly never sleeps and on a community that has had a tremendous impact on it. The Jewish Metropolis takes its place as an invaluable source on the Big Apple."



—Sheldon Kirshner, The Times of Israel