Study of a vital immigrant institution and the formation of American ethnic identity.Landsmanshaftn, associations of immigrants from the same hometown, became the most popular form of organization among Eastern European Jewish immigrants to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jewish Immigrant Associations and American Identity in New York, 1880–1939, by Daniel Soyer, holds an in-depth discussion on the importance of these hometown ...

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 gr...

"Masterful . . . gripping immigrant narratives. A must read for anyone interested in immigration, American history, or the Jewish experience in America." -- Beth S. Wenger, Katz Family Chair in American Jewish History, University of PennsylvaniaIn 1942, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research held a contest for the best autobiography by a Jewish immigrant on the theme "Why I Left the Old Country and What I Have Accomplished in America." Chosen from over two hundred ...

Daniel Soyer's history of the Liberal Party of New York State, Left in the Center**, shows the surprising relationship between Democratic Socialism and mainstream American politics.**Beginning in 1944 and lasting until 2002, the Liberal Party offered voters an ideological seal of approval and played the role of strategic kingmaker in the electoral politics of New York State. The party helped elect presidents, governors, senators, and mayor...

The definitive history of Jews in New York and how they transformed the cityJewish New York reveals the multifaceted world of one of the city’s most important ethnic and religious groups.Jewish immigrants changed New York. They built its clothing industry and constructed huge swaths of apartment buildings. New York Jews helped to make the city the center of the nation’s publishing industry and shaped popular culture in music, theater, and the arts....

Winner of the 2012 National Jewish Book Award, presented by the National Jewish Book CouncilNew York Jews, so visible and integral to the culture, economy and politics of America’s greatest city, has eluded the grasp of historians for decades. Surprisingly, no comprehensive history of New York Jews has ever been written. City of Promises: A History of the Jews of New York, a three volume set of original research, pioneers a path-breaking interpretation of a Jewish ...

Describes New York’s transformation into a Jewish cityEmerging Metropolis tells the story of New York’s emergence as the greatest Jewish city of all time. It explores the Central European and East European Jews’ encounter with New York City, tracing immigrants’ economic, social, religious, political, and cultural adaptation between 1840 and 1920. This meticulously researched volume shows how Jews wove their ambitions and aspirations—for freedom, security, ...

The definitive history of Jews in New York and how they transformed the city Based on the acclaimed multi-volume series, "City of Promises: A History of the Jews of New York," Jewish New York reveals the multifaceted world of one of the city's most important ethnic and religious groups. Spanning three centuries, Jewish New York traces the earliest arrival of Jews in New Amsterdam to the recent immigration of Jews from the former Soviet Union. Jewish immigrants transformed New York. They bu...