We have been selling and promoting the various Jewish interest titles from Arcadia Publishing for a few years. Arcadia publishes narrowly focused books on specific communities and institutions. Their publications are not the best scholarship (apologies to Simon Bronner, Fred Isaac and others I know to be fine scholars). However, they are generally either the only books on their subjects or the single largest collection of photographic images on their subject. These are popular books with readers. (They're fun.) For Jewish libraries we recommend strong coverage. The most exciting of the new titles to me are Institute for Advanced Study, Jewish Pioneers of the Black Hills Gold Rush, and Jews of Weequahic, but that's just one man's opinion. We have updated this list as of February, 2014. Commentary is primarily the publishers copy. My own remarks are added in and tend to be noticeably terser.
The list below includes new titles and newly reprinted titles. It was originally divided into two parts. The second part - Community histories with significant Jewish aspects - includes titles that would be appropriate for individuals and libraries with a very in depth interest in the specific communities or institutions or an interest in complete coverage of Jewish history and geography has now been separated into a separate post that can be found here. (These books are paper-bound, range in length from 128-154 pages, and are almost entirely b/w photo-books.)
We offer a 20% discount off of the retail prices listed below and reasonable shipping costs. These items may or may not be listed on our website on any given day. If you are interested in ordering please either call 415-831-3228 or email boychik@hollanderbooks.com.
Communities Histories.
Abrams, Jeanne E. Jewish Denver 1859-1960. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-7385-4829-6. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. In 1859, during the Pike’s Peak gold rush, at least 12 Jews joined the
great migration to Colorado in search of gold and a brighter future. The
unpredictability of mining and a growing demand for supplies encouraged
many of these Jewish settlers to establish small businesses in Denver
and in towns and mining camps across the state. By the early 1870s,
Jewish benevolent societies and a congregation were established.
Denver’s dry, mild climate attracted patients with tuberculosis, and two
Jewish sanatoriums were opened in the city around the beginning of the
20th century. Many of the predominantly Eastern European Jews who came
in search of better health made Denver their home, thus augmenting the
early Jewish population significantly. Today Jewish life flourishes in
Colorado, and Jewish citizens continue to play a vital role in its
culture and development. (54843) $19.99
Adler, Richard and Ruth. Jewish Ann Arbor. Charleston, SC, Arcadia
Publishing, 2006. Second Printing. ISBN: 0-7385-4021-8. Royal octavo,
glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos, leaders, bibliography.
Softbound. The earliest Jewish settlers arrived in Michigan during the mid-18th
century. Primarily traders associated with the burgeoning fur industry,
few of these entrepreneurs remained permanently. During the early 1840s,
the five Weil brothers, farmers and tanners from Germany, became the
first prominent Jewish settlers in Washtenaw County. By the end of that
decade, a Jewish cemetery was established on what is now the site of the
Horace Rackham Building on the University of Michigan campus. Though
the Weil family eventually moved west, the cemetery remained as a marker
for what was then a miniscule Jewish presence. In the early 20th
century, Osias Zwerdling and the Lansky family arrived. In addition to
reestablishing a Jewish presence in Ann Arbor, they helped form what
became Beth Israel Congregation. Growth of the Ann Arbor Jewish
community coincided with the evolution of the university, as well as the
city. (36162) $19.95
Baulsir, Linda and Miller, Irwin. The Jewish Communities of Greater
Stamford. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2002. ISBN:
978-0-7385-1144-3. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w
photos throughout. Softbound. The Jewish Communities of Greater Stamford presents a broad historical
view of the Jewish people of Stamford, Darien, Greenwich, and New
Canaan, Connecticut, and Pound Ridge, New York. The book goes back to
the era just prior to the American Revolution, when lone Jewish families
settled among the Connecticut Yankees to engage in trade,
manufacturing, and commerce. The earliest settlers-such as Nehemiah
Marks, who was living and doing business in Stamford as early as
1720-opened stores and other commercial enterprises. By the mid-1800s,
city dwellers began coming to the region for summer vacations. After
1880, settlers arrived via the peddlers' routes and, after accumulating a
little capital, stayed to open shops and establish themselves socially
and politically. The greatest influx came in the 1890s and early 1900s,
when many Jews arrived from the Pale of Settlements, eastern and central
Europe, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Romania, and the Austro-Hungarian
Empire. (69357) $21.99
Brock, Eric J. The Jewish Community of Shreveport. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2002. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-1488-8. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. he Jewish presence in northwest Louisiana actually predates the
establishment of Shreveport in 1836. From the very beginning, Jews have
been part of the city's civic, social, and mercantile life. Pioneer
settlers began holding services in private homes in the 1840s, and by
1858 the community was sufficiently large enough to consecrate a Jewish
cemetery and the first Jewish benevolent association, a forerunner of
today's North Louisiana Jewish Federation. In 1859, the first
congregation was founded. In The Jewish Community of Shreveport the rich
history of this influential and vibrant citizenry is chronicled by
well-known Louisiana historian Eric J. Brock, archivist of Shreveport's
B'nai Zion Temple. Nearly 18 decades of Jewish life in Shreveport are
depicted in over 200 vintage images, many of which are previously
unpublished. Both of the city's synagogues, B'nai Zion and Agudath
Achim, are represented, as are many of the rabbis, business leaders,
political leaders (including three mayors), and laypeople from the
community's long history. (29721) $21.99 
Bronner, Simon J. Greater Harrisburg's Jewish Community. Charleston, SC,
Arcadia Publishing, 2010. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-7313-7. Royal
octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. The Jewish community of Greater Harrisburg became established after
1825, mostly by German immigrants who took up peddling and clothing
trades. They were attracted inland from East Coast cities to Harrisburg,
the growing upriver hub of trade that became Pennsylvania's state
capital in 1812. The community grew to 600 residents by the end of the
19th century and drew attention for a level of civic engagement well
beyond that of comparably sized settlements. Immigration from eastern
Europe in the early 20th century contributed to a tenfold increase of
the Jewish population and a changing ethnic and commercial profile. In
the years that followed, the community added an impressive range of
institutions and continued to have a reputation for activism. Emerging
as the hub of Jewish life in central Pennsylvania, the community
produced internationally renowned figures in Jewish affairs, business,
and arts. Bronner himself is one of those people. He is a prominent Jewish ethnologist with a special appreciation for Jewish material culture. (56200) $21.99
Cutler, Irving. Jewish Chicago: A Pictorial History. Charleston, SC,
Arcadia Publishing, 2000. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-0130-7. Royal
octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. For many years Chicago had the third largest Jewish population of any
city in the world. Through the medium of historic photographs, this book
captures the remarkable evolution of the Jewish people of Chicago, from
their immigrant beginnings in the 1840s to their present-day
communities. It is a story of the cultural, religious, economic, and
everyday life of Chicago’s Jews. These pages bring to life the people,
events, neighborhoods, and institutions that helped shape and transform
today’s Jewish community. The photos and maps, culled from the author’s
and other collections, paint a vivid and informative picture of Chicago
Jewry. In addition to recalling the early immigrant German and later
Eastern European Jews, this book delves into Jewish neighborhoods
including the West Side, South Side, North Side, suburban communities,
and Maxwell Street, a neighborhood which produced such prominent Jews as
musician Benny Goodman, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg,
Admiral Hyman Rickover, community organizer Saul Alinsky, and CBS
founder William Paley. Chicago Jews have also made contributions to the
city and the nation in the arts, commerce and industry, government
service, entertainment, and labor, including seven Nobel prize winners.
The images show Jews as peddlers and sweatshop workers as well as
successful business entrepreneurs and professionals. (54556) $21.99
Cutler, Irving. Chicago's Jewish West Side. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2009. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-6015-1. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout, bibliography. Softbound. For nearly half a century, the greater Lawndale area was the vibrant,
spirited center of Jewish life in Chicago. It contained almost 40
percent of the city's entire Jewish population with over 70 synagogues
and numerous active Jewish organizations and institutions, such as the
Jewish People's Institute, the Hebrew Theological College, and Mount
Sinai Hospital. Its residents included "King of Swing" Benny Goodman,
Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, journalists Irv Kupcinet and Meyer
Levin, federal judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz, civil rights attorney
Elmer Gertz, Eli's Cheesecake founder Eli Shulman, and comedian Shelley
Berman. Many of the selected images come from the author's extensive
collection. This book will bring back memories for those who lived there
and retell the story of Jewish life on the West Side for those who did
not. No matter where the scattered Jews of Chicago live now, many can
trace their roots to this "Jerusalem of Chicago." (54555) $21.99
Davis, Barbara Sheklin and Rabin, Susan B. Jewish Community of Syracuse. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-7385-7658-9. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. While New York City became home for most of the Jewish immigrants who
crossed the Atlantic, others journeyed farther, seeking freedom and
fortune. The city of Syracuse, easily reached by the Erie Canal, became
the next port of call for some. It offered opportunities, open roads,
and a small but ever-growing Jewish community. This history traces the
development of the Jewish community of the Salt City from its beginnings
in the early 18th century, when a handful of peddlers gathered weekly
to share a Shabbat meal, to a much larger community that numbered
11,000–12,000 at its peak a century later. The Syracuse Jewish community
is a microcosm of the history of Jews in America and is both
distinctive and iconic in nature. (69359) $21.99
Dorman, Lee. Nashville's Jewish Community. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2010. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-6680-1. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout, selected bibliography. Softbound. Nashville's Jewish community traces its beginning to 1795 with the birth
of Sarah Myers, the first Jewish child born here. Her parents, Benjamin
and Hannah Hays Myers, were both from prominent pre-Revolutionary War
families in New England and stayed in Nashville just one year before
moving to Virginia. The next few settlers--Simon Pollock, a doctor, in
1843; the Frankland family in 1845; Andrew Smolniker and Dr. H. Fischel,
a dentist, in 1848; and E. J. Lyons in 1849--stayed only a few years
before moving on to Memphis, New Orleans, or elsewhere. The first to
stay and achieve prominence was Isaac Gershon (later changed to
Garritsen), who in 1849 opened his home on South Summer Street for High
Holy Day services and in 1851 formed the Hebrew Benevolent Burial
Association, purchasing land that still serves as Nashville's Jewish
cemetery. The first Jewish congregation, Mogen David, followed in 1854.
The Jewish population of Nashville, which began with five families and
eight young men in 1852, today numbers about 7,500. (54845)
Eshel, Shuli and Schatz, Roger. Jewish Maxwell Street Stories. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2004. ISBN: 978-0-7385-3240-0. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos. Softbound. Very Good. (36164) $21.99
Forgosh, Linda B. Jews of Morris County. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2006. First Edition. ISBN: 0-7385-4565-1. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. Jewish settlers began arriving in Morris County as far back as the Civil
War. These early Jews settled in Morristown, a market town; Dover, a
mining town located on the Morris Canal; and the farming towns of Pine
Brook and Mount Freedom. When each of these communities had 10 adult
males, the minimum number for religious services, they established
Hebrew schools, synagogues, and congregational cemeteries and made
Morris County their home. Morristown and Dover Jews were prosperous
merchants with heavily populated Jewish business districts located on
Speedwell Avenue and Blackwell Street. Stories of live chickens hanging
in the kosher butcher's window and fish swimming in glass pools reflect
this bygone era. Nearby Pine Brook and Mount Freedom Jews, not able to
make a living as farmers, opened summer boarding houses and grew
thriving full-service kosher hotels that rivaled New York's Catskill
resorts. (54841) $19.99
Forgosh, Linda B. Jews of Weequahic. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2008. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-5763-2. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. Known as Newark’s “Jewish Frontier,” Weequahic was home to 35,000 Jewish
residents from the 1930s to the 1960s. Homes built on farm lots, known
as Lyons Farms, attracted the city’s upwardly mobile Jewish families.
Weequahic High School still remains at the heart of the community,
drawing generations of alumni for annual reunions and events. Pulitzer
Prize–winning author Philip Roth, a Weequahic High School graduate,
found inspiration in the community, documenting its intricacies in his
work. The high school still houses a mural, The Enlightenment of Man,
painted by New Deal painter Michael Lenson. This mural is regarded as
one of the most important pieces of public art in the state. Jews of
Weequahic captures the life of this vibrant community that has become
one of Newark’s legendary neighborhoods. Since carrying this title I have been amazed at the number of Jews came out of this high school. They are everywhere. (54857) $21.99
Foster, Geraldine S.; Horvitz, Eleanor F. and Cohen Judith Weiss. Jews of Rhode Island 1658-1958. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 1998. ISBN: 978-0-7385-9015-8. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos. Softbound. Despite their small numbers, the Jews of Rhode Island can claim two
governors and many lawyers, physicians, scientists, manufacturers,
businessmen, artists, and educators in state history. (69361) $21.95
Frey, Valerie and Kole, Kaye. The Jewish Community of Savannah. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2002, 2005. Second Printing. ISBN: 0-7385-1449-7. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos, index. Softbound. Only five months after Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe established the new
colony of Georgia in 1733, pioneering Jewish settlers arrived at her
shores. They landed in Savannah, where over the next several centuries
they built a thriving community within one of the South's most revered
cities. Savannah's Jewish citizenry, while a well-defined entity on its
own, is also steeped in the rich, overall heritage of the area,
contributing to every facet of civic, business, and cultural life. The
Jewish Community of Savannah celebrates, in word and image, the colorful
history of one of the nation's oldest established Jewish communities.
Vintage photographs culled from the Savannah Jewish Archives, housed in
the Georgia Historical Society, reveal what life was like in days gone
by. Early twentieth-century scenes depict Savannah Jews not only in
times of steadfast worship and engaged in earnest business efforts, but
also in lighter moments of celebration and recreation. The three local
congregations are all represented in this collection, including those
practicing Reform Judaism (Congregation Mickve Israel), Orthodox Judaism
(Congregation B'nai B'rith Jacob), and Conservative Judaism
(Congregation Agudath Achim.) (36161) $21.99Garfinkle, Martin. The Jewish Community of Washington, D.C. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 0-7385-4156-7. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos, glossary. Softbound. The Jewish community of Washington, D.C., located in the political nexus of the United States, has often enjoyed attention from people of every level of influence, including the president of the United States. On May 3, 1925, Calvin Coolidge attended the cornerstone laying ceremony of the Washington Jewish Community Center. Herbert Hoover, as a former president, was vocal in his denunciation of Nazi Germany’s treatment of the Jews. His voice garnered the support of many United States senators in 1943, including two from Maryland and one from Virginia. Ronald Reagan sent his personal regards to the Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah Congregation on their 100th anniversary celebration on April 10, 1986. Introduction by Dr. Adam Garfinkle. Foreword by the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington (36158) $21.99
Hintz, Martin. Jewish Milwaukee. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing,
2005. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-3972-0. Royal octavo, glossy paper
covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout, bibliography. Softbound. The Jewish community has a distinguished heritage in Milwaukee, and
Jewish emigres were an integral part of the pioneer fabric of the area.
The 1840s saw the first large influx of Jews to Wisconsin, primarily to
urban Milwaukee. They quickly became leaders in business, politics, and
the arts. Milwaukee’s Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun, founded in
1856, was one of the state’s first congregations and is still going
strong. Over the years, social clubs, arts associations, women’s
benevolent societies, and political organizations were formed.
Milwaukee’s distinguished residents have included Victor Louis Berger,
who was America’s first Socialist congressman, and Golda Meir, who
became prime minister of Israel. Today Sen. Herb Kohl, owner of the
Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, is proud of his city ties. (56567) $21.99
Ioannides, Mara W. Choen and Gholson, M. Rachel. Jews of Springfield in the Ozarks. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-7385-9094-3. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos. Softbound. Jews arrived to the bustling town of Springfield shortly after its
founding in 1838, only five years after the birth of the state of
Missouri. The first Jews to live in Springfield were Victor and Bertha
Sommers with her brother Ferdinand Bakrow. They opened Victor Sommers
& Co., a dry goods store in 1860. The Jewish community grew as
merchants brought their families, tying Springfield to other towns along
the Mississippi River through marriages. The first congregation was
founded in 1893 by the German Reform Jews. In 1918, the Eastern European
Jews founded their Orthodox congregation. In the 1940s, the two merged.
Unlike other small Jewish communities that have slowly perished because
of their children's migration to larger Jewish communities where they
could use their education, this Jewish community in the Ozarks continues
to thrive because of the universities and hospitals in the region. (69363) $21.99
Isaac, Frederick. Jews of Oakland and Berkeley. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2009. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-7033-4. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers with wear to the spine, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. From the time the Jewish people of Oakland first settled in that city,
they have developed their own institutions and style. Starting with the
purchase of land for a cemetery in the 1860s, they created a robust and
unique lifestyle. Throughout the 20th century, Jews in Berkeley have
contributed both cultural and intellectual elements that resonate
through American Jewish life. Building on the work of the founders and
expanding from a local society to a regional population, the Jews of the
East Bay continue to serve as a model for Jewish life through their
innovative programs and commitment to service.
Frederick Isaac is the
archivist of Temple Sinai, the oldest synagogue in the East Bay, and the
author of a history of the Reform movement. In Jews of Oakland and
Berkeley he has used archival material from the Judah Magnes Museum in
Berkeley, as well as images from numerous institutions and private
collections to illustrate both the community’s impressive past and its
vibrant present.
(54560) $21.95
Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles's Boyle Heights. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2005. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-3015-4. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout, selected bibliography. Softbound. Boyle Heights was one of the earliest residential areas outside of Los
Angeles’s original pueblo. From the 1920s through the 1950s, it was the
city’s most ethnically heterogeneous neighborhood with residents coming
from such far-flung places as Mexico, Japan, England, Germany, Russia,
and Armenia, as well as from the eastern, southern, and southwestern
United States. Over the years, Boyle Heights has continued to be a focal
point for new immigration. After long neglect Jewish Angelenos have finally gotten around to repairing the Breed Street shul and taking pride in the nearly lost Jewish cuisine of the neighborhood. (54846) $21.99
Lachoff, Irwin and Kahn, Catherine C. The Jewish Community of New Orleans. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 0-7385-1835-2. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos. Softbound. New Orleans is not a typical Southern city. The Jews who have settled in
New Orleans from 1757 to the present have had a very different
experience than others in the South. New Orleans was a wide-open
frontier that attracted gamblers, sailors, con artists, planters, and
merchants. Most early Jewish immigrants were bachelors who took Catholic
wives, if they married at all. The first congregation, Gates of Mercy,
was founded in 1827, and by 1860, four congregations represented
Sephardic, French and German, and Polish Jewry. The reform movement, the
largest denomination today, took hold after the Civil War with the
founding of Temple Sinai. Small as it is in proportion to the population
of New Orleans, the Jewish community has made contributions that far
exceed their numbers in cultural, educational, and philanthropic gifts
to the city. Hurricane Katrina had a tremendous effect on the Jewish community of New Orleans driving many of the old line population off to Florida, Georgia, Texas and the distant north. In the period of recovery many young Jews new to New Orleans have made new or temporary homes there. With any luck the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars might be playing there tonight. (36160)
Lewin, Rhoda. Jewish Community of North Minneapolis. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2001. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-0817-7. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. The stories of the Jewish community of North Minneapolis are an
important part of the rich and diverse mosaic of North Minneapolis
history. By 1936, there were more than 16,000 Jew in Minneapolis, and 70
percent of them lived on the North Side. The Jewish Community of North
Minneapolis presents an intriguing record of the earliest beginnings of
Jewish communities in the city. Through the medium of historic
photographs, this book captures the cultural, economic, political, and
social history of this community, from the late 1800s to the present
day. The Jews in North Minneapolis enjoyed a busy social and cultural
life with their landsmanschaften, and shopped together at the kosher
butcher shops and fish markets, grocery stores and bakeries, clothing
stores, barber shops, restaurants, and other small businesses that had
sprung up along Sixth Avenue North and then Plymouth Avenue. (69358) $21.99
Meyers, Allen. The Jewish Community Around North Broad Street. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2002. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-1017-0. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. The cradle of Jewish life in Philadelphia began with the establishment
of the first synagogue, Mikveh Israel, in 1740. With the influx of many
German Jews in the 1840s, the community expanded above Spring Garden
Street into the Northern Liberties neighborhood. Urban settlement of
Philadelphia's Jewish population during the last quarter of the
nineteenth century shifted to North Broad Street when the economy
improved for the city's residents after the Civil War. North Broad
Street soon boasted two elegantly designed synagogues and the newly
relocated Jewish Hospital from West Philadelphia. The Jewish Community
around North Broad Street weaves the tale of the Jewish community in
this part of Philadelphia through a collection of rare and stunning
images. The construction of the North Broad Street subway in the 1920s
and the row house Jewish community known as Logan are parts of this
story. The development of business districts led to a more cohesive
north and northwest Jewish community that allowed for satellite Jewish
enclaves to flourish, complete with their own synagogues, bakeries,
kosher meat markets, and hundreds of other shops that served the general
population. In the 1950s, new neighborhoods, such as Mount Airy and
West Oak Lane, alleviated an acute housing shortage at a time when
110,000 Jews lived in north-central and northwest Philadelphia. (54558) $19.99
Meyers, Allen. Strawberry Mansion, The Jewish Community of North Philadelphia.
Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2000. Third Printing. ISBN:
0-7385-0234-0. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos.
Softbound. A section of North Philadelphia, Strawberry Mansion is nestled high on
the banks of the Schuylkill River, adjacent to the large expanses of
Fairmount Park, with many wonderful venues such as Woodside Park. The
area became the setting for America’s premiere Jewish Community in the
20th century, with over 50,000 inhabitants. Strawberry Mansion was the
first Jewish suburb within an urban setting. Affectionately known as
“the Mansion,” it was only a trolley car ride away from the South
Philadelphia immigrant district. Jewish families migrated from one
neighborhood to another as they advanced economically in American
society during the early 1900s. By the mid-1950s, the decision to
discontinue the once heavily traveled route #9 trolley car marked the
decline and eventual demise of Strawberry Mansion as a Jewish enclave. (49389) $21.95
Meyers, Allen. The Jewish Community of West Philadelphia. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2001. ISBN: 978-0-7385-0854-2. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. The Jewish community of Philadelphia west of the Schuylkill River is a
composite of seven distinct neighborhoods surrounding West Philadelphia
proper. These include Fortieth and Girard, Parkside, Wynnefield,
Overbrook Park, Wynnefield Heights, Southwest Philly, and Island Road. A
gathering of seventy-five thousand Jewish people in West Philadelphia
during the twentieth century qualified the area known as "a city within a
city" as a second settlement area. Excellent public transportation
included the famed Market Street Elevated. The West Philadelphia Jews
flourished and supported dozens of synagogues and bakeries, and more
than one hundred kosher butcher shops at the neighborhood's height from
the 1930s through the 1950s. Newly arrived immigrants embraced
traditional Jewish values, which led them to encourage their offspring
to acquire a secondary education in their own neighborhoods as a way of
achieving assimilation into the community at large. (69367) $21.99
Meyers, Allen. Oxford Circle: The Jewish Community of Northeast Philadelphia. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2004. First Edition. ISBN: 0-7385-3621-0. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. The Jewish community of Northeast Philadelphia was created by the
relocation of secondgeneration eastern European Jews from the
neighborhoods of Strawberry Mansion and South, North, and West
Philadelphia. Serving more than one hundred thousand Jewish residents at
its height, Northeast Philadelphia consisted of ten distinctive
neighborhoods, including Feltonville, Oxford Circle, Tacony, and
Mayfair. During the twentieth century, thousands of Jewish families were
attracted to the area by the houses built along Roosevelt Boulevard for
soldiers returning home from World War II. Welsh Road catered to
younger families, and wealthier families resided along Bustleton Avenue
and Fox Chase and Verree Roads. Today, the influx of strictly orthodox
Jewish residents has given rise to a third generation of Jewish life in
Northeast Philadelphia. (29709) $19.99
Meyers, Allen with Nathans, Carl. The Jewish Community Under the Frankford El. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2003 . First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-1221-4. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. In the late nineteenth century, a wave of Jewish immigrants fled eastern
Europe and settled in northeastern Philadelphia along the Delaware
River in Kensington and its surrounding neighborhoods. Separate from the
German-Jewish community of Philadelphia, the new immigrants created new
Jewish settlements that eventually gave way to permanent residences and
businesses along Frankford Avenue, Kensington Avenue, Richmond Street,
Front Street, Torresdale Avenue, and beyond. Synagogues, bakeries,
delicatessens, kosher butchers, and other Jewish establishments
flourished for several decades until the area began to decline in the
1960s as a result of the postindustrial era. (54554) $19.99
Michalski, Henry and Mendelsohm, Donna for the Jewish Historical Society of Napa Valley. Napa Valley's Jewish Heritage. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2012. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-8898-8. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout, bibliography. Softbound. As the world rushed in to profit from California’s gold strike of 1848,
many Jews joined the throng, not necessarily to mine but to sell
merchandise to prospectors. Some settled in Napa Valley, a basin of rich
agricultural land nestled between two mountain ridges. These pioneers
conducted business, making significant contributions to the development
of the Valley. Participating in cultural life, holding public office,
and leading organizations, many also made fine wines, something
perfected thousands of years ago as commanded in scripture. They
continue to do so. The author's came to me trying to buy a book like this. None existed. I told them they would need to write it themselves. I guess somebody listens to me every now and then. (69365) $21.99
Packer, Robert A. Chicago's Forgotten Synagogues. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2007. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-0130-7. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. The disappearing history of Chicago’s Jewish past can be found in the
religious architecture of its stately synagogues and communal buildings.
Whether modest or majestic, wood or stone, the buildings reflected
their members’ views on faith and their commitment to the neighborhoods
where they lived in a time when individuals and the community were
inseparable from their neighborhood synagogues, temples, and shuls. From
Chicago’s oldest Jewish congregation, Kehilath Anshe Maariv Temple
(Pilgrim Baptist), to Ohave Sholom (St. Basils Greek Orthodox), to
Kehilath Anshe Maariv’s last independent building (Operation Push), come
and explore Chicago’s forgotten synagogues and communal buildings. (54557) $19.99
Pierce, Alan S. and Herbster, for the Jewish Historical Society of the North Shore. The Jewish Community of the North Shore. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2003 [2004]. Second Printing. ISBN: 0-7385-1329-6. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. The Jewish Community of the North Shore captures the vibrant history of
Jewish immigration, entrepreneurship, and community life north of
Boston. The first major influx of Jewish immigrants to the region came
in the late nineteenth century as eastern Europeans fled oppression and
persecution in search of a new life in the land of freedom and promise.
Many Jews found work in the tanneries of Peabody, known worldwide as the
Leather City, and in the shoe factories of Lynn, while others ran their
own businesses, including kosher butcher shops, newspapers, and retail
trade stores in Salem and Beverly. Culled from the impressive archives
of the Jewish Historical Society of the North Shore, this rare
compilation pays tribute to the Jewish immigrants who settled north of
Boston and their descendants who became prominent business, spiritual,
and community leaders. We are still looking for a good history of Boston Jewry proper. (54553) $19.99
Pollak, Oliver R. Jewish Life in Omaha and Lincoln: A Photographic
History. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2001. First Edition. ISBN:
978-0-7385-1927-2. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w
photos throughout, selected bibliography. Softbound. By the early 20th century there was a Jewish presence in over 30
Nebraska towns, some dating back to the 1850s. Today, the great majority
of Jews live in Omaha, with a smaller community in the capital city of
Lincoln. Synagogues, temples, community centers, and cemeteries mark the
landscape. In the pages of Jewish Life in Omaha and Lincoln: A
Photographic History, peoples' lives, events, neighborhoods, and
institutions that helped shape and transform today's Jewish community
are brought to life. This vibrant tapestry is captured in images ranging
from a mid-19th century stereopticon to a recent aerial photograph. The
over 230 images, culled from the collection of the Nebraska Jewish
Historical Society, focus on immigration patterns that brought Jews into
the region, from the opening of the West, to the Holocaust, to the
arrival of Soviet Jews. Other images look at the changing face of
synagogues and religious practices in the Midlands. Jewish-founded
businesses that are mentioned in this book are landmarks in Omaha and
throughout the Midwest, from the Nebraska Furniture Mart to Omaha Steaks
International. (54844) $21.99
Preisler, Julian H. Jewish West Virginia. Charleston, SC, Arcadia
Publishing, 2010. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-8606-9. Royal octavo,
glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. West Virginia has a unique history of Jewish settlement dating back to
1849 when the first Jewish organization in the state, a Jewish burial
society, was established by a small group of German Jewish immigrants in
the city of Wheeling. From modest beginnings, Jews settled in towns and
cities and established businesses and communal organizations. Since
that time, the Jews of the Mountain State have been an integral part of
the state's economic, cultural, and political life. Though always
relatively small in size, West Virginia's Jewish population has been a
strong advocate for the state and gained prominence in many areas.
Readers will recognize images of well-known institutions such as
Shoney's, Cohen's, Frankenberger's, Embee's, and others that bring back
fond memories. Despite declines in Jewish population numbers, today's
Jewish community remains active and involved in the life of the state. The recent water contamination of the river running through Charleston, West Virginia has brought some attention to rarely considered Jewish community there. There is a three volume history of Jewish West Virginia, but it is now fifty years old. (56575) $21.99
Rosenblum, Gene H. Jewish Pioneers of St. Paul, 1849-1874. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2001. ISBN: 0-7385-1862-X. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos, bibliography, annotations. Softbound. The roots of the Jewish community of St. Paul, MN, were established in
1849, with the arrival of two American-born brothers from Pennsylvania.
From these early pioneers the community grew and spread. Through the
medium of historic photographs and stories, this book captures the
remarkable evolution of the Jewish people of St. Paul. It is a story of
the cultural, religious, economic, and everyday life of St. Paul Jews.
These pages bring to life the people, events, neighborhoods, and
institutions that helped shape and transform today's Jewish community.
These photographs, derived from the collections of the Minnesota
Historical Society and the Ramsey County Historical Society, paint a
poignant and vivid picture of Jewish life in St. Paul. In addition to
recalling the establishment of Mt. Zion and Sons of Jacob, the first two
major synagogues in St. Paul, this book displays the distinct impact
that prominent Jews of the community, such as Abram Elfelt, Judge Isaac
N. Cardozo, and Isador Rose, had on the shaping of St. Paul. (36166) $21.95
Rosenblum,
Gene H. The Lost Jewish Community of the West Side Flats 1882-1962.
Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 978-0-7385-1986-9. Royal
octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos, list of peddlers,
bibliography, notes. Softbound. Beginning in 1882, many Russian and Eastern-European Jews who fled to
the United States settled in the "West Side Flats" in St. Paul,
Minnesota. The area once stretched from the banks of the Mississippi
River to the cliffs of the West Side Hills, about 320 acres in all, but
has since fallen victim to the vagaries of the mighty river and the
progress of "urban renewal." The Lost Jewish Community of the West Side
Flats: 1882-1962 takes the reader on a pictorial tour down memory lane.
The families, houses, businesses, streets, and synagogues-all vanished
now-are brought back to life through vintage photographs from the
archives of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, the
Minnesota Historical Society, and the private collections of many former
residents. (55999) $21.99
Rossen, Arlene Cohen and Rose, Beverly Magilevy. Jewish Life in Akron.
Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 0-7385-3968-6. Royal
octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos. Softbound. In the mid-1800s, many Jewish families joined the western expansion and
emigrated from Germany to Akron, a canal town that also had an inviting
countryside. They sought economic security and religious freedom—a new
start in a new town. But it was not an easy life. They organized their
Jewish community into cultural and religious groups, and by the 20th
century, their efforts attracted Central and Eastern European Jews with
differing lifestyles. In 1929, the Akron Jewish Center opened and
provided a place for all of the diverse Jewish groups in Akron to
gather.
(36163) $19.95
Sanweiss, Naomi. Jewish Albuquerque 1860-1960. Charleston, SC, Arcadia
Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-7385-7977-1. Royal octavo, glossy paper
covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout, bibliography, index. Softbound.
Very Good. Albuquerque felt a strong if small Jewish presence from early
on. The first TWO mayors of Albuquerque were Jewish. Albuquerque, founded by Spanish colonists in 1706, seems an unusual
place for Jewish immigrants to settle. Yet long before New Mexico
statehood in 1912, Jewish settlers had made their homes in the high
desert town, located on the banks of the Rio Grande River. Initially,
business opportunities lured German Jews to the Santa Fe Trail; during
the expansive railroad days of the 1880s, Jewish citizens were poised to
take on leadership roles in business, government, and community life.
Henry Jaffa, a Jewish merchant and acquaintance of Wyatt Earp, served as
Albuquerque’s first mayor. From launching businesses along Central
Avenue, to establishing the Indian Trading Room at the famed Alvarado
Hotel and founding trading posts, Route 66 tourist establishments, and
the Sandia Tram, Jewish businesspeople partnered with their neighbors to
boost Albuquerque’s already plentiful assets. Along the way, community
members built Jewish organizations—a B’nai B’rith chapter, Congregation
Albert, and Congregation B’nai Israel—that made their mark upon the
larger Albuquerque community. Foreword by Dr.
Noel Pugach. (69356) $21.99
Sheintal, Kimberly. Jews of Sarasota-Manatee. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-7385-9067-7. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos. Softbound. In 1539, explorer Hernando de Soto landed near Sarasota, Florida, but
centuries passed before the Sarasota-Manatee area saw many settlers. By
the late 1840s, a few pioneers had arrived, but it was not until 1913
that the first Jewish person settled here. Other Jewish families
followed, but no organization connected them until the Jewish Community
Center of Sarasota was established in 1925. For early Jewish settlers,
the biggest problem was isolation rather than discrimination. By the
1950s, when the region was experiencing a post-war population boom, some
of Sarasota’s most prominent citizens were Jewish. They played an
enormous role in creating Sarasota’s businesses, charitable
organizations, and cultural assets, including the David Cohen Hall and
the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The Jewish Community Council, a
precursor of the Jewish Federation, formed in 1959. Sarasota-Manatee now
has 13 Jewish congregations and a thriving Jewish population. No jokes about Jewish manatees, please. (69362)
Stanton,
Ann Haber. Jewish Pioneers of the Black Hills Gold Rush.
Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-7385-7781-4. Royal
octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos, bibliography. The
very name Deadwood conjures up vivid Wild West images: saloons with
swinging doors, brazen dance-hall girls, buckskin-clad Calamity Jane
roaming the streets with her erstwhile paramour, Wild Bill Hickok. The
setting is the lawless Dakota Territory of 1876 at the start of the
Black Hills gold rush, a stampede for the golden pay dirt. One would
hardly expect to find a Jewish pioneer grocer named Jacob Goldberg in
this scene, yet Deadwood's story is incomplete without Goldberg. And
Goldberg's story is incomplete without either Calamity Jane or Wild
Bill. Not just Goldberg, but Finkelstein (also known as Franklin), Stern
(also known as Star), Jacobs, Schwarzwald, Colman, Hattenbach, and many
other Jews joined the throngs. The Jews provided much more than
overalls, chamberpots, and the chambers in which to put them. They also
became the mayors, legislators, and civic leaders who helped bring sense
and stability to this unruly expanse. (69360) $21.99
Stiefel, Barry. The Jewish Community of Metro Detroit 1945-2005. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2006. First Edition. ISBN: 0-7385-4053-6. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. After the end of World War II, Americans across the United States began a
mass migration from the urban centers to suburbia. Entire neighborhoods
transplanted themselves. The Jewish Community of Metro Detroit: 1945
–2005 provides a pictorial history of the Detroit Jewish community’s
transition from the city to the suburbs outside of Detroit. For the
Jewish communities, life in the Detroit suburbs has been focused on
family within a pluralism that embraces the spectrum of experience from
the most religiously devout to the ethnically secular. Holidays, bar and
bat mitzvahs, weddings, and funerals have marked the passage of time.
Issues of social justice, homeland, and religion have divided and
brought people together. The architecture of the structures the Detroit
Jewish community has erected, such as Temple Beth El designed by
architect Minoru Yamasaki, testifies to the community’s presence. (54852) 
Tango, Jenny. The Jewish Community of Staten Island. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2004. ISBN: 0-7385-1134-8. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos. Softbound. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a small group of
Jewish immigrants carved out their own vibrant community in Staten
Island. Jewish settlers clustered around the Arietta Street, St. George,
Bergen Point, and Perth Amboy ferries and built seven synagogues and a
Jewish community center. Jewish dry goods, candy, hardware, and men’s
furnishings stores sprung up along the major shopping areas of Jersey
Street and Richmond Avenue. As the Jewish population grew, it expanded
into new developments in Willowbrook, Eltingville, and Arden Heights and
was able to support a Jewish elementary school. Introduction by Dr. Rabbi Gerald Susman (36159) $19.95
Weiss, Arnine Cumsky and Miller-Lanning, Darlene. Jews of Scranton. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 0-7385-3715-2. Royal octavo, glossy paper covers, 128 pp., b/w photos. Softbound. For one hundred fifty years, the Jewish residents of Scranton have
contributed to the vitality of the city. In the nineteenth century, Jews
immigrated to Scranton from Germany and eastern Europe, and Russian
resettlement families arrived during the twentieth century. As merchants
and manufacturers, they sold diamonds and groceries and produced dental
supplies and ginger ale. They achieved recognition as doctors, lawyers,
publishers, financiers, soldiers, and sailors. Dignitaries and
scholars, such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Elie Wiesel, have been their
guests, and they have hosted personalities and pop stars, such as Miss
America and the Mouseketeers. (56000) $21.95
Zerin, Edward. Jewish San Francisco. Charleston, SC,
Arcadia Publishing, 2006. ISBN: 0-7385-4683-6. Royal octavo, glossy
paper covered boards, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. In San Francisco, the "instant city" of the gold rush days, Jews were
pioneers among pioneers. Some came as immigrants directly from Europe,
others as resettled adventurers from the East Coast, and still others as
scions of southern Sephardic families. Out of this mixed multitude
emerged a community with synagogues and institutions to care for the
needy and the sick, along with a dignified social fabric. New immigrants
following the Russian pogroms of 1883 were absorbed, and the ashen
ruins from the 1906 earthquake were rebuilt. The city's cultural
treasures and social needs were enriched, and the city's Jews were
nurtured by civic commitments. Today's 70,000 San Francisco Jews,
standing upon the shoulders of pioneering giants, continue to build and
rebuild. Foreword by Dr. Marc. Dollinger. (59799) $21.99Zerivitz, Marcia Jo, Founding Executive Director, Jewish Museum of
Florida. Jews of Greater Miami. Charleston, SC, Arcadia Publishing,
2009. First Edition. ISBN: 978-0-7385-6719-8. Royal octavo, glossy paper
covers, 128 pp., b/w photos throughout. Softbound. Miami was among Florida’s last communities to develop a Jewish
population. Since the late 1800s, the area that was once just a
settlement of frontiersmen has grown to become the core of the nation’s
third-largest Jewish community. Jews were prominent in business when
Miami was chartered in 1896 and began settling in Miami Beach as early
as 1913. Though faced with hardship and public discrimination, the
immigrant group continued to expand its presence. Images of America:
Jews of Greater Miami contains photographs from family albums that are
part of the archives of the Jewish Museum of Florida. Each historic
photograph tells a story and documents the area’s pioneer Jews, the
diverse ways they contributed to the development of their community, and
the doors they opened for the acceptance of all ethnicities.I am really not sure what to make of the cover photo. It reminds me of similar images with African-Americans which always feel to have racist undertones. The south is a very strange land to me. (54564)
$21.99END
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