From Publishers Weekly
Such scholars as Howard M. Sachar, Henry L. Feingold and Jacob R. Marcus, among others, have produced complete histories of American Jewry. Sarna, a Brandeis University professor who has published on various aspects of American Jewish history, now joins the ranks of his distinguished predecessors. Marking the 350th anniversary of Jewish settlement in New Amsterdam (now New York), this outstanding survey emphasizes the religious history of Jews in America. Since it is difficult to disentangle religious history from the entire story of how Jews fared generally in the United States, the book provides a sweeping overview of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of American Jews from 1654 to the present. Sarna writes in sprightly prose, usefully presenting anecdotes about some unfamiliar people and events: for example, he introduces Rachel "Ray" Frank, an obscure late-19th-century "charismatic woman Jewish revivalist." Full attention is also paid to the great rabbinical leaders, the movements they led and the problems they encountered. Sarna's fact-filled presentation demonstrates that American Jews have always worried about intermarriage, assimilation and continuity. At various times, they have found answers in regeneration, revitalization and renewal. Concluding with a consideration of contemporary dilemmas, Sarna draws from history the possibility that "American Jews will find creative ways to maintain and revitalize American Judaism." Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Sarna's detailed history of Jewish life in the U.S. spans 350 years, from its colonial beginnings in 1654 to the present. Sarna points out that already in the late colonial period American Judaism had begun to diverge from religious patterns that existed in Europe and the Caribbean. The American Revolution, the ratification of the Constitution, the passage of the Bill of Rights, and the nationwide democratization of religion further transformed Jewish religious life. Fear for American Judaism's future underlies many aspects of its history, but Sarna believes that the many creative responses to this fear, the innovations and revivals promoted by those determined to ensure that American Jewish life continues and thrives, seem of far greater historical significance. This comprehensive and insightful study of the American Jewish experience is much more than just a record of events. It is an account of how people shaped events: establishing and maintaining communities, responding to challenges, and working for change. It is compelling reading for Jews and non-Jews alike. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Bonny V. Fetterman, Reform Judaism
". . . insightful . . . Challenging those who predict the demise of American Judaism . . . definitive history, celebrates the multifarious faces of American Judaism."

Ruth F. Brin, American Jewish World
". . . flows easily; readers don't need to be academics to enjoy this remarkable book . . . full of fascinating people and movements."

Adam Kirsch, New York Sun
". . . skillful interweaving of demographic and anecdotal history . . . a two-dimensional map to the three-dimensional structure of American Judaism."

Sandee Brawarsky, Jewish Week
"[An] outstanding work . . . Rich in details and insights, the book makes for lively, interesting reading."

Adam Kirsch, New York Sun
". . . skillful interweaving of demographic and anecdotal history . . . a two-dimensional map of the three-dimensional structure of American Judaism."

Ruth F. Brin, American Jewish World
". . . flows easily; reader don't need to be academics to enjoy this remarkable book . . . full of fascinating people and movements."

Book Description
This magisterial work chronicles the 350-year history of the Jewish religion in America. Tracing American Judaism from its origins in the colonial era through the present day, Jonathan Sarna explores the ways in which Judaism adapted in this new context. How did American culture-predominantly Protestant and overwhelmingly capitalist-affect Jewish religion and culture? And how did American Jews shape their own communities and faith in the new world? Jonathan Sarna, a preeminent scholar of American Judaism, tells the story of individuals struggling to remain Jewish while also becoming American. He offers a dynamic and timely history of assimilation and revitalization, of faith lost and faith regained. The first comprehensive history of American Judaism in over fifty years, this book is both a celebration of 350 years of Jewish life in America and essential reading for anyone interested in American religion and life.

From the Back Cover
"This work should emerge as the single best description of American Judaism during its 350 years on American soil. It will eclipse earlier work even as it sensitizes us to the shape that our religious life will take in the opening decades of the third millennium."--Michael Berenbaum, Director, Sigi Ziering Institute, The University of Judaism; "Jonathan Sarna's history of American Jewry is a wonderful read-and at the same time an informative and subtle analysis of the formation of something radically new in Jewish history: a diaspora community that is, for most of its members, not an exilic community."-Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey

About the Author
Jonathan Sarna is Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University, and chairs the Academic Board of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives. Author or editor of more than twenty books on American Jewish history and life, he is also the chief historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History and of the 350th commemoration of Jewish life in America, 1654-2004.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This magisterial work chronicles the 350-year history of the Jewish religion in America. Tracing American Judaism from its origins in the colonial era through the present day, Jonathan Sarna explores the ways in which Judaism adapted in this new context. How did American culture -- predominantly Protestant and overwhelmingly capitalist -- affect Jewish religion and culture? And how did American Jews shape their own communities and faith in the new world?

Jonathan Sarna, a preeminent scholar of American Judaism, tells the story of individuals struggling to remain Jewish while also becoming American. He offers a dynamic and timely history of assimilation and revitalization, of faith lost and faith regained.sThe first comprehensive history of American Judaism in over fifty years, this book is both a celebration of 350 years of Jewish life in America and essential reading for anyone interested in American religion and life.

SYNOPSIS

"This work should emerge as the single best description of American Judaism during its 350 years on American soil. It will eclipse earlier work even as it sensitizes us to the shape that our religious life will take in the opening decades of the third millennium."—Michael Berenbaum, Director, Sigi Ziering Institute, The University of Judaism;"Jonathan Sarna's history of American Jewry is a wonderful read-and at the same time an informative and subtle analysis of the formation of something radically new in Jewish history: a diaspora community that is, for most of its members, not an exilic community."-Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey

Author Biography: Jonathan Sarna is Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University, and chairs the Academic Board of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives. Author or editor of more than twenty books on American Jewish history and life, he is also the chief historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History and of the 350th commemoration of Jewish life in America, 1654-2004.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly