Why read City of Promises?

Book cover of City of Promises: A History of the Jews of New York, 3-volume box set

Book description

Winner of the 2012 National Jewish Book Award, presented by the National Jewish Book Council

New 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…

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Why read it?

1 author picked City of Promises as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Deborah Dash Moore

Author

Understanding New York Jews is key to understanding American Jews. There is no city like New York City and there are no Jews like New York Jews. In the middle of the 20th century, they made up around 30% of the total city population. This three-volume award-winning set uncovers aspects of the city’s history that even aficionados don’t know. Each volume can be purchased separately but together they paint an absorbing panorama across four centuries. I like to teach the volumes. They are fresh each time I read them, with lively prose and compelling vignettes. Reading them is like…

From Deborah's list on The best books about Jewish lives in urban America.