Jewish History

Abba Eban

My People: The Story of the Jews

"Israel's [Former] Minister of Foreign Affairs narrates the story of the Jews from Abraham's migration to The Six Day War." - From Amazon

Michael L. Satlow

Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, Practice

"Satlow offers a fresh perspective on Judaism that recognizes both its similarities and its immense diversity. Presenting snapshots of Judaism from around the globe and throughout history, Satlow explores the links between vastly different communities and their Jewish traditions"

Irving Howe

World of Our Fathers: The Journey of the East European Jews to America and the Life They Found and Made

Winner of the National Book Award

"World of Our Fathers traces the journeys of Eastern Europe's Jews to America over four decades. Beginning in the 1880s, it offers a rich portrayal of the East European Jewish experience in New York and shows how the immigrant generation tried to maintain their Yiddish culture while becoming American." - Yiddish Book Center

John Efron

The Jews: A History

"The Jews: A History is a comprehensive and accessible text that explores the religious, cultural, social, and economic diversity of the Jewish people and their faith....Supported by case studies, online references, further reading, maps, and illustrations, The Jews: A History provides students with a comprehensive and wide-ranging grounding in Jewish history." - Routledge

Lee Levine

Jerusalem: Portrait of the City in the Second Temple Period (BCE-70 CE)

"Jerusalem in the Second Temple period experienced dramatic growth as it achieved unprecedented political, religious, and spiritual prominence. Lee Levine traces the development of Jerusalem during this time—through its urban, demographic, topographical, and archaeological features, its political regimes, public institutions, and its cultural and religious life." - Amazon

Lily E. Hirsch

A Jewish Orchestra in Nazi Germany

"A Jewish Orchestra in Nazi Germany is the first book to seriously investigate and parse the complicated questions the existence of this unique organization raised. Why would the Nazis promote Jewish music when, in the rest of Germany, it was banned? What exactly is Jewish music? Who qualifies as a Jewish composer? And, if it is true that the Nazis conceived of the League as a propaganda tool, did Jewish participation in its activities amount to collaboration?" - Amazon

Robert H. Gillette

Escape to Virginia: From Nazi Germany to Thalhimer's Farm

"Jewish teenagers Eva and Töpper desperately searched for an escape from the stranglehold of 1930s Nazi Germany. They studied agriculture at the Gross Breesen Institute and hoped to secure visas to gain freedom from the tyranny around them. Richmond department store owner William B. Thalhimer created a safe haven on a rural Virginia farm where Eva and Töpper would find refuge. Discover the remarkable true story of two young German Jews who endured the emotional torture of their adolescence, journeyed to freedom and ultimately confronted the evil that could not destroy their spirit. Author Robert H. Gillette retells this harrowing narrative that is sure to inspire generations to come." - Arcadia Publishing

Nathan Ausubel

Pictorial History of the Jewish People

"This comprehensive, easy reading book with over 1200 accompanying illustrations is commendable for its clarity and sympathetic handling of a difficult subject. Starting from the important question of what a Jew is, the author traces the tribes of Israel from their Biblical days to their return to Israel. He discusses the fate of the Jews all over the world, relating actions with prevailing ideas and social conditions through the centuries, and for modern times notes outstanding Jewish contributors to the lives of their nations. The devolving beliefs of the Jews themselves is also given consideration. Good for supplementary school reading as well as for general consumption." - Kirkus Reviews

Judith R. Baskin and Kenneth Seeskin

The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture

"The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture is a comprehensive and engaging overview of Jewish life, from its origins in the ancient Near East to its impact on contemporary popular culture. The twenty-one essays, arranged historically and thematically, and written specially for this volume by leading scholars, examine the development of Judaism and the evolution of Jewish history and culture over many centuries and in a range of locales." - Amazon 

Roman Vishniac

A Vanished World

"This pictorial history of Jewish life in Germany in the 1930s before the Holocaust, shows the stories of individuals, their increasing poverty, sad wisdom and enduring love in the years leading up to World War II." - Goodreads