Becoming American, Remaining Jewish: The Story of Wilmington, Delaware's First Jewish Community, 1879-1924

Cultural Studies of Delaware and the Eastern Shore

by Toni Young

Wilmington's first permanent Jewish community began as a collection of less than 100 Jews in 1879 and grew to a community of over 4000 people by the early 1920s when the immigration laws changed, and growth slowed down. This in-depth study of one community's success in preserving Jewish values and becoming American will provide insights for all readers interested in exploring questions of identity and community today.

388 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1999