Jewish History in 100 Nutshells

by Naomi Pasachoff

How does this Jewish history book differ from all others? Instead of burdening the reader with endless details about every single aspect of Jewish history, Pasachoff and Littman provide essential information, easily digested by readers of all ages, that chronicles only the major events and people of the past. The history of the Jews covers a period of over 3,500 years, with an overwhelming number of countries and lands. It is a microcosm of the history of the world. Consequently, even a one-volume work can be difficult to read from cover to cover to gain the sweep of Jewish history. This book speaks to the reader who is interested in individual topics or periods and wants a quick-reference guide to the people and places that truly shaped Jewish history. At the same time, if read from beginning to end, these 'nutshells' will provide a chronological history of the Jews.

Genres: Judaism, History, Religion

362 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 1977

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting format–100 brief articles–that covers highlights of Jewish history from Abraham to the 1990's. Some of them were familiar and some were not. (For example, I had never heard of the Falashas of Ethiopia.) It seems like Black folks are to the Americas what Jews are to the world: such persecution, such perseverance! There seem to be fascinating similarities and differences among oppressed peoples.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for beginners and a refresher course for those of us who studied Jewish history many years ago. I really liked the timeline, but a few maps would have helped, too.