The Jewish Americans: A History in Their Own Words 1650-1950

by Milton Meltzer (Editor)

A collection of accounts of personal experiences of Jewish Americans, taken from letters, journals, diaries, autobiographies, speeches, and other documents.

174 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Milton Meltzer wrote 110 books, five of which were nominated for the National Book Award. With Langston Hughes, he co-authored A Pictorial History of Black Americans, now in its sixth edition. He received the 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his contribution to children's literature, the 1986 Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award, and the 2000 Regina Medal. He died in New York City of esophageal cancer at age 94.

Reviews

[Hindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of various primary sources (letters, journal entries, published memoirs, and other documents) catalogs the Jewish American experience from 1650 until 1950. It includes helpful summaries before each source to contextualize. From rampant antisemitism to moments of triumph and success, this collection covers a wide variety of experiences throughout American history. It is a short volume, so there is a great deal more material on this topic out there, but I found it to be a helpful introduction.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of short stories written by Jews in America, starting in 1650 and ending in 1950. Each chapter is a new story, and the author includes introductions describing the author and the circumstances of the writing.