The Chosen Folks: Jews on the Frontiers of Texas

Jewish History, Life, and Culture

by Bryan Edward Stone

Texas has one of the largest Jewish populations in the South and West, comprising an often-overlooked vestige of the Diaspora. The Chosen Folks brings this rich aspect of the past to light, going beyond single biographies and photographic histories to explore the full evolution of the Jewish experience in Texas. Drawing on previously unpublished archival materials and synthesizing earlier research, Bryan Edward Stone begins with the crypto-Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition in the late sixteenth century and then discusses the unique Texas-Jewish communities that flourished far from the acknowledged centers of Jewish history and culture. The effects of this peripheral identity are explored in depth, from the days when geographic distance created physical divides to the redefinitions of "frontier" that marked the twentieth century. The rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the creation of Israel in the wake of the Holocaust, and the civil rights movement are covered as well, raising provocative questions about the attributes that enabled Texas Jews to forge a distinctive identity on the national and world stage. Brimming with memorable narratives, The Chosen Folks brings to life a cast of vibrant pioneers.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Jewish

312 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2010

Reviews

[John Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! Texans who think they know everything they need to know about their state need to read this book.

Meticulous research, insightful conclusions, masterful writing.

This books fills in so many gaps in my knowledge and experiences growing up in El Paso and Fort Worth.

[Reah N.]

Who was I kidding?
I'm not nearly interested enough in this to go through hundreds of pages on the topic.
I barely started the first chapter and already I'm bored. Who knows, maybe one day I'll try again.