Emerging Metropolis

Finally a history of the Jews of New York. Emerging Metropolis demonstrates, with prodigious research and lucid prose, that New York played a crucial role in shaping the Jews, and that the Jews left an indelible stamp on America's great metropolis, New York. Soyer and Polland tell a complicated story that looks both into the inner lives of New York's Jews--in all their complexity--and at the same time surveys the impact of the many other New Yorkers among whom the Jews lived. In doing so the authors show how this city created a Jewish experience that was truly sui generis while it simultaneously shaped modern Jewry around the world. -- Hasia R. Diner,Director, Goldstein-Goren Center of American Jewish History, New York University
Polland and Soyer write a compelling history of both New York and Jewish immigration that will appeal to people who are familiar with New York history and/or Jewish history but also a good starting point for people who are new to either New York history or Jewish history in the United States. Quotes and stories, as well as pictures, make this volume lively, original and a useful source for teaching. -- Julia Trumpold * Yearbook of German-American Studies *
Chronicling New York Jewish life during the era of mass migration, Emerging Metropolis provides a riveting account of the complex matrix of social organizations, economic activities, political movements, and cultural productions created by immigrant Jews. Polland and Soyer bring the citys spaces to life as they describe the invention of a multifaceted Jewish community that took shape within and helped to shape New Yorks diverse and polyglot urban culture. -- Beth S. Wenger,Director, Jewish Studies Program, University of Pennsylvania