Media and Culture in the U.S. Jewish Labor Movement

"In his exhaustive and highly original study of the Jewish left and its institutions - especially media institutions - in the interwar years, Brian Dolber sheds light upon and connects these developments in an entertaining and provocative manner. Much of what we know as the modern media and the American left was forged during this crucial era and American Jews played an out-sized role. In the second decade of the 21st century, the United States is abuzz with talk of democratic socialism and political revolution and media upheaval. Thanks to Dolber, we now have an accessible, crucial and necessary context to help us proceed through the turbulent times ahead." (Robert W. McChesney, co-author, People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy) "An empirically rich and theoretically astute study focused on a critical juncture in U.S. history. Brian Dolber offers an in-depth account of the role of media, and particularly the periodical, in building both working class consciousness and the Jewish labor movement during the interbellum. The larger than life characters that dominated this period, leap off the page in Dolber's account. If you are interested in media and politics or the history of the labor movement, this book is mandatory reading." (Todd Wolfson, Rutgers University, USA)

Using a wide array of archival sources, Brian Dolber demonstrates the importance of cultural activity in movement politics, and the need for thoughtful debate about how to structure alternative media in moments of political, economic, and technological change.

This book explores the Jewish Left’s innovative strategies in maintaining newspapers, radio stations, and educational activities during a moment of crisis in global democracy. In the wake of the First World War, as immigrant workers and radical organizations came under attack, leaders within largely Jewish unions and political parties determined to keep their tradition of social unionism alive. By adapting to an emerging media environment dependent on advertising, turn-of-the-century Yiddish socialism morphed into a new political identity compatible with American liberalism and an expanding consumer society. Through this process, the Jewish working class secured a place within the New Deal coalition they helped to produce. Using a wide array of archival sources, Brian Dolber demonstrates the importance of cultural activity in movement politics, and the need for thoughtful debate about how to structure alternative media in moments of political, economic, and technological change.