History of the Jews in America


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(4.4 stars; 4 reviews)

Peter Wiernik was an influential Yiddish journalist in Chicago after immigrating from Vilna when he was twenty. He also wrote in Hebrew and English. In this great work he traces the history of the Jewish people in the Americas from the earliest days of exploration to the beginning of the twentieth century. This book is divided into seven parts: I. The Spanish and Portuguese Period, II. The Dutch and English Colonial Period, III. The Revolution and the Period of Expansion, IV. The Second or German Period of Immigration, V. The Civil War and the Formative Period, VI. The Third or Russian Period of Immigration, VII. The Twentieth Century - Present Conditions. - Summary by Larry Wilson (14 hr 36 min)

Chapters

Preface and Introduction 23:46 Read by Francisco Galeano
The Participation of Jews in the Discovery of the New World 17:50 Read by Aviva Apfel
Early Jewish Martyrs under Spanish Rule in the New World. 11:06 Read by Aviva Apfel
Victims of the Inquisition in Mexico and in Peru 10:28 Read by Aviva Apfel
Marranos in the Portuguese Colonies 6:17 Read by Aviva Apfel
The Short-Lived Dominion of the Dutch over Brazil 8:33 Read by Aviva Apfel
Recife: the First Jewish Community in the New World 8:08 Read by Francisco Galeano
The Jews in Surinam or Dutch Guiana 22:32 Read by Francisco Galeano
The Dutch and English West Indies 26:08 Read by Murphy8104
New Amsterdam and New York 22:08 Read by MrHistory89
New England and the Other English Colonies 23:48 Read by MrHistory89
The Religious Aspect of the War of Independence 14:46 Read by Chris Pyle
The Participation of Jews in the War of the Revolution 21:02 Read by roselbex
The Decline of Newport; Washington and the Jews 15:48 Read by MrHistory89
Other Communities in the First Periods of Independence 19:39 Read by roselbex
The Question of Religious Liberty in Virginia and in North Carolina 23:51 Read by MrHistory89
The War of 1812 and the Removal of Jewish Disabilities in Maryland 13:54 Read by VO Gal
Mordecai Manuel Noah and His Territorialist-Zionistic Plans 16:07 Read by roselbex
The First Communities in the Mississippi Valley 30:37 Read by roselbex
New Settlements in the Middle West and on the Pacific Coast 18:29 Read by Cbteddy
The Jews in the Early History of Texas. The Mexican War 14:19 Read by Yi Fan
The Religious Reform Movement 31:46 Read by Richard Vogel
Conservative Judaism and Its Stand against Reform 20:45 Read by Cbteddy
Intervention in Damascus. The Struggle against Swiss Discrimination 29:34 Read by BettyB
The Discussion about Slavery. Lincoln and the Jews 16:05 Read by Cbteddy
Participation of Jews in the Civil War. Judah P. Benjamin 17:19 Read by Cbteddy
Distinguished Services of Jews on Both Sides of the Struggle 20:23 Read by BettyB
The Formative Period after the Civil War 16:09 Read by Jeffery
New Synagogues and Temples. Immigration from Russia Prior to 1880 16:26 Read by Aviva Apfel
The Influx after the Anti-Jewish Riots in Russia in 1881 25:43 Read by Jen Teal Levine
Communal and Religious Activities among the New Comers 24:47 Read by Jen Teal Levine
New Communal and Intellectual Activities 20:24 Read by Cbteddy
The Labor Movement and New Literary Activities 19:15 Read by Cbteddy
Relations with Russia. The Passport Question 27:40 Read by Cbteddy
Legislation about Immigration. Sunday Laws and their Enforcement 23:56 Read by Cbteddy
End of the Century. The Spanish-American War. The Dreyfus Affair. Zionism 13:32 Read by Cbteddy
Synagogues and Institutions. The Encyclopedia. Roumania and the Roumanian Note 28:33 Read by Cbteddy
Help for the Victims of the Russian Massacres in 1903 and 1905. Other Proofs of… 19:15 Read by Cbteddy
The American-Jewish Committee. Educational Institutions and Federations 23:07 Read by Cbteddy
The Jews in the Dominion of Canada 16:16 Read by Cbteddy
Jews in South America, Mexico and Cuba 15:22 Read by Cbteddy
Men of Eminence in the Arts, Sciences and the Professions 26:11 Read by BettyB
Literature: Hebrew and English. Periodicals 25:22 Read by marisad6
Yiddish Literature, Drama and the Press 16:44 Read by marisad6
Present Conditions. The Number and the Dispersion of Jews in America. Conclusion 12:17 Read by Larry Wilson

Reviews

Contextually fascinating


(5 stars)

Very decent reader. I prefer more emotive variability, but the flat-leaning vocal style is good for historical non-fiction, especially if you are listening for study as opposed to self-education (or perhaps purely for entertainment). As for the contents of the book, it contains seldom discussed opinions of the 15th century (and beyond) chronology of American/pre-American historical milestones and events. Now I hope none find the following comment to be offensive, but I simply must share this observation: This book is an incredibly revised historical narrative, written by and for, perhaps the most vocal anti-revisionist ethnic demographic known in modern times. I'd be filtering my true-natured personal commentary to omit it, but again, my goal isn't to offend, and I know nothing of the opinion by historians of this book's author. That being said, I also cannot (with much confidence) speak on the accuracy of the events/information within the book, though the entire reason I looked to read it, was due to my long-held doubt of the accuracy and level of bias in mainstream historical narratives fed to us (Americans) as children. I definitely got an alternative version than any I had learned or heard of. I found it fascinating nonetheless. And if you too question some of the histories you were taught in schools (in the USA), it might intrigue you just how much this book deviates from what most Americans understand to be the full story.


(4.5 stars)

This history is true, basically what happened is that the Sephardi Jews came from Spain and Portugal to the Americas and suffered persecution, later the Sephardi settled in the Dutch and English Colonies and eventually the Ashkenazi settled in the United States becoming the overwhelming majority of the Jewish population. Also for anyone who finds this book Judeo-Centric or Euro-Centric must remember that this is the history of the Jews in America and not the history of America. This is what one may call a Ethnic or Religious history. In hindsight of the Holocaust it is tragic that the US and other countries allowed 6 Million Jews to be Murdered before they put a stop to it, they didn't accept Jewish refugees or did anything to help the German Jews before the war and they didn't try to stop the Genocide during the war, they didn't try to bomb the railroads or gass chambers they left the Jews at the mercy of the Nazi's and those gentiles willing to help them.