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America's Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times to Today
A groundbreaking history of how Jewish women have maintained their identity and influenced social activism as they wrote themselves into American history.
What does it mean to be a Jewish woman in America? In a gripping historical narrative, Pamela S. Nadell weaves together the stories of a diverse group of extraordinary people—from the colonial era’s Grace Nathan and her great-granddaughter Emma Lazarus to Bessie Hillman and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to scores of other activists, workers, wives, and mothers who helped carve out a Jewish American identity.
The twin threads binding these women together, she argues, are a strong sense of self and a resolute commitment to making the world a better place. Nadell recounts how Jewish women have been at the forefront of causes for centuries, fighting for suffrage, trade unions, civil rights, and feminism, and hoisting banners for Jewish rights around the world. Informed by shared values of America’s founding and Jewish identity, these women’s lives have left deep footprints in the history of the nation they call home.
What does it mean to be a Jewish woman in America? In a gripping historical narrative, Pamela S. Nadell weaves together the stories of a diverse group of extraordinary people—from the colonial era’s Grace Nathan and her great-granddaughter Emma Lazarus to Bessie Hillman and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to scores of other activists, workers, wives, and mothers who helped carve out a Jewish American identity.
The twin threads binding these women together, she argues, are a strong sense of self and a resolute commitment to making the world a better place. Nadell recounts how Jewish women have been at the forefront of causes for centuries, fighting for suffrage, trade unions, civil rights, and feminism, and hoisting banners for Jewish rights around the world. Informed by shared values of America’s founding and Jewish identity, these women’s lives have left deep footprints in the history of the nation they call home.
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First published March 5, 2019
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About the author
Pamela S. Nadell
18Ìýbooks22ÌýfollowersPamela S. Nadell is the Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women’s and Gender History and director of Jewish studies at American University. Her books include Women Who Would Be Rabbis, a National Jewish Book Award finalist. She lives in North Bethesda, Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 8, 2019
As an American Jewish Woman myself, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book via a goodreads giveaway.
An informative, well-researched, well written book. A worthwhile read for anyone interested in American history, and/or women's rights, and/or Jewish history. Absolutely essential for those interested in all three.
Of particular note was the section on the incomparable contributions of Jewish Women to the labor rights revolution.
The author perfectly addresses the "intersectionality" with which Jewish women must contend: anti-semitism from Gentile women, misogyny from Jewish men.
This is a book that I will read again and again and eventually pass on to my own daughter.
An informative, well-researched, well written book. A worthwhile read for anyone interested in American history, and/or women's rights, and/or Jewish history. Absolutely essential for those interested in all three.
Of particular note was the section on the incomparable contributions of Jewish Women to the labor rights revolution.
The author perfectly addresses the "intersectionality" with which Jewish women must contend: anti-semitism from Gentile women, misogyny from Jewish men.
This is a book that I will read again and again and eventually pass on to my own daughter.
October 10, 2019
Really loved this book. Giving it five stars despite a rushed ending. I found to be true what I already though, that the periods of American Jewish Women's history that are most interesting to me are the Ellis Island era in NYC, and Jewish feminism's different iterations, in terms of Jewish feminism within Judaism, Jewish lesbian culture, Jewish contributions to Second Wave feminism.
What I love most about this book, is that there is more to explore. I have added quite a few books to my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ based on authors or figures in this book. Also the way that it centers Jewish women's culture. You can tell that it's written by an insider, and also by someone who is quite studious and learned, and also explains terms so that readers who are not Jewish women can learn more from this book about our culture and our history!
What I love most about this book, is that there is more to explore. I have added quite a few books to my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ based on authors or figures in this book. Also the way that it centers Jewish women's culture. You can tell that it's written by an insider, and also by someone who is quite studious and learned, and also explains terms so that readers who are not Jewish women can learn more from this book about our culture and our history!
October 16, 2019
I knew very little about the history of our founding Jewish mothers. My American Jewish women's history started with the Triangle Factory Fire, skipped to the worker's rights movement, brushed by the McCarthy hearings and landed on small town Central Wisconsin in Beverly Garber's mother's 1959 baby blue Impala convertible. In other word's, "Who knew?"
Pamela Nadell's " America's Jewish Women: A History From Colonial Times to Today" is the reason I sometimes sign up for giveaways on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ for books that have very little to do with my regular interests. I learned a great deal about the impact an entire group of our population has had on our country's development, it's laws, our education system, our social structure and our arts & entertainment.
I enjoyed this book. It belongs in all women's history libraries.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
Pamela Nadell's " America's Jewish Women: A History From Colonial Times to Today" is the reason I sometimes sign up for giveaways on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ for books that have very little to do with my regular interests. I learned a great deal about the impact an entire group of our population has had on our country's development, it's laws, our education system, our social structure and our arts & entertainment.
I enjoyed this book. It belongs in all women's history libraries.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
November 16, 2023
book was going well until the last chapter that i had to read (this book was a required reading for a class). the author apparently was able to praise zionism and its defenders for tens of pages but couldn't find a single page to write about jewish anti-zionist activism?? also, in discussing modern american jewish women, nadell could only mention but not discuss jewish lesbians and their intersectionality. fuck this reductionist zionist racist book.
December 21, 2018
A review of the role of Jewish women in America's history, the earliest times are largely imagined ("To peer into their world we must use our imagination.") I prefer more factual nonfiction writing-- the rest of the book seemed thoroughly researched. The author also makes the controversial statement that the Bible "considers male homosexuality a capital crime " with which many scholars would disagree. It was quite interesting to learn how many progressive movements involved Jewish women, and how often they were opposed by Jewish men.
May 30, 2020
Reading about my people always gives me such naches, and I also love learning about people from history who mostly got left out of the history books. So two for two here!
Of course I knew there were Jews in the US from early on, but I guess I had a hard time conceptualizing that alongside all the stories about the Puritans and other Christians and such. So it was pretty interesting to see how Jews made their lives amongst all those other folks, and to what degree they were able to live full Jewish lives. And I really liked seeing through the generations how Jewish women took up various causes, interests, ambitions, etc. We've often been at the forefront of social justice movements and forward-thinking ideas, and some of the women in this book were kick ass.
I did think though that it got a little too narrative at times, and that the author threw too many characters (well, they're not characters, they were real people, but you know what I mean) at us. I had trouble keeping people straight in my mind, their families and such. And it got a little repetitive in the first couple of sections about all the little ins and outs of keeping house and observing their faith and such. And while the subtitle says it goes up to "today," there was very little about present or very recent stories, and I wish there had been more.
But it was overall a fun and interesting read, and I learned a lot! I think this would be a great one for non-Jews to read, as well, but to my fellow MOTs, definitely give a copy to your bubbe :)
Of course I knew there were Jews in the US from early on, but I guess I had a hard time conceptualizing that alongside all the stories about the Puritans and other Christians and such. So it was pretty interesting to see how Jews made their lives amongst all those other folks, and to what degree they were able to live full Jewish lives. And I really liked seeing through the generations how Jewish women took up various causes, interests, ambitions, etc. We've often been at the forefront of social justice movements and forward-thinking ideas, and some of the women in this book were kick ass.
I did think though that it got a little too narrative at times, and that the author threw too many characters (well, they're not characters, they were real people, but you know what I mean) at us. I had trouble keeping people straight in my mind, their families and such. And it got a little repetitive in the first couple of sections about all the little ins and outs of keeping house and observing their faith and such. And while the subtitle says it goes up to "today," there was very little about present or very recent stories, and I wish there had been more.
But it was overall a fun and interesting read, and I learned a lot! I think this would be a great one for non-Jews to read, as well, but to my fellow MOTs, definitely give a copy to your bubbe :)
April 13, 2020
I heard Pamela Nadell speak at EMU pre-covid (how I now see time...) and loved her presentation on her book. I was so excited to hear more about the kosher meat riot and learn more about America's Jewish women. Before hearing her speak, I had not thought to delve into the history, as my parents/grandparents hadn't immigrated here until the '70s, so my country's Jewish history seemed removed from my own history. You may notice that I have read many books about Women's history in the US- in my last year of grad school I took a class and was introduced to some fantastic reads, though to be honest, very little of it talked about Jewish women, it was always as an aside. Thus, I decided I should learn more about the history of my people here.
As a whole, the book was interesting, though the organization was not particularly intuitive. The book is chronological, discusses famous Jewish women, women's organizations, and highlights the many boycotts Jewish women lead/participated in. I found that the lens was mainly on successful/well known secular Jews. There was little about the Orthodox community, and most were platitudes which generalized. I had been hoping she would discuss the growth of the Jewish Day Schools, how Vichna Kaplan brought Bais Yakov to the US, what it is like for modern women to hold onto one culture while being immersed in another.
It is certainly worth a read, despite my minor complaints.
As a whole, the book was interesting, though the organization was not particularly intuitive. The book is chronological, discusses famous Jewish women, women's organizations, and highlights the many boycotts Jewish women lead/participated in. I found that the lens was mainly on successful/well known secular Jews. There was little about the Orthodox community, and most were platitudes which generalized. I had been hoping she would discuss the growth of the Jewish Day Schools, how Vichna Kaplan brought Bais Yakov to the US, what it is like for modern women to hold onto one culture while being immersed in another.
It is certainly worth a read, despite my minor complaints.
September 16, 2023
Bringing together a patchwork of stories from many different Jewish women throughout American history, this book creates a tapestry of the good and the bad, ending on a note of feminism and progress. It does what it set out to do, and although we don't get much detail in any one story, the combination creates a full picture that helps shed light into the struggles and triumphs of Jewesses throughout US history.
April 8, 2019
Nice addition to my own "background" reading in my continuing education/self-study program in Jewish studies. (My thanks to Norton for the complimentary copy.)
May 26, 2019
Interesting but a little textbook. I did enjoy the stories but wish they went into a bit more detail about some of the women’s lives instead of just throwing out names and very brief descriptions of how they helped move us toward modern Judaism and feminism. It’s a good overview.
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October 21, 2019Is this book suitable for an exceptionally intelligent 10-year-old? She is reading adult books such as Ruth Bader Ginsberg's "My Own Words" - adult version.
September 21, 2019
While most American Jews trace their ancestry in America to the early to mid 20th century, Nadell provides adequate proof that Jews have been on these shores for the entire history of the country. A move to America meant reevaluating Jewish practice, but the basic tenets were followed and enforced, more by the women of the house who cooked Jewishly, raised their children Jewishly, and conveyed the importance of their heritage.
First came the Sephardim, Spanish-origin Jews like Emma Lazarus' family; then came the Germans; and finally came the true "huddled masses," the Eastern Jews fleeing pogroms, the tsar's conscription of sons, the torment and debasement of daughters, and the lack of economic opportunity by long established covenants in Europe.
The common thread, however, is that each group brought women who had a sense of singularity and commitment to their brother and sisters in the New world. If you, like me, were raised to believe that the word "Jewess" was connected only to old novels like "Ivanhoe" (the character of Rebecca has long been rumored to be based on Rebecca Gratz, a Philadelphian who would not marry her Christian suitor because of religion), you will need to get over it. Nadell refers to Jewish women for the better part of the book by this term;
She thoroughly illustrates that, even when women were not seen in the workplace, Jewish women were among the first wave of American women workers, working the sewing machines in sweatshops (often owned by uncaring Jewish men), and doing other "homey" occupations for which they were paid pennies to keep their families alive. Later Jewish women were the driving force in unions like the garment workers, who persevered on issues like save work places and livable working conditions..
When men banned Jewish women, or relegated them to lesser roles, in fraternal organizations, women fought back by forming their own groups that mostly supported charitable organizations that cared for American Jews or supported the new found state of Israel. It is no accident that the first woman Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir was Russian born but Milwaukee raised. American women have always had sharp elbows and a bit more chutzpah about achieving the impossible.
Forget the stereotype of a Jewish bubbe cooking Sabbath dinner for her family. Of course they existed (and still do), but between dinners, American Jewish women made waves despite anti-Semitism which has always been a presence in American Jewish lives.
The leaders of the Feminist movement, learning their skills from sisterhood, Hadassah, and unions, were disproportionately Jewish. While this is seldom mentioned, a quick survey of names identifies the intersection of Judaism or part Jewish heritage (e.g. Gloria Steinem) and harder edged desire for higher achievement, higher academic degrees, and more recognition. It was Ruth Bader Ginsburg who asked, "What is the difference between a bookkeeper in the garment district (her mother) and a Supreme Court Justice? One generation.")
As we face the current climate of anti-Semitism, anti LGBTWQ sentiments, and new misogyny in our society, this is a reminder that Jewish American women, far from the Jewish American Princess stereotype, have always been hard at work, first behind the scenes and increasingly in the front of the pack, in the struggle for both Jewish and women's rights.
I gave this four stars instead of five because I don't think the subject will have universal appeal and the I struggled a bit with the end of the book. That doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who needs proof that a (Jewish) woman's place is in the house -- and the Senate.
First came the Sephardim, Spanish-origin Jews like Emma Lazarus' family; then came the Germans; and finally came the true "huddled masses," the Eastern Jews fleeing pogroms, the tsar's conscription of sons, the torment and debasement of daughters, and the lack of economic opportunity by long established covenants in Europe.
The common thread, however, is that each group brought women who had a sense of singularity and commitment to their brother and sisters in the New world. If you, like me, were raised to believe that the word "Jewess" was connected only to old novels like "Ivanhoe" (the character of Rebecca has long been rumored to be based on Rebecca Gratz, a Philadelphian who would not marry her Christian suitor because of religion), you will need to get over it. Nadell refers to Jewish women for the better part of the book by this term;
She thoroughly illustrates that, even when women were not seen in the workplace, Jewish women were among the first wave of American women workers, working the sewing machines in sweatshops (often owned by uncaring Jewish men), and doing other "homey" occupations for which they were paid pennies to keep their families alive. Later Jewish women were the driving force in unions like the garment workers, who persevered on issues like save work places and livable working conditions..
When men banned Jewish women, or relegated them to lesser roles, in fraternal organizations, women fought back by forming their own groups that mostly supported charitable organizations that cared for American Jews or supported the new found state of Israel. It is no accident that the first woman Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir was Russian born but Milwaukee raised. American women have always had sharp elbows and a bit more chutzpah about achieving the impossible.
Forget the stereotype of a Jewish bubbe cooking Sabbath dinner for her family. Of course they existed (and still do), but between dinners, American Jewish women made waves despite anti-Semitism which has always been a presence in American Jewish lives.
The leaders of the Feminist movement, learning their skills from sisterhood, Hadassah, and unions, were disproportionately Jewish. While this is seldom mentioned, a quick survey of names identifies the intersection of Judaism or part Jewish heritage (e.g. Gloria Steinem) and harder edged desire for higher achievement, higher academic degrees, and more recognition. It was Ruth Bader Ginsburg who asked, "What is the difference between a bookkeeper in the garment district (her mother) and a Supreme Court Justice? One generation.")
As we face the current climate of anti-Semitism, anti LGBTWQ sentiments, and new misogyny in our society, this is a reminder that Jewish American women, far from the Jewish American Princess stereotype, have always been hard at work, first behind the scenes and increasingly in the front of the pack, in the struggle for both Jewish and women's rights.
I gave this four stars instead of five because I don't think the subject will have universal appeal and the I struggled a bit with the end of the book. That doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who needs proof that a (Jewish) woman's place is in the house -- and the Senate.
November 16, 2022
Not groundbreaking at all. I gave up near the end of chapter one because the scholarship was so bad: the final straw was that the author claimed General Benjamin Butler resorted to violence against the women of New Orleans during the Civil War. Nope, that never happened, and I was shocked she would state such a thing. Sure, after the secessionist’s outrageous behavior dumping chamber pots onto soldiers� heads, spitting on them, and other clearly treasonous actions, he issued the famous Order 28 saying that women who harassed Union troops would be treated as “women of the town� aka prostitutes. It was never enforced because he had called the bluff on the secessionist women’s unladylike behavior. I believe that historian Mary Ryan has a good discussion of this in her book “Women in Public�, but it has been years since I last read it. General Butler was an anti-slavery advocate at a time when that was still unpopular; the author sides with the pro-slavery forces in an unsavory manner by depicting him the way she does.
Overall, from the part I read, this book is very surface level. It relies on sources well-known to historians, so if you are versed in women’s history or Civil War history or Jewish history, you will not find much new here. It flits from one woman to another, without giving you a sense of the context in which they lived—definitely for the casual reader who already has a solid grounding in U.S. history but hasn’t read too widely.
Overall, from the part I read, this book is very surface level. It relies on sources well-known to historians, so if you are versed in women’s history or Civil War history or Jewish history, you will not find much new here. It flits from one woman to another, without giving you a sense of the context in which they lived—definitely for the casual reader who already has a solid grounding in U.S. history but hasn’t read too widely.
February 26, 2021
For the most part, it's a fine, informative book, not the most entertaining non-fiction book I've ever read. It's a bit difficult to keep track of all the people Nadell mentions, and it isn't told in the strictest chronological fashion. I enjoyed the last three chapters most of all. The first two aren't really that interesting if you're familiar with that period of American history.
I have my own small quibbles with it. At one point, Nadell asserts that banning the use of Yiddish in immigrant children's classrooms was "smart" (page 104). She doesn't explain why, of course, because this is a huge oversimplification and false, depending on who you ask. On page 252, Nadell declares that "worldwide feminism" embraces all kinds of female difference, but not Jewish women. I think some groups of women, for example transwomen, would be very surprised to learn this. Some people who call themselves feminists still don't believe in birth control, but apparently we're all uniformly anti-Zionist and therefore anti-Semitic. This would be news to several Jewish feminists I know. And finally, transwomen have their own entire sentence on page 261! Wow Pamela, so inclusive! I mean, I guess it's better than some books about women I've read this year that ignore transwomen entirely.
Overall, it's an informative book, but it's not without it's flaws.
I have my own small quibbles with it. At one point, Nadell asserts that banning the use of Yiddish in immigrant children's classrooms was "smart" (page 104). She doesn't explain why, of course, because this is a huge oversimplification and false, depending on who you ask. On page 252, Nadell declares that "worldwide feminism" embraces all kinds of female difference, but not Jewish women. I think some groups of women, for example transwomen, would be very surprised to learn this. Some people who call themselves feminists still don't believe in birth control, but apparently we're all uniformly anti-Zionist and therefore anti-Semitic. This would be news to several Jewish feminists I know. And finally, transwomen have their own entire sentence on page 261! Wow Pamela, so inclusive! I mean, I guess it's better than some books about women I've read this year that ignore transwomen entirely.
Overall, it's an informative book, but it's not without it's flaws.
August 9, 2020
A good overview of American Jewish women's history and in many ways a valuable update to the seminal THE JEWISH WOMAN IN AMERICA by Baum, Hyman and Michel from the mid-1970s. Much has happened since then, including Jewish American women moving into history as Supreme Court Justices, US Senators, governors and astronauts. In addition, unlike the earlier history, Nadell doesn't skip over the Sephardi women who were the original Jewish settlers in 1654, settling up and down the Eastern seaboard and playing roles in the American Revolution and the War of 1812.
This is a resource for anyone wanting more information on of the role Jewish women played in American communities and in their own Jewish communities, and how their activism moved from the sphere of the Jewish community into the broader arena of American life.
This is a resource for anyone wanting more information on of the role Jewish women played in American communities and in their own Jewish communities, and how their activism moved from the sphere of the Jewish community into the broader arena of American life.
March 7, 2022
Wow. So much information. It is clear to be that this was written from a liberal, feminist perspective. If an orthodox person wrote this book, the information would have been more interesting and relevant to me. Especially, the inclusion of Linda Sarsour’s quote about Jews and feminism. Yikes! How offensive to the women who love Israel and Judaism and feel appreciated as women.
Also, there was too much emphasis on the “progress� of women in the synagogue and lesbianism. I’m surprised the LGTBQ+ was left out.
I wanted more about Women in Judaism and got more about Feminism in Judaism. Disappointing.
Also, there was too much emphasis on the “progress� of women in the synagogue and lesbianism. I’m surprised the LGTBQ+ was left out.
I wanted more about Women in Judaism and got more about Feminism in Judaism. Disappointing.
July 10, 2020
Pamela Nadell’s America's Jewish Women¬ a History from Colonial Times Until Today, is a tour de force of history, flash biography and succinct feminist treatise on the Jewish women who informed their wide swath of influence over the course of America’s history. Finely written, Nadell’s work draws together the stories, the contexts and the meaning of these women’s contributions to the Jewish world in this country and elsewhere. Brava!
May 25, 2019
Very informative and a quick read. It appeared that Jewish women in the past were one big league of social workers. Then they became disproportionately connected with just about every liberal cause there was. But is this good?
In between Ultra-Orthodoxy and unending support of left wings causes, perhaps a new, more moderate approach should define today's, Jewish woman.
In between Ultra-Orthodoxy and unending support of left wings causes, perhaps a new, more moderate approach should define today's, Jewish woman.
May 30, 2021
the definitive book on American Jewish women’s history. engaging & well-written from start to finish.
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should be required reading for scholars of Jewish history, American history, & women’s history.
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absolutely stunning!
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I’m honored that the author is on my doctoral dissertation committee.
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should be required reading for scholars of Jewish history, American history, & women’s history.
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absolutely stunning!
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I’m honored that the author is on my doctoral dissertation committee.
February 9, 2020
A sweeping history aimed at the non-academic reader. I found it hard to find the criteria by which a particular woman deserved mention. Very few women scientists included. More a political social history.
May 19, 2020
I wanted to learn more about my friend’s culture because I have been considering conversion for years. I reached out to another Jewish friend for advice on what to read, particularly with a feminine perspective. She kindly consulted her rabbis and with their help devised a list. This book actually is not on the list, but while I wait for one that is to be delivered I stumbled upon it.
I am quite pleased with my choice! The author has such a genuine voice, and coupled with her deep knowledge and thorough research, I am reminded of the scholarly articles I read in college and graduate school.
The book paints a gleaming picture of Jewish women in America since been before 1776. This is not a boring read full of dates and names,
Iike some historical reads. Rather, and perhaps because of my particular interest, I find it to be a well-written chronology of brave, genus feats of strong women.
I am quite pleased with my choice! The author has such a genuine voice, and coupled with her deep knowledge and thorough research, I am reminded of the scholarly articles I read in college and graduate school.
The book paints a gleaming picture of Jewish women in America since been before 1776. This is not a boring read full of dates and names,
Iike some historical reads. Rather, and perhaps because of my particular interest, I find it to be a well-written chronology of brave, genus feats of strong women.
October 5, 2024
Fantastic work by Nadell. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Jewish history and/or women's history. I especially found the end enlightening in how Jewish women are being pushed out of spaces by antisemitism masked as antizionism.
October 26, 2018
Reviewed for Library Journal.
April 8, 2019
I love this book
It really gives me a feel for how jewish women evolved and contributed in America through the ages!!!
It really gives me a feel for how jewish women evolved and contributed in America through the ages!!!
July 12, 2019
Very interesting read.
November 22, 2019
Extremely readable - not dry at all. Highly informative and clearly well-researched.
January 22, 2020
Excellent. Well-researched and compellingly written.
October 30, 2020
Excellent information that is not readily available. The writing is done in a way that makes it easy to read. I highly recommend this account of Jewish women from colonial times forward.
June 2, 2021
A survey, so if you're looking for detail, look elsewhere. Otherwise, provides good general knowledge.
January 22, 2022
A slow read for me but it did contain pockets of compelling information, especially around religious reform and labor activism.
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