As we near the end of Jewish American Heritage Month, I’d like to share with you a variety of books about the Jewish American experience. The books cover many genres and subjects.

The Jacobs Library’s collection has many fine books about Jews and the Jewish experience in the United States, going back to New Amsterdam, where Jews insisted that they be included in the civic responsibilities of the community.

In addition, Jews fought in every war that the US was involved in, serving at a much higher rate than their percentage of the population.

So, come into the library, search the catalog for United States, or browse the 970 section for history.

For those interested in women in the United States, the Jewish Women’s Archive is invaluable (www.jwa.org). For more general information, the American Jewish Historical Society (www.ajhs.org) and the American Jewish Archives (www.americanjewisharchives.org) have extensive resources.

Many books for younger readers include more detailed and sophisticated background material. In my opinion, books for kids are for all of us, especially if the topic is new to the reader. And who doesn’t like a good picture? A picture is worth a thousand words.

Here’s a baker’s dozen (plus one) of books to tempt you.

NON-FICTION

Jortner, Adam. A Promised land: Jewish patriots, the American Revolution, and the birth of religious freedom. Early American history and policies set the stage for later reforms in Jewish religious and cultural life.

Kreitner, Richard. Fear No Pharaoh: American Jews, the Civil War, and the Fight to End Slavery. Should Jews support slavery and own slaves? This book looks at the question through the lives of six 19th-century immigrants.

Lambert and Stavans (editors). How Yiddish Changed America and How America Changed Yiddish.
Is it possible to conceive of the American diet without bagels? Or Star Trek without Mr. Spock? Are the creatures in Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are based on Holocaust survivors? And how has Yiddish, a language without a country, influenced Hollywood?

Leifer, Joshua. Tablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life. A strong critique of modern American Jewish life whose 20th-century “pillars” of Americanism, Zionism, and liberalism are toppling.

Tamkin, Emily. Bad Jews: a history of American Jewish politics and identities. A wide-ranging look at Jewish American history, focusing on the 20th and 21st centuries. Thought-provoking.

FICTION

Arad, Maya. The Hebrew Teacher: Three Novellas. Three Israeli women living in the US navigate a culture that challenges them.

Lamb, Sacha. When the Angels Left the Old Country. A folklorish take on the standard immigrant tale with a demon and an angel as protagonists and the power of friendship as a major theme.

McBride, James. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store. A history-mystery about a Pennsylvania neighborhood where poor Blacks and immigrant Jews lived. But it’s more than a who-dun-it. This is a story of community and friendship, beautifully written by McBride.

BIOGRAPHY

Eisner, Jane. Carole King: she made the earth move. Born Carol Joan Klein, the famously private sing/songwriter, made a huge impact on popular music in the 1970s. A recent  Broadway musical introduced King to a new generation. Part of the Yale Lives series.

Shnayerson, Michael. Bugsy Siegel: the dark side of the American dream. Part of the acclaimed  Yale Jewish Lives biography series, tells the story of one of the 20th century’s most notorious gangsters who made Las Vegas what it is today.

FOR YOUNGER READERS

Koffsky, Ann. The Peddler and the President. The dramatic story of how President Truman was persuaded to support the recognition of the State of Israel.

Rose, Lisa. The Singer and the Scientist. In 1937, contralto Marian Anderson had no place to stay after a concert in Princeton,  NJ, because she was Black. Famed physicist Albert  Einstein stepped in and offered her a place to sleep in his home. They shared music and the experience of being outsiders in American society.

Sharkan, Danielle. Sharing Shalom. When Laila’s synagogue is vandalized, the greater community comes together to help.

Yolen, Jane. Rebecca’s Prayer for President Lincoln. The community had gathered in the synagogue for Shabbat services when the rabbi interrupted the prayers and announced that President Lincoln had been assassinated. The congregation then spontaneously recited the Mourner’s Kaddish. A moving tale told through the eyes of a young girl. Based on a real incident.