Politics, Faith, and the Making of American Judaism

In 1862, in the only instance of a Jewish expulsion in America, General Ulysses S. Grant banished Jewish citizens from the region under his military command. Although the order was quickly revoked by President Lincoln, it represented growing anti-Semitism in America. Convinced that assimilation was their best defense, Jews sought to Americanize by shedding distinctive dress, occupations, and religious rituals.

American Jews recognized the benefit and urgency of bridging the divide between Reform and Orthodox Judaism to create a stronger alliance to face the challenges ahead. With Grant’s 1868 presidential campaign, they also realized they could no longer remain aloof from partisan politics. As they became a growing influence in American politics, both political parties courted the new Jewish vote.

Once in office, Grant took notice of the persecution of Jews in Romania and Russia, and he appointed more Jews to office than any president before him. Indeed, Simon Wolf, a Washington lawyer who became one of Grant’s closest advisers, was part of a new generation of Jewish leaders to emerge in the post–Civil War era—thoroughly Americanized, politically mature, and committed to the modernized Judaism of the Reform movement.

In Politics, Faith, and the Making of American Judaism, Peter Adams recounts the history of the American Jewish Community’s assimilation efforts, organization, and political mobilization in the late 19^th century, as political and cultural imperatives crafted a new, American brand of Judaism.

“This book will appeal to all those interested in United States Jewish history and Jewish history in general. It also makes important contributions to our understanding of the Civil War, the election of 1868, and Ulysses S. Grant.”
—William Pencak, Pennsylvania State University

“Beginning with the Civil War and going through the turn of the 20th century, Adams’s lucid and concise Politics, Faith, and the Making of American Judaism delineates how American Jews transformed themselves from a fractured constellation of politically feeble communities to an incipient political powerhouse. If you want to know how the American Jewish community rose to political prominence, this book is the place to start.”
—Andrew M. Schocket, Bowling Green State University

Peter Adams, a former journalist, teaches English at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Praise / Awards

• "Adams’s book is at its most compelling in talking about the Civil War and its power to galvanize Jews into anger while prompting them to further acculturate as Americans...as an account of the emergence of Jewish political identity, the book is a valuable contribution to the historical literature."
  --Jewish Book Council
• "This is an admirable overview of the period. Adams covers a wide array of topics and makes some interesting connections."
  --Fred Isaac, Association of Jewish Libraries
• "Solidly researched, Adams’s Politics, Faith, and the Making of American Judaism offers readers insight into Jewish history in the United States."
  --Journal of American Culture

• Table of Contents