Stephen Birmingham, who first tackled the Jewish “Crowd”— referring to the socially-risen German Jews, here examines the real crowd, the nearly two million Russian-Polish Jews who poured into New York City between 1881 – 1915. How did they manage, “without money”? Birmingham’s straightforward descriptions name familiar personalities — David Sarnoff, Louis Mayer, Sam Goldwyn, Helena Rubinstein — emigres or first generation Americans who amassed wealth and status — by luck, wiliness, light-fingered appropriation, intelligence — fighters, who continue to retain a benign public image. Meyer Lansky makes the author’s cut, reflecting perhaps, general American perception of million-dollar Jews. Julia Richman surprises. While Birmingham mentions science and academia, the chapters lean primarily on anecdotes and celebrity. Photographs are included. The passion in this book is the ethos of self-made success.
Nonfiction
The Rest of Us: The Rise of America’s Eastern European Jews
- Review
By
– April 20, 2012
Arlene B. Soifer earned degrees in English, and has had many years of experience as a freelance writer, editor, and public relations professional.
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