"The year 2004 marks the 350th anniversary of the first Jewish settlement in America. From Haven to Home celebrates this important occasion by bringing together an eminent group of historians who take stock of American Jewish life, from the arrival of the first small group in Manhattan in 1654 to the present." "The essays are amply illustrated with items from the vast Judaica Americana collections of the Library of Congress, among them letters from presidents Washington and Jefferson to prominent leaders of the American Jewish community, the first Hebrew Bible printed in America, and the first American Yiddish cookbook, as well as selections of photographs, prints, diaries, maps, and sheet music." "In telling the story of diverse groups of Jewish immigrants, who over the centuries made the United States their home, From Haven to Home examines the intertwined themes, and sometimes conflicting aims, of accommodation, assertion, adaption, and acculturation that have characterized the American Jewish experience from its beginnings in 1654 to the present day."--Jacket.
