From Booklist
This latest volume in ABC-CLIO's Political Participation in America series provides a historical survey and current analysis of Jews in American political life. Written by a prolific scholar of some important historical works on both American Jews and U.S. foreign policy and also on the Middle East, this volume primarily consists of five essays covering the history of Jewish political involvement since the nation's founding; a discussion on various movements, including labor unions, civil rights, New Left, Soviet Jewry, and Zionism; voting behavior; and Jews in Congress. Each chapter concludes with a list of references, and many of these entries appear later in an annotated bibliography. A useful feature is a collection of primary documents, including Washington's famous letter to the Touro synagogue in Rhode Island. Among other features are an A-Z list of "Key People, Laws, and Terms"; a brief, descriptive list of American Jewish historical and political organizations including their addresses, phone numbers, and Web sites; and a chronology.This book is well written and provides a compact and easily accessible history of American Jewish political life. Jews in American Politics (Rowman & Littlefield, 2001) and The Congressional Minyan: The Jews of Capitol Hill (KTAV, 2000) are more comprehensive and useful ready-reference sources. Nevertheless, this book serves as an important complement to some of the previous volumes in the series covering African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. RBB
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FROM THE PUBLISHER

This handbook addresses how the Jewish American community emerged from obscurity to play a role in behind-the-scenes power politics and finally appeared center stage.

SYNOPSIS

Part of a series of books that focus on the major ethnic subgroups of the United States, this volume looks at how Jewish-Americans participate in shaping politics. Like its predecessors, it consists of an introductory portrait of the group, containing demographic and historical information and descriptions of political opinions and key issues; as well as examinations of participation in political protest (from marches to direct action); participation in interest groups, participation in electoral politics, and participation in political office holding. The work is more descriptive than analytical and contains numerous historical anecdotes in the form of "case studies." Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

VOYA - Lora Morgaine Shinn

Medoff's book is part of the Political Participation in America series, which discusses various strata in the U.S. population linked by faith, ethnicity, or lifestyle. In his overview, Medoff discusses the history of Jewish immigration to the United States through World War II before turning to a lengthy chapter on protest politics. Other chapters describe the influential yet divided Jewish vote, frustration and success for the Jewish lobby, and Jewish representation in all branches of government-current through Joseph Lieberman's nomination for vice president-in a chapter titled "Jews in Office." Documents that reveal popular American sentiment toward Jewish populations and Israel, such as the so-called Maryland Jew Bill of 1826, are included in the appendix. Medoff is adept at explaining historical and modern-day conflicts and common interests that confront Jewish political interests in America. Zionism, anti-Semitism, Israeli citizenship, feminism, and assimilation are all issues that American Judaism's three branches debate among themselves while advocating their respective political platforms. Historical questions are explored thoroughly, including the sensitive topic of preventing the Holocaust. The Holocaust's context is useful in explaining the Jewish lobby's Israeli advocacy and its current uneasy alliance with Evangelical Christians. Some Jewish communities might find fault with Medoff's work, as the book leans toward a conservative viewpoint, and others might disagree with his descriptions of Reform Judaism. His representation of Israeli-Arab-U.S. politics might also be a source of contention. The invaluable wealth of information and context, however, make this resource arecommended purchase for public and high school libraries. Glossary. Index. Biblio. Chronology. Appendix. 2002, ABC-CLIO, 369p. PLB

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