Challenge and Change History of the Jews in America : The Twentieth Century and Beyond

The second volume in the popular Challenge and Change series picks up with the Civil War (1860) and ends with the role Americans played in Israel's War of Independence (1948). It focuses on themes of growth and change - as America developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the American Jewish community grew and changed with the country.

Contents:

1. The Civil War and the Jews - the positions Jews took in the debate on slavery and their role fighting in the Civil War, for both the North and the South.
2. Immigration and Labor - how and why Jews left Eastern Europe, the conditions they faced during the journey and on their arrival in the United States, and their contributions to the labor movement.
3. American Jews and Zionism - the development of the Zionist movement in the United States and how world-wide events affected the growth of Zionism and the birth of the State of Israel.

Using the following features, each chapter engages students in a critical analysis of the material:

• Reflect On It: Thematic questions motivate and challenge students, helping them to understand the driving forces of each historical era
• Learn It: Definitions of key terms, including "abolitionists," "pogrom," "steerage," and "mandate" enable students to place each term in historical context
• Think About It: Provocative questions inspire students to develop their own interpretations of events
• Do It: Hands-on activities encourage research and discussion
• Click On It: Links to websites allow students to further explore each chapter topic
• Timeline: Concise graphic presentation of important historical events from 1830 to 1960 provide a clear sequence of historical events and personalities

Primary source materials, including maps, letters, and supplementary readings, bring history to life for students, making Challenge and Change an ideal choice for a middle school or high school history elective.