A Time for Searching

Sponsored by the American Jewish Historical Society in its centennial year, this book is part of a five-volume set which chronicles Jewish life in the United States from colonial times to the present. The respective authors explore the roots of Jewish immigration, the experience of settling in America, economic and social adjustment, religious developments and educational aspirations, political involvements, and the experience from generation to generation of what it means to be at once both Jewish and American. In this book, the author describes the turbulent period between 1920-1945 - when Jews were poised to enter the mainstream of American life - and explores issues which would occupy America's Jewish community for the rest of the century. Despite the spectre of anti-semitism, signs of success and acceptance were everywhere. Jewish Americans, from Walter Lippmann to the Warner brothers, contributed significantly to American letters, theatre and media. They also enjoyed unprecedented success in the private sector.