Jewish Sunday Schools: Teaching Religion in Nineteenth-Century America

The book "Jewish Sunday Schools" explores how changes to Jewish education in the nineteenth century served as a site for the reimagining of Judaism itself. It argues that the work of the women who shepherded Jewish education in the early Jewish Sunday school had ramifications far outside the classroom and provides an in-depth portrait of a massively understudied movement that acted as a vital means by which American Jews explored and reconciled their religious and national identities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2023
Publisher: New York University Press

The 73rd National Jewish Book Awards Finalist, "Jewish Sunday Schools: Reimagining Judaism in the Nineteenth Century," delves into the transformative impact of changes in Jewish education during the nineteenth century. Initially led by women, these Sunday schools emerged as a powerful platform for reimagining Judaism itself. From a single school founded by Rebecca Gratz in Philadelphia in 1838, they grew into an extensive system educating countless Jewish youth across the United States. These schools drew inspiration from Christian religious education practices, with the primary goal of safeguarding Jewish children from Protestant missionaries. However, debates soon arose about the perceived feminization of American Jewish supplemental learning, leading to the assumption that these schools were overly reliant on Christian paradigms and too saccharine.

"Jewish Sunday Schools" challenges this notion by tracing the development of these schools from their inception to the early twentieth century. The book reveals that the contributions of the women who led Jewish education in these early Sunday schools went far beyond the classroom. It argues that we cannot fully understand the nineteenth-century American Jewish experience and the strategies employed by American Judaism to sustain itself in a predominantly Protestant context without examining the evolution of these precursor institutions to Hebrew schools.

"Jewish Sunday Schools" offers a comprehensive portrayal of a movement that has been largely overlooked, providing valuable insights into the exploration and reconciliation of religious and national identities among American Jews. By delving into the history and significance of these schools, the book sheds light on the complex and evolving nature of Judaism in the United States during a period of significant cultural and religious transformation.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781479822270