Hanukkah in America : a history / Dianne Ashton.

Author/creator Ashton, Dianne
Format Book
PublicationNew York : New York University Press, 2013.
Descriptionvii, 343 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
Subjects

SeriesThe Goldstein-Goren series in American Jewish history
Goldstein-Goren series in American Jewish history. ^A1092506
Contents What is Hanukkah? -- Modern Maccabees -- Children light up -- Remade in America -- Homegrown heroism -- Forging a common tradition -- Hippies, Hasidim, & havurot.
Abstract The ways in which Hanukkah was reshaped by American Jews reveals the changing goals and values that emerged among different contingents each December as they confronted the reality of living as a religious minority in the United States. Bringing together clergy and laity, artists and businessmen, teachers, parents, and children, Hanukkah has been a dynamic force for both stability and change in American Jewish life. The holiday's distinctive transformation from a minor festival to a major occasion that looms large in the American Jewish psyche is a marker of American Jewish life. Drawing on a varied archive of songs, plays, liturgy, sermons, and a range of illustrative material, as well as developing portraits of various communities, congregations, and rabbis, "Hanukkah in America" reveals how an almost forgotten festival became the most visible of American Jewish holidays.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 283-334) and index.
Genre/formHistory.
LCCN 2013014009
ISBN9780814707395 (hbk.)
ISBN0814707394 (hbk.)