This course surveys over 100 years of American Jewish immigrant narratives beginning with the great exodus of Eastern European and Russian Jewry at the end of the 19th century and ending with the first decade of the 21st century. Canonical works by central authors reveal the great material successes of Jewish immigrants alongside their spiritual failures. A selection of memoir, novels, short stories, and poetry in English and in translation from Hebrew and Yiddish demonstrate the multilingual character of the Jewish experience in America. Ultimately, the story of Jewish immigration emerges as an American rags-to-riches story that all immigrant groups share.
- Teacher: Adam Rovner