Beschrijving
Baltimore has a strong and historically important Jewish presence, and this book engagingly tells the story of that community.
From East Baltimore to Forest Park to Park Heights, from Nates and Leon’s deli to Hutzler’s department store, Jewish Baltimore tells stories of neighborhoods, people, and landmarks that have been important to Baltimore’s Jewish experience. Gilbert Sandler, whose popular columns have appeared in Baltimore’s Jewish Times and the Baltimore Sun, offers a wide-ranging history of the region’s Jewish community from the 1850s to the present, covering both German Jewish and Russian Jewish communities. Sandler’s archival research uncovers new details about important people and events, but the heart of his book lies in its anecdotes and quotations-the reminiscences of those who recall the rich tapestry of days gone by. More than a hundred nostalgic photographs help to bring the memories to life. Many of Sandler’s essays invoke famous names in Baltimore history-names like Jack Pollack, the ex-boxer turned politician; Joseph Meyerhoff, who gave his city a symphony hall; Samuel Hecht, founder of the last surviving local department store chain. But just as often, these essays remind us of unsung heros: rabbis, merchants, teachers, and camp counselors. Sandler tells many inspirational stories, including how one young woman, escaping from Germany in 1939 on a ship headed to Bolivia, seized an opportunity when she learned the ship would stop in Baltimore. She sent a cable to her boyfriend in Richmond, Virginia, telling him to meet her at the dock, and the two were married onboard-which eventually allowed her to enter the United States. Sandler always uncovers the \
