Lincoln and the Jews: A History

Lincoln and the Jews: A History examines President Abraham Lincoln's relationships and interactions with Jewish Americans during his lifetime and presidency. Authors Jonathan D. Sarna and Benjamin Shapell present extensive research, including letters, photographs, and documents that reveal Lincoln's personal and political connections to the American Jewish community. The book tracks Lincoln's evolution from a person with limited exposure to Jews in his early life to a leader who appointed Jewish officials and supported Jewish civil rights. Through specific cases and correspondence, it documents how Lincoln responded to various issues affecting Jewish Americans during the Civil War era. This work establishes Lincoln as a pivotal figure in Jewish-American history while exploring broader themes of religious freedom and civil rights in 19th century America. The relationship between Lincoln and the Jewish community serves as a lens through which to understand both the president's character and the changing status of religious minorities in American society.

Readers commend the detailed research and previously unpublished documents and photos that reveal Lincoln's positive relationships with Jewish Americans. Many note the book fills an important historical gap, with several reviewers highlighting specific examples of Lincoln's support for Jewish military chaplains and his reversal of Grant's Order No. 11. Readers appreciate the book's physical presentation, calling it "coffee-table quality" with clear reproductions of letters and documents. Common criticisms include: - Too much focus on peripheral Jewish figures rather than key relationships - Repetitive content in certain chapters - High price point for length Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (56 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (63 reviews) "The documents tell the story better than the text," notes one Amazon reviewer. A Goodreads reviewer writes, "A specialized topic that needed coverage but could have been more concise." Several readers mention purchasing the book after visiting the associated museum exhibit.

When General Grant Expelled the Jews by Jonathan D. Sarna This book examines General Grant's order to expel Jews from Union territory during the Civil War and Lincoln's role in revoking it.

American Jewry and the Civil War by Bertram W. Korn The book chronicles Jewish participation on both sides of the Civil War, including military service, business involvement, and political engagement.

Jews and the Civil War: A Reader by Jonathan D. Sarna, Adam D. Mendelsohn This collection presents primary sources and scholarly essays that detail the Jewish experience during the American Civil War period.

Lincoln and the Power of the Press by Harold Holzer The book explores Lincoln's complex relationships with newspaper editors, publishers, and reporters, including several influential Jewish journalists of the era.

We Called Him Rabbi Abraham: Lincoln and American Jewry by Gary Phillip Zola This work documents Lincoln's interactions with the American Jewish community and his unprecedented steps toward Jewish equality in American life.

🔹 Abraham Lincoln intervened personally to overturn General Ulysses S. Grant's infamous "General Orders No. 11," which had expelled all Jews from his military district in 1862. 🔹 Lincoln appointed the first Jewish military chaplain in U.S. history, reversing a law that had previously required military chaplains to be Christians. 🔹 The book features over 100 rare documents and images from the Shapell Manuscript Foundation, many of which had never been publicly displayed before its publication. 🔹 When Lincoln was assassinated, Abraham Jonas's son Charles served as one of the pallbearers at his funeral - Jonas had been one of Lincoln's closest Jewish friends and was once described by Lincoln as "one of my most valued friends." 🔹 Co-author Jonathan D. Sarna completed much of his research and writing for this book while recovering from a life-threatening illness, working from his hospital bed.