Hanukkah in America: A History (Goldstein-Goren Series in American Jewish History, 6) Hardcover – October 14, 2013

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I bought this book, but I thought it was going to be more about how Jewish people have come up against the juggernaut that is Christmas each year and how they counter with a celebration from their own culture that was a minor holiday, but which has expanded in response to being in proximity to the Yuletide frenzy that happens in December.It does indeed address that issue, but is a lot more in depth than that, and delves more deeply into Jewish tradition and pre-Jewish-American-culture customs. In hindsight, I wish I had known a little bit more about the latter to truly appreciate how Hanukkah affected Jews.Again, Hanukkah was a minor holiday on the celebratory calendar, one that did not require you to halt work during the holiday period. However, when Jews migrated in great numbers to the United States, not only did they face Christmas advertising and celebration in every store window and in their children's schools, but they also came into contact with American culture itself, some of which ran counter to Jewish custom from "the old country": longer working hours and working on High Holidays, a narrative of the past that included "action heroes" like the Western pioneers and scouts, greater freedom for women, etc. For instance, Judah Maccabee would be compared to men like Kit Carson and Buffalo Bill Cody, and for Jews he would be considered a patriotic hero who fought against tyranny, like George Washington, the Union soldiers of the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War combatants. It would only be later that the miracle of the oil lasting eight nights and celebrating each night with your family in lighting the menorah would be emphasized more as Hanukkah did go head-to-head with Christmas, to show that both holidays had similarities: celebration of Light, miracles, family gatherings, special food, specific games, and gifts.Not having background in traditional Jewish (read: Orthodox) customs did not keep me from appreciating this book, and how Jewish culture adapted and changed (like my own Italian culture) in order for the immigrants to assimilate as Americans yet keep their Jewish heritage. Enjoyable and approachable if you are looking for a more scholarly study.

An excellent investigation of Hanukkah, why and how the holiday has changed from obscure to one of the big three Jewish holidays in American. Ashton's book is accesible to non-scholars, but contains all the underpinnings that will appeal to academics. For everyone who has ever thought that Hanukkah is just a response to Christmas, this book will give you a deeper and richer understanding of the American Jewish celebration practices. Ashton has a clear and readable style. Suitable for home and temple libraries!

If you enjoy reading a text book you will find this book interesting. I found it surprising that Americans have tried to make Chanukah a Jewish Christmas celebration for so many years; thinking it was a modern phenomenon.. .

Great book

This book was well written, informative and enjoyable. I learned a lot about Hanukkah and abpout the history of Jews in America.

Everyone interested in knowing about the significance of holidays and teaching about culture should be required to read this book. Excellent.

Don’t let the fact that Hanukkah in America is published by an academic press scare you off. It’s a very readable book about the history of Hanukkah and how it evolved from a minor Jewish holiday into the holiday that most non-Jews think is the holiest of all the Jewish holidays.I happened to already know that Hanukkah is a minor holiday but I wasn’t aware of how it became the elaborately celebrated holiday that is today. This book explains in detail how Hanukkah has grown and changed over the last century to deal with what has become known as the December Dilemma. As the author of one Hanukkah guide mentioned in this book observed, “Christmas heightens one’s awareness of one’s Jewishness almost as much as any single Jewish holiday.” Because Jewish children felt left out of the fun and merriment of Christmas, Jewish leaders tried various things to make Hanukkah more fun for them so that the children’s families wouldn’t feel the need to erect a Christmas tree as some of them had been doing. On example is that a Kansas City chapter of the NFTS (National Foundation of Temple Sisterhoods) printed directions for a Hanukkah party complete with food, games, costumes and more.Whenever a book I read mentions Unitarians, I feel compelled to point it out since it is such a rare occurrence for us. In this case, the book explains that Reform Rabbi set up Christmas-Hanukkah meeting between his Temple Youth League and the teens of the local Unitarian church because “that very liberal Christian group could be trusted not to evangelize to the Jewish youngsters.” (Not all Unitarians are Christians but I understand the point.)I found Hanukkah in America to be a really interesting, educational book. I think people of all religions could learn a lot from this detailed account of how Hanukkah has become what it is today.

This is an excellent reference book explaining not only the history of Hanukkah in America, but much of the history of the Jewish people in America and how not only the practices regarding Hanukkah have changed over the year, but also how the practices of the Jewish religion in general have changed in this country. The entire history of the Hanukkah holiday is explained very well and I definitely learned things about Hanukkah and about changing practices in Judaism that I did not know before. I received this book free to review from Netgalley and I do recommend it.