This book is an anthology of essays designed to introduce readers to key issues in a growing field of scholarship and to encourage further study. Divided into five sections -
Jews and Judaism,

Small Town Life,

Business and Governance,

Interaction,
and
Identity
- the essays cover a broad geographical and chronological span and address a variety of topics, including economics, politics, roles of women, ethnicity, and race. This organizational structure enhances the volume’s historical treatment of regional Jewish history and lends itself to cross-disciplinary study in fields such as cultural studies, religious studies, and political science.