Books

A History of the Jews by Paul Johnson

This narrative traces the history of Jewish people from ancient times through the Middle Ages and into the modern era. Johnson discusses major events such as expulsions, persecutions, the Enlightenment, and the Zionist movement, emphasizing the cultural and religious perseverance of the Jewish community.

The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture (Comprehensive Surveys of Religion)

by Judith R. Baskin Kenneth Seeskin

A comprehensive reference work that covers Jewish history, religious practices, and cultural developments worldwide. It features essays by leading scholars that detail topics such as biblical history, Jewish philosophy, movements, and contemporary issues, making it an essential resource for understanding the breadth of Jewish life.

Jewish Literacy Revised Ed: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History by Joseph Telushkin

A comprehensive and accessible guide that covers a wide range of topics, including Jewish beliefs, rituals, history, and culture. It aims to educate readers about Jewish traditions and worldview, dispelling misconceptions and fostering a deeper understanding of Jewish identity.

The Jews of Islam by Bernard Lewis

A nuanced exploration of Jewish life under Islamic rule, tracing the evolution of Muslim attitudes toward Jews from the rise of Islam through the early modern period. With scholarly rigor and clarity, Lewis dismantles simplistic narratives—both idealized and hostile—while highlighting the unique Judaeo-Islamic tradition as a parallel to the Judaeo-Christian heritage.

In Ishmael's house: a history of Jews in Muslim lands by Martin Gilbert

A sweeping, document-rich account of Jewish life under Islamic rule from the 7th century to the present, highlighting both periods of coexistence and episodes of persecution. Drawing on Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sources, Gilbert reveals how political shifts, religious doctrines, and cultural exchanges shaped the complex and often fragile relationship between Jews and Muslims across regions from Morocco to Afghanistan.

Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewry: From the Golden Age of Spain to Modern Times by Zion Zahar

This book traces the history of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, focusing on their origins in medieval Spain and the Middle East, their rich cultural traditions, and their migration patterns in response to persecution and upheaval. It highlights their contributions to Jewish culture and the challenges they faced in the modern era

The Jews in Poland and Russia by Antony Polonsky 

A monumental three-volume history that chronicles the social, political, and cultural evolution of Jewish communities across Eastern Europe from the 14th century to the post-Communist era. Drawing on extensive archival and scholarly sources, Polonsky explores themes of religious transformation, modernization, persecution, and resilience, revealing how these communities shaped—and were shaped by—the shifting landscapes of empire, war, and ideology.

The Jews in America: Four Centuries of an Uneasy Encounter  by Arthur Hertzberg

A vivid and critical history that explores the evolving identity of American Jewry, from colonial times to the late 20th century. Blending biographical sketches with social analysis, Hertzberg highlights tensions between assimilation and tradition, class divisions within Jewish communities, and the broader American context that shaped Jewish life.

The Jews in America by Max Dimont

A sweeping narrative that traces the evolution of American Jewry from the arrival of Sephardic immigrants in the 1600s to the cultural and political integration of Ashkenazi Jews in the 20th century. With a focus on optimism and adaptability, Dimont portrays American Judaism as a success story shaped by secular reform, entrepreneurial spirit, and a uniquely American synthesis of tradition and modernity.

The Aleppo Codex: In Pursuit of One of the World’s Most Coveted, Sacred, and Mysterious Books by Matti Friedman

A detailed exploration of the history, significance, and mystery surrounding the Aleppo Codex, an ancient Hebrew manuscript considered one of the most sacred texts in Judaism. Friedman recounts the efforts to recover, preserve, and protect this priceless artifact amid war and political upheaval in Syria.

The Jew in the Medieval World: A Sourcebook, 315-1791 (primary source) by Jacob Rader MarcusA seminal anthology of 137 primary documents that illuminate the legal, religious, and social conditions of Jews across Christian and Muslim lands from Late Antiquity to the dawn of emancipation in France. Through historical narratives, legal codes, memoirs, and communal statutes, the book offers a vivid, unfiltered view of Jewish life shaped by state policies, church doctrines, and everyday realities.

The Jewish War by Josephus Flavius

 An ancient historical account written by Jewish historian Josephus, describing the Jewish revolt against Roman rule from 66 to 73 CE. It vividly narrates the events leading up to the siege of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Second Temple, and the aftermath, offering a crucial perspective on this pivotal moment in Jewish history

Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World's Most Contested City by Andrew Lawler

 This investigative book explores the archaeological and historical layers beneath Jerusalem, revealing how the city’s tumultuous history is layered underground. Lawler examines ongoing excavations, discoveries, and the political conflicts surrounding the preservation of Jerusalem’s ancient past.

Memoirs of American Jews, 1775-1865 (primary source) by Jacob Rader Marcus

a three-volume compilation of personal writings—letters, journals, speeches, and autobiographical fragments—that illuminate the diverse experiences of Jews in early America, from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War. These firsthand accounts reveal themes of immigration, civic participation, religious adaptation, and social mobility, offering a textured portrait of Jewish life in a formative era of U.S. history.

American Judaism: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna

A comprehensive and nuanced chronicle of Jewish religious life in the United States, tracing its evolution from colonial times to the 21st century. Sarna explores how American Jews continually reshaped their faith in response to cultural pressures, political shifts, and the challenges of assimilation, ultimately forging a dynamic and distinctly American expression of Judaism.

A History of the Jews in the Modern World by Howard M. Sachar

This comprehensive book traces Jewish history from the emancipation of Jews in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries through the upheavals of the 20th century, including the Holocaust, the founding of Israel, and the Jewish diaspora. Sachar examines social, political, and cultural changes shaping Jewish life in the modern era.

Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001 by Benny Morris

This detailed historical account explores the origins and development of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, analyzing key events, political movements, and conflicts from the late 19th century through the early 21st century. Morris provides a balanced perspective on both Zionist and Arab narratives and their mutual grievances.

The Escape Artist: the man who broke out of Auschwitz to warn the world by Jonathan Freedland 

This biography recounts the daring escape of Rudolf Vrba from Auschwitz in 1944, and his subsequent efforts to inform the world about the Holocaust. Freedland highlights Vrba’s courage and the impact of his warnings amid the horrors of the Nazi genocide.

The Last Consolation Vanished: The Testimony of a Sonderkommando in Auschwitz by 

Zalmen Gradowski

The journals of Zalment Gredowski, a Sonderkommando (special squad) prisoner at Auschwitz charged with preparing gas chamber victims for their deaths and disposing of their bodies. Zalmen documents in hauntingly beautiful writing the Jewish response to unspeakable tragedy and the bestial level that “civilized” people can sink to when they demonize the other. Zalmen died in a Sonderkommando revolt in 1944 but he buried his notebooks so that they were eventually discovered by liberating Soviet forces.

The Ethiopian Jews of Israel: Personal Stories of Life in the Promised Land by Len Lyons and Ilan Ossendryve

This book shares personal narratives of Ethiopian Jews who migrated to Israel, detailing their journey, challenges, and integration into Israeli society. It offers insights into the cultural identity and resilience of this community

From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman

A blend of memoir and analysis, this book examines the complex history of the Middle East, especially Lebanon and Israel, focusing on the conflicts, political upheavals, and cultural tensions that have shaped the region from the Lebanese civil war to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Side by Side: Parallel Histories of Israel-Palestine by Sami Adwan, Dan Bar-On, and Eyal Naveh

This innovative book presents two parallel narratives—one Israeli and one Palestinian—offering contrasting perspectives on key events in the history of Israel and Palestine. It aims to foster understanding by allowing readers to see how each side interprets shared history.

1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War by Benny Morris

A detailed military and political history of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, which led to the establishment of the State of Israel. Morris explores the causes, battles, and consequences of this pivotal conflict, emphasizing its lasting impact on the region

The Israel-Arab Reader: A Documentary History  of the Middle East Conflict (primary source) by 

Walter Laqueur, Dan Schueftan

A chronologically arranged anthology of speeches, letters, and official documents that traces over a century of political, ideological, and diplomatic developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Edited by Walter Laqueur and Dan Schueftan, it offers an unembellished, primary-source perspective on Zionism, Arab nationalism, wars, peace efforts, and regional dynamics, making it a foundational resource for scholars and students of Middle Eastern history.

The Zionist Idea: A Historical Analysis and Reader (primary source) by Arthur Hertzberg

A landmark anthology that traces the ideological evolution of Zionism through the writings of 37 influential thinkers—from Theodor Herzl to David Ben-Gurion. Drawing from religious, cultural, and political perspectives, it presents a rich mosaic of visions for Jewish national revival, offering both historical context and philosophical depth.

Israel: A History by Martin Gilbert 

A comprehensive and detailed history of Israel from ancient times through the modern state, covering political developments, wars, societal changes, and the ongoing quest for peace, based on extensive research and archival sources.

Israel: A History by Anita Shapira

This book offers an in-depth narrative of Israel’s history, emphasizing cultural, social, and political aspects. Shapira combines scholarly analysis with accessible storytelling, exploring Israel’s origins and evolution.

One Day in October: Forty Heroes, Forty Stories by Yair Agmon and Oriya Mevorach 

This compilation highlights forty stories of individuals involved in the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, illustrating personal acts of heroism, sacrifice, and the human dimension of this pivotal conflict in Israeli history.

The War of Return by Einat Wilf and Adi Schwartz

This book discusses the Palestinian refugee issue, examining the right of return and its implications for peace and justice. Wilf and Schwartz analyze historical claims, negotiations, and the political debates surrounding refugees displaced in 1948 and their descendants.

A Jewish Childhood in the Muslim Mediterranean by Leïla Sebbar, cur.; Lia Brozgal and Rebec­ca Glasberg, eds.; Jane Kuntz, Rebekah Vince, and Robert Wat­son, trans

A poignant collection of 34 autobiographical essays by Jewish writers who grew up in Muslim-majority countries shaped by French imperial influence. Through richly textured memories from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey, the book reveals a mosaic of multilingual, multi-faith childhoods, offering a vital lens into identity, displacement, and the vanishing worlds of Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewry.

Uprooted: How 3000 Years of Jewish Civilization in the Arab World Vanished Overnight

by Lyn Julius

A deeply researched account of the mass exodus of Jews from Arab lands in the mid-20th century, examining the historical roots of Jewish communities in the Middle East and North Africa and the forces—political, ideological, and antisemitic—that led to their near-total disappearance. Drawing on testimonies, archival data, and comparative refugee narratives, Julius argues for recognition of these Jews as refugees and explores how their displacement reshaped Israeli society and regional dynamics.

Sephardi Voices: The Untold Expulsion of Jews from Arab Lands by Dr. Henry Green

A visually rich and historically grounded account of the forced displacement of nearly 850,000 Jews from Arab and Muslim-majority countries after 1948. Through intimate interviews, archival photography, and personal testimonies, the book captures the trauma, resilience, and cultural legacy of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews who rebuilt their lives across Israel, Europe, and North America.

The Last Jews of Baghdad: Remember a Lost Homeland by Nissim Rejwan

A richly detailed memoir chronicling Jewish life in Baghdad from the 1920s to the early 1950s, just before the community’s mass exodus. Through personal recollections and cultural commentary, Rejwan captures the vibrancy of a once-integrated society and the painful unraveling of Jewish identity amid rising nationalism and political upheaval.

New Babylonians: A history of Jews in Modern Iraq by Orit Bashkin

A deeply researched account of Iraq’s Jewish community in the 20th century, highlighting their cultural integration, political activism, and eventual displacement following the rise of Arab nationalism and the establishment of Israel. Through archival sources and intellectual writings, Bashkin reveals how Iraqi Jews saw themselves as patriotic citizens, contributing to the nation’s modern identity until state policies and regional tensions led to their forced exodus.

Europe Against the Jews, 1880–1945 by Götz Aly

This book presents a rigorously researched account of how antisemitism across Europe—not just in Nazi Germany—laid the groundwork for the Holocaust, driven by economic envy, nationalist fervor, and widespread complicity. Aly argues that the genocide’s scale and speed were made possible by pan-European collaboration, revealing a chilling convergence of social resentment and state-sponsored exclusion.

Russians, Jews, and the Pogroms of 1881-1882 by John Doyle Klier

This book offers a deeply researched account of the anti-Jewish violence that swept the Russian Empire, analyzing its causes, the varied responses from Jewish and non-Jewish communities, and the state's role in managing the crisis. Drawing on extensive archival sources, Klier dispels the myth of official complicity and presents the pogroms as a turning point in Russian Jewish history and imperial policy.

The Jews in Poland and Russia by Antony Polonsky 

a monumental three-volume history that chronicles the social, political, and cultural evolution of Jewish communities across Eastern Europe from the 14th century to the post-Communist era. Drawing on extensive archival and scholarly sources, Polonsky explores themes of religious transformation, modernization, persecution, and resilience, revealing how these communities shaped—and were shaped by—the shifting landscapes of empire, war, and ideology.

Old Lives and New: Soviet Immigrants in Israel and America by Edith Rogovin FrankelThe book presents intimate portraits of Soviet Jews who emigrated in the late 1970s, tracing their journeys from repression and identity struggles in the USSR to adaptation and transformation in democratic societies. Through dual interviews conducted decades apart, Frankel reveals how personal resilience and cultural continuity shaped their integration into Israeli and American life.

American Judaism: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna

A comprehensive and nuanced chronicle of Jewish religious life in the United States, tracing its evolution from colonial times to the 21st century. Sarna explores how American Jews continually reshaped their faith in response to cultural pressures, political shifts, and the challenges of assimilation, ultimately forging a dynamic and distinctly American expression of Judaism.

The Jews in America: Four Centuries of an Uneasy Encounter  by Arthur Hertzberg

A vivid and critical history that explores the evolving identity of American Jewry, from colonial times to the late 20th century. Blending biographical sketches with social analysis, Hertzberg highlights tensions between assimilation and tradition, class divisions within Jewish communities, and the broader American context that shaped Jewish life.

The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi

A sweeping Eastern-Jerusalem family saga following four generations of Ladino-speaking Sephardic women, each contending with the “family curse” that husbands don’t love their wives. This novel masterfully interweaves tradition, identity, and cultural legacy within Israeli and diaspora life

Someone to Run With by David Grossman

A teenage boy searches the streets of Jerusalem for a girl with a mysterious past, unraveling a story of survival, music, and belonging.

When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father's War and What Remains by Ariana Neumann, Rebecca Lowman

Ariana Neumann unearths her late father Hans’s hidden past after discovering a trove of letters and diaries he left behind. He had survived the Holocaust by hiding in plain sight in Berlin before rebuilding his life and industrial career in Venezuela. Neumann’s search becomes both a detective story and a deeply personal family memoir, reconstructing the trauma, resilience, and love of a family shattered by genocide. 

The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother –  by James McBride

Alternating between James’s own upbringing and his mother Ruth’s hidden past, this bestselling memoir reveals how Ruth—a Polish Jewish immigrant—married a Black minister in Harlem, raised twelve children, and inspired them to succeed despite poverty and prejudice. It’s a poignant exploration of race, identity, and the ties that bind

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

A Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that explores the lives of two Jewish cousins in New York during the Golden Age of comic books, intertwining themes of escape, identity, and artistry. 

The Periodic Table by Primo Levi

A collection of autobiographical short stories linked to the elements of the periodic table, reflecting Levi’s experiences as a chemist and Holocaust survivor. 

The Source by James A. Michener

An epic historical novel tracing Jewish history in Israel from ancient times to the 20th century, based on archaeological findings and historical research.

The red tent by Anita Diamant

A retelling of the biblical story of Dinah, offering a female perspective on biblical events and exploring themes of womanhood, family, and tradition.

Tevye the Dairyman & Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholem Aleichem

A pair of classic Yiddish narratives featuring two beloved characters: Tevye, the sardonic milkman whose folk tales inspired Fiddler on the Roof, and Motl, a quick‑witted orphan whose humorous first‑person account traces his family’s emigration from a Galician shtetl to early 20th‑century New York—with all its charms and hardships. These stories capture Jewish life, loss, resilience, and comic survival across two continents

A Crown of Feathers by Isaac Bashevis Singer

The title story in this National Book Award–winning collection explores the life of Akhsa, an orphan torn between her conservative grandfather’s rabbinic faith and her grandmother’s more worldly outlook. As she moves between Judaism and Christianity, marriage and desperation, she endlessly quests for truth—but finds only ambiguity, much like a crown of feathers: delicate, elusive, and symbolic of existential uncertainty

Enemies, A Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer

Set in post–World War II New York, Holocaust survivor Herman Broder juggles his marriage to a Polish peasant woman (Yadwiga), an affair with Masha (a passionate fellow survivor), and a sudden visit from his first wife Tamara, previously presumed dead. The novel spotlights love, guilt, and the tangled moral lives of those hauntingly shaped by trauma.

Persian Brides by Dorit Rabinyan

Set in a fictional Persian village at the turn of the twentieth century, this vibrant debut follows Flora, a fifteen-year-old pregnant woman abandoned by her husband, and her eleven-year-old cousin Nazie, long betrothed to Flora’s brother. Over just a couple of days, the novel richly portrays daily life, women’s resilience, superstition, and tradition through a lens blending fantasy and realism

Farewell, Babylon: Coming of Age in Jewish Baghdad by Naïm Kattan

A semi‑autobiographical coming-of-age narrative set in 1930s–1940s Baghdad, following Meir as he navigates adolescence, Jewish identity, and the rich but imperiled world of Jewish Iraq. The book blends personal memory with historical homage, offering readers insight into a vanished community.

Kissing Girls on Shabbat by Sara Glass

In this recent memoir, Sara Glass recounts growing up as a closeted lesbian within an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Married young and living a double life, she finally leaves her marriages and community, battling for custody of her children while seeking a life of authenticity and faith. Her story illuminates the tension between religious identity and personal truth