Acknowledgments

I was assisted in the writing of the dissertation upon which this book is based by the generous support of the Congregational History Proj- ect, overseen by James P. Wind and James W. Lewis, and by the Fran- ces Grabow Goldman Fellowship at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. My further work on the book manuscript was supported by a Faculty Fellowship from the Yale-Pew Program in Re- ligion and American History. Finally, I am grateful to have received a dissertation prize from the Myer and Rosaline Feinstein Center for American Jewish History with its provision of a financial subvention toward the publication of this book. My first visit to the American Jewish Archives as a Levi A. Olan Fel- low, then the chance to return to conduct dissertation research, and finally the opportunity to teach at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati has brought me to an unparalleled setting for the study of American Jewish history. During my first four years in Cincinnati, I was able to learn from Jacob Rader Marcus what a great privilege it can be to engage in that study. Dr. Marcus’s vision, of a bountiful archival institution where researchers are made to feel at home, lives on in the Center which now bears his name. The staff of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Ar- chives, now under the leadership of Gary Zola, has been unfailingly helpful and supportive. I thank Fanny Zelcer, Abraham Peck, Eleanor Lawhorn, Camille Servizzi, Elise Nienaber, Dorothy Smith, Kathy Spray, Tammy Topper, and Ruth Kreimer for all their work on my be- x • Acknowledgments half. Kevin Proffitt, chief archivist, has brought me much more than documents. His constant encouragement and the countless ways in which he has contributed to this book have left me greatly in his debt. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Judith Leifer of the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Ste- phen Frank of the National Museum of American Jewish History, Phyllis Sichel of the Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Phila- delphia, and the staff of the American Jewish Historical Society in Waltham, Massachusetts. The faculty, staff, and administration at HUC-JIR have supported my research in many ways. The staff of the Klau Library has been particularly helpful. Marilyn Krider and Jason Neely, especially, have responded graciously to my usually urgent re- quests for microfilm. I also thank Gail Mermelstein for her assistance on this project. I am especially grateful to Michael Meyer who, many years ago, helped me to frame the subject of this book. In the years since, as both mentor and colleague, he has been a valued source of knowledge, encouragement, and scholarly engagement. Like so many others in our field, I have come to rely upon Jonathan Sarna’s cita- tions, advice, and enthusiasm. I also remain grateful to Stephan Thernstrom, my dissertation adviser at Harvard, for his steady sup- port and counsel. The many new colleagues and friends who have come my way via the Marcus Center have also contributed a great deal to this project. I am particularly beholden to Tobias Brinkmann, Lane Fenrich, Eric Goldstein, Leah Hagedorn, Andrew Heinze, Bobbie Malone, Joan Nathan, Connie Östreich, Ira Robinson, and Cornelia Wilhelm. Jacquie Giere and Katherina Gerstenberger deserve special mention for the many hours they spent with me going over translations of dense German texts. Miriam Tsevat used her training as a German schoolgirl during the 1920s to help me decipher the handwritten script of ladies’ society secretaries from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Quincy, Illinois. I also thank Dale Fulcher for his valuable assistance with translations. Over the years many people have generously devoted their atten- tion to various versions of the words finally inscribed on these pages. Julie Pavlon, Mark Peterson, Gail Diamond, Sarah Queen, Seth Korelitz, Dianne Ashton, Susan Zeiger, Pleun Bouricius, Wendy Gamber, Susan Einbinder, Lori Ginzberg, and Laura Levitt all offered critical readings that left an impact on me and on the text. Recently, Acknowledgments • xi

Caroline Light has often seemed to be around whenever I was strug- gling with a new idea or approach—I thank her for her indulgence. Similarly, Mark Bauman, on his recent visits to Cincinnati, has chal- lenged me to think carefully about the contributions of southern Jew- ish women. Maura O’Connor, Katherina Gerstenberger, Victoria Thompson, Geoffrey Plank, Sigrun Haude, and Catherine Raissiguier, as part of a work-in-progress group, also brought valuable perspec- tives and insights to this work. Thanks also to Hannelore Künzl for sharing some of her vast knowledge of synagogue architecture with me. Beth Wenger read critically, responded encouragingly, and very generously lent me materials that came out of her own research. My thanks to M. B. Baader for many stimulating discussions and for reminding me how little we know about Jewish women’s religious lives. Joanne Meyerowitz’s calm guidance and clear vision have often soothed and reassured me, even as her suggestions have strengthened my prose and analysis. Annie Rose responded quickly and generously to my dissertation, and Bob Liberles read through my evolving manuscript many times, always offering some praise and appropriate criticism. Joyce Antler’s encouragement has been invaluable. Lee Simmons, as copyeditor for Harvard University Press, made this a much better book. My brothers and sister, Ethan, Avra, and Seth, have defined me and together with Julie, Steve, Julie, Jessica, Todd, Jacob, Sam, Jonah, Da- vid, Elie, Nathan, Lauren, and Isaac, have sustained me with love through this and all endeavors. Nancy Klein, Sue Oren, Chris Cuomo, Miriam and Matitahu Tsevat, Daveen Litwin, Lycette Nelson, Catherine Raissiguier, Jonathan Cohen, and Gene Tensing have all helped make a home for me in Cincinnati. Kathi Kern shared much of the book-making process with me, encouraging and entertaining me all the way. Judy Goldberg inspired me at critical moments over the life of this project. In so many ways, David Kaufman’s questions, in- sights, enthusiasm, and friendship have enriched both my scholarship and my life. Ursula Roma has waited a long time, sometimes pa- tiently. She continues to teach me the beauty of a loving heart. My parents have also long anticipated the completion of this proj- ect. I dedicate this book to them, in gratitude for so many gifts of sus- tenance, heart, spirit, and mind. I thank my father for his encourage- ment and for his dedicated commitment to the things in which he believes. Time and again, my mother turned from her own writing to xii • Acknowledgments bring the gift of her care and attention to almost every line of mine. Of the many people who have given me so much in the process of com- pleting this book, nobody has been more constant, helpful, or appre- ciated. Throughout my work on this project, I have been mindful of a number of Jewish women whose stories I have not told here, but who taught me that there is much more to this world than the limited hori- zon of our own moment. Anya Barsella, Dottie Resnik, and Faith Cummins lived with a sense of history, as do Libby Elan and Ruth Fein. They taught me that we need to value our own place in the larger stories of which we are a part. When I submitted the dissertation that led to this book, I went straight from Cambridge to New York so that I could present a copy to my grandmother Rose. I won’t be able to give her this book. I miss her eloquence, her strength, and her laugh, but her faith remains with me. It is fitting that just when I was ready, I was able to turn to my grandmother for the inspiration I needed to understand how the story should end.