This book explores the important and barely examined connections between the humanitarian concerns embedded in the religious heritage of Jewish American artists and the appeal of radical political causes between the years of the Great Migration from Eastern Europe in the 1880s and the beginning of World War II in the late 1930s. Visual material consists primarily of political cartoons published in leftwing Yiddish- and English-language newspapers and magazines. Artists often commented on current events using biblical and other Jewish references; meaning that whatever were their political concerns; their Jewish heritage was ever present. By the late 1940s; the obvious ties between political interests and religious concerns largely disappeared. The text; set against events of the times--the Russian Revolution; the Depression and the rise of fascism during the 1930s as well as life on New Yorks Lower East Side--includes artists statements as well as the thoughts of religious; literary; and political figures ranging from Marx to Trotsky to newspaper editor Abraham Cahan to contemporary art critics including Meyer Schapiro.
#216511 in eBooks 2016-05-30 2016-05-30File Name: B01ET9V5BU
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent and GrittyBy David A. KulczykI was born in Bay City. as was my father. and although I havent lived there in 40 years. I love the city for its kind people and incredible architecture. My only complaint about his book is that it is too short. but then again... people kept things quiet about things in the mid 19th Century. Bay City was a lumber and port city. Rough and Tumble would be an understatement. Hells Half Mile was just that... a half dozen blocks of cheap booze halls. bordellos. and gambling joints. Later around the turn of the century the main Polish church (St. Stans) had a schism between recent arrivals from Poland and the more settled Poles... It was kind of a North/South thing... riots. demonstrations. violence. shootings and eventually the closing of the church for 2 years. The Pope himself had to step in to settle the problem. Wicked Bay City. Michigan is a informative and fun read0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy James E DavisonVery good book was well written.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Not a Compelling ReadBy elpat1If I did not live in Bay City. I would not have gotten to the second chapter. The research on this book was unambitious. The stories were dragged out with insufficient background to make most of the historical characters interesting.
