A compelling account of how a group of Hasidic Jews established its own local government on American soil

Settled in the mid-1970s by a small contingent of Hasidic families, Kiryas Joel is an American town with few parallels in Jewish history—but many precedents among religious communities in the United States. This book tells the story of how this group of pious, Yiddish-speaking Jews has grown to become a thriving insular enclave and a powerful local government in upstate New York. While rejecting the norms of mainstream American society, Kiryas Joel has been stunningly successful in creating a world apart by using the very instruments of secular political and legal power that it disavows.

Timely and accessible, American Shtetl unravels the strands of cultural and legal conflict that gave rise to one of the most vibrant religious communities in America, and reveals a way of life shaped by both self-segregation and unwitting assimilation.

We're proud to partner with The Forward, the nation's oldest and leading Jewish news organization. Keep up with American Jewish news and conversation — sign up for the Forward's free daily newsletters at Forward.com/newsletters. 
_________________________________

Nomi M. Stolzenberg holds the Nathan and Lilly Shapell Chair at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She has written widely on law and religion. Twitter @nomideplume1

David N. Myers holds the Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History at the University of California, Los Angeles. His many books include Jewish History: A Very Short Introduction. Website davidnmyers.com Twitter @DavidNMyersUCLA

Jodi Rudoren became Editor-in-Chief of the Forward, the nation's oldest independent Jewish news organization, in September 2019 after more than two decades as a reporter and editor at the New York Times. She is helping lead a transformation of the storied 124-year-old institution, a nonprofit that went digital-only in early 2019.

Nomi M. Stolzenberg and David N. Myers, "American Shtetl" with Jodi Rudoren