History of the Jewish People Vol. 1: Ancient Israel to 1880s America: A Story of Tradition and Change

Presents Jewish history from our earliest ancestors in the Land of Israel to our dispersion in the Diaspora through the Jewish experience in America in the 1880s. 

Finally, a Jewish history book through which students can view their own lives and think about their futures!

Developed and written by two esteemed scholars, Jonathan D. Sarna and Jonathan B. Krasner, this dynamic text (for grades 5-7) is a rich presentation of Jewish history from our earliest ancestors in the Land of Israel to our dispersion in the Diaspora through the Jewish experience in America in the 1880s.

Each chapter helps students consider how their lives compare with the lives of our ancestors, how each generation adapts Judaism to its time and place, and how the decisions of previous generations influence our own lives and decisions.

The History of the Jewish People, Volume 1 brings these times alive through a dynamic array of famous personalities, diverse source material, clear and concise charts, engaging activities, thought-provoking questions, and exciting graphics, including 16 maps and more than 115 full-color historical and contemporary images.

Pair with The History of the Jewish People, Volume 2 to follow Jewish history to our time.

Jonathan D. Sarna is the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History and Chair of the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University, as well as Chief Historian of the new National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. He was Chief Historian for the 350th commemoration of the American Jewish community and is recognized as a leading commentator on American Jewish history, religion and life. He is the only American Jewish historian ever elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Jonathan Krasner is the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Associate Professor of Jewish Education Research at Brandeis University. He is most recently the co-author of Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community in American Jewish Summer Camps, the winner of the 2020 National Jewish Book Award in Education and Jewish Identity. His book, The Benderly Boys and American Jewish Education, was the winner of a 2011 National Jewish Book Award and a finalist for the 2012 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.