For almost 350 years, Jews have been part of Boston history, shaping the community and being shaped by it. Now, for the first time, a comprehensive, lavishly illustrated history of the Jews of Boston recounts their stories and marks their achievements. Comprising twelve essays by eleven expert scholars, The Jews of Boston traces the community from its early, tentative beginnings through its emergence in the 20th century as one of America's most influential Jewish communities. Six historical essays detail Boston's unique history as a late-developing but extraordinarily successful American Jewish community. Essays on Boston's synagogues, its Jewish neighborhoods, and its role in Zionism feature discussions by the new generation of American Jewish historians. Assessments of philanthropy, education, and intellectual life evaluate those movements' pioneering roles in the evolution of Jewish culture in Boston and America. . Beautifully illustrated with more than 250 historic photographs, engravings, and documents - many of them published here for the first time - The Jews of Boston will serve for years to come as the reference work on Boston Jewish history.