10
German-Jewish Identity in
Nineteenth-Century America
Michael A. Myer
ne ofimon Dunow's principalcontributions toesh historiog
rahywashispton oshiegeonc centers, each r a time
eercisinga dominaninuence onewriesinotherpats othe,word.
uch centes spiitual ly sengthened hose yonger o weaker Jewish
commuties tht re depen o em. t te rse ft
anr avarieyfhistorical reasons, soe oftheseintially periphea
semetheseesmadsessidsegeny.us,acording
toDbno,panihLJewrygained inpendenceomtherienlGaonate
inetenthntury,,andvehundredrslaterthemantleoleadership
fe upon he Gean-olih Jews. In ,he wentieh..ntur, Dbnow
ooked.towardaointhegemonshareysintheEopea-Amerin
Diaspraannn Ise.'
ate the shortcomngs oDnow'sgrandscheme, whenaplied
to te entire course oewis histor the notion an icoate Jwr
looing to an estalised, intellectuall ctive one r inspration
and guidance, then gradually-or !lly-breakig away to asert is
primacy is sestie r specic intae. Itcan,eame, b
usey aplie to the reation of he Aerian-NJewis commniy to
s Gera-ewi oris ung e nineeenth century.
2
Fom e
gnningoargscaleJewishi)iationomGeanytotheited
tatesn the 1830untilthedeographicsumeenceoGeanJewry
inAmeribeneahtheood tideoEstEuroeanimmaion at te
enofthecent, thee.was adsetensionbeweenesmakig
paoft Geman-ewsh age as reresene es
still in German, and those ta pressed,in the irco o greate
spirita indpendence. le Gean ewry cou an d sve as a
mdeomodtion, spallyimatteoreon, accturtion
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