This book is an anthology of essays designed to introduce readers to key issues in a growing field of scholarship and to encourage further study. Divided into five sections - ""Jews and Judaism,"" ""Small Town Life,"" ""Business and Governance,"" ""Interaction,"" and ""Identity"" - the essays cover a broad geographical and chronological span and address a variety of topics, including economics, politics, roles of women, ethnicity, and race. This organizational structure enhances the volume's historical treatment of regional Jewish history and lends itself to cross-disciplinary study in fields such as cultural studies, religious studies, and political science.