Handy Volume on U.S. Jews

The Jews in American Life. By Rachel Davis-DuBois and Emma Schweppe. 136 pp. New York: Thomas Nelson and Co. $1.00.

A slight but handy volume on the Jewish contributions to American life has been published by Thomas Nelson and Sons. Called “The Jews in American Life,” it has been edited by Rachel Davis-Dubois and Emma Schweppe as the first of a series of volumes dealing with the contribution to American culture of the various races which have made up the “Melting Pot.” It was prepared under the direction of the Service Bureau for Education in Human Relations.

As stated in the volume’s preface, it aims to be an introduction for the students of America “toward attaining a fuller and eventually more adequate understanding of the backgrounds and strength of each nationality, cultural and racial group.”

The book is written so as to be within the scope of any high school student. It briefly presents a panorama of Jewish life in this country from the days of Columbus to the present. It establishes the thesis that Jews are a component part of America. As a good-will medium, if widely enough distributed, this book may prove very valuable.

H. W. L.

LIGHT ON ELIJAH

Elijah. By Rabbi Samuel Michael Segal. 186 pp. New York: Behrman’s Jewish Book House. $2.00.

Rabbi Samuel Michael Segal of the rabbinate of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun of New York has compiled an anthology on Elijah which is published by the Behrman’s Jewish Book House. The young rabbi has contributed a scholarly piece of work to Jewish lore. He has ransacked all sources for Elijah material — legends, interpretations and such — and has made a distinct contribution to Jewish scholarship.

There is no comparable work. For the rabbi or minister, it is indispensable; for the layman it provides interesting sidelights on the legend of Elijah