A People Set Apart.

One of the most important concepts in Judaism is that the Jews consider themselves to be the chosen people. Even though they had no country in the mid nineteenth century, the Jews still thought of themselves as a nation, a distinct group held together by God's covenant with them. In Europe anti-Semitism set Jews apart from the people among whom they lived. Until the early nineteenth century, most European governments restricted Jews to living in certain sections of cities called ghettos. Some laws limited the number of Jews who could marry in a given year, thus preventing Jewish population growth. Other statutes, meanwhile, prohibited Jews from receiving an education or from entering professional careers. Whether by their own choice or by the prejudices of others, Jews were a distinct group.

Early American Judaism.

Before 1850 the majority of the...