Freedom and Diversity.

Although American religious culture in the early nineteenth century was dominated by Protestantism, Jews and other non-Protestants shared that culture and grew within it. The religious freedom secured by the Constitution gave these groups greater liberty than they had in the colonial period, and more than in many other nations. Like their Protestant neighbors, these people worked hard to shape practices and institutions suitable to the needs of the new nation. But they remained separated by these efforts, and so were also quickly aware of the limits of religious freedom. In the distinctive histories of Jews and other non- Protestant groups, we can see both the opportunities of religious freedom in early America and the frustrations associated with the realities of religious diversity.

Community Building.

There were few Jews in the early United States, no more than fifteen...