The New Country edited by Henry Goodman

Translated by Henry Goodman

An abridged version of the collection originally published in 1961, the forty-two stories here are written by some of the most brilliant and poignant Jewish writers of the twentieth century, including Sholem Aleichem, Abraham Raisin, and Joseph Opotashu. They paint a sometimes hilarious, sometimes somber, but always moving image of the experiences of the "greenhorns" coming to America. These are not stories written by outsiders empathizing with the hardships of life in America but rather by the newcomers themselves who encountered the harsh realities and withered expectations in "the new country." The earliest Yiddish American writers were intent on sharing with their readers—most of them unsophisticated in literary taste—observations and interpretations of common men and women. The writings were meant to create an atmosphere of moral sensitiveness, spiritual refreshment, and cohesive Jewishness.

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