American Jerusalem tells the story of the pioneer Jews of San Francisco, who came to California from Germany during the Gold Rush and were instrumental in building the city. The roles they were relegated to in Germany---peddler and petty merchant---were highly valued in the Gold Rush. Therefore, because of the openness of Gold Rush California, these Jews were far more assimilated into and had a greater impact on the building and defining of a major city than any other Jewish community in America. But this acceptance came as a price, as assimilation put this community in danger of losing its Jewish identity.

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