"Gil Ribak's provocative study explores brilliantly how old-world Jewish visions of Christians and frustrations with 'Yankee' WASP elites in 'Gentile New York' dominated Jewish immigrant consciousness."- Jeffrey S. Gurock (Yeshiva University) "Jews have long had complex and paradoxical relationships with gentiles, who have sometimes been oppressors, sometimes neighbors and in many instances 'righteous' people who have saved the lives of Jews. This book views immigration through a new lens: it examines how Eastern European Jews perceived and interacted with the diverse set of peoples in the U.S. who were their neighbors, coworkers, adversaries, and sometimes collaborators. The book does a masterful job of portraying the history of these diverse images and encounters. It is carefully researched and provides vivid examples. Ribak has done scholars and other readers a service by bringing together a rich and varied set of materials." (Jewish Book World) “Gentile New York is a very important study, which will change our view of American Jewish history. Ribak builds his argument on a very solid documental foundation, and we can only admire his meticulousness and analytical insight.” (Yiddish Daily Forward)
