A sample of subjects covered in American Jewish Desk Reference 1585 The first known Jews to step on American soil, Joachim Gaunse, Lands on Roanoke Island 1656 Congregation Sharith, although not yet allowed to worship in a synagogue in New York City, buys the first American Jewish cemetery site. 1777 New York grants full political rights to Jews 1871 The first Hebrew weekly in America is published. 1907 Physicist Albert Michelson is the first American Jew to win the Nobel Prize 1915 The predominantly Jewish Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union strikes to reduce the twelve-hour workday 1923 The first Hillel Foundation is established at the University of Illinois 1927 Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern's Showboat debuts 1928 Hadassah's membership peaks at over 37,000 women 1944 Center-fielder Tiby Eisen joins the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League 1947 Arthur Miller's All My Sons wins the New York Drama Critics Circle Award 1948 William Paley creates CBS TV 1949 Mel Brooks leaves the Catskills to write for Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows" 1952 Harold Ross founds The New Yorker 1954 Sammy Davis, Jr., converts to Judaism 1962 Theodore H. White wins a Pulitzer Prize for The Making of the President 1967 American Jews raise more than $317.5 million to support the Six-Day War 1970 Bella Abzug is the first woman elected to Congress on a woman's rights/ peace platform 1971 The first female rabbi in America, Sally Priesand, is ordained 1986 Elie Wiesel is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 1990 The rate of interfaith marriages among Jews rises to 52% 1993 Stephen Spielberg's Schindler's List is released 1997 Woody Allen sets a new record with 13 Academy Award nominations for screenwriting Excerpted from American Jewish Desk Reference: The Ultimate One-Volume Reference to the Jewish Experience in America by American Jewish Historical Society Staff All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
