{"product_id":"peddlers-merchants-and-junk-dealers-margaret-k-nelson-9781479842384","title":"Peddlers, Merchants, and Junk Dealers: Jewish Life in Small-Town Vermont","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eProvides a rare study of Jews in small town America\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor many years, histories of Jews in the United States focused on Jewish migrants who settled in large cities. \u003ci\u003ePeddlers, Merchants, and Junk Dealers\u003c\/i\u003e offers a rare study of Jews in small town America, illuminating the experiences of Jewish families in towns where they constituted one of, at most, a few Jewish families. In particular, the volume explores the occupational niches of Jews in rural Vermont, from peddling to the ownership of junk yards and dry goods stores that were disparagingly known as \"the Jew Store.\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe book also looks specifically at the experiences of Jewish women and children in families headed by men in these occupations. These families lived in communities where they were often isolated from relatives and friends, and without a Jewish congregation. Margaret K. Nelson carefully investigates various aspects of this small-town experience, including how generations of immigrants were regarded by others, how they held onto the practice of their religion, and how they were able to socially integrate into their communities. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBy narrating the trajectory of Jewish immigrant experiences through men's occupations, the volume places the experiences of Jews in Vermont alongside those of other marginalized groups, particularly the families of Chinese restaurant owners and South Asian motel managers, as they established and sustained their own distinctive economic activities in small towns. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eShowcasing the largely unexplored history of Jews in very small towns, \u003ci\u003ePeddlers, Merchants, and Junk Dealers\u003c\/i\u003e provides a novel account of Jewish community and belonging as minorities in rural communities.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Margaret K. Nelson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1479842389\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781479842384\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e New York University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/28\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 264\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback","brand":"Margaret K. Nelson","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48623528902911,"sku":"9781479842384","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/peddlers-merchants-and-junk-dealers-margaret-k-nelson-9781479842384","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}