classics

Helping those in need

Visit Site

MP3 Audio Sample

rating
 
 
goodreads logo

Short Synopsis
A dramatic history of how American Jews reckoned with slavery—and fought the Civil War.

Full Synopsis
Since ancient times, the Jewish people have recalled the story of Exodus and reflected on the implications of having been slaves. Did the tradition teach that Jews should speak out against slavery and oppression everywhere, or act cautiously to protect themselves in a hostile world?

In Fear No Pharaoh, journalist and historian Richard Kreitner sets this question at the heart of the Civil War era. Using original sources, he tells the intertwined stories of six American Jews who helped to shape a tumultuous time, including Judah Benjamin, the brilliant, secretive lawyer who became Jefferson Davis's trusted confidante; Morris Raphall, a Swedish-born rabbi who defended slavery as biblically justified; and Raphall's rival rabbis—the celebrated Isaac Mayer Wise, who urged Jews to stay out of the slavery controversy, and David Einhorn, whose fiery sermons condemning bondage led to a pro-slavery mob. We also meet August Bondi, a veteran of Europe's 1848 revolutions, who fought with John Brown in "Bleeding Kansas" and later in the Union Army, and the Polish émigré Ernestine Rose, a feminist, atheist, and abolitionist who championed "emancipation of all kinds."

As he tracks these characters, Kreitner illuminates the shifting dynamics of Jewish life in America—and the debates about religion, morality, and politics that endure to this day.

Fear No Pharaoh

American Jews, the Civil War, and the Fight to End Slavery

Author Richard Kreitner

Narrated by Dean Gallagher

Publication date Jul 8, 2025

Running time 14 hrs 2 min

Available Formats

Suggestions?
Let us know!