Sundays at Sinai – A Jewish Congregation in Chicago

“Sundays at Sinai is an important and well-crafted book that places this pioneer congregation firmly within the context not only of Judaism, but also the history of immigration and of Chicago. Tobias Brinkmann is an excellent practitioner of the historical method combining detailed research with new insights that widen and deepen our knowledge of the Jewish experience both in America and Europe.”

–Dominic A. Pacyga, author of Chicago: A Biography

“Readers usually learn about the influential Reform movement in American Judaism as if from a distance, since most historical glimpses deal with national episodes and trends. Readers can also get a close-up view through narratives of particular communities. Tobias Brinkmann’s account of one of the most important Reform synagogues makes it possible for readers to be informed and entertained at once, since with this close-up he brings fresh perspective to Reform, in a story about some of the talent, inventiveness, energy, community sense and achievements at Sinai.”–Martin E. Marty, emeritus, The University of Chicago

“Replete with new information and fresh insights, Tobias Brinkmann’s history of a key Chicago synagogue becomes a platform for exploring Radical Reform Judaism, German-Jewish immigration to America, and the religious history of Chicago. This volume will stand for a long time as the standard work on Chicago Sinai and its path. This is congregational history at its best.”–Jonathan Sarna, Brandeis University