Attempting to write a history as long as that of the Jews in such a short space is a challenging task. I would not have been able to do so without the incisive comments and careful reading of friends and colleagues. I extend my deep thanks to Sarah Abrevaya Stein, Michael Berenbaum, John Efron, David Ruderman, Ra’anan Boustan, and Nomi Stolzenberg. Seth Schwartz, Jonathan Ray, Benjamin Gampel, and Aryeh Cohen provided helpful input at crucial points in the process. A special debt of appreciation goes to Jonathan Elukin, who undertook an exhaustive critical reading of the manuscript as a reader for Oxford University Press and improved it considerably.
Nancy Toff models the intellectual seriousness, attention to detail, and sense of humor that make for a great editor. She has been saintly in her patience in waiting for this book. Elda Granata, assistant history editor at Oxford University Press, answered every query, large and small, with great efficiency. My thanks as well to Shina Harshavardhan, Talia Graff, and Paul State who provided expert support in the copy-editing process.
Finally, I dedicate this book to Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi (1932–2009). My encounter with him at Columbia University in 1985 altered my life, transforming the study of Jewish history into the most exciting intellectual pursuit imaginable. That it has remained so to this day is an ongoing testament to the power of Yosef Yerushalmi’s example as scholar and teacher. It was his insistence on studying the entire course of Jewish history that has enabled this book.