Overview

An imaginative investigation into a historical crime that sheds new light on Jewish history. In 1734 a pedlar turned smuggler named Jacob Harris slit the throats of three people in a pub in Sussex. This triple-murder, for which he was hanged and gibbeted, remains the most violent crime ever committed by a British Jew. Yet today it is all but forgotten. In The Jewish pedlar, Tony Kushner goes in search of the enigmatic Harris. Digging into a remarkable range of sources, from law records and newspaper reports to ballads and folktales, he follows the traces of Harris's legend across three hundred years of British history. In doing so, he reconstructs the world of Jewish pedlars and criminals across many continents. The lives these figures eked out at the margins of society paint a picture of persistent antisemitism but also of remarkable integration. Intellectually bold and deeply humane, The Jewish pedlar takes a new, grassroots approach to the history of Jews in the modern world, shedding light on everyday lives from the Enlightenment to the Holocaust and beyond.

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9781526178022

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Reviews

'A wonderful read! A topic too often neglected and brought to light with drama, sensitivity and rigorous scholarship. Essential for a full understanding of the contemporary Jewish world.' Harry Freedman, author of Shylock's Venice ‘The Jewish Pedlar tells the riveting story of Jacob Harris, whose turbulent life became the stuff of legends and ballads. It also challenges any idea you may have had about what a Jew is or can be.’ Miri Rubin, author of Cities of Strangers 'The Jewish pedlar not only provides an illuminating viewpoint of this overlooked part of British history but is also engaging to read. It uncovers the various threads with a scholarly balance that neither sensationalises nor falls prey to nostalgia. Tony Kushner's refreshing approach widens the scope for subjective stories to emerge while providing the important wider context.' Mia Spiro, Senior Lecturer in Modern Jewish Culture and Holocaust Studies, University of Glasgow -- .

Author Information

Tony Kushner is James Parkes Professor of Jewish/Non-Jewish Relations at the University of Southampton. He is the author of numerous books, including Journeys from the Abyss: The Holocaust and Forced Migration from the 1880s to the Present (2017) and Anglo-Jewry since 1066: Place, Memory and Locality (2009).

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