Named by \;Publishers Weekly \;as one of the best books of 2023 and finalist for the Athenaeum of Philadelph ia's 2023 Literary Award\, Steven Ujifusa's book The Last Ships from H amburg: Business\, Rivalry and the Race to Save \;Russian \;Jews o n the Eve of World War I tells the story of 2.5 million Jews\, fleein g discrimination and violence in their homelands of Eastern Europe and arr iving in the United States\, from 1890 to 1921\, many sailing on steamship s from Hamburg.
\nThis mass exodus was facilitated by three American businessmen whose involvement in the Jewish-American narrative has been l argely forgotten: Jacob Schiff\, the managing partner of the investment ba nk Kuhn\, Loeb &\; Company\; Albert Ballin\, managing director of the H amburg-American Line\; and J. P. Morgan\, mastermind of the International Mercantile Marine (I.M.M.) trust. Though their goals were often contradict ory\, together they made possible a migration that spared millions from pe rsecution. Descendants of these immigrants included Esté\;e Lauder\, George Gershwin\, Irving Berlin\, Fanny Brice\, Lauren Bacall\, the Marx Brothers\, Sam Goldwyn\, Felix Frankfurter\, Moses Annenberg\, and many mo re&mdash\;including Ujifusa&rsquo\;s great grandparents. That is their leg acy.
\nMeticulously researched\, masterfully told\, Ujifusa&rsquo\;s story offers original insight into the American experience\, connecting b anking\, shipping\, politics\, immigration\, nativism\, and war&mdash\;and delivers crucial insight into the burgeoning refugee crisis of our own ti me.​
\nSteven is the recipient of the \;Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence \;from the Saint Nicholas Society of th e City of New York\, a MacDowell artist residency\, and the \;Athenaeu m of Philadelphia's Literary Award for Non-Fiction. \; \;
\nA native of New York City and raised in \;Chappaqua\, New York\, Steve n received his undergraduate degree in history from \;Harvard Universi ty \;and a joint masters in historic preservation and real estate deve lopment from the \;University of Pennsylvania. \; He \;resides in Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. \;
\n​Q & \; A and book signing. The book is available for purchase at the Friends o f the Library of Montgomery County online store through this link.
\nQuestions about th is program? \;Contact the Connie Morella Library at 240-777-0970.
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