“AN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: ADELINE MOSES LOEB (1876-1953) AND HER EARLY AMERICAN JEWISH ANCESTORS”
May 5th, 2009
Metropolitan Club, Eastside-Manhattan
The Stanford White architectural gem, the Metropolitan Club -was an elegant backdrop to a posh (and eclectic) gathering of friends, family, and colleagues of the distinguished Renaissance gentleman, AMBASSADOR JOHN L. LOEB JR. celebrating his scholarly memoir; “AN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: ADELINE MOSES LOEB (1876-1953) AND HER EARLY AMERICAN JEWISH ANCESTORS.”
This significant tome that chronicles one branch of Loeb’s accomplished family (and we know this because there was a rather impressive, detailed family tree imprinted on oversized placards on display throughout---and we recognized many, MANY accomplished American relatives)…is a tale that peaked our interest.
----That being one that is “an engaging glimpse into a portion of our national history that is rarely explored.”-
----Meaning life experienced by early American Jews, (eight generations worth) living in the South from colonial times… through later living ancestors who were part of- and helped shape- Wall Street’s modern financial structures via the distinguished Wall Street firm Loeb, Rhoades.
Why this amazing story – that’s revealed with detective worthy precision courtesy of the historian and sleuth par excellence, Judith E. Endelman--- mattered to us--- is that it is not only a compelling read (full of engaging, gossipy tidbits)---
But also chronicles the often harsh realities of life during the Civil War and distressed economic times that decimated the family’s fortunes.
We feel strongly that “AN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: ADELINE MOSES LOEB (1876-1953) AND HER EARLY AMERICAN JEWISH ANCESTORS” is not just a well researched repository of biographical sketches- limited to interest an elite few or history students of American Jewry. For us, this is an interesting recount of one accomplished (determined) woman’s journey through the significant moments of our country’s history that importantly shape the way we live today.
A colorful cinematic-like sweep of American occurrences, in a matter of speaking.
ADDED PLUS: Master story teller Southern Historian Eli Evans wrote the introduction to this three-part book.
Books sales at the event were plentiful---and benefited the home of the Sons of The Revolution and important surviving Revolutionary War structure-, the registered National Landmark, Fraunces Tavern®.
AVAILABLE for Purchase on the SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY PRESS WEBSITE
Words, Judith Ecochard
Image of Ambassador Loeb Jr. Courtesy of Chance Wih/Patrick McMullan Company