The Jewish Legacy in New Mexico History

The Jewish Legacy in New Mexico History, the New Mexico Jewish Historical Society's first book-length publication, draws from articles first published in the society's newsletter over the last thirty years. The book's first section traces the history of three distinct Jewish communities: the conversos, Congregation Albert, and Congregation B'nai Israel. The book's second section describes the Jewish experience on the New Mexico frontier, with stories ranging from the life of a Jewish bride on the Santa Fe Trail to Jewish encounters with legendary characters like Billy the Kid. Section three includes chapters on Jewish businesses, especially trade and tourism in the 19th and 20th centuries. Section four covers World War II with chapters on topics ranging from Jewish refugees in New Mexico to Jewish contributions to the top-secret Manhattan Project at Los Alamos. A final section deals with Jewish social life, from fond memories of Albuquerque's Jewish communities in the post-World War II era, to final resting places in Jewish cemeteries. Combined, the book's twenty-three chapters depict much of the Jewish experience in New Mexico. Although small in number (about 24,000 in a statewide population of 2,000,000), the state's Jewish residents have had-and continue to have-a large, important impact on New Mexico. They, along with Hispanics, Greeks, Italians, Native Americans, African Americans, and seemingly countless other cultural groups, have helped make New Mexico among the most diverse, interesting, and beautiful states of the American Southwest.