Rating: 
Summary: In search for Journalistic Integrity
Review: I was extremely let down by the integrity of this book. So to begin with, I want to fully disclose critical information about my background so that all reading this review can draw their own conclusions about my perspective.I am an Orthodox Jew (Modern not Hassidic). I have been to Postville (several times) and spent Shabbat (the Sabbath) there. I am even friends with the Rubashkin's (Heshy, not Shalom). So I have some understanding of both Postville and the Jews there. Stephen Bloom identifies himself as a seasoned journalist who now teaches in University. In search for his own Jewish identity he is drawn to the Postville to see if the cultural divide between the Hassidim and the locals can help him better understand his own feelings of displacement in Iowa. Thus he sets off to pay repeated visits to Postville to interview the people involved. He ends up interviewing just about every local in Postville. He reports their stories of the Hassidim, both good and bad. Yet he always seems to focus on the bad. As for the Hassidim, he makes contact with Shalom, the local leader of the community. Mr. Bloom believes that Shalom's only purpose for engaging with is to reach out to his Jewish soul to draw him back to the practice of traditional Judaism. After the attempt to engage Shalom fails to produce any significant, Mr. Bloom goes back to interviewing the local population. And that is where I believe the book fails. Mr. Bloom, although Jewish, has an ethos that is closer to the local population than ever was to the Hassidic Jews. To him Judaism is a style of food. Thus naturally it would be easier to talk and interview people who look and act more like himself. To him the Hassidim were as foreign as a martian. I think Mr. Bloom would have done a better job of interviewing a martan. Because if he were interviewing an martian, he would not have had any subconcious prejudice. His writing indicated that Mr. Bloom felt the ways of the Hassidim were a reflection on him and how the people of Iowa viewed him. Perhaps I am naive, but I thought journalists were suppose to be objective and get to the facts. By interviewing many Postville locals but giving up after failing with Shalom, he clearly demonstrates his lack of desire to get to the truth. He will gladly take anecdotes and take them as fact with little or no verification. The only conclusion that I can come to was talking to the locals was easy. They looked like him and acted like him. But talking to the Hassidim were not. Instead of facing the challenges and his own pre-dispositions, he opts to take the easy way out. In every population, there are good people and their are people who are not so good. I find it hard to believe, especially knowing the people, that everyone there is the same. Perhaps if he spent more time trying to live up to the ideals of journalistic integrity, he could have come to better understand both sides of the situation and written a more compelling book about cultural clashes. In the end, he is satisfying in writing a book which perpetuates prejudices which are antiquated and simplistic.
Rating: 
Summary: an interesting look at ourselves
Review: This is a good book and Mr. Bloom has done a very good job putting it together. The basic focus is on a group of ultra-orthodox Jews who set up a kosher meat-cutting business in little Postville, Iowa. I lived for a number of years in nearby Decorah, Iowa so I was interested in reading it as soon as I heard of it. I glanced at some of the reviews in Amazon and I could tell that the author has raised quite a bit of controversy over his approach to the subject. What is interesting is that he is accused of being biased both for and against each side of the controversy. Personally, I think he has done a good job of staying in a sort of middle ground approach. Let's face it, his Jewish background was a strong point given our current societal tendency to blame differing opinions on racism, sexism, anti-semitism, etc. Bloom is, thus, uniquely able to approach the subject unincumbered in ways that others would have been. As one who is proud of his Iowa roots, I felt proud of the praise Bloom gave my home state and some defensiveness when he was critical of its' citizens. I attended a junior high school in Des Moines that had two or three of the citie's synagogues in its' territory. In or around 1967, the junior high school was spray-painted with hateful ant-semitic statements. As I came to school that day, my reaction was one of great surprize. This was something that was obviously the work of someone not in touch with the mainstream of thought in our community. However, I learned that day that not all Iowans are perfect. Mr. Bloom has reminded us of that (not that we REALLY think of ourselves that way). The interactions of the two societies; rural Middle-America and Orthodox Jewish, did not go well in little Postville. The author ends up taking sides but only after a seemingly thorough attempt to hear both sides out. I was surprized at the aloofness of the Jews in their new surroundings. I knew that the local citizens would have done at least a reasonable job of making them feel at home if they had been given a chance. I found myself having to realize a different perspective on Orthodox Jews. I have read just about every book written by Isaac B. Singer and Sholom Aleichem. I love the stories of the Jewish societies in Eastern Europe in the decades prior to WWII. I always assumed that little mention was made of the Goyim because the Goyim didn't want anything to do with the Jews. I now realize that there was a likely, unspoken, opposite point of view in which the Jews wanted nothing to do with the Goyim. In many ways this is a tragic story but it is also an illuminating story of our modern American society which prides itself on its' diversity. To preach about assimulation as the method our ancesters followed ignores the seperation of different races and faiths that was the standard of the past. Yet to try and praise an ethnic group that disavows all others but their own gives us a distaste that's hard to ignore. Professor Bloom has written an excellent book. His style of writing makes the reader glad that a person of his talent is teaching journalism. You need not be Jewish or Iowan to get a lot out of this book; just American.
Rating:
Summary: Balanced Look At Unbalanced People
Review: To the extent one can judge the fairness of nonfiction without first hand experience of the subject matter, this book seems quite fair to the people which it is about. The warts and all humanity of the Hasidic Jews and the Lutheran Christians is
documented. But the focus of the book has to be on the small
group of Hasidic Jews who relocate to an Iowa town to operate a Kosher slaughterhouse. For someone with virtually no prior knowledge about the beliefs and practices of these Jews, I thought the book was informative and thought-provoking.
Some of the Hassidim do not paint a pretty picture. They can be prejudiced, bombastic, egotistical and hostile. Many of the reviewers see these portrayals as a bashing of Hassidism, but I think it just is honest reportage of the few Hasidic Jews the author got to know a bit.
In their attacks on Mr. Bloom, some reviewers also demonstrate
remarkable insensitivity. For example, one reviewer takes Mr. Bloom to task because, although he reports on an incident in which a Hasidic Jew,who insists that his wife paid for some knife sheaths, grabs them and runs, he fails to report the follow
up that the wife showed up later to apologize and pay for the articles. (This is included in the paperback edition.) The wife's visit supposedly tempers the outburst by her husband, this critic believes. But without this epilog, the reader is left wondering what happened. The man would be crazy if he thought he could make up a story about his wife, and get away without paying by grabbing the goods and running. When the reader learns that the man probably thought his wife had been in earlier to pay, his behavior is even more bizarre, because it demonstrates an almost total lack of socialization. Instead of
accepting the store owner's response that his wife had not paid,
and either offering to pay himself, or saying he was sorry but that he thought she had paid, he goes into a panic, as if the store keeper was trying to cheat him, and snatches the items he believes are paid for. It is this inappropriate lack of trust
and inappropriate fear of being swindled by a nonJewish shop-owner that provides sad, but true, insight into the man's character.
Overall, a pretty good book.
Rating: 
Summary: If your from Iowa you gotta read this book!
Review: This was an incredible book. Postville is just a 45 minute drive north from my hometown of Strawberry Point, Iowa. I knew there were Orthodox Jews running a slaughterhouse there, because a friend of mine worked there after school in the early 90s while were in high school. I was surprised to read this book and find out how the Jews treated the locals, but it was also interesting to find out a little bit about the Jewish community in Postville. Surprisingly, a lot of people in North East Iowa don't know about the Jewish community in Postville. I am going to donate my copy of this book to the public library so others can read about this interesting story. The next chance I get I'm going up to Postville to see all the places I read about. This should be required reading in all North East Iowa high schools.
Rating:
Summary: Close To Home
Review: I realy enjoyed :"Postville A Clash of Cultures." I thought the book was perfectly done by Mr. Bloom. It told the truth about most of the Hasidic Jews in Postville. It is about mostly Hasidic Jews who move into a small Iowan town, and set up a Kosher slauter house. Since the Jews moved the towns economy has gone up and the sleepy down is now starting to wake up. The Jews brought jobs and a hope for the small town in Iowa. Some locals think they should have never come, well other locals think they realy have helped this town survive. I live near Postville so I no what it is like. You walk down the street and a Hasidic Jew walks by bobbing its head up and down. You say Hello, but he just walks by saying nothing and pretending like your not even there. The book really tells the truth about Postville along with the Hasidic Jews.
Rating: 
Summary: Oy Shucks!
Review: I was interested in this book, as an exploration of culture clash. What Bloom delivers instead is a facile juxtaposition of two groups bereft of any sort of nuance or true understanding. It's a series of farmers saying shucks and fanatics saying oy. He never looks beyond "jew" or "farmer" to see the people livingg inside the identities. None of his characters come off as more than a prototype for farmer or hasid. What is most disappointing about the book is the fact that he is so intent on deciding who is right and wrong, as if issues of tolerance and community and prejudice can be boiled down to such simplistic terms. Equally unforgiveable is his implicit assertion that only those who do not hold faith to be all embracing can truly be part of America, that in order to belong we all must join a melting pot after all. At times he seems to tiptoe close to exploring his own discomfort with religious identity (beyond bagels and pastrami, his silly, easy stand-in for "jewish identity). But he never deepens his exploration of this issue, creating instead a book that is deeply flawed and painfully stereotypical. Aw shucks indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating--an analysis of a unique, yet impacting, issue
Review: No one would argue that Bloom can represent the entire Jewish community no more than one could argue that Bloom can represent the entire state of Iowa. But Bloom can serve as a voice of an observer, a writer with journalist training who immersed himself in two distinct, important cultures. His insights are important, regardless of where one sides on the ideological and religious spectrum. I enjoy and recommend this book for three main reasons. First, Bloom is a talented writer. His descriptions of the Iowa farmland and agriculture are detailed and complete, allowing the reader to get the proper "feel" for the context of this incredible account. Furthermore, Bloom often allows the citizens of Postville to speak for themselves, relying heavily on direct quotations and dialogue. This technique gives the narrative a crisp, effective tone. Secondly, the subject matter is incredibly rich. As a reader generally unfamiliar with Hasidic Jews and rural Iowans, Bloom introduced me to new cultures. As with his attention to descriptive detail of the context, Bloom provides a remarkably detailed portrait of both groups. One of his most common techniques is the story. Personal experiences with both the Hasidic Jews and the other Postville citizens create characterizations that are full and dynamic. Finally, though other reviewers have criticized Bloom for a lack of objectivity, I believed Bloom did a commendable job of presenting both sides throughout much of the book. Clearly, his bias emerges in the latter part. However, what many critics fail to point out is that Bloom is very clear of his evolving personal stance. Thus, the book serves as both an analysis of cultures and an autobiography of personal spirituality. A reader need not agree with Bloom's ultimate conclusions to learn from the book. Indeed, simply witnessing a spiritual transformation and development of the writer is a powerful experience for readers. In short, the bias that concerns many critics is not a hidden, subtle attempt to sway reader's opinions--it is a clearly stated conclusion of the author as the book progresses. The ramifications of the Postville experiences are far-reaching. This is an important study and one that deserves our attention and consideration. However, don't let the depth of the subject override the fact that this is a page-turner of a book with a storyline that will grab you from the very beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Chock Full O'Stereotypes!
Review: Gee, what color is the sky in the Iowa that Mr. Bloom calls home? This author has succeeded in furthering every stereotype about Iowans, farmers and midwesterners with this poorly-written book. (I won't even start in on his stereotypes about the Lubavitchers). It seems that he is so interested in making generalizations about the players in his story that the reader never really gets more than a tale of two groups of people who do not get along. (Does it really matter that some of them happen to be Jewish?). The reader is also unfortunately pulled along Mr. Bloom's personal journey and internal struggle (which seems made-up) about being a Jew. He seems to be more caught up in the struggle with finding "Jewish" food in Iowa rather than finding his religion. Furthermore, he would never be considered an "outsider" in a university town such as Iowa City where there are almost 30,000 students from all over the world, not to mention the diverse faculty and staff.
If you are interested in reading a biased account of life in Iowa with no actual story, this is the book for you. If you are interested in reality, pass this one up. One would think that Mr. Bloom would not need to make up such a "clash" in order to write a book about Iowa. This state and its people have much more to offer and believe it or not, are not stuck in a time warp from the 1950s as Mr. Bloom would have you believe.
Rating:
Summary: More Reform Redux
Review: If you hate Hasidic Jews, you'll love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating True Tale
Review: Being from Iowa, I'm probably pre-disposed to like this story, but I found it an incredibly fascinating story of the growing and re-birthing pains of a small Iowa town. Iowa is very homogenous -- we don't have a lot of folks who look or act different, so it's really interesting to see what happens when Orthodox Jews come in to a small, aging, white town. Bloom keeps it from being just a single focused story, however, by telling his own story as an outside in Iowa, and even though he's Jewish, of being an outsider to the Orthodox Jewish community. An outstanding book that richly deserves all the awards it gets.
| 
