Rating: 
Summary: Highly Recommend
Review: An excellent read. Bloom forays into the heart of not only the conflict between the Lubavitchers and the Germanic stock of native Postville, but also into the heart of what it means to be a member of a faith that is also a culture. Like Bloom I am a non-orthodox Jew, and thus enjoyed his liberal use (and explanation) of Yiddish terms and exploration of Judaism in general. That is not the focus of the book however, and the full development of the personalities of the people on both sides of the local conflict in Postville was very engaging. I was afraid that caricature would overpower character, but was pleasantly surprised that it did not. As to readability, I found the book difficult to put down, and even with two children under the age of 5 in the house I managed to read the entire book in a weekend. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A memoir masquerading as a journalistic account
Review: The subtitle of the book, "A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America" as well as the book jacket description suggest that author Stephen Bloom wrote a sociological portrait of the clash between the Hasidim, who recently settled in Postville to operate a kosher slaughterhouse, and the Postville locals, many who had lived in Iowa for generations. However, what Bloom actually wrote is a memoir of his time in Iowa, particularly his travels to Postville. As in many memoirs, this account displays the gamut of Bloom's biases, insecurities and conclusions made without conducting sufficient research. A large focus of the book is Bloom's constant wondering aloud which side is correct and who he would ultimately side with. In these moments, Bloom sounds more like a high school student picking which clique to join than a journalist who is striving to create a relatively unbiased sociological portrait. In his chapter on two Hasidic young men who had committed an armed robbery, Bloom posits that a factor in the commission of the crime was that the Hasidic community held the gentile community in such low regard. He ignores the shady past of both men. The gunman had been involved in alcohol and drug abuse, robbery, and assault and battery for many years, most of those in New York. In addition, he offers no sociological or criminological evidence to back up his theory, and uses these crimes (which apparently were isolated incidents, otherwise Bloom surely would have informed us of any other crimes committed by Postville Hasidim) to tar the entire Hasidic community. On this basis, I would have rated the book one star, but because it was generally interesting to read, I gave it two stars.
Rating:
Summary: Documentary that reads like a novel
Review: As an Iowan, I found the book fascinating, mostly because it parallels the problems that other Iowa towns are having when "foreigners" move in. I had heard of the Hasidim, of course, but really knew nothing about them. Their lives, beliefs, and customs make great reading for those of us who have never met them. The criticism that the "author's voice takes away from the book" is ridiculous--it's the author's voice that keeps this from being a dull, sociological tome and made me want to read it until it was finished...without stopping.
Rating: 
Summary: I wonder exactly who Stephen Bloom was looking for?
Review: I, too, lived in Iowa City. I lived there for three years, and had occasion to visit Postville many times during that period. I'm scratching my head, because as small and as insular as the Jewish communities of both towns are, I never met the same stereotypes Mr. Bloom describes. My family was welcomed warmly in Iowa City, Postville, and Des Moines. Yes, there are rules that must be observed when visiting a Hasidic community. I, personally, would never go to a Lubavitch home in jeans and a tank top, but I wouldn't go to meet the Dalai Lama or the Archbishop of New York dressed like that, either!It doesn't take an awful lot of investigation to understand that Lubavitchers in Postville stand for the same things as they stand for in Crown Heights, Buenos Aires,or Hyannis, Mass. They are committed, fiercely, to their way of life and preserving it for their children and grandchildren, who will, most likely, be Lubavitchers, too. Mr. Bloom bemoans the uninspiring High Holiday services at the Iowa City synagogue, and at the same time slams the Hasidim for the overtly raucous services in Postville. It seems he wants it both ways, or neither. Perhaps what he really wants is church. There is no shame in being a cultural Jew. But you don't have to be Jewish to eat pastrami and rye. I suspect Mr. Bloom's grandchildren may share his taste in food, but they will not share his angst about it. I predict his grandchildren will not be Jewish. It is said that Hemingway was frequently asked what his books meant, what one ought to get out of them. He is said to have replied that what one got out of his books depended on what one brought TO them. It is, perhaps, not so easy to see what Mr. Bloom got out of his trips to Postville. It is very clear, however, what he brought with him.
Rating:
Summary: A Myopic, Self-Centered, Antisemitic View of Hasidism
Review: The author begins the book questioning whether the locals are antisemitic or just leary of strangers. As the book progresses, it becomes more and more obvious that the only person who is clearly antisemtic in this entire book is the author himself. The book is his own journey of self discovery, in the process of which the author seems to discover quite clearly that he is extremely uncomfortable with all things truly Jewish. In the end, this book does, unfortunately, a pretty good job of promoting an antisemitic view of traditional culture, a view that only leads to prejudice. Had the other been less caught up in his myopic world view, and more focused on the true clash in cultures in front, he would have produced a much more honest, valuable, and object work.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointing mishmash of stereotypes
Review: I started reading this book with anticipation, thinking that it would be an interesting look at a very intriguing cultural clash. Though I eventually slogged my way through it, it was a great disappointment. The author's ego looms so large that it obscures his reportage. The book is full of stereotypes and cheap shots, and the narrator's voice consistently gets in the way of the story he's telling. The writing is adequate at best, and shows very little understanding of either of the cultures he's describing. Don't bother!
Rating: 
Summary: The Orthodox Jews vs the Gentiles
Review: I find the entire subject of Orthodox Jews and their relationship to the wider community troubling. To be set apart is one thing. But the Orthodox assumption seems to be that the rules change when dealing with Gentiles. To further the aims of their community some are willing to lie, cheat and style. Witness the crimes for which Clinton pardoned the Orthodox Jews in New Square, NY. Witness the rising crime rate among younger Orthodox. Within their own community they are loving and caring people. Outside it's a different story. You might want to see the film "A Life Apart" which deftly chronicles this community and its contradictions. It's a vew from the inside and inside-out [not unlike this book]. As a secular Jew I hold the Orthodox to a higher standard. After all, they claim to be the only true standard bearers of Judiasm. I'll take them at their word and hope that live the Torah they read and study, and not just read and study it blindly [it's very specific about how to treat "outsiders" and it does not resemble the view shown in this book].
Rating:
Summary: Postville: A Clash of Stereotypes in Heartland America
Review: I was very disappointed with this book. Clearly, the story is a compelling one, which is undoubtedly why the author was drawn to chronicle it. Unfortunately, Stephen Bloom is unable to tell the story effectively because of his romance with traditional stereotypes of the people involved, as well as his personal myopia about being Jewish. I grew up and went to school with Midwestern farmers and Orthodox Jews (including Lubavitchers) and I barely recognized the people described in the book! For example, Bloom is carried away by the idea that Lubavitchers are obsessive bargainers, while German Lutherans in Iowa are culturally disposed to shun bargaining as an attack on the bona fides of the seller. Obviously, Mr. Bloom has never seen an Iowa farmer purchase a parcel of land, a John Deer tractor, or a car. Likewise, the book casts the Lubavitchers as unscrupulous for hiring illegal aliens to work in the slaughterhouse, and then compares such behavior to the honesty of the Iowans. While there is no defense for hiring illegal aliens, it is preposterous to associate it with the Lubavitcher's "foreign" culture. Anyone familiar with rural Iowa (including the INS) knows that practice of employing illegal aliens in slaughterhouses is rampant - among Jews and non-Jews. Finally, I was struck by Mr. Bloom's childishness in reducing the complexity of culture to local gastronomy. His obsessive association of his own Jewishness with food is silly and indicative of how ill-prepared he is to understand others' deeply-held relgious views. The culture of German Lutherans in Iowa is about much more than macaroni salad and Maid-Rite sandwiches - just as Orthodox Judaism is about more than pastrami and matzo ball soup. German Lutherans and Jews each have their own profound and beautiful religious and cultural heritage - all of which seemed to have been completely missed by Mr. Bloom. All in all, the book was a disappointment. What could have been a compelling story turned out to be a jumble of stereotypes, canards and projections of the author's personal confusion about what it means to be a Jew in Iowa.
Rating:
Summary: Trouble in Iowa
Review: This is a troubling book. It was compelling to read, the author is a first rate story teller. But his conclusion was that the Hasidim had mistreated the people of Postville, Iowa, and the evidence he collects is, by the time you finish the book, damning indeed. I was prepared to say that these Hasidim, who may not be of the highest caliber, are not representative of all Hasidim. I tried to argue to myself that the author might be prejudiced against the Hasidim's fundamentalist brand of Judaism. Nonetheless, I could not escape the conclusion that these particular Hasidim had behaved abominably toward the Iowans, whom they seemed to view with contempt. That two of their number shot a clerk in a convenience store robbery, and none of the Hasidic community ever even offered an apology -- well, that convinced me the Iowans have a right to feel aggrieved. If half the facts in this book are true, these Hasidim have created an economic miracle -- and a terrible Hillul Hashem.
Rating:
Summary: on just a few visits he already judges the jewish community
Review: i've read most of the book and i suggest that anyone intrested in reading something true should not buy it. b\c the book is a false review of the situation in postville. where the pepole that don't get along with the jews either have private reasons or thay are just anti-semites, and many actuelly give support to the jews. and i think everyone in postville shold actuelly give thanks to the jewish community, for rebuilding the city, building the econemy' and making it a city that pepole actuelly now hear of. let's face it how much money to the jews put in to all those shops? this book is false
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