Books by Lauren R. Silberman
The Jewish Community of Baltimore
When Jews arrived in the mid-1700s, Baltimore was little more than a backwater port with an uncertain future. As the city grew so did its Jewish community, forming its first congregation in 1830 and hiring the first ordained rabbi in America in 1840. Today Baltimore is home to one of the nation's largest and most diverse Jewish communities, with approximately 100,000 Jews living in the metropolitan area. Through photographs and documents drawn primarily from the collection of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, The Jewish Community of Baltimore chronicles this fascinating history. More than 200 historic images portray the progress of Baltimore's Jews from a handful of immigrants starting new lives in a growing port city, to an established network of clergy, businesspeople, educators, philanthropists, and civic leaders. From the family-owned delis on Lombard Street and the grand department stores on Howard Street, to the majestic synagogues on Eutaw Place and the current epicenter of Jewish life on Park Heights Avenue, Jews have left an indelible mark on Baltimore.
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Wicked Baltimore
"Deny it if you will, but Wicked Baltimore speaks to our inherent thirst for sin, violence and intrigue. Plus, you might even learn something." - Urbanite Magazine
"Is it appropriate to call a collection of stories that celebrates Baltimore’s seedy underbelly charming? Living contrary to convention, with which Baltimoreans claim some expertise, can make a place more exciting, which adds to its appeal, and Wicked Baltimore is a charming collection of well-researched historical vignettes about the parts of Baltimore that make the city interesting." - Style Magazine "Wicked Baltimore is sure to reveal and unearth a sordid, dark, mysterious, curious, and remarkable past to readers." - The Baltimore Examiner "Thanks to a cast of lively characters and an ample selection of vintage photos, Wicked Baltimore's a great read with fascinating historical tidbits at every turn. The likes of Poe and Billie Holiday make requisite appearances, but it’s the Plug Uglies (the Westside street gang/political party), speakeasy denizens, and long-forgotten criminals that make things truly interesting." - Baltimore Magazine As home to Edgar Allan Poe’s body, the acerbic wit of H.L. Mencken and Fells Point’s nest of pirates, Baltimore revels in the deliciously dark side of its history. From the incensed citizens of 1808 who torched a cargo of Geneva gin on Hampstead Hill to the Gilded Age socialite who allegedly poisoned four family members, the city’s early history is littered with tales of raucous violence and sordid misdeeds. Local author Lauren R. Silberman leads readers through the horrors of slave pens, the chaos of the Pratt Street Riots, and the backroom speakeasies of Prohibition to reveal the sinister and scintillating face of Charm City. Listen to Lauren's interview about Wicked Baltimore with Rosanna Tufts. Listen to Lauren's interview about Wicked Baltimore on WYPR, Baltimore's NPR station with host Nathan Sterner. Purchase here. Email me if you're interested in having a customized signed nameplate for your book or for someone else. |