2003-2004 CORE Book

Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America

By Stephen Bloom
2000, Harcourt, Inc.

In 1987 a group of Orthodox Jews opened a Kosher slaughterhouse just outside of Postville, Iowa (pop. 1,465).  The quiet, restrained Iowans were aghast at the Hasidic Jews who ignored the unwritten laws of Iowa behavior, and the Lubavitchers would not compromise with the citizens of Postville.  Ten years later, the town engineered a vote on  whether the Jews should stay.  This award-winning book documents that conflict and gains new perspective on the troubles haunting many American communities today.

Winner of the Book-of-the Month Club and Book of the Year awards, Postville is a fascinating tale of culture clash in the heartland:  the John Deere cap meets the black fur hat.  It is a book about identity and community and what it means to be an American.  It covers all the things you aren’t supposed to talk about at the dinner table—religion, politics, and even sex.  It is also full of suspense:  Will the plant be annexed?  Will the Jews leave?  The book is Bloom’s exploration of his own sense of belonging.

Stephen Bloom has been a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, the Dallas Morning News, and other major newspapers.  He teaches journalism at the University of Iowa, where he lives with his wife and son.

Classes for which Postville would be appropriate include:  Sociology, Ethics, Philosophy, Religion, English, Literature, Journalism, Ag classes, Marketing, Tourism, Criminal Justice, law classes or any seminar class where diversity issues are discussed.

“Intelligent and absorbing…A fine and courageous piece of work.”

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