Creator Bio
Abraham Kohn
1819–1871
Born in Bavaria, Abraham Kohn arrived in the United States in 1842, first working as a peddler in New England and then settling in Chicago, where he owned a prosperous store and helped to found Chicago’s first synagogue, Kehilath Anshe Ma’arav. A loyal Republican supporter of Abraham Lincoln, Kohn advocated for Jewish equal rights. He was elected city clerk of Chicago.
Content by Abraham Kohn
Primary Source
Jewish Immigrant Life in America: A Bavarian Peddler’s Story
A 19th-century Bavarian Jewish immigrant recounts hardship, loneliness, and disillusionment in America—revealing the struggles behind the dream of freedom.
Related Guide
Life Writing: Biography, Autobiography, and Ego Documents
1750–1880
The famous and the obscure, women and men, in epitaphs and private letters, ethical wills, cookbooks, and religious reflections, all reflect aspects of Jewish life in a period of great transition.