The Rise of David Levinsky

Content Warning: This guide contains discussion of antisemitism and pogroms. It also references misogynistic views. This novel sometimes uses language that is offensive to people with mental health concerns and contains a depiction of sexual assault.

Abraham Cahan was born in Lithuania in 1860. His grandfather was a rabbi, and his father was a Hebrew and Talmud teacher. Abraham’s family expected him to follow the path of religious orders, but he was fascinated by the secular and began studying Russian in secret. Due to the brutal discrimination against Jews in Eastern European countries and Abraham’s radical politics, he immigrated to the United States in 1882.

Upon his arrival in the US, he quickly learned English and began teaching other Jewish immigrants. He taught at the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA) and added socialist speeches into his lectures. He wrote for various magazines and periodicals, such as the Arbeiter Zeitung (Worker’s Newspaper), Di Tsukunft (The Future), and the New York Commercial Advertiser. Cahan went on to found the Jewish Daily Forward in 1897. His paper focused on Jewish and political issues. His paper covered the Kishinev massacre in Moldova in which 49 Jews were killed. His best-known column was called the “Bintle Brief” (Bundle of Letters), which was one of America’s earliest advice columns. Cahan offered advice on how to maintain Jewish customs in America.

Cahan also wrote English fiction that centered on Jewish immigrants becoming American. He wrote short stories and two novels, including The Rise of David Levinsky. The work mirrors his own immigration story but centers on a path he did not take. Cahan died in 1951 from congestive heart failure. He left a lasting mark on Jewish American Culture, and his columns are archived at the American Jewish Historical Society.