Well. This was not what I expected. Because my father's parents ported through Galveston, I was immediately drawn to the purported subject of this book. But only a very small portion of the first third of the content was devoted to the plan to reroute immigrants from overcrowded New York to Galveston and then disperse the immigrants from there.

At first confused, and a bit bored, by what I thought was distraction from the main event, I then assessed the book's form, particularly its limitations. The edited tidbits from primary source materials have been stitched together in a way where the seams are raggedly evident. Lots of repetition, particularly in the early Herzl sections, and I started skimming. Where was Galveston?

Then suddenly, and all too briefly, we readers are pushed onto the boat to America. And before we are ready, we're off the boat and introduced to Rabbi Henry Cohen, who played a pivotal role in welcoming these strangers. With visceral first hand detail, I'm engaged, then dropped. I want to know these authors and the protagonists, follow them beyond the tidbit. I want to continue to care about them. But we're off to the next snippet, yes, cut and stitched together like a would-be tailor learning to sew.

Is this a narrative experiment? Yes. If you're up for that, you may enjoy this approach more than I did. I became more aware that the author was editing my experience in a way I didn't appreciate.

So the bulk of the content wasn't what I signed up for based on the publisher's description, and I grew impatient with the form. This wasn't the book for me. You may have a very different experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wildfire for the Advance Reader Copy.

Disjointed and underwhelming. Cockerell uses only primary sources (newspaper articles, speeches, letters, diaries, personal interviews), presented chronologically and thematically. This choice firmly grounds the reader in the time period but does a disservice in its lack of a central narrative voice. You might call the method inventive and radical, as per the book blurbs. Personally it reminded me of long nights confronted by hundreds of note-scrawled index cards as I desperately tried to organize and transform them into a coherent college paper.

The book description itself is misleading. There are three distinct sections, but only the first covers the brief period when there was an attempt to use Galveston, Texas as a Jewish immigrant entry point to America. This was suggested as an alternative to Ellis Island that would encourage Jews to settle in Western states instead of overcrowded New York City. To set the stage, Cockerell goes back to the birth of Zionism, led by charismatic Austrian journalist Theodore Herzl and British writer Israel Zangwill. I was not particularly surprised to learn that the British once "offered" part of Kenya to the Zionists as a consolation prize for not giving them Palestine; if you're an imperial colonizer you see no problem is giving away land that was never yours to begin with. Also, given the truism "Two Jews, three opinions," it was a no-brainer to learn that the Zionists became hopelessly divided between those who would consider alternative locations for the Jewish state and those who refused anything that wasn't the Biblical homeland. As for the family connection, Cockerell's great-grandfather facilitated the emigration of numerous Russian Jews through Galveston, although he is only briefly referenced.

The second section of the book focuses on a group of young New York playwrights, including Cockerell's great uncle, whose alternative theater had a brief, ignominious run in the 1920s. This section is most notable for the critics' gleeful pan of their shows:
"The [play] may very well be good something, but it isn't good theater."

"The author's name is Em Jo Basshe. It is the kind of play you would naturally expect a man with a name like that to write."

"The [main character] suffered almost as much as his audience."
Finally, we move to Britain in the 1930s and 40s as the author's grandmother and great-aunt raise their families together, surviving WWII and witnessing the birth of Israel. This section has the most intimate feel, as Cockerell personally interviewed several of her surviving relatives.

It's difficult for me to evaluate this book apart from its obvious Zionist sympathies. To her credit, Cockerell does include sources that clearly depict a vibrant Palestinian culture that was erased by the Nabka. I'm left wondering why this book warrants a broad publication run; I'm sure the author's family will find it fascinating but my final impression was a "so what?" shrug.

*Can't resist one more newspaper quote, about the British author-turned-Zionst Israel Zangwill: "I. Zangwill is not a handsome creature. You have seen his pictures. He looks like them."

Advance reader copy provided by Net Galley and publisher.

A family memoir, a history of the early Zionist era, an examination of assimilation and the maintenance of Jewish identity; this book is all of those things and more, and told in an unusual style in which the entire presentation is in the form of letters, news reports and other documents and document fragments.

The book as a whole relates to the family story of the author, whose ancestors ranged from eastern Europe, to England, and to the United States. Part One is about the early days of Zionism, a movement that arose as a result of pogroms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It may be surprising to learn that one faction of early Zionists was not committed to relocating the diaspora to Palestine, but considered other parts of the world, including Uganda, Australia, Canada and the United States. As a young country at that time, the US was (relatively) welcoming to immigrants, and while New York was the principal landing point, this faction of Zionists organized the transport of over 10,000 Jews to Galveston, Texas, where the immigrants could be transported easily by rain to the midwest and west, which were most in need of immigrants. The author’s great-grandfather, David Solomon Jochelmann (later Jochelman) was instrumental in the so-called Galveston Movement.

Another, indirect, member of the author’s family tree (the son of the author’s great-grandfather by his first wife), Emanuel Jochelmann, who renamed himself Emjo Basshe, was part of the great Jewish migration to New York. This man’s story anchors Part Two, which also addresses the pressure of assimilation.

Part Three takes us back to the author’s great-grandfather, and his immigration to England from Kiev, with his second wife and two children. This part takes on the exterminatory efforts of Nazi Germany, and the establishment of the Jewish state of Israel. It’s also packed with family history, as the author’s grandmother and great aunt, sisters, establish a London household together in the 1940s, bursting with their seven children and other relatives, to be joined for a year by the daughter, Jo, of Emjo Basshe from Part Two.

The author manages to integrate her family’s story with the sweep of history, so that it is appealing both to those wanting to read a personal story and those interested in the history. She gives a good explanation of her decision to use only original sources in the text, rather than using those sources to inform her own words. It’s not entirely successful; for example, she introduces the reader to two preeminent Zionists, Theodor Herzl and Israel Zangwill, and later to banker Otto Kahn, by seemingly endless and somewhat repetitive snippets of news stories and reminiscences about them. I would say that Part One, in particular, is longer than it needs to be because of repetitive sources. On the whole, though, this approach is successful and immerses the reader in the times and places.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“On June 7, 1907, a ship packed with Russian Jews sets sail not for Jerusalem or New York, as many onboard have dreamed, but to Texas. The man who persuades the passengers to go is David Jochelmann, the author’s great-grandfather” Extract from the publisher’s description of this part family-memoir, part historical recollection of the near-forgotten Galveston Movement.

This book immediately attracted my attention when I noticed it on NetGalley. First published in the UK last year, it is now due for a US publication in May 2025. I enjoyed a life in Texas for many years, still maintain connections there and visit close friends whenever I can. While I consider myself reasonably well-informed regarding the plight of the Jewish people during the 20th Century, I had no idea of the Galveston Movement, named after the City of Galveston nearby to where I once lived in Houston. This is the fascinating saga of a migration pathway for some 10,000 persecuted, mainly Russian Jews, in the years leading up to World War I. The book explains the reasons for the migration, the strategies considered and the complex mix of emotions for those involved. A saga I hope will appeal to many readers not only for important historical reasons, but also as a moving and personal family memoir.

“This book consists of memories - taken from diaries, letters, memoirs, articles and recordings…(they) tell the entire story through the eyes of those who were there…” Extract from the author’s introduction.

The author writes this book almost entirely using quotes from her research. The quotes, derived from many sources, including Europe, the United States and the Middle East, present words and voices from the distant past up until the present day. Voices that are honest, public as well as private, sincere, moving, heartfelt and even occasionally humorous.

Each quote includes a name, date and source. In totality, they provide a picture of the time, the people and the events, from multiple perspectives, backgrounds and places. Voices from the rich and from the poor, the powerful and the humble, the educated and the ill-informed. The author has selected and presented this material in such a way as to make the material fresh, the voices authentic and the story compelling. And most importantly, it works. Providing an absorbing saga that often caused me to pause, seeking further details from an internet search, before returning to the book.

Whilst the overall story of Jewish persecution and migration is well known, or at least should be for those curious about the past, the Galveston Movement is less well known. A story largely forgotten but one that should be remembered and perhaps, more importantly, a story that places the picture of Jewish migration in the context of long-ago events; a complex story, with some issues unique to the times, while other issues still exist today. And it is a story of the brave and honourable people who should be better remembered today. People who looked to a better future for their people and their religion. A future where they could not only survive but thrive, ideally in their ancestral homeland or perhaps elsewhere, maybe an interim location where death and persecution would not be a constant threat.

The first part of the book is about Zionism, and the pogroms against the Jewish populations of Eastern Europe, particularly Russia. These events threatened the existence of certain Jewish people in the late 19th and early 20th Century. While I had some basic understanding of this time, the book provides a lot more context, brought alive by the method already described. Direct quotations from original sources, including memoirs, speeches, letters, and newspaper articles. Anyone unfamiliar with the time will learn much about the treatment and murder of Jews as well as their long-held desire to return to an historical homeland in Palestine. As an alternative or interim solution to what was called, the Jewish Question, other lands were also considered for those escaping from relentless persecution.

The author allows to reader to understand some of the key issues and personalities of this Movement from over a hundred years ago. Most notably Dr Theodor Herzl,  an Austro-Hungarian journalist, lawyer, writer and political activist, considered the father of modern Zionism. The book also conveys the support from British politicians and media for his vision and also from Europeans, particularly the Swiss who hosted annual Congresses where Jewish people from all over the world would meet, discuss and formulate a strategy.

This part of the book is particularly well presented and gives a vivid picture of the historical issues, plans and passions involved. Various locations are considered for migration, but are mostly ruled out as impractical. A fundamental dilemma arises. While migration away from persecution saves Jewish lives, questions remain. Is it better to wait until circumstances allow a return to the ancestral Palestine homeland ? Or would any homeland be sufficient ? British governments and media are portrayed as largely sympathetic, with significant knowledge of the threats to the Jewish populations in certain places. Equally, perhaps more so, American politicians and media are aware of the pogroms and persecutions. And being a young nation in need of people, the US is open to migration. President Theodore Roosevelt’s reference to the particularly barbaric Kishineff pogrom in the Russian Empire as:

“…a dreadful outrage upon the Jews…”

and referring to the American response:

“ I have never in my experience in this country known of a more immediate or a deeper expression of sympathy…”

The author excels in selecting just the right quote from key people to really set the scene for these times, the tones and attitudes expressed. Quotes from brave, forward-looking people. Not only politicians, but also writers in the media as well as ordinary people in private correspondence. The author is balanced in what is presented. Not all media viewpoints are as benevolent as those of the US White House.

The author’s selection of quotes presents the major issues including a split in the movement to safeguard the Jewish populations and the death of Theodor Herzl at a young age. British writer Israel Zangwill, takes on a leading role in the search for a country willing to provide land for Jewish migration, on either a permanent or temporary basis. Zangwill, although a famous writer in the UK, is soon to become a famous playwright in the US. His role in the history of Jewish migration is largely unknown today. The book addresses his legacy admirably, not only the ideas and actions he promoted, but also his selfless persona and unending commitment. From quotations, Zangwill’s written material and that of others, the reader can better understand this remarkable man.

Simultaneously to events in Europe, there is large, ongoing migration to the United States, particularly New York. This raises other issues. Is the Jewish religion being diminished by American integration ? Will New York become resentful or intolerant of large numbers of migrants ? These different worldviews and themes are presented with care and sensitivity throughout the book, indeed right up until the modern times portrayed towards the end of this book.

Zangwill writes:

“England has got all the Jews she wants, and America is apparently approaching the same way of thinking”

and later:

“If we cannot get the Holy Land, we can make another land holy”

Zangwill’s popularity and success as a playwright provides an opportunity to present his ideas directly to the American people and indeed the President who attends a performance of his new play, The Melting Pot. The book also portrays the role of the existing Jewish population in New York, descendants from earlier migrations, now successful citizens, established businessmen with wealth, able to influence Government policy. The concern that New York cannot handle endless migration is addressed by a proposal for an alternative entry point to the US. Hence the Galveston Movement, named after the port city on the south Texas coast. In the early 20th Century, a thriving area with established transport links to Central and Western States, places in need of migration.

The Galveston Movement in the years leading up to World War I is a success resulting in some 10,000 Jewish migrants passing through the city. Playing a key role in enabling this movement of Jewish is the author’s great-grandfather, Dr David Jochelmann. A man largely forgotten by history, but now brought to life by this book. The author lays out the methods, procedures and outcomes of this migration to the US, away from New York and to Southern, Central and Western states. Although limited in numbers, the movement is a success up until the outbreak of World War I and the disruption of Atlantic travel. The Galveston Movement ends.

The second part of the book is a slight detour away from the theme of Jewish migration. It becomes something of a family history, with a distant, mostly unknown family member, his migration to New York and his embrace of the American lifestyle. In some ways it captures the alternative migration outcome of Jewish migration from Russia and Eastern Europe. One providing safety from persecution but with a diminishing of the Jewish identity in the Melting Pot of America. Indeed, integration, inter-religion marriage, assimilation and embracing America is expected, intended and an accepted aspect of migration. Another quote from President Roosevelt, referring to immigrants, illustrates this point:

“He must revere only our flag; not only must it come first, but no other flag should even come second.”

The third part of the book is also largely family memoir, this time from the perspective of Europe as the authors great-grandfather David Jochelmann becomes a migrant himself, moving to London as the Galveston Movement ends. This part of the book documents the rise of Nazi Germany as a new threat to the Jewish people. Events leading up to and including World War II are seen from the perspective of the authors extended family; David Jochelmann and a multitude of his descendants. Life continues after the war, in different directions for various family members. The establishment of the State of Israel finally happens and the survival of the Jewish people is no longer the issue it was at the beginning of the century.

The final chapters nicely complete the family-memoir aspect of the book. Thoughtful, nuanced, personal and reflective. Family descendants have taken the various pathways envisioned by Theodor Herzl and Israel Zangwill. Europe, the United States and Israel are all destinations for migrants. Jewish society and religion has evolved in different ways depending on many factors including destination and individual circumstances.

In an Afterword the author brings the book to a satisfying conclusion. Her Great-Grandfather’s descendants become interlinked once more as her research finds long-lost relatives and the additional perspectives they bring to the past.

What began as a book about the future of the Jewish people ends with a family, distant geographically but brought closer at least in part by the author, her research and determination to tell this story. A tribute to the well-known and the less-well known people in the past. Brave, visionaries who did what they could to preserve their people and assist them on their way to a better, brighter, safer future.

Abundant Notes are provided on source material as well as a Bibliography of various Archives and Publications available. I enjoyed the Acknowledgements which gave a sense of the time, travel and diligence which enabled the author to produce this excellent book. Not to mention a little luck and happenstance ! The thanks to many people who helped her along the way is heartwarming.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A moving and memorable saga, beginning over a hundred years ago and extending up until today. I wish the author all the very best with the American publication. An historical book, a personal book but perhaps even more importantly, a book so very relevant for today. It deserves a wide readership.

A fascinating book, both in form and subject. As I began reading the first part, which details the beginnings of Zionism and the eventual creation of the Galveston Movement, I found myself forgetting that this was a family memoir. It was, by far, the most interesting and successful section of the book. I also really enjoyed the focus on Israel Zangwill. However, I remain torn about the author's decision to depend solely on quotes from primary sources to create the narrative. Parts were immensely readable, particularly when I was able to skim over the provenance of source material. Yet, at times, I found myself wondering: what else did this newspaper article say? How would I understand this quote differently if it hadn't been taken out of its original context and placed alongside other, contemporary newspaper articles/letters/diary entries? What does it mean to pull a quote from a newspaper published in Hull, England, for example, and place it alongside something excerpted from Kansas City paper? Surely, no one would have read those two papers together at the time. I appreciate the questions the author raises about how we write history in using this form, but I also think I would have enjoyed hearing more from her about her experiences—this is, after all, her family's story. Still, the history told here is important, and I think, presented in a way that is accessible and interesting for the lay reader. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!