<div ><p ><div ><p >Manyvisitors flock to Plymouth, Massachusetts, each year to view the historiclanding spot of the Pilgrims. Three blocks from Plymouth Rock is CongregationBeth Jacob’s synagogue. For more than a century, the Jewish community of thiscoastal New England town has flourished. Even before the establishment of thesynagogue, built in 1912–13, Plymouth’s history was shaped by the Jewishculture. Many colonial New England laws were derived from the Old Testament.The grave marker of famed Governor William Bradford bears an inscription inHebrew that reads, “The Lord is the help of my life.” Historian Karin J.Goldstein reveals the lasting impact of the Jewish community on Plymouth’shistory and the ways in which it still informs the town’s unique identity today.</p></div></p></div>