Postville was like any other small town in Northeast Iowa. All the residents were Christian and the economy centered around farming. It was a town where everyone knew everyone; until 1987.That year, 125 Labuvitcher Jews from Brooklyn, N.Y. bought the local slaughterhouse, and moved to Postville. Soon more Jews moved to the town, located 25 miles west of the Mississippi River.”The locals didn’t know quite what to expect from their new neighbors,” Stephen Bloom said.Bloom, author of “Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America,” described the cultural changes Postville residents have experienced during his lecture Monday night in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.He said he started the book in 1995 and spent five years interviewing 350 Postville residents. “This is a story of an Iowa town that few people have heard of. But it’s a window into the future of our country,” said Bloom, associate professor of journalism at the University of Iowa.He said his book focused on his theory that there is no longer a dominant American culture. Individuals are embracing their ethnic heritage, and they are watching ethnic television programs and reading ethnic newspapers.”They want nothing to do with the locals for fear of assimilation,” Bloom said of Postville Jews. “This a full blown civil war, and it’s not an isolated battle. We are moving away from the melting pot to a salad bowl of America.”Chad Grotegut, graduate student in educational leadership and policy studies, said he wasn’t pleased with the harsh comments made about the Jewish community in the book. He said he thought changes have been made in Postville bringing the entire community together.”I have been invited to Jewish ceremonies. I think things are changing,” Grotegut said. “It is a good book. But there has been significant changes in the last four years.”