history of immigration of american jews to the united states the jewish contribution to our history
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HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION OF AMERICAN JEWS TO
THE UNITED STATES
THE JEWISH CONTRIBUTION TO OUR HISTORY
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JEWS SETTLE THROUGHOUT THE COLONIES
• Made contributions- To Colonial Americas diversity
• Settled- In all three regions of the Colonies• New England• Middle• Southern• Colonies- more tolerant of Jewish People• Then most European Countries
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COLONIAL ERA• Dutch Jews-Dutch Jews- were early settlers of were early settlers of
• NewportNewport
• SavannahSavannah
• Charleston Charleston
• Philadelphia Philadelphia
• BaltimoreBaltimore
• 1000 Jews-1000 Jews- to Population of 2.5 Million to Population of 2.5 Million
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IMPORTANT FACTS DURING THIS PERIOD
• First Jewish Community-Established in New Amsterdam in 1654
• Legal status of Jews- varied between colonies there were often laws of discrimination
• Maryland Toleration Act of 1649- did not include Jews
• Rhode Island- was a colony that welcomed Jews
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NOTABLE JEWISH AMERICANS DURING COLONIAL PERIOD
• Francis Salvador- First Jew elected to government office General Assembly of South Carolina
• Jonas Phillips- Strong supporter of Patriot cause and a blockade runner. Refuses to testify in Philadelphia court on the Sabbath due to religious objections.
• Haym Solomon- Key figure in in financing patriot cause during the Revolution. Later was instrumental in saving the new Nation from collapse
Haym Solomon
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REVOLUTIONARY WAR
• In 1776- there were 2000 Jews in America
• Mostly- Spanish and Portuguese
• Played significant role- fighting against the British
• Important role- in financing Revolution
• President Washington - remembers Jewish contribution during the war in writing to the Sephardic Congregation of Newport Rhode Island
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JEWS IN 19TH CENTURY AMERICA• Jewish Communities-
begin to organize• Jewish orphanage- set up
in Charleston 1801• Charleston- encompasses
wealthiest community of Jews in North America until 1830
• First Jewish School-in New York 1806
• First Jewish Secular organization- B’nai B’rith established 1843
B’nai B’rith
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19th CENTURY STATISTICS ABOUT AMERICAN JEWS
• 1840- 15,000 Jews out of 17 Million Americans• 1848- Jewish population grows to 50,000• Increased Negative stereotyping- due to
increased population• 1840’s-1850’s- Jews from Germany begin to
arrive in large numbers- Ashkenazi Jews• Formation of – Conservative and Reform
Judaism
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CIVILWAR• 3000 Jews fought for
Confederate Side• 7000 Jews fought on
Union Side• Jews- had leadership
positions on both sides• 9 Jewish Generals• 21 Jewish Colonels• President Lincoln-
proposed legislation to allow Jews to serve as military chaplains
• General Grant- issued order #11 expelling Jews from Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee
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CIVIL WAR CONTINUED
• Tensions- over race and immigration
• Economic competition- between Jews and Non Jews
• Worst Outbreak- Of anti-Semitism to date
• Jews Denounced- As disloyal war profiteers
• Accused of- Driving Christians out of business, aiding and abetting enemy
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NOTABLE JEWISH AMERICANS IN 19TH CENTURY
• Judah P. Benjamin- Secretary of State and acting Secretary of War
• Lewis Charles Levin- First Jewish member of the House of Representatives
• David Levy Yulee- First Jewish member of the United States Senate
• Joseph Seligman- German Jewish immigrant who opened importing house and later banking firm
David Levy Yulee
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NOTABLE JEWS IN 19TH CENTURY CONTINUED
Levi Strauss- German Jewish immigrant who
founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans after moving to San Francisco and
opening dry goods store during the Gold Rush
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IMMIGRATION OF EASTERN EUROPEON JEWS 1880-1925
• 1871-1880- 4100 Jews arrive annually from Eastern Europe
• 1881-1890- 20,700 Jews arrive annually from Eastern Europe
• Cause of increased immigration- Escape Pogroms- anti Jewish uprising in Russia
• 1924- 2 Million Jews have arrived from Eastern Europe
• National Origins Quota of 1924- Severely restricts immigration from Eastern Europe
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AMERICANIZATION OF INFLUX OF JEWISH IMMIGRANTS
• Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary of America- Created modified form of Zionism
• Believed- Jews could live in Jewish and American Worlds
• National Council of Jewish Women- founded in Chicago in 1893- Founded by Philanthropists – aided in Americanization of Jewish female immigrants- aided female immigrants from arrival on Ellis Island to final destination
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JEWISH PHILANTHROPISTS
• Responded- To plight of Jewish women and girls from Eastern Europe
• Donations- Aided women and girls to obtain housing- health care- employment-
Socialization – English Classes Donations- Made from wealthy Jews to
the poorer Jews- Aided in Americanization- Helped to bridge cultural gap- tried to fight immigration restriction
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NOTABLE JEWISH AMERICANS OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY
• Jacob Schiff- Wealthy German Jew who's generosity aided new immigrants from Eastern Europe.
• Samuel Gompers- Major figure in American labor history- founded the American Federation of Labor ( AFL)
• David Dubinsky- Founding member of the Committee of Industrial organizations- President of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU)
• Saul Alinsky- Considered to be the father of community organizing- influential in grassroots political organizing
David Dubinsky
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NOTABLE FACTS ABOUT THIS PERIOD
• Organizations founded to combat anti-Semitism- Anti-Defamation League- American Jewish Committee- American Jewish Congress
• First Jewish Governor elected- Moses Alexander serves as Governor of Idaho 1915-1919
• First Jew appointed to U.S. Supreme Court- Louis Brandeis appointed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916
• First Jewish women to serve in U.S. Congress- Florence Kahn serves from 1925-1937 representing California 5th women to serve in Congress
Florence Kahn
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WORLD WAR I • American Jews- Raise 63
Million Dollars in War relief Funds
• 250 Thousand- American Jews fought in World War I
• 40 Thousand- American Jews signed up as volunteers
• 3500- American Jews killed in action during the war
• Jewish Welfare Board- Centers established to aide Jewish serviceman at home and abroad
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Contribution of Jews to early 20th Century Pop Culture
• Jews- Have a major role in the rise of the motion picture industry
• Jewish Entertainers- In many cases change their names to attract a larger audience
• Jazz Singer- First movie with sound- story of a Jewish Cantor who becomes a popular singer
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EARLY 20TH CENTURY JEWISH ENTERTAINMENT LEADERS
• Harry Houdini- Born in Hungary as Erik Weisz- One of the greatest magicians of all time
• Al Jolson- Born in Lithuania as Asa Youelson- Played the leading role in the Jazz Singer- first film with sound
• Samuel Goldwyn- One of the founding fathers of the movie industry- A founding member of Paramount and MGM
• The Warner Brothers- Four Jewish brothers who were immigrants of Poland and founders of Warner Brothers Studios
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EARLY 20TH CENTURY JEWISH ENTERTAINMENT LEADERS
• Irving Berlin- Born Israel Isidore Beilin- was one of the most influential songwriters in the history of the United States- Composed lyrics and music to thousands of songs
• George Gershwin- Born Jacob Gershowitz- Piano player and important American composer- Several of his songs now jazz standards
George Gershwin
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THE GREAT DEPRESSION- PRE WORLD WAR II
• Jewish immigrants- suffer grave economic conditions- high unemployment- social frustration- disillusionment
• Anti-Semitism- Rises in the 1930’s increases as the decade ends- continues into the early 1940’s
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THE HOLOCAUST
• United States – Tight immigration Policies not lifted
• Holocaust- Largely ignored by American Media
• Rescue- of European Jewish population not a priority in the United States
• American- Jewish community deeply divided on opinion of events in Europe