HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION OF AMERICAN JEWS TO

THE UNITED STATES

THE JEWISH CONTRIBUTION TO OUR HISTORY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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