==Here: An Overview==After arrival to America, a predictable pattern was observed. The older generations of Jews, including already married couples, tended to adhere to their native values and rarely assimilated into American culture. The younger generations however, sought more freedom and attempted to rebel against their religious parents. The men, however, deviated somewhat from the rule. Although some scholars continued to lead the same lifestyle they led back in the shtetl many realized their responsibility in the family and became the primary bread givers. Because of this new food, rate of husband desertion also increased dramatically. Married women, unlike the men, usually did not alter their lives. They continued being good wives to their husbands, and even if the husband was bringing in a steady income, the wife felt obligated to continue contributing by doing piecework at home or housing boarders. From the younger generation, unmarried girls especially, sought more freedom from their parents and their traditions. The immigration coincided with the Women’s Movement in the United States as well, which helped fuel the revolt.

==Anzia Yezierska’s “Bread Givers”==

Click on the picture to learn more about the Smolinsky family: a great example of the diverse ways in which immigration affected Jewish family values.

Anzia Yezierska, author of "Bread Givers" ((http://dannymiller.typepad.com/blog/images/yezierska_1.jpg))