Jewish immigration between 1881 and 1914 drastically altered the demographics of New York City. Not only did the new Jewish neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn withstand the test of time, but they also laid the foundation for a progressive society. Nearly 1.5 million Jews had migrated to New York by the early 20th century. Many came to the United States to escape radical Russia, to escape persecution, and to take advantage of the opportunity that they saw NYC. It followed that the Jews were motivated to find skilled labor jobs, unlike the previous sweep of Irish and German immigrants, and make a living. Almost half of all the Jewish immigrants were employed in sweatshops. Consequently, as there were so many new skilled or semi-skilled workers entering the country, the workplace became more crowded and hazardous. Regardless, workers spent 60, sometimes more, hours each week in these awful conditions.
It was a similar living situation in the overwhelming jewish of the Lower East Side. With three fourths of all the Jewish immigrants in New York living on the Lower East Side, it easily became the most overcrowded district in the city. Moreover, the area became a slum raided with illegal activities, poverty, stealing, and prostitution. Organizations including the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Home for Working Girls, and the Jewish Big Brothers and Sisters attempted to alleviate some of the difficult living conditions, but only so many of the negative aspects of the Jewish neighborhood could be improved by these small groups.
Unable to bear such a poor quality of life, garment workers took soon a stand and formed the United Hebrew Trades, which was a labor organization that brought Jews together as they faced the same struggles. It was not until 1905, that the failed Russian revolution brought Russian Bundists to NY. The Bundists were the people that brought the labor movement to live in the next few years. By 1920, membership to the union had grown drastically and members were gaining confidence in their efforts. In fact, women employed in shirtwaist shops went on strike in 1909. The notion of female rebellion was astonishing at the time and truly showed how much of an impact that the Jewish labor union had on New York’s working class.
Jewish immigrants had indeed made visible social progress in the city, but they remained detached from American politics. They did not view political status as the the approach to climbing up the social ladder. Several Jewish officials ran for office, but Jewish voters were often not concerned enough to submit their ballot. Moreover, Tammany Hall bought his votes and had an unfair advantage on the Jewish candidates.
Among the Jews themselves, there were divisions of class and religion. The German Jews lived Uptown and were wealthier than the Jews that lived in the Lower East Side. Aside from the social distinction, Jewish immigrants were typically viewed as reformed. From an Orthodox Jewish perspective, America had no place for spirituality; profit was the main focus in this country. To an extent, this was true: most Jewish families were reformed. They observed passover, were part of a synagogue and ate kosher. However, the American born Jews were found alternative investments of their time that they saw to be more productive that observing judaism, such as getting a higher education. This created a conflict among generations. To resolve this friction, the Americanized synagogue was initiated. In new Young Israel synagogue,s Well-trained rabbis delivered sermons in English. In this way, the younger generation was able to use their education as a tool to help them further their religious studies as well as restore the Jewish faith in immigrant families in New York.
Aside from education pushing them away from their religion, Jews were an incredibly motivated group in formal schooling. Young boys and girls were both encouraged to do well in high school and even attend the City College of New York. Education was important to them in itself but it was also valued because it led to employment. Soon, the Yiddish newspaper, Forverts, was printed as a source of local and national news, but also encouragement and guidance to the Jewish Americans. Meanwhile, their source of entertainment came from coffee shops and cafes that were home to intellectual Yiddish debates, spoken poetry, and storytelling. In 1908, the first Yiddish theater was built on the Lower East Side; it became a favorite way to pass the time. From labor regulations to culture and customs, the Jewish immigrant population contributed greatly to New York City.
