Chapter Five of Binder and Reimers’s All Nations Under Heaven focuses on the Eastern European Jewish immigrants of New York City. Nearly two million Jews immigrated to America during the late 19th century, mainly coming from the Russian Empire. There was no fixed identity associated with the Jewish immigrant – all had different economic, political, and spiritual beliefs. Still, most had the urban mindset, traditions, and work ethic that allowed them to quickly find employment in skilled/semiskilled jobs and become well-adjusted to urban life.
Jews settled in neighborhoods all over the five boroughs, but it was the Lower East Side region of Manhattan that felt the largest Jewish presence. The Lower East Side soon became the most densely populated neighborhood in New York City, but with the influx of new settlers came a trend of crime and poverty in the area. Various community initiatives arose from German-Jewish leaders in order to combat crime, including the New York City Kehillah, which had a specific bureau dedicated to preventing crime. The New York City Kehillah organizations were effective in certain goals, but in the end, did not succeed in unifying the Jewish community. Such an end result was the result of the divide between the German-Jews and the new Jewish immigrants, who found the German-Jews patronizing and inclusive. The Educational Alliance, another organization founded by the German-Jewish community, was also disliked by the recent Jewish immigrants because of their patronizing attitude and the absence of classes that discussed Yiddish culture. However, the Education Alliance eventually began to offer Yiddish classes and proved successful with many community members attending their classes. Landsmanshaft organizations were another important part of the Jewish community. These organizations, like the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, were the result of the unity and kinship of old country townspeople immigrants. Landsmanshaft organizations provided a way for new settlers to socialize, continue their culture, and have access to various social services, like life insurance and job employment. These organizations were extremely successful in the Jewish community, and provided aid and resources to the new Eastern European Jews.
Strength in numbers did not just apply to community life organizations for the Jewish immigrants. A rise in union membership was facilitated by members of the Jewish community, especially during the years 1909-1914. This time saw the creation of many unions such as the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, as well as many protests and strikes, including a strike in November 1909 that over 20,000 workers participated in – the largest strike of women workers in America. While this was a huge step in uniting the community, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911 proved that more work still had to be done to protect laborers’ rights, and thus, union membership was stressed greatly.
While many Jewish immigrants worked in the clothing industry, they took advantage of other job opportunities in New York, like those in the commerce and manufacturing industries. Working was important in Jewish families, but so was education. Education was valued because they understood that it led to jobs, and even girls were encouraged to go to school. Going to school was seen as the “ladder of success;” many dreamed of attending college (CCNY!) and pursuing various subjects outside of school. Those who could not were still able to learn by visiting libraries, going to lectures, attending night classes, reading newspapers, or even just socializing with other intellectuals at popular café gathering spots.
Jewish immigrants were committed to learning, and this emphasis on secular education steered them away from religion. Only a few of Eastern European Jews in New York remained truly Orthodox, and younger immigrants found difficulty in practicing religion as strictly as their elders did. Religious education was lacking in the city, and there were few trained rabbis in synagogues. Zionism was not embraced by many American Jews, and was dismissed as a “movement of dreamers.” With social mobility in working industries and opportunities for basic education, Jewish immigrants had less time for strict religious guidelines but found success in other areas of life. They were well-suited for the fast-paced life of New York City and embraced the opportunities and open-mindedness of America.
