Jews and Italians in Greater New York City, 1880 to World War I: Part i
In the later half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, there was a large influx of approximately two million Jewish immigrants, from various parts of Europe and parts of Asia, into the United States; a majority of them settled in the New York City area. The incoming Jewish population was very diverse in culture, ideas and politics.
Still, some Jews decided to stay in Europe or Asia. Many of those who chose to remain in their homelands, despite the persecution they faced, were extremely religious. They chose to stay because they saw American ideas revolving solely around money and material wealth.
The eastern European Jews that arrived in New York were considered skilled or semiskilled workers, more so than their eastern and southern European immigrant counterparts, because they migrated from urban environments. As a result, they were readily employed in the garment industry, metal industry, food industry and even in building and furnishing.
In addition, many of the Jews coming into the United States were well-educated, politically active and cultured with urban industrial experience, a likely secular education, and also possibly less adherence to the orthodox religion. All of these traits make it easier for the Jews to assimilate compared to other immigrants.
Many of the Jewish immigrants settled in the area enclosed by the Bowery, the East River, Market Street and 14th Street; in this area, Yiddish became the dominant language. However, due to sub-ethnic groups, there were other languages spoken by the Jewish population, languages like Judeo-Spanish, Arabic, and even Greek.
Jewish influence extended beyond language as the streets began to be commercialized. On the streets, one could find clothing, religious articles or anything else from pushcarts in the area. The Jewish population continued to grow; Irish and German immigrants in the area moved elsewhere.
Americanized German Jews sought to do something about their eastern European counterparts, whom they considered “uncouth” and “jargon-speaking.” To the German Jews, it was not only the living conditions that was the problem but also the customs, manners, and practices of the eastern Jews. Therefore, in an effort to Americanize them, German Jews created several organizations for vocational and citizenship training.
Several of these agencies were well received by the eastern European Jewish community. One such agency was the Educational Alliance which offered several educational classes in different languages throughout the day, access to a library, access to a gym, and much more. The German Jews continued to create and fund organizations that sought to solve issues of the eastern European Jewish community, and the community took advantage of the new resources opened to them.
Among the many issues in the eastern European Jewish area was the issue of crime. Violent crimes and illegal activities, such as gambling, arson and prostitution were common. The Lower East Side was referred to as “the world’s brothel.” German-Jewish leaders aimed to reduce crime by creating more programs to resolve problems, and create unity in the Jewish community. However, their efforts proved fruitless.
Soon, landsmanshaft organizations were formed and they provided many services intended to relieve dependence on outside charities; among these services were life insurance, health benefits, and aid in finding jobs or housing. As the community grew, so did the benevolent organizations and businesses — ranging from organizations seeking to find burial plots to organizations providing a place of worship.
The Jewish community then turned to tackling issues regarding labor by forming labor unions. Through strikes, workers were able to make their voices heard. Women played an especially large role in these unions because they were largely the ones being subjected to bad working conditions in the garment shops.
Although the Jewish community showed some appreciation of the socialist party, they did not consider politics their arena, but rather the arena of the Irish. Over time, some political parties rose and fell.
Eastern European Jews by this time were becoming more secular; they worked on the sabbath and preferred to go to the Yiddish theater. Many Jews were no longer strictly orthodox. Secular education was on the rise and religious education was becoming less popular. However, the decline of religion was eased by the Americanized synagogue which offered secular and religious sermons in Yiddish and English. Yet, the Jewish youth digressed and sought entertainment and knowledge elsewhere.
One of the places where the youth mixed and became more Americanized was the public school. Education was prized among the Jewish, males and females, and they saw it as a means of social mobility. They were early to class and less likely to drop out. They explored different areas and attended night school. A majority of the 1910 graduating class at CCNY was Jewish.
Soon, the young Yiddish intellectuals gathered in public places representing a particular political philosophy or a cultural specialty. Writers talked and lectured about Yiddish culture and the Yiddish youth participated directly in this culture — attending lectures, dancing, going to the theater, or going to the candy store.
In fact, the Yiddish theater played an exceptionally large role in Yiddish culture; it addressed much of what the Jewish community faced, such as generational conflict, ethnic identity, and the opposition of secular and religious beliefs. The theater was entertainment and was a means for Jews to participate in American life.
