Ashkenazic JewsAshkenazic Jews: Origins -2,750,000- during second wave -Second Wave immigrants: 1880-1920 -Settled in ethnic enclaves: New York City -Eastern European -Judaism was there way of life (separation was tied by God and Jewish traditional practices) religion defined their ethnicity -Orthodox -Yiddish-language, which united eastern European Jews -Furthering of Jewish People -Ethnicity=religionworried about keeping traditions aliveif they didn’t unite then the Jewish culture would not surviveOrigins: Push Factors -Population/Economic (times were very tough) -Russia 1800:1 Million -Russia 1890:5 Million -Anti-Semitism- became really big in the 1880’s (keep population(rising) and economic(stagnant) in mindWanted to get rid of the Jews by: -convert Jews by marrying a Christian or by mandatory military service -military service (some mothers would mutilate their children so they could not be in-scripted into the military service for 25 years)mothers would mutilate there babies at a young age like cutting off toe/ limb etc. so they wouldn’t be permitted (in scripted) into the military b/c if they were it was 25 years and it was like a death sentence -Protocols of the elders of Zionbook that argued that the Jews had a plan to take over the worldJews had a conspiracy to control the worldHitler read this book religiouslyComplete bull shit but people believed it -Pogroms violent acts against Jewish communitiesentire towns were wiped out along with Jewish populations and communities killed**All of these conditions combined caused Jews to flee to the United StatesFamily Migration-Non returning immigrants-Leave with intentions of staying in America permanently-Very expensive; a lot of bribing involved-So expensive for the trip over to the United States that by the time they get over to America they are poorInterlude: 2nd Wave Immigrant CharacteristicsMany (though not all) came from Eastern or Southern EuropeReligion- not protestant ChristianCatholicLanguage- Yiddish, Italian—most don’t speak EnglishIlliteracy was very highUnskilled/Skilled- most are unskilled farmers, mostly from southern Italy—mostly from peasant classSAME PULL FACTOR: need for cheap labor (jobs)Huge need for unskilled laborAshkenazic Jews: LocationUrban Ethnic EnclavesNYC- Lower East Side1910- 500,000 in lower east sideTenements- overcrowded“Big Flat”- tenement in the lower east side, 1,000 people living in a square acre of spaceexample of how crowded the tenements weresmell was unbearabledeath rate was higher than national averageGermans/Irish – came their firstHave political controlAshkenazic Jews: Economic ConditionsEastern Europe Vs. AmericaMany Jews had some type of skilled jobOccupational skillsLower East Side- really hard to find a jobEither be a street peddler (very low paying)Garment District- most common job was making clothesSweat shops/ tenementsSowing and cutting machines, have quotas given to them by managers at their own tenement –same place where there family was, cooked, slept, cleaned etc1900- 90% of clothing was made by Ashkenazic JewsDownsidesStress, poor family life, put stress on whole family12$ a week to 7$ a week because there were so many people working in the industryAshkenazic Jews: Cultural Conditions (hurdles)Orthodox Jews1. Sabbath Day- day of rest—(Saturday) many refused to work Saturday because they had to obey this day and because of this it stops them from getting urban or factory jobs; this sets them apart from everyone—they don’t have that ethnic mingling that will help them fit in like everyone else2. Kosher Food- believe that all the food you eat has to be Kosher; no bloody foods especially with meatRabbi had to watch any meat processing that took place3. Dress- manner of clothing is going to make them look a little different4. Language- Yiddisheasiest one to overcome because they can speak Yiddish at home but then learn English so they can better acculturate to American society20th Century Jewish Success1. Family and communitySupport structureUnityLife is people, believe in the community supporting each otherCant have division because no one else will help you, community supports one anotherIf one Jewish business succeeds, they will help others succeedWanted there children to be better than they wereBased success on how there children performed2. Educationalways been importantthe more education you had the more respect one gotEducation is what led to success in America is what they believed3. Labor Laws of the 1920’sLimited the work day to 8 hoursImplemented child labor laws- children had more time to go to school5 day work week implemented- no longer did the Sabbath interfere with working in factories1911 Triangular Waste Firehorrible safety conditions- lock the doors so workers couldn’t get out while workingfire broke out in the factory and the woman couldn’t get out so about 150 woman died and were burnt to death1930’s Jewish Immigration and Beyond*Hitler/ Nazi Germanycomes to power, wages “Final Solution”round up in concentration camps and work them to death or just out right kill them1920’s and 1930’s- persecuted and discriminated against them before killing them- setting the stage through anti-sematic actsPolitical AsylumAlbert Einstein- came over as a refugeeJ. Robert Oppenheimer- came over as a refugeeTwo very educated immigrants so they were allowed in as immigrants despite the restrictive immigration lawsS.S. St. Louis (1939)- filled with Jewish refugees, war has already begun—seek refuge in the WestFirst goes to Cuba but Cuba denies access so they go over to US, but they weren’t allowed in either, Canada wouldn’t let them in eitherWent back to Germany- many died in the Holocaust because they were denied based on the Johnson Reed Act6 million Jews died in the HolocaustReverse Diaspora: The State of Isreal1948- state of Israel was created as a haven for the Jewspeople left United States and went to Israel2 big populations of JewsAshkenazic Change in AmericaStill orthodoxTimes goes on it becomes hard to retain the same amount of religious
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