The document discusses the history and experiences of Jewish Americans. It notes that the United States has the second largest Jewish population in the world, around 5 million people. While anti-Semitism has existed, discrimination is less severe than in Europe where some governments promoted anti-Jewish policies. Still, anti-Semitic incidents continue and Jewish Americans work to maintain their cultural identity through religious practices, organizational involvement, and celebrating their shared heritage and history.

1. Chapter 14
Jewish Americans:
Quest to Maintain Identity

2. Jewish Americans
• The United States has the second-largest
Jewish population in the world
• America’s 5 million+ Jews account for
39% of world’s population
• Play a prominent role in worldwide Jewish
community
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3. Jewish Americans
• American Jews resemble Asian
Americans in that both are largely free
from poverty
• Anti-Semitism
– Anti-Jewish prejudice and discrimination
• Concentrated in Urban areas
– Especially New York City, Los Angeles, and
Miami
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4. Jewish People: Race, Religion or
Ethnic Group?
• Jews are a subordinate group
– Experience unequal treatment
– Share a cultural history that distinguishes
them from the dominant group
– Ascribed status or involuntary status
– Group solidarity
– In-group marriage
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5. Jewish People: Race, Religion or
Ethnic Group?
• The trend in the United States among
Jews
– Judaization
• Issue of what makes a Jew figures in
policy matters
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6. Jewish People: Race, Religion or
Ethnic Group?
• The Israel Law of Return
– Defines who is a Jew and extends Israeli
citizenship to all Jews
• Jewish identity is ethnic
– Share cultural traits not physical features or
uniform religious beliefs
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7. Immigration of Jews to the United
States
• First Jewish migration occurred around
1654 from Spain and Portugal (Refugees)
• Largest Jewish migration occurred
around the turn of nineteenth century
• Immigration Act of 1920 reduced Jewish
immigration
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8. Immigration of Jews to the United
States
• Immigrant Jews in 1930s were refugees
from Nazi Germany
• Recent immigration has been from Israel,
Soviet Union, and Iran
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9. Anti-Semitism Past and Present
• History of Jews is of the struggle to
overcome centuries of hatred
• Religious observances commemorate
past sacrifices or conflicts
• Origins of anti-Semitism
• Blamed for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
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10. Anti-Semitism Past and Present
• Stereotype of Jews obsession with money
is false
• Fringe-of-Values Theory
• In-Group Virtues becoming Out-Group
Vices
• Discrimination as a source of anti-
Semitism
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11. The Holocaust
• Holocaust
• German policy and the restriction of the
rights of Jews
• Between 1933 - 1945 two-thirds of
Europe's Jewish population were killed
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12. The Holocaust
• Holocaust Revisionists
• Anti-Semitism not just historical social
phenomenon in Europe
– Jewish worshippers attacked with rocks and
insults
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13. United States Anti-Semitism: Past
• US cannot be described as a nation with a
history of anti-Semitism
• Colonial America and anti-Semitism
– Peter Stuyvesant’s attempt to expel Jews
from what is New York City today
• The 1920s and 1930s period of most
virulent and overt anti- Semitism
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14. United States Anti-Semitism: Past
• Henry Ford responsible for publication of
the Protocols
– Faced with millions in civil suits, posted
halfhearted apology in 1927
• Protocols sold by Wal-Mart until 2004
• 2006 - Spanish version sold in Mexico City
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15. Differences Between Anti-Semitism
in the United States and Europe
• First - United States government never
promoted anti-Semitic policies
– US never embarked on program of expulsion
or extermination
• Second - anti-Semitism was not
institutionalized in the United States
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16. Contemporary Anti-Semitism
• Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith
(1913)
– Monitors anti-Semitic incidents
– Rise in numbers in 1990s and 2000s
– Carried out by neo-Nazis or skinheads
• Internet growing as a vehicle for anti-
Semitism
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17. Contemporary Anti-Semitism
• American Jews and Israel
– Israel’s status proven to strong source of
identity for Jewish Americans
– Wars of 1967, 1973, and 1991 reminded
world of Israel’s vulnerability
– Not all American Jews agree with Israel’s
actions
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18. Contemporary Anti-Semitism
• Zionism
• Diaspora
– Exile of Jews from Palestine several centuries
before Christianity
• Many Jews see destiny of their people only as the
establishment of a Jewish state in the Holy Land
• Zionism resolution repealed by the UN
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19. Contemporary Anti-Semitism
• American Jews and African Americans
– Anti-Semitism of African Americans is of
special concern to Jewish Americans
• Given Black history of oppression
– Jewish neighborhoods and employers quicker
than Gentiles to accept African Americans
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20. Contemporary Anti-Semitism
• African American sentiment rarely anti-
Jewish as such
– But rather opposed to White institutions
– James Baldwin (1967)
• Blacks “are anti-Semitic because they’re anti-
White”
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21. Position of Jewish Americans
• Employment and Income
– Declining discrimination in the business world
• Jewish MBAs and job opportunities
• Rising rapidly up the corporate hierarchy
• Higher salaries
– Declining poverty and the invisible poor
• Anne Wolf (1972) “The Invisible Poor”
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22. Position of Jewish Americans
• Education
– Judaic religion and the emphasis on formal
schooling
• Emphasis on education
• Higher educational attainment
– 1947, Jews founded graduate schools of:
• Medicine, education, social work, and mathematics
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23. Position of Jewish Americans
• Organizational Activity
– Groups serve many purposes
• Religious, charitable, political, or educational
– United Jewish Appeal (UJA) (1939)
• Fund raising organization for humanitarian causes
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24. Position of Jewish Americans
– American Jewish Community (1906) and
Congress (1918)
• Improve Jewish-Gentile relations
– B’nai B’rith (Sons of the Covenant) (1843)
• Promotes cultural and social change (Anti-
Defamation League)
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25. Position of Jewish Americans
• Political Activity
– Prominent role as voters and elected officials
– Not typical as more likely than general
population to label themselves as liberal
– Senator Joseph Lieberman (CT)
– Some Jews backed the extreme responses to
Arab-Israeli conflict
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26. Position of Jewish Americans
• Jewish voters have always backed the
Democrat
– Over the Republican presidential candidate
for the last ten elections
• Barack Obama received 78% of the vote
– Compared to 21% for the Republican
candidate John McCain
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27. Position of Jewish Americans
• Religious Life
– Jewish identity and participation in Jewish
religion are not the same
– Many Americans consider themselves Jewish
• And are considered Jewish by others though never
participated in religious life
– Levels of affiliation
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28. Position of Jewish Americans
• The Orthodox Tradition
– Three sects beginning in mid-19th century
• Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism
– Reasons for development of differences
• Some Jews wanted to be less distinguishable from
other Americans
– Orthodox life is demanding
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29. Position of Jewish Americans
• The Reform Tradition
– Deeply committed to faith but altered many of
the rituals
– Reform are least likely to participate in
predominantly Jewish organizations
– Jewish denominations associated with class,
nationality, and other social differences
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30. Jewish Identity
• Improvement of Jewish-Gentile relations
creates new problem for Jewish identity
– It has become possible for Jews to shed their
“Jewishness” or Yiddishkait
• Jews cannot totally lose identity
– Denied total assimilation in the US
– Social clubs may still refuse membership
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31. Jewish Identity
• World events reminder of heritage
– Nazi Germany
– Founding of Israel (1948)
– 1967 Six-day War
– Soviet interference
– 1972 Munich Olympics
– Yom Kippur War (1973)
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32. Jewish Identity
– 1973 Oil Embargo
– UN’s 1974 anti-Zionism vote
– Scud missile attacks during 1991 Gulf War
• Changes in Halakha
– Jewish law covering obligations and duties –
regarding women
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33. Role of the Family
• Shadchan
– Marriage broker or matchmaker
• Fulfilled important function in Jewish community by
ensuring marriage of all eligible people
– Less acceptable to young Jews because of
romantic love
• Traditionally remained in extended
families
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34. Role of the Family
• American Jewish Committee
– 10 problems endangering Jewish family
• 1. More Jews marry later than other groups
• 2. Most organizations of single Jews no longer
operate solely for matching
– Now support single lifestyle
• 3. Divorce rate is rising
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35. Role of the Family
• 4. Birthrate is falling, childlessness socially
acceptable
• 5. Financial success more important than child
raising
• 6. Intensity of family interaction decreased
• 7. Less socializing across generation lines
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36. Role of the Family
• 8. Sense of responsibility of family members to
each other has declined
• 9. Role of Jewishness no longer central in Jews
lives
• 10. Intermarriage has lessened involvement of
Jewish partner in Jewish life & family life aspects
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37. Role of Religion
• Devotion is way to preserve ethnic identity
• Marginality
– The status of living in two distinct cultures
simultaneously
• Jews who give some credence to secular
Christmas
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38. Role of Cultural Heritage
• Religious observance small aspect of
Jewishness
• Identity expressed in many ways
including:
– Political, cultural, and social activities
• Gentiles mistakenly believe Yiddish is a
measure of Jewishness
• Peoplehood
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