Jewish Americans HIS 206

Jewish Identity Can be both religious & ethnic/cultural identity Use of religious symbols may be sign of cultural identity rather than religious observance 41% of Jewish Americans belong to synagogue 11% attend services weekly 28% attend at least once a month 59% attend on High Holy Days 3 main branches of Judaism in U.S.: Orthodox (7%) – accept divine authorship of Torah & interpret it literally, maintain full observance of Law Conservative (38%) – founded in 1913 by Solomon Schecter; accept divine authorship but interpret Torah flexibly Reform (42%) – deny divine authorship of Torah & do not obey Law literally

Jewish Faith Scripture = Tenakh – acronym for Torah (Law), Nevi’im (Prophets) & Kethuvim (Writings) Orthodox also accept Talmud (Rabbinic commentaries) In U.S., worship influenced by Christian styles Synagogue is house of worship (Beth T’filoh), study (Beth Hamidrosh), & community gathering (Beth Haknesseth) Rabbi has taken on roles of Christian minister/priest – performing rituals, preaching sermons, visiting sick, etc. Beth Din = rabbinical courts which can resolve disputes Kashruth (Kosher) = dietary laws enforced by shohets

Jewish Holidays Rosh Hashanah – New Year; begins 10 Days of Awe Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement Sukkot – Feast of Tabernacles to commemorate 40 years in wilderness Pesach – Passover; commemorating escape from Egypt Shavu’ot – Pentecost; celebrates harvest & giving of Law to Moses Purim – commemorates Esther’s rescue of Jews in Persian Empire Channukah – commemorates Maccabean revolt against Seleucid Empire

Jewish Immigrants 4 waves of Jewish immigration to U.S.: Colonial – mostly Sephardic Jews Mid-19th century – German Jews 1890-1910 – over 1 million Russian Jews Post – WWII – refugees & Holocaust survivors Jewish-American organizations formed for various purposes Landsmanschaftn – mutual aid societies Hebrew Benevolent Society (1828) & B’nai B’rith (1845) directed charity efforts Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society helped newcomers American Jewish Committee & Anti-Defamation League combat prejudice & discrimination

Anti-Semitism in America

Assimilation Ghettoes delayed assimilation In Europe, ghettoes imposed by Christians In U.S., voluntarily chosen to maintain culture & keep kashruth Often faced de facto segregation Widespread acceptance & assimilation began during WWII Holocaust created great sympathy Prior to 1965, exogamy rate was 9% 25% by 1974, 52% by 1985 Black – Jewish relations often strained due to Jewish role as middlemen (landlords, shopkeepers) Hank Greenberg, Detroit Tigers