Jewish Americans and How they have Succeeded in America
Between 1880 and 1920 approximately 2.5 million Jewish people immigrated from Eastern Europe and Russia through Ellis Island. Many of them went to the Lower East Side of New York. Some went to other cities including Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Detroit, to name a few (Kaplan & Press 1995). The streets of the Lower East Side were very crowded with pushcarts selling food in the 1920’s. The pushcarts were then replaced by small store fronts and shops by the 1940’s. “The mix of cultures of Jews from different lands, the melding of new ideas and old customs, the clash of younger generations with their elders, there came a vibrant culture that continues to nourish Judaism and Jewish American life to this day” (Kaplan & Press 1995). The Lower East Side was the most populated area with approximately 700 people per acre, (Kaplan & Press 1995). For the Jewish people the synagogue or Shul was the center of life in America for them. Yiddish was most commonly spoken on the streets.
In the ear
ly 1900’s many Jews wanted to escape the streets of the Lower East Side it was very poor, but many businesses were closed to hiring Jews. “Many US citizens and established immigrants believed the newcomers could best ensure their success in this country by becoming “Americanized,” or incorporated into the mainstream American culture” (Rico, 2001). The Jewish people that came to America contributed a lot to it's success. Many Jewish immigrants went outside the normal traditional jobs and become vaudeville actors. From there they moved on to becoming famous. Some famous actors, actresses and singers were the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, Billy Crystal, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler and Bob Dylan among a few.
ly 1900’s many Jews wanted to escape the streets of the Lower East Side it was very poor, but many businesses were closed to hiring Jews. “Many US citizens and established immigrants believed the newcomers could best ensure their success in this country by becoming “Americanized,” or incorporated into the mainstream American culture” (Rico, 2001). The Jewish people that came to America contributed a lot to it's success. Many Jewish immigrants went outside the normal traditional jobs and become vaudeville actors. From there they moved on to becoming famous. Some famous actors, actresses and singers were the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, Billy Crystal, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler and Bob Dylan among a few.
“Blue jeans were developed by a German Jewish immigrant merchant named Levi Strauss” (Kaplan & Press 1995). In the 1870’s he made a pair of dungarees (work pants) for a minor worker with double stitching to prevent gold nuggets from falling through.
A large number of Jews wanted to get out and looked to education. Some colleges offered night school where many were educated and then went on to different universities and received their degrees. Education was very important and was held that way down through the generations. The first Jewish-American to receive a Nobel Prize in science was Albert Abraham Michelson with his experiments with the speed of light in 1907. Another very famous and well educated Jewish German-born scientist was Albert Einstein for his theories of relativity, facts from Kaplan & Press (1995).
“According to Jewish law, if a person saves a single life, it’s as if he or she has saved the entire world” (Kaplan & Press 1995). Jews were very drawn to this kind of professional work. There were two very famous medical researchers called Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin who each developed a vaccine to prevent the disease Polio. Another Jewish-American called Selman A. Waksman isolated and extracted the antibiotic streptomycin for killing the bacteria that causes tuberculosis.
Jewish Food Places and Dishes:
Katz’s delicatessen since 1888 is located on the Lower East Side in New York by a Russian Immigrant…………they have traditional foods, with some dishes on the menu in Yiddish. A lack of public transportation forged a solid community at that time. Information found at http://www.katzdeli.com/
Russ & Daughters appetizers was founded by a German immigrant who arrived through Ellis Island in 1907. Sold food on the streets and saved his money to buy a push cart, then to a horse and wagon and then finally a store in 1914. Today the store has been handed down three or four generations of family. They sell such foods as Herring, Salmon and bagels, etc. Information found at www.russanddaughters.com/our_history.php
Two famous Jewish foods that are found in America still today are bagels and Matzo. “In the beginning, there was dough. When Egypt's pharaoh finally agreed after much convincing (and 10 plagues) to let Moses' enslaved people go, the Jews left their homes so quickly — p
ursued by the pharaoh, who by then had changed his mind — that they didn't have time to prepare bread for the journey. Instead, they ate an unleavened mixture of flour and water that, when baked, turned flat and hard. Passover began on April 8 this year, and for the next eight days, Jewish people all over the world will remember their exodus by forgoing cakes, cookies, pasta and noodles — anything made to rise with yeast, baking soda, etc. — in favor of the only bread product they're allowed: matzo” (Suddath, 2009).
Demographics:
6.4 million Jewish adults living in the US, about 2.2 percent of the US population is Jewish.
New York, was found to have the largest Jewish population of any state, at 1,618,000. California (1,194,000), Florida (653,000) and New Jersey (480,000) had the next largest numbers of Jewish residents. These four states account for more than 60 percent of the entire national Jewish estimate.
San Francisco, California, showed the largest single reported growth nationally among Jewish communities, increasing from 107,900 in 2001 to 227,800 in 2006. Other areas showing growth of 80,000 or more were Atlanta, Georgia (33,900 to 119,800); San Diego, California (19,000 to 89,000); Montgomery and Prince Georges County, Maryland (16,500 to 121,000); and South Palm Beach Florida (14,500 to 107,500). (Faxx, 2006)
5.3 million Jews are in Israel
600,000 European Jews are in France.
300,000 Jews are in Britain.
500,000 Je
ws in Russia and 500,000 in the Ukraine.
1.4 million adults are now members of a different religion.
33% of Jews are married to non-Jews. In 1965 only 10% of Jews married non-Jews.
60% of Jews below the age of 40 live in non-Jewish households.
In 1962 540,000 Jewish children attended afternoon-weekend Jewish schools. Now 240,000 attend the afternoon-weekend Jewish schools.
Only 36% of Jewish homes light the Shabbat candles.
Only 11% of those who were born Jewish or became Jewish by choice attend the synagogue each week.
(Falk, 2002)
ursued by the pharaoh, who by then had changed his mind — that they didn't have time to prepare bread for the journey. Instead, they ate an unleavened mixture of flour and water that, when baked, turned flat and hard. Passover began on April 8 this year, and for the next eight days, Jewish people all over the world will remember their exodus by forgoing cakes, cookies, pasta and noodles — anything made to rise with yeast, baking soda, etc. — in favor of the only bread product they're allowed: matzo” (Suddath, 2009).
Demographics:
6.4 million Jewish adults living in the US, about 2.2 percent of the US population is Jewish.
New York, was found to have the largest Jewish population of any state, at 1,618,000. California (1,194,000), Florida (653,000) and New Jersey (480,000) had the next largest numbers of Jewish residents. These four states account for more than 60 percent of the entire national Jewish estimate.
San Francisco, California, showed the largest single reported growth nationally among Jewish communities, increasing from 107,900 in 2001 to 227,800 in 2006. Other areas showing growth of 80,000 or more were Atlanta, Georgia (33,900 to 119,800); San Diego, California (19,000 to 89,000); Montgomery and Prince Georges County, Maryland (16,500 to 121,000); and South Palm Beach Florida (14,500 to 107,500). (Faxx, 2006)
5.3 million Jews are in Israel
600,000 European Jews are in France.
300,000 Jews are in Britain.
500,000 Je
ws in Russia and 500,000 in the Ukraine.
1.4 million adults are now members of a different religion.
33% of Jews are married to non-Jews. In 1965 only 10% of Jews married non-Jews.
60% of Jews below the age of 40 live in non-Jewish households.
In 1962 540,000 Jewish children attended afternoon-weekend Jewish schools. Now 240,000 attend the afternoon-weekend Jewish schools.
Only 36% of Jewish homes light the Shabbat candles.
Only 11% of those who were born Jewish or became Jewish by choice attend the synagogue each week.
(Falk, 2002)
Today’s Large Enterprises Speak:
“McDonald's and our franchisees take great pride in our commitment to employ and serve people from all backgrounds. We have a long history of leadership in diversity and inclusion and are exceptionally proud of our achievements in these areas. Our efforts to support our employees, our customers and the communities that we serve are an integral part of McDonald's culture. I believe most people will agree that supporting diversity and inclusion is not only good for business, but it's good for society. Demonstrating our leadership to understand and embrace differences builds bridges that can bring us closer together”.
Kelly
McDonald's Customer Response Center
Strength in Diversity: “We believe that a multicultural workforce committed to excellence is one of our company's greatest assets. It’s also one of the many benefits of working at Merck”.
I spoke to an employee and they stated that Merck has many foreign employees and when they come to America hey help them find housing and help them to connect with other groups to feel at home.
They also provide a range of many food types in their cafeteria to accommodate many different ethnic groups. (Merck Website, 2010)
“In a nation of 250 million, Jews make up less than 3 percent of the population. Yet in the fields of entertainment and journalism, in courts of law and in hospitals, in brokerage houses, in real estate, in symphony halls, and in art museums, Jewish Americans influence the rest of our country far beyond their numbers” (Kaplan & Press 1995).
References:
Falk, G. Dr. (2002). Jewish Demographics retrieved June 10, 2010 from http://jbuff.com/c051502.htm
“McDonald's and our franchisees take great pride in our commitment to employ and serve people from all backgrounds. We have a long history of leadership in diversity and inclusion and are exceptionally proud of our achievements in these areas. Our efforts to support our employees, our customers and the communities that we serve are an integral part of McDonald's culture. I believe most people will agree that supporting diversity and inclusion is not only good for business, but it's good for society. Demonstrating our leadership to understand and embrace differences builds bridges that can bring us closer together”.
Kelly
McDonald's Customer Response Center
Strength in Diversity: “We believe that a multicultural workforce committed to excellence is one of our company's greatest assets. It’s also one of the many benefits of working at Merck”.
I spoke to an employee and they stated that Merck has many foreign employees and when they come to America hey help them find housing and help them to connect with other groups to feel at home.
They also provide a range of many food types in their cafeteria to accommodate many different ethnic groups. (Merck Website, 2010)
“In a nation of 250 million, Jews make up less than 3 percent of the population. Yet in the fields of entertainment and journalism, in courts of law and in hospitals, in brokerage houses, in real estate, in symphony halls, and in art museums, Jewish Americans influence the rest of our country far beyond their numbers” (Kaplan & Press 1995).
References:
Falk, G. Dr. (2002). Jewish Demographics retrieved June 10, 2010 from http://jbuff.com/c051502.htm
Faxx, I. (2006). New Population Survey: 6.4 Million Jews in America. Retrieved June 10, 2010 from http://www.allbusiness.com/middle-east/israel/3993296-1.html
Kaplan, E. & Press, D. (1995). Cultures of America – Jewish Americans. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp.
Rico, B. (2001). American Mosaic – Multicultural Readings in Context (3rd ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company
Suddath, C. (2009). A Brief History of Matzo retrieved June 10, 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1890268,00.html
Kaplan, E. & Press, D. (1995). Cultures of America – Jewish Americans. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp.
Rico, B. (2001). American Mosaic – Multicultural Readings in Context (3rd ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company
Suddath, C. (2009). A Brief History of Matzo retrieved June 10, 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1890268,00.html
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