Ethnic community in economic crisis: New York Jews and the Great Depression

Abstract

This study examines New York's Jewish families, neighborhoods, and communal institutions during the Great Depression and uses the economic crisis to uncover patterns of Jewish acculturation and identity in America.Jewish families, which generally consisted of immigrant parents and native-born children, weathered difficult financial periods by pooling the resources of family members. Jewish women contributed to the household economy through both wage labor and careful supervision of the family budget. American-born Jewish youth remained in their parents' homes, pursuing education when jobs were scarce and postponing marriage and child-bearing. Economic hardship often brought Jewish families together, but could also fuel strife and discontent.New York's Jewish neighborhoods eased the economic burdens of the Depression, nurturing a sense of Jewish community while paving the road to Jewish integration. Neighborhood support networks were particularly important in working-class enclaves where the Depression dealt its harshest blow. Jewish neigborhoods provided a sheltering and protective environment, but could also be expansive and highly politicized. Neighborhood Jewish activism regained momentum as economic conditions deteriorated. The New Deal and the welfare state transformed ethnic politics, but Jewish political culture remained intact and actually facilitated Jewish entrance into the new Democratic coalition.The Depression devastated Jewish communal institutions. In addition to its financial burdens, New York's Federation of Jewish Philanthropies struggled to redefine its role within the new welfare state. Public relief threatened the ongoing viability of sectarian charities. Jewish leaders wholeheartedly supported public welfare, but also preserved private Jewish philanthropy by redesigning it as a vehicle for strengthening ethnic culture and commitment.The Depression threatened both the economic health and substantive role of New York synagogues. While contending with acute financial problems and membership loss, synagogue leaders attempted to transform the synagogue into a vital institution. During the Depression, synagogues expanded secular and cultural activities and consciously linked synagogue policy and programs with American social and political developments, constructing a religious agenda compatible with Jewish ethnic sensibilities.As a moment of crisis in both Jewish and American life, the Depression provides a useful lens through which to view American Jewish adaptation and acculturation.Thesis (Ph.D.)--Yale University, 1992.School code: 0265