Jewish Americans

1. Jewish Americans By: Jon Goldin and Denny Poliferno (Yonaton Goldin and Gefen Poliferno)

2. Who Are The Jews? • “Jews represent a group of people rather than a distinct race or ethnicity” (4). • Jews originally came from the Middle East. • Anyone born of a Jewish mother is considered Jewish. Most Jews follow Judaism, but there are some Jewish atheists and Jewish agnostics. Being Jewish does not necessarily mean being religious. • “Jews comprise less than three percent of the American population, [but] have generally had a disproportionately larger representation in American government, business, academia, and entertainment” (4).

3. The Beginning of the Jews • The Jews started about 4,000 years ago, when the biblical figure Abraham introduced a monotheistic religion, which led to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. • Abraham led his family out of Mesopotamia to Canaan (later renamed Palestine, later renamed Israel). They were called “Hebrews” (meaning “other side,” since they were from the other side of the Euphrates River).

4. Jews Arrive in America • The first Jewish immigrants to settle in America came in 1654. 23 Sephardic Jews came from Spain and settled in New Amsterdam (now New York). By 1776, there were 2,500 Jews in America from Spain and other Mediterranean countries. • By 1826, there were 6,000 Jews living in America. A large influx of German Jews from Germany and other central European countries, which was the first major Jewish immigration to America, spiked the population of Jews to over 50,000 in 1850 and over 150,000 in 1860. • Between 1881 and 1924, one-third of all European Jews immigrated to America to escape poor economic and political conditions caused by the assassination of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. The American Jewish population grew from 250,000 in 1881 to 4.5 million in 1924.

5. Restrictions A. Stereotypes/Anti-Semitism • Clannish • Greedy • Parasitic • Vulgar • Physically Inferior • Communist • Capitalist • Dirty • Responsible for Russian Revolution • In order to decrease the amount of Anti-Semitism and stereotyping of Jews, American Jews created societies that would help immigrating Eastern European Jews get homes, jobs, and assimilate into American society. • “American-born German Jews fought against restrictive legislation and formed philanthropic societies that funded schools, hospitals, and libraries for eastern European Jews. The hope was that if the hundreds of thousands of newly arriving Russian Jews had access to homes, jobs, and health care, the decreased burden on American public institutions would ease ethnic tensions” (4).

6. Restrictions (Cont.) B. Discrimination • Housing restrictions • Covenants against Jews (written agreement stating dislike for Jews) • Difficulty attaining jobs • Restrictive quotas for higher education • Discrimination waned after WWII. Since soldiers were given G.I. bills, there was an influx of students entering colleges, which created a demand for professors. Jews were able to fill these positions; in addition, the quotas set for Jewish students were eventually ignored. Jews also “enjoyed substantial representation in academia, business, entertainment, and such professions as finance, law, and medicine” (4).

7. Branches of Judaism 1. Orthodox Judaism • God gave Moses the Torah at Mount Sinai • Torah contains 613 mitzvot (commandments) that Jews must follow • a. Modern Orthodox Jews • Strictly observe halakhah (Jewish Law) but integrate into modern society b. Ultra-Orthodox Jews • Strictly observe Jewish laws • Do not integrate into modern society by dressing distinctively and living separately

8. Branches of Judaism (Cont.) 2.Conservative Judaism • The ideas in the Torah came from God but were spread by humans and contain a human component • Halakhah is binding but law should adapt to current culture while keeping Judaism’s values 3. Reform Judaism • Torah was written in pieces by different humans (not God), pieces were later combined • Halakhah is not binding • Keeps many of the ethics, values, culture, and practices of Judaism

9. Branches of Judaism (Cont.) 4. Reconstructionist Judaism • Judaism is constantly evolving • There is no divine being that chose the Jewish people • Will observe halakhah because it is culturally valuable rather than being binding 5. Humanistic Judaism • “Nontheistic alternative in contemporary Jewish life” (2) • Wants to create a Jewish lifestyle without having a divine being, wants to achieve dignity and self-esteem, wants to revive secular roots of Judaism • Uses human-centered ideas to blend Jewish culture and identity with humanistic values

10. How have Jewish Americans made a lasting impact in America/on American culture? • Yiddish words (shmata, shtetl, kvetch, tucchus, dreidel, challa) • Holidays (Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Pesach (Passover)) • Temples/Synagogues/Shul • Jewish communities tend to cluster (see map on next slide) • Food (Matzos, potato latkes, brisket) • Kosher (foods, slaughtering processes) • Brandeis University • Bar/Bat Mitzvah

12. Some Famous Jewish Americans • Jake Gyllenhaal (Actor) • Scarlet Johansson (Actress) • Jason Segel (Actor) • Jerry Seinfeld (Actor/Comedian) • Gabe Kaplar (Baseball player, played for the Red Sox) • Bill Nye (The science guy) • William Shatner (Actor) • Judge Judy Sheindlin (TV judge) • Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard (Actors) • Henry Winkler (Actor) • Woody Allen (Film director/Comedian) • Adam Sandler (Actor/Comedian) • Steven Spielberg (Director/Producer/Screenwriter)

13. Jewish Americans of Today-Americanized Debates • There are a number of debates within the American Jewish community that are similar to the debates of other Americans, as well as some that are exclusive to American Jews • Gays/Lesbians/Bisexuals/Transsexuals-Are they acceptable in Judaism? • Interreligious marriages-Are Jews allowed to marry persons that are not Jewish? • Jews-Who exactly is a Jew? Do you have to be religious to be a Jew? What if your dad is Jewish and your mother isn’t? • Israel-Is it our responsibility to help the political and economical situation?

14. Gays/Lesbians/Bisexuals/Transsexuals-Are they acceptable in Judaism? • No-“an abomination” in the Old Testament • Yes-general human rights • In Orthodoxy, the argument “no” is winning. In all other forms of Judaism, “yes” is winning.

15. Interreligious marriages-Are Jews allowed to marry persons that are not Jewish? • American rabbis have differing opinions regarding whether or not they should perform interreligious marriages • No-allowing interreligious ceremonies encourages Jews to marry non-Jews • Yes-the Jewish person (whether groom or bride) can help persuade the other person to convert to Judaism

16. Jews-Who exactly is a Jew? Do you have to be religious to be a Jew? What if your dad is Jewish and your mother isn’t? • In Orthodoxy, the mother has to be Jewish for the child to be Jewish • Conservative and Reform tend to be more lenient, as they see their rules more as guidelines than set laws

17. Israel-Is it our responsibility to help the political and economical situation? • All sects are in agreement-of course it’s our responsibility! • How we should help is the topic that cannot be agreed upon by the different sects

18. Yiddish Curses May your daughter's beauty be admired by everyone in the circus.May they find thousands of new cures for you each year.You should find a gold piece on the sidewalk and be so arthritic you can't pick it up.May the sun and the spring breeze warm you and caress you like an apple as you hang from a tree.May you back into a pitchfork and grab a hot stove for support.May you win a lottery, and spend it all on doctors.May you grow so rich that your widow's second husband never has to worry about making a living.May you have lot of money, but you should be the only one in the family with it. May they name a baby after you!

19. Bibliography 1. "American Jews -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 01 Jan. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Jews#Notable_American_Jews>. 2. "Branches of Judaism - Denominations Humanistic Reconstructionist Reform Conservative Orthodox." About Judaism. 06 Jan. 2009 <http://judaism.about.com/od/denominationsofjudaism/p/branches.htm>. 3. Israel_map. 6 Jan. 2009 <http://www.merriamwebster.com/maps/images/maps/israel_map.gif>. 4. "Jewish Americans - Overview, History, European life, Immigration waves, Settlement patterns, Acculturation and assimilation." Countries and Their Cultures. 9 Dec. 2008 <http://everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Jewish-Americans.html>. 5. "Jewish Curses." Folklore from the John Patrick Collection. 06 Jan. 2009 <http://www.folklore.ms/html/recitations/short_recitations/toasts/curses/yiddish_curses.htm>. 6. Star of David. 17 Dec. 2008 <http://www.stainedglassmagic.com/sun_catchers_star_david.html>.