A Jewish-American Tale: The Early 20th Century

In this lesson from ConnectED, students will learn about how Jews in the early 20th century balanced being both an American and a traditional Jew, forming a cultural diversity and leaving a lasting impact on the United States.

Jews began arriving in the United States in the 1600s but by the end of the 19th century, less than 200,000 Jews lived here. The pogroms in Russia in the early 20th century spurred 2 million Jews to come to the United States and were part of a large wave of 200 million total immigrants at that time. Despite their desire to belong and build new lives, Jews faced antisemitism all around them.

In 1924, the Johnson Reed Act limited the number of immigrants from each country to decrease immigration, which mostly affected Jews, Poles, and Italians. Jews who were already in America sought higher education to join the middle class and carry out white collar work. Their children attended public schools that promoted American values and holidays, but they began rejecting their faith and seeking a sense of belonging; they looked down on their parents’ ethnicities and changed their last names to protect their Jewish identity. With a focus on social and educational opportunities instead of religious opportunities, synagogues and rabbis sought to remain relevant and reshaped what it meant to be Jewish and American by adding classes and cultural and social programs.

In response to antisemitism faced in universities, suburbs, and even vacation resorts, Jewish people built parallel institutions that mimicked these organizations, including neighborhoods like the Upper West Side in New York City and resorts in the Catskills. Jews in America faced a rising threat due to the Holocaust; the US resisted helping Jewish refugees escape to the US, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers being forced to go back to Europe where they perished. However, once American forces entered World War II and saw the horrors that were taking place, they helped liberate camps and became more open to Jews in the United States.

From 1945 to 1965, Jewish identity surged, creating a vibrant Jewish life in the US as 1,000 synagogues were established and the number of Jewish children in day schools doubled. While Jews struggled to be included, they embraced their American values and built a proud, complex, and diverse community and identity that is both Jewish and American.

The educator’s guide provides essential questions to consider at the beginning of the lesson. An 8-minute-long video, discussion questions, learning activities, and reflection questions are included. Review questions are also provided to promote and assess deeper understanding.