American Jewish Civilization

1 total work

Jewish Immigrant Associations and American Identity in New York, 1880-1939

by Daniel Soyer

Published 30 June 1997

How did the vast number of Jewish immigrants from different regions of Eastern Europe form their American ethnic identity? To answer this question this book examines how Jewish immigrant hometown associations transformed old-world communal ties into vehicles for integration into American society. Focusing on New York this study explores the organizations' full range of activities, and aims to show how the newcomers exercised a high degree of agency in their growing identification with American society. The book suggests that many immigrants cultivated their own identification with American society to a far greater extent than is usually recognized.