Frankfurt on the Hudson: The German Jewish Community of Washington Heights, 1933-82, Its Structure and Culture

6. The Institutional Framework

CHAPTER 6 The German Jews ofWashington Heights brought with them from Europe a tradition of an extremely well organized Jewish institutional life. Despite changed conditions in America, the new immigrants endeavored to recreate their own network of institutions as quickly and efficiently as possible. The new network was almost totally separate from that of the native Jews, though there was cooperation on matters of mutual interest and some refugees did join existing American Jewish organizations. Compared to many other immigrant groups, the German refugees created institutions that were both efficient and highly organized. They stressed good record keeping, prudent fiscal policies , and adherence to rules. Many an institution that, in other cultures, would have remained informal was formalized and given a legal corporate form at an early date by the German Jews. An indication of the high degree of organization of the community is the fact that its activities are so well documented. Not only did a number of congregations have regular bulletins published periodically as early as the war years, but they were careful to preserve them, so that a researcher today finds most surviving congregations have virtually complete runs of their bulletins . These bulletins were not mere mimeographed announcement sheets but little periodicals1 of eight to thirty-two pages, often printed on glossy paper with synagogue schedules, advertisements , articles, andfeatures. 101 The Institutional Framework FRANKFURT ON THE HUDSON The desire to create and perpetuate a whole network of institutions separate from that of the native Jews requires some explanation. In part it is a reflection of the separate social and friendship networks of the native and German Jews. Even today the two groups tend not to mix much.2 This in itself stands in need of analysis. Hostile outsiders could claim that the separateness of the German networks was merely an aspect of the newcomers' arrogance . This view sees the failure of the immigrants to join established Jewish social organizations and synagogues as an expression of the contempt in which German Jews held eastern European Jews.3 This view omits a number of factors that help explain the need for such immigrant networks.4 Interviews with communal leaders of the German Jews of Washington Heights give evidence that the founding of separate congregations occurred only after the newcomers tried unsuccessfully to acclimatize themselves to native organizations. The chief problems cited were not disdain for eastern European Jews but rather language difficulties and unfamiliar customs. Several leaders of Orthodox German congregations use similar language in describing the decision to create German congregations : "For the first two years, people joined American Orthodox communities." They didn't feel at home "with the tunes and customs they were not used to. This was not snobbism." "We came and in the beginning every shabbos we went to a different shul, just to look around, then see where wewould fit in best. And that's where we ended up. . . . It's the same . . . background,as we have from home, the same nusach, the same tunes." "First of all they were accustomed to different customs, to different kinds of prayers . . . they wanted to keep the old ways, the old tradition." "They wanted to be together, you know. Most of these people couldn't speak English, and my husband found out the first shabbos , we went to a synagogue and there was no rabbi . . . and no order at all."5 The various statements about the founding of the German synagogues can perhaps be applied to the other GermanJewish organizations as well. The newcomers at first made some effort to join with native Jews, but they felt out of place. Having just come to a new country, they felt the need for something familiar and comforting. The native Jewish organizations and synagogues seemed strange to the newcomers, and language difficul102 The Institutional Framework ties and conflicts between a Yiddish and a German orientation increased the strangeness. In order to orient themselves and to find an anchor when they felt at sea, the newcomers decided to found their own organizations. This pattern of immigrants creating their own institutions seems to be typical for most groups of newcomers to the United States. They could not find the friendly familiar feeling they needed so desperately in organizations founded by those who came before them. They had to create their own institutions and sociability networks. These networks extended to charity work. Many German Jews still speak with gratitude about...