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New York Jews and the Great Depression: Uncertain Promise (review)
- Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies
- Purdue University Press
- Volume 17, Number 1, Fall 1998
- pp. 160-162
- 10.1353/sho.1998.0044
- Review
- Additional Information
- Purchase/rental options available:
160 SHOFAR Fa111998 Vol. 17, No.1 in the Five Books of Moses can be offset by some other comment within those same books. The Vanishing American Jew, after discussing a wide array of subjects of general Jewish interest like antisemitism and Israel, ultimately focuses upon how many Jews have been "lost" and how best to encourage other Jews to retain aspects of their heritage. The narrative is filled with stories, jokes, and anecdotes which clearly illustrate the author's main points. Those who have some knowledge of the topics discussed and who are looking for significant new perspectives will be disappointed. Those who prefer a nice read that includes comments and observations that many of their friends may have also made, and who like to see their own thoughts reiterated by an "authority," will be pleased. If this is the kind of book you enjoy, then The Vanishing American Jew-easy to understand, easy to agree with, and not particularly taxing to the intellect-is the book for you. Leonard Dinnerstein Judaic Studies University of Arizona New York Jews and the Great Depression: Uncertain Promise, by Beth S. Wenger. New Haven: Yale Unive.~sity Press, 1996. 269 pp. $30.00. What could be more compelling? The largest Jewish community in the world; mostly first- and second-generation Americans of Eastern European origins, avidly striving to make it in their new chosen land. Until 1929 their ambitions, adjustments, and sacrifices seemed to be gradually, though often grudgingly, fulfilled by acceptance and achievement. Then came the Great Depression. Jews in New York, the U.S., and Europe now confronted dashed dreams of success and mounting hostility accompanied by a growing sense of dread and beleaguerment. Beth S. Wenger competently chronicles many aspects ofthis predicament but conveys little of its drama and depth. Put another way, New York Jews and the Great Depression has the virtues and drawbacks of many studies in social history. Its assets are important but its detachment is regrettable. Let's begin with the plaudits: Industrious research; abundant information; skills in assembling institutional data; mastery of the standard categories of social history-charity organization, family structure, occupational distribution, and residential patterns. Although praiseworthy in these respects, some problems emerge. The discussion of that former emblem of Jewish commercial pride, the Bank of the United States, speculates that antisemitism in New York fmancial circles might have been responsible for its collapse in 1930. The source for this suggestion is New York Times editorials. Book Reviews "11.'•• 161 More rigorous investigation of the bankruptcy might have substantiated these charges and uncovered the real causes for the failure. In another exploration Wenger asserts that "prospective Jewish teachers were often identified and excluded through an oral examination designed to detect particularities of Jewish speech" (pp. 22-23). Actually, all prospective teachers, Jewish and Gentile, had to take the exam, and they were screened for a New York accent, not for a specific Jewish accent. Logical inconsistencies also mar this work. Immediately after discussing the loss of "paternal control" due to "protracted unemployment" comes the assertion that "patriarchal authority remained intact despite the growing independence of youth and the uncertainty of male employment" (p. 52). Another dubious contention emerges in the chapter on philanthropy. Wenger claims that Jewish welfare agencies accepted less public aid than did other benevolent organizations because of their belief that Jews should take care of their own and, more important, because the Jewish agencies were more successful in getting private contributions. But she then finds that "Jewish agencies relinquished the bulk ofrelief work to the government" (p. 152). Maybe they received more voluntary funds than did other denominations, but they obviously did not get enough to be a primary source of support for needy co-religionists. A fundamental flaw in New York Jews and the Great Depression is omission of comparative analysis. The impact of the Depression on gentile communities in New York or Jewish communities elsewhere is rarely mentioned and never elaborated on for contrasts. Hence, it is difficult to ascertain how much of the experience ofNew York's Jews in the 1930s was shared by their unique religious and ethnic background or by their particular locale. Comparisons...