While searching for sources on the internet, I found a concise and informative text called Unites States Jewry, 1776-1985, Volume 3. Though I presumed it would provide insipid reading material, I read through 10 pages of it, and happened to find exceedingly fascinating and pertinent information within the book. A particular chapter described the political and economical advances by Jews in the United States from 1860- 1920, specifically. The writing manner in which the historical facts was written indeed captivated my interest and allowed me to obtain much more information about the topic.
Jews started to desire political authority in the early history of the US, even going so far as to request the positions of postmaster general or charge d'affairs, both of which positions were achieved by Jews in 1778 and 1843, respectively. After the end of the Civil War, those affiliated with this religion were allowed involvement in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. David Levy (who's last name was alternately Yulee due to problems with his blatantly Jewish last name and the discrimination his family received because of it) was in fact the first Jewish man to represent a state (Florida) in the Senate in 1841. Another similarly notable Jewish politician was Judah P. Benjamin, he was largely more successful as a senator than previous and later government officials of the same faith. However, Yulee was indeed instrumental in the development of a railroad from the Atlantic to the Gulf, through the latter of Mexico. He was greatly involved in the completion and success of the railroad. despite his achievements, he was not in fact a very active member of the Jewish community, and was even rumored to have converted to Christianity due to the fact he was buried by an Evangelical. His brother was a Swedenborgenist, a radical Christian sect that believes in Jesus Christ as the only true representation of God. Nonetheless, he was of Jewish heritage, starting a series of American Jewish politicians who were in fact religious and practiced their faith openly and piously. The religious facet also relates to another aspect of American Jewish life: that of discrimination, or as it is colloquially called, "Judeophobia". It was reinforced by the Immigration Act of 1921, which was an emergency law of Congress (due to rising tensions with Americans and both Japanese and Eastern Europeans) that states the amount of people moving from any nation to America could not exceed the amount of three percent of the given nation's population. Only 357,000 people in total were allowed to immigrate to the US. In addition, antisemitism was formed through not only fundamentalist Christian values, but also by the fact most Jews were wealthy and others resented them for their success and prosperity. As regards to culture, the dilution of both the culture and religion of the Jews occurred, and measures were acted upon to reverse this process of receding their faith. One such measure was the Jewish Chautauqua Society, an organization formed for the purpose of preserving Judaism for those living in America. It was formed by Rev. Dr. Henry Berkowitz, and was used to distribute Jewish literature among those who made effort to still carry on their culture. Another interesting aspect of their society was music. The well known composer Arthur Rubenstein moved to America in 1946, and not only was he influenced by those well known musicians such as Chopin, but also by the klezmer music of New York Jewish society. Jews also started music publishing companies, and produced music with Yiddish lyrics. The cultivation of such arts in the American Jewish affiliation was therefore further developed, causing greater deviation from their original Eastern European heritage.
I have enjoyed researching this topic greatly, learning a great deal more about my Jewish predecessors. I had very little knowledge of anything beyond my own synagogue, as regards to the American population. Much concentration is put upon the importance of Eastern European Jews, but not nearly as much upon those who immigrated to America in the late 1800s. I have always been fascinated about how they adapted and changed the culture, and managed to remain faithful to their faith through the hardships of segregation and antisemitism. Through the valuable and educational resources I used, I learned many facts about Jewish roles in American politics, society, and the arts. It was not only engaging, but I also found myself absorbing the information due to my excessive interest in the topic. I am looking forward to reading more about this culture that affects my own life, and acquiring more information regarding the fascinating history of American Jews.
