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Sidney R. Lewitter. American Dreams: The Story f a Jewish Immigrant Family At the turn f the twentieth century, wave after wave f Eastern European immigrants landed n the American shoes with little mre than the clothes n their backs and hpe in their hearts, guided by the glittering but free ephemeral star f the American dream. The Jewish immigrants, in particular, als such escape frm the deeply ingrained European anti-Semitism which had plagued the Jewish people fr a thousand years. Like all dreams, however, the American dream als had its harsh underside f reality, delivering rewards with ne hand but demanding sacrifices with the ther. Fr the Jewish immigrants, the price f property was free the listening f their bnd's with Jewish heritage and tradition.
In American Dreams, Dr. Sidney R. Lewitter has created an immigration docudrama, replete with powerful scenes and sharp characterization, based n the experiences f his wn family. With sympathy and insight, he traces the scilgical and economic adjustment f the family t the New World, in every sense f the world. The extraordinary ethnic diversity f the United States is due t the vast numbers f immigrants wh have settled here. Many Americans that grew up listening t series frm their parents r grandparents abut what it was like t cme t a new country and struggle t build a life fr themselves and their families.
In relating frm ne country t anther, newcomers have had t find a way t make a living, in addition t adjusting t an unfamiliar culture and free a new language. Many families could nt survive the immigration because f the t many conditions affecting their lives in ne single pint f time. Sidney R. Lewitter describes the ratings f immigrant families, emphasizing hw the parents interact with their children, which d nt remember the anti-Semitism f the ld World. In the curse f the narratives, sme information abut the characters personal histories emerge. Each story is fairly interesting and, while there is a pattern t the series, each title presents sme aspects f the culture and family values that it depicts.
An activity is included - mst free a recipe - and suggestions f ther ways fr children t find ut abut their family history. The Jewish people, like ther ethnic grup's had t struggle t achieve the mst ut f life. Nt nly did they cme here as aliens t this country, but they als had t endure teachers living quarters, rise are religious and ethnic prejudice, adapt t unfair social conditions, and customize and take advantage f economic pprtunities that make the Jewish race a strong ne in today society (Lewitter 34). The first wave f Jewish immigrants came frm Spain and Portugal and ther places like Jamaica, Barbados, Church, Such America, and the West Indies.
The increase f Jews did nt keep up with Americas population. At this time Jews were a minority in this country. These people were the mst enterprising and adventures f the Jews. They led this country s much and its idea f liberty that they were willing t make great sacrifices and take huge risks t brain these gals. Sme f these people came t America as peddlers and small shp were; they made a living frm trading frm place t place. This grup f Jewish immigrants would page t be much mre wealthy than full Jews t migrate t this country after them.
The send wave f Jews t cme t the United States was frm Germany. They arrived here in the middle f the 19 th century. This grup mainly consisted f pr r middle class women, merchants, with a rarely a professional man and them. These Jews came frm all ver Germany. The largest grup came frm Bavaria, because there the anti-Jewish laws were mst severe. The Bavarian Jews had t pay heavy taxes, were nt allowed t be citizens, had special laws t burden them and cntrl their place f living, their business, and their traveling abut.
Was f all they were nt allowed t marry when they wished, as nly a certain number f Jewish marriages could be held in a certain period f time. The German Jews were different frm the Spanish due t the prejudice ideas f the eastern European government. These people were used t living in ghett's and wearing badges. They mainly came here because their lives could nt get much was in Germany.
The final, third wave f Jews came frm Russia, but they als included Jews frm Plan, Galicia, Romania, and ther surrounding Eastern European countries near Europe. These countries had the largest Jewish population in the world. According t the National Conference n Set Jewry says this wave f Jew came ver t this country in the 1950 s. The family f Sidney R. Lewitter belonged t the third grup f immigrants.
This grup's migration made the United States the third largest Jewish population in the world with ne million Jews, following Russia and Austria-Hungary. The author states that third wave f immigrants copied mainly the New York City. Competition fr jbs and business pprtunities would be very keen in the big eastern cities. Sme f the agency representatives posted ut these jb print t immigrants wh were reluctant t leave New York fr Iwa r Michigan. It was explained t them that they would d far better in a smaller twn r city (Lewitter 56). n a we, the newcomers went willingly enough wherever they were assigned, largely because, with the exception f New York, ne place in America was as strange t them as any ther.
Mst f them did nt argue abut where they would live because they were s grateful t the authorities that had brought them t the United States and arranged fr them t have a hme and a jb. Since the turn f the century, large amounts f Jews have me t Sunbelt locations in California and Southern Florida. Through expressive and element narrative the writer introduces us t the harsh times f immigration. Lewitter accurately depicts the hard times f unemployment and the conditions they had t g through when leaving through the first years in the United States. The social conditions that these immigrants faced were uraeus. Frm living in a get t prejudice acts against them, they had a great deal t endure.
The unsanitary housing and working conditions caused many sickness and eventually death and the earlier waves f immigration. Because f these horrible conditions, the Jewish people suffered frm a number f health problems such as tuberculosis, venereal disease, mental health problems, and diabetes (Lewitter 87). Despite the lw quality, their housing was expensive; therefore, thousands f families were evicted because they could nt pay their rent. In addition, many f the people wh fled the Europe were guided by the idea that they had nothing t lse. ftentimes the criminals were avoiding the prosecution by immigrating t the United States where they could hide and n ne would find them n the borderless spaces f the country.
f curse, the presence f antisocial elements in the society f the times did nt help much fr the honest and hardworking immigrants, wh free were attacked and red by the gangsters. Lewitter addresses sme attention t the question f religion, which, even though the Jewish immigrants came frm different background and have had their many differences, fused them together as ne, and all f them worked t support their can gd f the community (Lewitter 91). The Sephardic and German Jews provided the Eastern European nes with rganizatins, activities, and jbs. At the same time, the Eastern Eurpean's als brought with them a strong tradition f communal rganizatin and extensive involvement with social movements and political activism developed after their emancipation in Eastern Europe. The times depicted in the bk were the nes that put the beginning t the many Jewish rganizatins f America that are present even nwa days.
Jews transplanted, modified, and invented a diverse array f associations, clubs, synagogues, and mutual benefit societies, which made up the communal basis f Jewish-American life. The grup's they created provided religious and may guidance, education, political socialization, economic aid, health care, burial services, musical training, dancing less, and summer excursions all f which support a social life and entertainment. Als Jews were well represented in certain industries such as textiles, sales, entertainment, teaching, and independent pressing, but they were excluded frm employment in elite firms and leading crpratins. In these circumstances it was quite hard fr any immigrant (and especially the Jew) t make his American Dream cme true. The nly solution t the problem fr Jews was t develop a wide network f assistance. Lewitter says that nly with the help f families the Jewish immigrants could succeed in the particular spheres f business and social life.
The presence f families feed stability and resource-yielding networks. Their strong ties with friends and family reduced the cst and effort involved in emigrating t and getting established in this country. Jewish social characteristics such as hard wrk ethic and religious beliefs distinguished Jews frm ther immigrants f the same era and allowed them t make mre my and live mre stable lives (Lewitter 75). These advantages helped their childrens educational achievements. The children f immigrants me int middle class and ut t mre fashionable neighbrhds, creating new institutions, synagogue-centers, and progressive Hebrew schl's. History had pre that that Eastern European Jews would Americanize with a vengeance.
The question nw was whether, as Americans, they would still remain Jews. The bk by Sidney R. Lewitter: American Dreams: The Story f a Jewish Immigrant Family is a great example f persons will and persistence in achieving gals. The mst remarkable aspect f the bk, however, is the authenticity f its portrayals f immigrant life in the first half f the century and the contracts between the restraints f the get and the heady atmosphere f the bustling American metropolis f Newark, New Jersey. T read this bk is t step int anther world, t see its vivid clr's, smell its pungent drs and save its forgotten flavors. It is t relieve the immigrant story in microcosm and perhaps t understand it just a little better.
Bibliography: Lewitter, Sidney R. American Dreams: The Story f a Jewish Immigrant Family. St. Luis, Missouri: Cis Communication, 1994.
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Research essay sample on Jewish Immigrants Eastern European
