In a panel discussion on the structure of the American Jewish community, the sociologists stated that the chief development was the rise of a new group of persons who had assumed the leadership of organized Jewish life in the United States, A second important change was the growth and rising influence of central philanthropic organizations in local communities.
This was followed by increased rank and file participation in Jewish religious and charitable causes. And finally, they noted, “the restriction of immigration has transformed American Jewry into a community overwhelmingly native born, with great uniformity in Jewish cultural, religious and folk practice.”
The social scientists unanimously adopted’ a resolution calling for new research projects on “the problems of Jewish social relations in America and in other countries of Jewish settlement.” These projects can be successful only if they are financially supported by “Jewish communal institutions and individual Jews,” the resolution said.
Professor John P. Dean of Cornell University reported that Jews are participating in practically all areas of economic life. Dr. Dean’s presentation was based on Cornell University’s study of majority-minority interaction in America. Other findings of the Cornell study, covering Jews in medium size American comminutes, were:
1. Restrictive practices against Jews are prevalent in “high society,” even though Jews may be leaders in the economic, political, and social service life of the community.
2, Discrimination against Jews occurs more frequently in cities where Jewish participation in community life is high. The larger the city and the larger the proportion of Jews in the community, the more Jews are excluded from socially elite organizations and residential areas.
3. While Jews participate in politics they hold relatively fewer public offices compared to other minority groups such as the Irish and Italians.
4. Members of the Jewish community participate in most aspects of community life and a substantial portion of them belong to at least one organization that is predominantly Gentile.
5. Avoidance techniques have been developed by the Jews to protect themselves against social rebuffs of anti-Semitism; the Jewish person works out some kind of psychological adjustment to living in a Gentile community,
Dr. Salo W. Baron, president of the Conference on Jewish Relations, noted that one of the American Jewish community’s shortcomings was its failure to support adequately basic research on its own structure and functions. Other speakers included: Professor Isidor Chein of New York University; Leibush Lehrer, Yiddish Scientific Institute; and Dr. Marshall Sklare of the American Jewish Committee; Julian Greifer, Neighborhood Center of Philadelphia; Professor Leo Srole of Cornell Medical College and others. David Rosenstein, chairman of the Conference, presided at the sessions.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
