THE JEWISH POPULATION OP THE UNITED STATES - Census.gov · THE JEWISH POPULATION OP THE UNITED STATES BY SAMSON D. OPPENHEIM, J. D. DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF JEWISH STATISTICS AND

THE JEWISH POPULATION OP THEUNITED STATES

BY SAMSON D. OPPENHEIM, J . D.

DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF JEWISH STATISTICS AND RESEARCH

When the American Jewish Year Book for 5678 went topress in August, 1917, the returns for the enumeration ofJews in the United States, which the Bureau of Statistics andEesearch of the American Jewish Committee had been engagedin making, were by no means complete. As a matter of factthe work continued to extend well into the current year. Thisarticle must consequently be regarded both as a sequel and, insome measure, as a revised edition of that portion of the divi-sion of statistics treating of the number of the Jews of theUnited States, which appeared in the Year Book for 1917-1918.

All statistics regarding the number of Jews in the UnitedStates have, of course, been estimates. The earliest approxi-mation seems to have been made in 1818, by Mordecai M.Noah, who put the number at 3,000. Other noteworthy esti-mates have been the following:

Year Jewish Population Authority1824 6,000 Solomon Etting1840 15,000 American Almanac1848 50,000 M. A. Berk1880 230,000 • William B. Hackenburg1888 400,000 Isaac Markens1897 937,800 David Sulzberger1905 1,508,435 Jewish Encyclopedia1907 1,777,185 Henrietta Szold1914 2,933,374 Joseph Jacobs.

The 1917 inquiry into the number of Jews in this countrynaturally divided itself into two parts: the one covering New

2

32 AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK

York City, and the other concerning the cities and towns out-side of the metropolis.

The following are the principal important estimates thatwere made of the Jews of New York City, prior to 1917:

New York CityYear Population Authority1790 385 U. S. Census Bureau (for New

York State)1812 400 Gershom Mendes Seixas1S26 950 S. Gilman (for New York

State)1846 10,000 Isaac Leeser1848 12,000 to 13,000 M. A. Berk1880 60,000 William B. Hackenburg1888 125,000 Isaac Markens1891 225,250 Charles Prank1892 250,000 Richard Wheatley1897 350,000 Jacob H. Schiff1905 672,000 Joseph Jacobs1907 850,000 Henrietta Szold1910 861,980 V. S. Census Bureau (for Yid-

dish-speaking only)1911 9G£,000 Joseph Jacobs1912 975,000 Joseph Jacobs1912 1,250,000 Bureau of Education (New

York Kehillah)1913 1,330,000 Professor Chalmers of Cornell

UniversityJudging by the two foregoing sets of figures, it was to be ex-

pected that the number of Jews in New York City would, fouryears later, be found to amount to something in the neighbor-hood of one and one-half millions, or almost fifty per cent ofthe total Jewish population of the United States. Hence, inview of the fact that half of the subject matter of the entireinquiry was concentrated within a few square miles, it was con-sidered highly desirable to attack, in as intensive a manner aspossible, the problem of ascertaining the number of Jewishinhabitants of the country's largest city. On account of theenormous size of the New York community, individual esti-

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THE JEWISH POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES 33

mates, no matter how expert, could not be safely relied upon.Accordingly, arrangements were made, by which the co-opera-tion of the New York Kehillah, and especially that of Dr.Alexander Dushkin, of the Bureau of Education, were securedin approaching the problem from a different angle, a newmethod of approximation being invented and tried.

It is a well-known fact that, whatever differences of beliefor of religious attitude may exist among Jews, they are almostunanimous in observing the High Holidays (New Year, the Dayof Atonement, and the Passover), practically all Jewish chil-dren refraining from attending school on these days. So, if theattendance in the public schools on these holidays were ascer-tained and were then compared with the attendance on normaldays, we should get a fairly accurate estimate of the number ofJewish children in the public schools of New York. If wecould then find the proportion of Jewish children to the totalJewish population, we should be furnished with an excellentmeans of determining the Jewish population of the entire city.

It was possible to obtain from the New York City Board ofEducation reliable data concerning the attendance in the NewYork public schools on the Jewish High Holidays in the years1913 and 1914, the information for 1915 and 1916 not beingused, because in 1915 some of the Jewish holidays occurredduring the registration week of the public schools, and in theearly fall of 1916 the epidemic of infantile paralysis was stillraging. The average school attendance for 1915-1916 was,however, used in computing the number of children of schoolage in that school year, after the general percentage co-efficienthad been ascertained by the help of the 1913 and 1914 figures.When the 1913 and 1914 holiday figures were compared withthe attendance on normal days during the same years, it was dis-


covered that about 40.5$ of the public school children stayedaway from their studies on the Jewish holidays. Now no doubta modicum of Jewish children attend school on the mostimportant holidays, but on the other hand a number of non-Jewish children, especially in schools containing a large pro-portion of Jewish scholars, absent themselves on such days,because they know that the school work will have to be reviewedfor the benefit of the large absentee contingent. The pro-portion of Jewish public school children in the entire city wasfor the purposes of this discussion, therefore, ultimatelyreduced to, or set at 38,r/, by boroughs, the percentages beingfixed as follows:

Manhattan 48$Bronx 40$Brooklyn 38$Queens 7$Richmond 5$

A significant check on these estimates is furnished by thedata obtained in the investigation of the United States Con-gress Immigration Commission of 1910, whose method ofinquiry consisted mainly in questioning children of the publicschools concerning the nationality of their fathers. The per-centage of New York public school children designating theirfathers as Hebrews, in 1910, was, as to the city's five boroughs,as follows:

Manhattan 46.1$Bronx 20.2$Brooklyn 29.9$Queens 3.5$Richmond 2.8$

Considering that the figures of the Immigration Commissiondo not include such Jewish children as may have designatedtheir fathers as of American, Russian, German, or other origins


or races, the similarity here exhibited is, as Dr. Dushkin pointsout in his splendid monograph in the Jewish CommunalRegister for 1917-1918, very striking.

The largest discrepancy between these figures and those ofthe estimate made a few years later is discovered in the case ofthe Bronx, where, it is a matter of common knowledge, therehas been a very large influx of Jews within the past half-dozenyears. I t was ascertained, then, that there were nearly 280,000Jewish children in 1915-1916 in the elementary public schools,as appears more particularly set forth below.

But in order to further corroborate the proportion-figure ofJewish children of school age obtained through the study ofschool attendance on Jewish holidays, another method of esti-mation was resorted to. The Bureau of Attendance of theBoard of Education keeps a continuous school census of thepopulation of New York. Some million and a half cards arefiled in the census division of the Bureau, each of which repre-sents a complete family, parents as well as children, these cardscovering all schools, both public and private. From these cardsover 4200 families were selected, practically at random, repre-senting a total of 10,332 children of school age, i. e., at intervalsof about 350 cards, two cards were selected, the first cards ofeach pair forming Set I, and the second cards forming Set I I .

The names were judged by experts (Dr. Alexander Dush-kin and Mr. Meir Isaacs) as to whether they were Jewish ornon-Jewish, the examiners being greatly aided in their decisionsby the details noted upon the cards, which included the firstnames of the father and mother and of all the children, thenativity of the parents and of the children, the length of theirstay in America, the year of their immigration, the country oftheir emigration, and the occupation of the father. It will be


readily seen that these data furnished good clues for determin-ing as to whether a family is Jewish or not. Even when Germannames, such as Bamberger, or Anglicized names, such as Brown,were encountered, the data on the cards, while not as helpful asin less puzzling cases, proved quite significant. Thus, if achild attended a Catholic parochial school, it would certainly besafe to assume that the family was non-Jewish. Or if in an im-migrant family living on Canal Street the son's first name wasthe same as his father's, it would be reasonable to assume thefamily to be non-Jewish, because it is not customary amongEast-European Jews to name any of their children after a livingfather.

The data furnished by the cards themselves were so help-ful in deciding the judgments in question, that only 196,or 4.6$ of the names considered, were included in the question-able category; while to guard against the temptation to calldoubtful items Jewish, all cases about which there was anyuncertainty were unhesitatingly counted as non-Jewish. Forgreater accuracy, the judgments were made in two sets, and theaverage was used in computing the proportion of Jewish schoolchildren.

About thirty-three per cent of all the children of school age,in the public, parochial, and private schools of New York Citywere by this " card " system adjudged to be Jews. The resultsthus arrived at are in close agreement with those obtained bythe public school attendance method above described. Sincethe thirty-three per cent represent not only the public schoolchildren, but also the children in private and parochial schools,there were added to the 730,755, in the elementary public schoolregister of New York City for 1915-1916, the 200,000 childrenattending, according to the estimate of the Statistical Division


of the New York State Department of Education, the ele-mentary parochial and private schools of the city. This madea total of 930,755 children, in 1915, between the ages of five andfourteen, of whom 307,149 would appear to have been Jewish.931,000 children would mean a total population for New YorkCity of 5,172,000, and that is just about what that city's popu-lation was in 1915.

By the holiday school attendance method it was computedthat in 1915-1916, there were ,277,687 Jewish children in theelementary public schools of New York City. To this numbershould be added at least the aggregate of the 20,000 Jewishchildren in private schools, making a total of 297,687 NewYork City Jewish children of elementary school age. Thedifference between the two approximating methods used is seento be only about 9450, or a variation of three per cent. Theagreement between the two computations is very striking, con-sidering the fact that actually not all of the Jewish childrenbetween the ages of five and fourteen can have been at school inthe early fall of the year, some obtaining their working cer-tificates at the age of thirteen, and others being temporarilyabsent. In accordance with these calculations, the number ofJewish children of elementary school age, (i. e., five to fourteenyears) in this city, in 1917, was found to be 300,000, or veryclose to that number, if anything a little greater.

We must now proceed to investigate what bearing theseresults have upon the total population. According to theUnited States Census of 1910, the proportion of childrenbetween the ages of five and fourteen to the total populationis approximately eighteen per cent, i. e., for every eighteenschool children the existence of eighty-two other persons maybe assumed, or one hundred individuals-in all; or where there


are one thousand children of school age, there are 5555 indi-viduals altogether. But it is difficult to say off-hand whetherthe proportion of children to adults among the Jews is loweror higher than it is in the case of the general population.From a study of over four thousand families selected at ran-dom from the census cards of the Bureau of Attendance of theBoard of Education, referred to above, it was found that theaverage Jewish family has 2.5 children at school, whereasthe average non-Jewish family has 2.35 children at school.This would imply a difference of fifteen children per hundredfamilies. Assuming five to six individuals per family, thiswould mean a difference of 2.5/c to 3$ in the proportion ofchildren as between Jews and non-Jews. On the other hand,the fact that New York's Jewish community is so largely com-posed of immigrants would tend to make the proportion ofJewish children lower than that of the children of the generalpopulation. In the "United States Census of 1910, Population,Vol. 3, the proportion of children between five and fourteenyears in the native population is given as twenty-six per cent,whereas among the foreign-born whites it runs as,low as sevenper cent. But as the Jewish immigration is largely a " familyimmigration," the proportion of children among Jewish immi-grants is probably twice as great as among other immigrants.Thus Samuel Joseph, in Jewish Immigration to the UnitedStates, shows that, whereas the age group " under 14 " (whichincludes also children below five) is 12.3$ for all Europeanimmigrants, it is twice as large, 24.8<£, among Jewish immi-grants. One would therefore not be far wrong in assumingthat the proportion of school children among Jews is little, ifanything, above eighteen per cent. I t is certainly not greaterthan twenty per cent. Allowing that every twenty Jewish


children represent only one hundred individuals, or that everythousand such children represent only five thousand Jewsinstead of five thousand five hundred and fifty-five, then, uponthe basis of its 300,000 Jewish children of elementary schoolage, we should have in New York City a Jewish population of1,500,000, or over 45 per cent of the total Jewish populationof the country, and in Few York State approximately a halfof the Jewish population of America. Or if we include,with New York City, Newark, Passaic, Paterson, Jersey City,Hoboken, New Eochelle, Mt. Vernon, Elizabeth, Bayonne, andone or two other near-by towns, as all within the New Yorkmetropolitan district, then there will be found within that dis-trict, equivalent in size about to an area of thirty miles square,fully one-half of all the Jews living in the United States. Thesecond largest Jewish community in the world, before the out-break of the war, it may be mentioned in passing, existed inWarsaw, which, in 1914, housed between 300,000 and 330,000Jews.

As to the boroughs of New York, their Jewish quotas wouldseem to be as follows:

Manhattan .' 695,000The Bronx 210,000Brooklyn 567,000Queens 23,000Richmond 5,000

To revert to the question of the Jewish population of NewYork City. The number of public school children in this citywas in the autumn of 1917 almost exactly 750,000. Even ifwe assume that the proportion of Jewish public school chil-dren was then only 35,̂ instead of 38$ of all the publicschool attendants, we should have, as the Jewish public schoolpopulation, 262,500, which, with the 20,000 private school


Jewish pupils, would give for Greater New York 282,500 Jew-ish school children, or over 280,000 Jewish persons betweenthe ages of five and fourteen years. Let us now take forgranted, what is not at all true, that one such Jewish personout of five, instead of 5.5, is a school child, between the agesof 5 and 14 years, and we have, as the Jewish population ofNew York City, in September, 1917, 1,412,500 souls, or byJanuary 1, 1918, 1,422,000, a too conservative maximumit would seem, in view of the facts as they have been actuallyascertained and of the drastic reductions that have beenassumed. For the New York City population was estimatedby the Bureau of Education of the New York Community tobe, sis years ago, 1,250,000; and while this is considerablygreater than was Dr. Joseph Jacobs' enumeration of 1912, theKehillah's figures are upheld by Professor Chalmer's calcula-tions made in 1913, even though these may have been a littletoo liberal. Certainly it would be fair to presume that the cor-rect number of New York City Jews was, in 1912, very closeto 1,200,000. This approximation is supported by data to befound in the 1910 United States Census reports. In thatcensus the number of persons speaking Yiddish together withtheir progeny, in New York City, was given as nearly 862,000,to be exact, 861,980. But there must have been more than thisnumber of Jews in the city at that time, as will be seen fromthe following:

In 1880, before the last great immigrational influx began,there were sixty thousand Jews in New York City, not includ-ing Brooklyn, which at that time had at least twenty-fivethousand. By 1910, all these with their descendants wouldhave amounted, through natural increase (births over deaths)to about 150,000; and it is safe to say that in that year a very

THE JEWISH POPULATION OP THE UNITED STATES 41

small part of this group would have given Yiddish as theirmother tongue, considering how many English, " Portu-guese," and " Bavarian " Jews there were among the originaleighty-five thousand cited above, not to mention that amongthe immigrants arriving between 1881 and 1910 there wereundoubtedly quotas from Germany, France, England, andTurkey, who also would not have given Yiddish as theirmother-tongue. We may, therefore, confidently add at leastone hundred and thirty-five thousand to the 863,000 in ques-tion, thus bringing the Jewish population of New York City in1910 up to 997,000, so that Dr. Jacobs' 1912 estimate wouldseem to have been too modest, especially in view of the immi-gration figures for the years 1910-1912. These show thatbetween July 1, 1910, and December 31, 1912, 220,000 Jewishimmigrants entered the United States, 128,000 intending togo to New York, of whom it is safe to say that 110,000 cameto, and remained in, or soon returned to, New York City. Ifwe add this 110,000 to the 997,000 referred to above, andallow only 43,000 for natural increases during the two years inquestion, we arrive at an aggregate of nearly 1,150,000 as theJewish population of New York City in 1912.

Support is provided for the assumption of a slightly largertotal, however, by the following: The Jewish population ofthe state of New York was, in 1907, estimated as 905,000.Probably this figure was too low, but let us assume that it wasnot. By 1910, if there had been no immigration at all, thestate's Jewish population would have, by natural increase,amounted to 960,000. But it could have gained not less than120,000 through immigration during those three years, sincethe total Jewish immigration into the country during the sameperiod was only a trifle under 250,000. (See Annual Reports


of Commissioner General of Immigration, 1908, 1909, and1910). Hence the Jewish population of Few York State, in1910, must have been at least 1,080,000. It was probablymore. Yet, based on the number of persons who reported theirmother-tongue as Yiddish, it is given in the 1910 Mother-Tongue Census as 912,692, which would indicate that onlyeighty-five per cent of the New York Jews reported theirmother-tongue as being Yiddish. Assuming likewise thatfifteen per cent of the New York City Jews failed to so reporttheir mother-tongue, then the 862,000 Jews of this city, who,according to the 1910 census figures, did so report, can haveconstituted only about eighty-five per cent of all the Jews inNew York City; and so, in 1910, the total New York CityJewish population would have been at least a million, especiallysince the city had, back in 1907, already over 800,000 Jews.(See table above.) Support is lent to this conclusion by thesurvey made in 1911 by Dr. Joseph Brill for the New YorkCity Board of Health, his estimate being then 1,100,000.

Taking the city's Jewish increase during the. next twoyears as being at the rate of 80,000 per annum, we shouldhave, as the Jewish population of the city in 1912, 1,160,000.In all these calculations no allowance has been made for whatwe may call domestic immigration, that is to say, persons com-ing from other parts of the country into the metropolis. Thereis no doubt that the aggregate of these, drawn as they would be,on account of the commercial and industrial opportunitiesafforded, to this immense financial, manufacturing, andshippping focus, cannot have been negligible. Surely theirnumbers can hardly have amounted to less than ten thousandin two years. Certainly five thousand in that time would bea reasonable expectation. Thus we get a total of 1,165,000.


Dr. Jacobs himself confirms the opinion that he was too con-servative in 1912, for later, in the American Jewish Year Book5675, he calculates that by January 1, 1915, there should be3,000,000 Jews in the country, in which prophecy he was fullyjustified by the event. And as New York City was even thenrapidly approaching the point when it should come to containnearly half of the Jewish population of the country, it mustat the beginning of 1915 have contained very close to 1,300,000Jews.

Starting then with a New York City Jewish contingent of1,165,000, in 1912, let us once more glance at the immigrationfigures. Jewish immigrants into the United States aggregated,for 1913 and 1914, 239,381, of this number 137,604 givingNew York State as their destination. I t is safe to say that apreponderating proportion of these came to, and remained in,or speedily returned to, New York City. Thus that muni-cipality may well be considered to have gained in population,through immigration, about 130,000 Jews, during the twoyears ending July 30, 1914. Certainly 120,000 would be forthese two years a judicious estimate; since New York City'spopulation had been just prior to 1912 forging ahead at therate of about 80,000 additional Jewish inhabitants annually,of whom 20,000, on an average each year, were attributable toexcess of births over deaths, and the balance to influxes, mainlyimmigrational, from without. Hence by July, 1914, the Jew-ish population of the city can hardly have been less than1,335,000. Since that time, there has been a total Jewishimmigration into the United States of approximately 60,000,of whom 31,000 gave New York State as their destination,probably at least 25,000 remaining in New York City.


Totalling now, we shall have something like the followingfor the Jewish population of New York City on January 1,1918:

Population in 1912 1,165,000Foreign immigration 1912-1918 145,000Domestic immigration 1912-1918 25,000Natural increases 150,000

Total 1,485,000

In all of these considerations it has been assumed that thegeneral Jewish increase rate in this country has been no morethan two per cent per annum; but as a matter of fact thereis a strong probability that it lias been somewhat greater,especially in New York City. In the first place it is wellknown that the death rate of a given Jewish community isalways lower than the general local death rate. This is prob-ably accounted for by the lower infant mortality rate foundamong Jews and by their greater tendency toward longevity.Now the death rate of New York City has averaged during thelast ten years in the neighborhood of fifteen per thousand, whilethe Jewish death rate, according to information furnished bythe actuaries of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., wouldseem to be about eleven per thousand. Again, speaking ingeneral terms, the Jews in the large American cities haveshared fully in the great prosperity which the country hasenjoyed during the past decade. I t is also a well-known factthat there is a strong tendency among Jews to translate in-creasing prosperity into matrimonial terms. Hence it is veryprobable that the increase rate among Jews has been for anumber of years greater than the traditional two per cent, andduring the last half-dozen years, at least, probably nearer twoand one-half per cent than two per cent in New York City.


On the other hand, there is nothing to show that the birth rateamong Jews in our cities is markedly less than it is amongtheir non-Jewish neighbors.

If we are to hold that they have more than the averagenumber of children at school, that fact would tend to supportthe foregoing contentions, and the apparent discrepancy be-tween the very large number of Jewish children, on the onehand, which would make it appear that there were more than1,500,000 Jews in New York City, and the diminished figurearrived at by the strict application of the two per cent rule ofincrease, and the twenty per cent assumption concerningschool attendance among Jews, which would make it seem thatthere were less than 1,500,000 in this city, on the other hand,would tend to vanish.

To conclude with New York City, which contains the largestJewish community that has ever existed within the confinesof a single municipality: It has over 2200 congregations andone hundred and eighty-one religious schools with 41,403pupils, exclusive of about 14,000 who attend private hedarim.It has over a hundred recreational and cultural agencies, morethan one thousand mutual aid societies, nine hundred andsixty-five lodges, one hundred and ninety-three economicagencies, and one hundred and sixty-four philanthropic andcorrectional agencies.

Over.$17,000,000 was expended in 1917 by all these activi-ties, of which amount the two great philanthropic federa-tions, that of Manhattan and the Bronx and that of Brooklyn,expended during the past year $2,500,000. In these figuresare not included the $6,000,000 raised in the year 1917-1918 forJewish War Relief abroad. AVithin the confines of the metrop-


olis are printed and published fifty-seven Jewish journals: fivedailies; twenty-eight weeklies; eleven monthlies; one bi-monthly; one quarterly; one annual; ten occasional publica-tions. Of these twenty-three are published in English, three inHebrew, two in Judeo-Spanish, and twenty-nine in Yiddish.

The following table, which is taken from the New YorkJewish Communal Register, published by the New York" Kehillah," in 1918, affords details of the foregoing summary:

TABLE GIVING ESTIMATE OF MONET EXPENDED FOB JEWISH PURPOSESBY JEWISH COMMUNAL AGENCIES IN' NEW YORK CITY

AGENCIES SUB-TOTALS TOTALS

Religious Agencies:Permanent Congregations $2,700,000Temporary Congregations 250,000Kashruth 3,000,000Burial Societies 50,000

$6,000,000Religious Educational Agencies:

Week-day Religious Schools 740,000Sunday Schools 50,000Parochial Schools 70,000Hedarim and Private Instruction 500,000

1,360,000Cultural and Recreational Agencies:

Young Men's Hebrew and Kindred Ass'ns.. 435,000Yiddish Press 2,000,000

2,435,000 1

Economic Agencies:Immigrant Aid Societies 250,000Employment Bureaus (not in Institutions). 15,000Technical Schools 195,000Clara de Hirsch Home 42,000Loan Societies 60,000Mutual Aid Societies 1,000,000Lodges 1,900,000

3,462,000

1 This does not include the amount of money spent on theJewish theatre and in Jewish social clubs, both of which are of adistinctly Jewish recreational and cultural character.

THE JEWISH POPULATION OP THE UNITED STATES 47

Philanthropic Agencies:Relief Societies 725,000Day Nurseries 50,000Child Caring Agencies 975,000Hospitals and Convalescent Homes 2,090,000Old Age Homes 150,000Institutions for Defectives 150,000

4,140,000Correctional Agencies 160,000Co-ordinating and Research Agencies 100,000

The great majority of American Jews live in cities or towns,there being only about 20,000 Jewish farmers and other agri-culturists in the United States; and even most of these twentythousand reside in little centers. Accordingly, to find the sumof the Jewish communities in all urban places would be to findpractically the Jewish population of the nation. I t was unfor-tunately not feasible to make a survey of the Jewish publicschool population in any of the major cities outside of NewYork. Therefore another method was adopted to ascertain, inthe case of each town or city, how many Jews it contained. TheBureau of Jewish Statistics and Eesearch has a list of nearlyfour thousand congregations, rabbis, etc. To every rabbi orother head of a congregation (in some cases to lay officials),was sent a questionnaire, asking the recipient to give, amongother things, a careful and conservative estimate of the numberof Jews in the city in which he resided.

The thousands of resulting returns were carefully comparedwith one another, as well as with other data obtained throughthe reports of various charitable organizations in each city,and additional information furnished by Young Men's HebrewAssociations, the Industrial Eemoval Office, and certainanalogous organizations; and thus, finally, what is believed tohave been a fairly accurate estimate in the case of each city


having a general population of more than twenty thousand wasarrived at, the more conservative averages being generally giventhe preference in all computations, deductions, etc. Wheneveran estimate seemed unduly large, further inquiries were made,and statements from new correspondents were asked, theestimate conforming most nearly to the total called for by the" rale " mentioned below being preferred.

As to towns with a general population of at least onethousand and less than twenty thousand, it was not invariablypossible to get a reliable estimate of their Jewish contingents.Sometimes, indeed, no response at all was received to therepeated inquires sent out. But so many replies were obtainedfrom the numerous smaller places, as well as from practicallyall cities of larger size, that it became after a while possible toformulate a sort of law or rule governing the percentages ofJews in localities of various proportions. Indeed it waseventually found practicable in the case of smaller places, fromwhich no adequate reply was to be procured, to estimate veryclosely their Jewish population by the aid of the " rule " inquestion. Quite frequently, after an estimate had been made,a return would come in from some little town, and in hardlyany instance did the detailed report vary materially in itstotal of the Jews of that town from the estimate that hadbeen made.

To explain more particularly, it appears that betweentwenty-five per cent and twenty-seven per cent of the popula-tion of New York City are Jews, this city being with regardto its Jewish community unique. Next, in the group compris-ing Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, St. Louis, Pitts-burgh, Baltimore, Newark, and Detroit, nine large manufac-turing centers, on an average a trifle under ten per cent of thepopulation are Jews, as will be seen from the following:


TABLE A 1

SHOWING 9 CITIES CONTAINING AN AGGBEGATEINHABITANTS OF WHOM NEARLY 900,000

General Population(Estimated as of

City Doc. 31, 1917)Chicago 2,572,000Philadelphia 1,785,000Cleveland 782,000Boston 765,000Baltimore 607,000St. Louis 867,000Pittsburgh 601,000Newark 409,000Detroit 841,500

OF OVER 9,200,000ARE JEWS

Jewish Population225,000200,000100,000

77,50060,00060,00060,00055,00050,000

Total 9,229,500 887,500

In the remaining sixty-two American Cities of the firstorder, namely such as have a general population of at least100,000, the percentage of Jewish residents averages a littleunder 4.5$, as will be seen by the following:'

TABLE BSHOWING SIXTY-ONE CITIES OF THE UNITED STATES, EACH HAVIXG

A POPULATION, IN 1917, OF 100,000 OR MORE, AKD A TOTALPOPULATION OF 12,640,000, WITH JEWISH

POPULATION OF EACHJewish

City PopulationBirmingham, Ala 3,500Los Angeles, Cal 18,000Oakland, Cal 5,000San Francisco, Cal 30,000Denver, Colo 11,000Bridgeport, Conn 12,000Hartford, Conn 16,000New Haven, Conn 18,000Waterbury, Conn 6,000Wilmington, Del 3,500Washington, D. C 10,000Atlanta, Ga 10,000Indianapolis, Ind 10,000Des Moines, la 3,200

JewishCity Population

Kansas City, Kan 3,500Louisville, Ky 9,000New Orleans, La 8,000Cambridge, Mass 8,000Fall River, Mass 7,500Lawrence, Mass 2,000Lowell, Mass 6,000New Bedford, Mass. . . . 3,500Springfield, Mass 6,000Worcester, Mass 10,000Grand Rapids, Mich. . .. 1,000Duluth, Minn 2,300Minneapolis, Minn 15,000St. Paul, Minn 10,000

1 In this and all other tables the Jewish population given is thatof 1917.


TABLE B (CONTINUED)Jewish Jewish

City Population City PopulationKansas City, Mo 12,000 Reading, Pa 1,750Butte, Mont 1,000 Scranton, Pa 7,500Omaha, Neb 10.000 Providence, R. 1 15,000Camden, N. J 2,000 Memphis, Tenn 7,000Jersey City, N. J. 12,500 Nashville, Tenn 3,000Paterson, N. J 15,000 Dallas, Tex 8,000Trenton, N. J 7,000 Fort Worth, Tex 2,250Albany, N. Y 7,000 Houston, Tex 5,000Buffalo, N. Y 20,000 San Antonio, Tex 3,000Rochester, N. Y 20,000 Salt Lake City, Utah. . . 2,500Syracuse, N. Y 12,000 Richmond, Va 4,000Akron, 0 2,000 Seattle, Wash 5,000Cincinnati, 0 25,000 Spokane, Wash 1,100Columbus, 0 9,000 Tacoma, Wash 900Dayton, 0 4,000 Milwaukee, Wis 20,000Toledo, 0 7,500Youngstown, 0 5,000 Total 513,000Portland, Ore 8,000 or about 4.1$

As to cities of the second class, namely, those having ageneral population of between 50,000 and 100,000, their per-centage of Jews averages about three per cent. Generally speak-ing, with regard to both classes mentioned above, it may herebe noted that the proportion of Jewish residents is greater thanthe mean in the East, and less than the average in the West.The tables given below are peculiarly instructive as exhibitinghow the percentage of Jewish residents tends to becomegradually lower as the total number of citizens decreases.

TABLE CSHOWING JEWISH POPULATION OF THE CITIES OP THE UNITED STATES

HAVING IN 1917 A POPULATION OP 50,000, OR MORE, AND LESSTHAN 100,000

(a) Cities Having a General Population of 90,000-100,000 each,and a Combined Population of 1,035,100, With Jewish

Population of Each CityJewish Jewish

City Population City PopulationSan Diego, Cal 600 Evansville, Ind 1,500Jacksonville, Pla 2,000 Lynn, Mass 7,500Savannah, Ga 5,000 Somerville, Mass 2̂ 000


TABLE C (CONTINUED)Jewish Jewish

City . Population City PopulationSchenectady, N. Y 3,500 Norfolk, Va 5,000Yonkers, N. Y 5,000Oklahoma City, Okla.... 1,000 Total 34,600Erie, Pa 1,500 or 3.3^

(b) Cities Having a General Population of 80,000-90,000 Each,and a Combined Population of 591,570, With Jewish


City Population City PopulationFort Wayne, Ind 1,650 Utica, N. Y 1,600St. Joseph, Mo 3,300 Harrisburg, Pa 4,000Manchester, N. H 600 —•Elizabeth, N. J 5,000 Total 19,150Troy, N. Y 3,000 or 3.2£

(c) Cities Having a General Population of 70,000-80,000 Each,and a Combined Population of 884,590, With Jewish


City Population City PopulationSacramento, Cal 900 Bayonne, N. J 10,000Tampa, Fla 1,000 Hoboken, N. J 5,000East St. Louis, 111 1,000 Canton, Ohio 1,000Peoria, 111 1,750 Johnstown, Pa 400South Bend, Ind 2,000 Wilkes-Barre, Pa 3,000Terre Haute, Ind 500Wichita, Kan 300 Total 26,850

or 3M(d) Cities Having a General Population of 60,000-70,000 Each,

and a Combined Population of 1,149,060, With JewishPopulation of Each City

Jewish JewishCity Population City Population

Mobile, Ala 2,200 Saginaw, Mich 1,000Little Rock, Ark 1,500 Passaic, N. J 6,000Pueblo, Colo 1,000 Springfield, 0 400Rockford, 111 900 Allentown, Pa 1,200Springfield, 111 700 Altoona, Pa 1,000Sioux City, la 2,500 Charleston, S. C 1,900Covington, Ky 350 Chattanooga, Tenn 1,400Portland, Me 2,500 El Paso, Tex 1,800Brockton, Mass 1,500Holyoke, Mass 1,000 Total 28,850

or 2.5*

AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK

TABLE C (CONTINUED)(e) Cities Having a General Population of 50,000-60,000 Each,

and a Combined Population of 1,022,145, With JewishPopulation of Each City


Montgomery, Ala 1,650Berkeley, Cal 300New Britain, Conn 2,500Augusta, Ga 2,500Macon, Ga 550Davenport, la 600Topeka, Kan 1,000Haverhill, Mass 3,500Bay City, Mich 1,000Lansing, Mich 450Springfield, Mo 165


Lincoln, Neb 1,200Atlantic City, N. J 4.000Binghamton, N. Y 1,500Lancaster, Pa 1,400York, Pa 700Pawtucket, R. 1 500Galveston, Tex 1,100Superior, Wis 800

Total 25,415or 2.4*

As to towns of the next degree, namely, those having ageneral population of between 20,000 and 50,000, the Jewishpopulation in such places averages a trifle over two per centof the total population, as indicated in Table D, while in stillsmaller localities it falls to a little over one per cent, and inplaces with less than one thousand inhabitants to £~J of oneper cent.

TABLE DSHOWING JEWISH POPULATION OF ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN

CITIES, EACH HAVING A GENERAL POPULATION OF BETWEEN 20,000AND 50,000, WITH JEWISH POPULATION OF EACH CITY

JewishPopulation

. . . . 300

. . . . 200

. . . . 400

CityFort Smith, ArkAlameda, CalFresno, CalPasadena, Cal 350San Jose, Cal 200Stockton, Cal 1,000Colorado Springs, Colo... 660Danbury, Conn 300Meriden, Conn 1,000New London, Conn 1,000Norwalk, Conn 550Norwich, Conn 1,500


Stamford, Conn 1,500Key West, Fla 2001'tnsacola, Fla 1,000Columbus, Ga 300Aurora, 111 300Belleville, 111 150Bloomington, 111 275Danville, 111 625Decatur, 111 200Elgin, 111 500Evanston, 111 250Galesburg, 111 220


TABLE DJewish

City Population,Joliet, 111 1,100Moline, 111 60Quincy, 111 400Rock Island, 111 412Anderson, Ind 150Hammond, Ind 600Lafayette, Ind 300Muncie, Ind 200New Albany, Ind 125Richmond, Ind 155Burlington, la 225Cedar Rapids, la 700Clinton, la 65Council Bluffs, la 1,000Dubuque, la 450Ottumwa, la 412Waterloo, la 325Leavenworth, Kan 600Lexington, Ky 385Newport, Ky 300Paducah, Ky 250Shreveport, La 1,500Bangor, Me 1,000Lewiston, Me 275Cumberland, Md 600Brookline, Mass 200Chelsea, Mass 13,000Chicopee, Mass 250Everett, Mass 334Fitchburg, Mass 528Gloucester, Mass 243Maiden, Mass 9,000Medford, Mass 250Newton, Mass 400North Adams, Mass 500Northampton, Mass 400Pittsfield, Mass 1,500Quincy, Mass 1,250Salem, Mass 1,500Taunton, Mass 750Waltham, Mass 300Battle Creek, Mich 244Calumet, Mich 110Flint, Mich 385Jackson, Mich 300

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationKalamazoo, Mich 900Muskegon, Mich 300Jackson, Miss 126Meridian, Miss '. 400Vicksburg, Miss 532Joplin, Mo 250Butte, Mont 1,000South Omaha, Neb 262Concord, N. H 158Nashua, N. H 350East Orange, N. J 300Montclair, N. J 75New Brunswick, N. J.. .. 3,000Orange, N. J 210Perth Amboy, N. J 5,000Plainfield, N. J 1,500Union, N. J 400West Hoboken, N. J 350Amsterdam, N. Y 300Auburn, N. Y 250Cohoes, N. Y 200Elmira, N. Y 1,200Gloversville, N. Y 600Jamestown, N. Y 125Kingston, N. Y 800Mt. Vernon, N. Y 3,000New Rochelle, N. Y 3,000Newburgh, N. Y 400Niagara Falls, N. Y 300Oswego, N. Y 300Poughkeepsie, N. Y 1,600Rome, N. Y 250Watertown, N. Y 230Charlotte, N. C 350Wilmington, N. C 400Winston Salem, N. C 116East Liverpool, Ohio 300Hamilton, Ohio 260Lima, Ohio 300Lorain, Ohio 300Mansfield, Ohio 50Newark, Ohio 100Portsmouth, Ohio 128Sandusky, Ohio 143Steubenville, Ohio 400


TABLE D (CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationZanesville, Ohio 250Muskogee, Okla 225Butler, Pa 150Chester, Pa 1,000Easton, Pa 800Hazleton, Pa 950McKeesport, Pa 3,000New Castle, Pa 610Norristown, Pa 220Pottsville, Pa 400Shamokin, Pa 235Shenandoah, Pa 550South Bethlehem, Pa. . . . 1,300Williamsport, Pa 350Central Falls, R. 1 250Cranston, R. 1 400Newport, R. 1 500Warwick, R. 1 500Woonsocket, R. 1 900Columbia, S. C 281Knoxville, Tenn . 350Austin, Tex 300


Beaumont, Tex 400Waco, Tex 1,500Ogden, Utah 125Burlington, Vt 850Lynchburg, Va 300Newport News, Va 2,000Petersburg, Va 400Portsmouth, Va 1,000Roanoke, Va 300Bellingham, Wash 250Everett, Wash 150Huntington, W. Va 310Charleston, W. Va 1,000Wheeling, W. Va 1,000Green Bay, Wis 300Kenosha, Wis 200La Crosse, Wis 235Madison, Wis 500Oshkosh, Wis 100Racine, Wis 700Sheboygan, Wis 852

Total 112,521

The general population of these one hundred and fifty-sevencities was, according to the 1910 census, 4,278,000. It is nowdoubtless over 4,910,000. The Jewish population percentageis consequently 2.3$.

The following table shows the Jewish population of fifteencities in the United States, whose combined general populationis 17,210,000, and which contain over 2,500,000 Jews:

TABLE ESHOWING FIFTEEN CITIES CONTAINING OVER SEVENTY-FIVE PER CENT

or THE JEWS OF THE UNITED STATESJewish Jewish

City Population City PopulationNew York 1,500,000 Boston 77,500Chicago 225,000 Baltimore 60,000Philadelphia 200,000 St. Louis 60,000Cleveland 100,000 Pittsburgh 60,000


TABLE E (CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationNewark 55,000Detroit 50,000San Francisco 30,000Cincinnati 25,000Milwaukee 20,000


Buffalo 20,000Rochester 20,000

Total 2,502,500or 14.5)6

On pages 342-344 will be found a list of one hundred andsixty-one cities in the United States, each containing onethousand or more Jews. The following cities have at least fivehundred and less than one thousand Jews:

TABLE FSHOWING SIXTY-ONE CITIES WHOSE JEWISH POPULATION IS FIVE

HUNDRED, OK MORE, AND LESS THAN ONE THOUSANDJewish

City Popul tion'Sacramento, Cal 900San Diego, Cal 600Colorado Springs, Colo 660Norwalk, Conn 550Macon, Ga 550Danville, 111 625Elgin, 111 500Maywood, 111 700Oak Park, 111 750Rockford, 111 900Springfield, 111 700Hammond, Ind 600Indiana Harbor, Ind 650Terre Haute, Ind 500Cedar Rapids, la 700Davenport, la 600Leavenworth, Kan 600Cumberland, Md 600Attleboro, Mass 530Beverly, Mass 550Fitchburg, Mass 528Lexington, Mass 540North Adams, Mass 500Peabody, Mass 750Plymouth, Mass 510South Framingham, Mass. 500


Taunton, Mass 750Benton Harbor, Mich 580Kalamazoo, Mich 900Port Huron, Mich 500Vicksburg, Miss 532Manchester, N. H 600Portsmouth, N. H 550Red Bank, N. J 500Glen Falls, N. Y 500Gloversville, N. Y 650Kingston, N. Y 800Patchogue, N. Y 500Peekskill, N. Y 500Durham, N. C 500Fargo, N. D 600Tulsa, Okla 500Bradford, Pa 560Easton, Pa 800Farrell, Pa 550Hazleton, Pa 950Homestead, Pa 650Mount Carmel, Pa 550New Castle, Pa 610Sharon, Pa 500Shenandoah, Pa 550Uniontown, Pa 600


TABLE P (CONTINUED)Jewish Jewish

City Population Town PopulationYork, Pa 700 Burlington, Vt 850Newport, R. 1 500 Tacoma, Wash 900Pawtucket, R. 1 500 Sheboygan, Wis 852Warwick, R. 1 500 Superior, Wis 800Woonsocket, R. 1 900

It must not be imagined from this exhibit that no Jews arefound in the smallest communities. As a matter of fact, of thethousands of minor towns, villages, or hamlets in the entirecountry, there are very few in which is not to be discovereda nucleus of Jews, sometimes, indeed, amounting to only oneor two families, but still a potential Jewish community. Thefollowing list of villages, each containing less than onethousand inhabitants (those marked with an asterisk containless than five hundred), indicates that even in the smallest ofour American communities, there is probably to be found asmall Jewish admixture:

TABLE GSHOWING JEWISH POPULATION OF TWENTY-NINE TOWNS EACH HAVING

A GENBEAL POPULATION OF LESS THAN ONE THOUSANDJewish Jewish

Town Population Town PopulationPanama, 111 5 *Lehr, N. D 14

*Denham, Ind 9 *Laura, 0 4Earl Park, Ind 2 *Jacksonville, 0 4Milan, Ind 10 *Pittsburg, Okla 5Alberton, Md 14 Hopewell, Pa 125Kitzmiller, Md 1 *Lane, S. C 6

*Boyne Falls, Mich 7 *Ehrhardt, S. C 17Shelby, Miss 24 Chapel Hill, Tex 13

*Sunflower, Miss 14 *Birdsnest, Va 5*Warrenville, N. J 5 *Cheritan, Va 10Rosenhayn, N. J 300 *Weirton, W. Va 69Carmel, N. J 450 *Caso, W. Va 10

*Ruidoso, N. Mex 4 *Genesee, Wis 11*Hunter, N. Y 200 *Fenwood, Wis 2*Bloomingdale, N. Y 14


While lack of space prevents the listing here of every townin the United States having a general population of more than1000, and less than 20,000, the following, which may bedescribed as fairly typical, are given at this point, togetherwith their Jewish populations, the figure printed after thename of each town indicating how many thousands of indi-viduals the town contained according to the 1910 census,except as to those places situated in the states of Kansas,Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, EhodeIsland, South Dakota, or Wyoming, whose general populationis given as of the year 1915. The total number of personsresiding in these 500 small cities and villages is a little under4,200,000, while the total number of Jews living in them is atrifle less than 80,000. In this connection it must be recalledthat the aggregate population of these municipalities hasgreatly increased since 1910, while the Jewish quotas are thoseof the present time. Making due allowances, therefore, it willbe seen that the Jewish percentage averages between Vf, and 2/eof the general population in cities of this magnitude.

TABLE HSHOWING JEWISH POPULATION OF FIVE HUNDRED TOWNS WHOSE

GENERAL POPULATION IS BETWEEN 1000 AND 20,000

Jewish JewishCity Population City Population

ALABAMA Selma (14) 340Anniston (13) 220 Sheffield (5) 50Atmore (1) 8 Thomas (2) 15Bessemer (11) 110 Tuscaloosa (8) 55Decatur (4) 170 Uniontown (2) 22Demopolis (2) 107Dothan (7) 40 A1?T7OW4Eufaula (4) 110 ARIZONAFlorence (7) 197 Douglas (6) 100Gadsden (11) 107 Morenci (5) 3Huntsville (8) 60 Phoenix (11) 150Jasper (3) 29 Tucson (13) 40


TABLE HJewish

City PopulationAE KANSAS

Cotton Plant (1) 32Helena (9) 250Hot Springs (14) 309Jonesboro (7) 100Osceola (2) 67Paragould (5) 25Pine Bluff (15) 400Texarkana (6) 200

CALIFORNIA

Bakersfield (13) 125El Centro (2) 12Huntington Park (1) 88Long Beach (18) 200Marysville (5) 55Redlands (10) ". . . . 70San Bernardino (13) 250Santa Ana (8) 87Santa Cruz (11) 64Santa Rosa (8) 26Sawtelle (2) 15Tulare (3) 2Tuolumne (1) 10

COLORADO

Boulder (10) 100Cripple Creek (6) 110Leadville (8) 79Trinidad (10) 250

CONNECTICUT

Ansonia (15) 150Branford (3) 60Colchester (1) 480Derby (9) 250East Hampton (1) 9Ellington (2) 225Moosup (2) 90South Norwalk (9) 1,000Wallingford (9) 200Willimantic (11) 250

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationDELAWARE

Middletown (1) 34

FLORIDA

Fernandina (3) 17Miami (5) 175Ocala (4) 62

GEORGIA

Albany (8) 265Athens (15) 340Bainbridge (4) 103Brunswick (10) 138Cornelia (1) 2Dalton (5) 18Hazlehurst (1) 8Lumber City (1) 4Marietta (6) 1Rome (12) 250West Point (2) 84

IDAHO

Boise (17) 200

ILLINOIS

Abingdon (2) 20Alton (18) 90Beardstown (6) 3Cairo (15) 375Centralia (10) 50Champaign (12) 150Clinton (5) 30Fort Sheridan (2) 20Kankakee (14) 260Lincoln (11) 73Maywood (8) 700Metropolis (5) 12Mount Vernon (8) 72Oak Park (19) 750Taylorville (5) 49Waukegan (16) 400


TABLE HJewish

City PopulationINDIANA

Alexandria (5) 5Attica (3) 33Bedford (9) 20Columbus (9) 95Crawfordsville (9) 28Elwood (11) 57Frankfort (9) 26Gary (17) 1,200Goshen (9) 78Greensburg (5) 34Howell (2) 5Indiana Harbor (5) 650Kokomo (17) 130Ligonier (2) 100Madison (7) 70Marion (19) 400Michigan City (19) 450Mount Vernon (6) 85Peru (11) 100Rockville (2) 20Union City (3) 3Vincennes (15) 50Wabash (9) 150Washington (8) 17Whiting (7) 44

IOWA

Centerville (8) 130Dows (1) 10Fort Madison (10) 65Keokuk (15) 143Mason City (17) 260Muscatine (16) 429Osage (3) 52Webster City (6) 45

KANSAS

Atchison (15) 84Coffeyville (15) 43Galena (6) 73Hutchinson (19) 200

(CONTINUED)


Junction City (6) 15Manhattan (7) 12Pittsburg (18) 65Wellington (6) 18

KENTUCKY

Henderson (11) 275Hopkinsville (9) 150Owensboro (16) 230Shelbyville (3) 39

LOUISIANA

Alexandria (11) 450Baton Rouge (15) 165Bogalusa (2) 65Crowley (5) 66Donaldsonville (4) 100Lake Charles (11) 286Lecompte (1) 83Monroe (10) 350Morgan City (5) 220New Iberia (7) 105Plaquemine (5) 55

MAINE

Auburn (15) 300Caribou (5) 25Ft. Fairneld (2) 4Gardiner (5) 70Houlton (6) 53Old Town (6) 194Presque Isle (3) 24Rockland (8) 150Rumford (5) 50

MARYLAND

Annapolis (9) 240Eastport (2) 10Frederick (10) 144Hagerstown (17) 250


TABLE HJewish

City Population!MAS S ACHUSETTS

Attleboro (18) 530Abington (6) 60Clinton (13) 185Leominster (18) 210Lexington (6) 540Maryborough (15) 125Medway (3) 250Melrose (17) 200Middleborough (8) 40Millis (1) 110Montague (8) 51Peabody (19) 750Plymouth (13) 510South Framingham ( 9 ) . . 500Stoneham (7) 85Watertown (17) "... 60Westborough (6) 12Winthrop (13) 1,500

MICHIGAN

Alpena (13) 50Ann Arbor (15) 300Benton Harbor (9) 580Cadillac (8) 72Crystal Falls (4) 165Esoanaba (13) 83Hancock (9) 83Holland (10) 12Houghton (5) 165Iron River (2) 100Laurium (9) 75Manistee (12) 33Marquette (12) 95Monroe (7) 30Negaunee (8) 90Petoskey (5) 89Port Huron (19) 500Sault Sainte Marie (13). . 206

MINNESOTA

Austin (7) 40Chisholm. (8) 83

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationEveleth (7) 110Hibbing (9) 165Little Falls (6) . . .". 30Mankato (10) 115Stillwater (10) 25Virginia (10) 250

MISSISSIPPI

Canton (4) 75Clarksdale (4) 220Columbus (9) 52Greenville (10) 350Hattiesburg (12) 125Laurel (8) 80Lexington (2) 83Natchez (12) 261Okolona (3) 24Port Gibson (2) 53Rolling Fork (1) 22Starkville (3) 38Summit (1) 27West Point (5) 14Yazoo City (7) 78

MISSOURI

Brookfield (6) 2Carthage (9) 69Columbia (10) 175Hannibal (18) 92Independence (10) 85Jefferson City (12) 155Lexington (5) 8Louisiana (4) 88

MONTANA

Anaconda (10) 60Billings (10) 260Helena (13) 347Livingston (5) 15Missoula (13) 75

THE JEWISH POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES (31

TABLE HJewish

City Population:NEBRASKA

Fremont (9) 100Nebraska City (5) 49

NEVADA

Goldfield (5) 15

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Derry (3) 42Portsmouth (11) 550

NEW JERSEY

Allendale (1) 10Alpha (2) 15Asbury Park (11) 1,250Bernardsville (1) 30Bloomfleld (17) 1,000Boonton (5) 50Carteret (4) 150Dover (9) 300Gloucester City (11) 62Hackensack (14) 200Harrison (15) 1,000Keyport (4) 166Lakewood (4) 375Long Branch (16) 1,300Maywood (1) 49Millville (13) 170Morristown (13) 200Oxford (3) 18Red Bank (9) 500Somerville (6) 250South River (7) 250Westfield (8) 80Woodbine (2) 1,900

NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque (11) 220Roswell (6) 20San Marcial (1) 10Santa Rita (2) 2Tome (1) 10

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationNEW YOEK

Bainbridge (1) 12Batavia (13) 141Cold Spring (3) 17Dunkirk (18) 164Ellenville (3) 330Fonda (1) 11Freeport (7) 300Friendship (1) 12Fulton (11) 60Glen Cove (5) 281Glens Falls (16) 500Haverstraw (5) 220Hempstead (6) 88Hoosick Falls (5) 87Hudson (12) 450Huntington (5) 300Ithaca (17) 221Johnstown (11) 45Lindenhurst (2) 200Little Falls (13) 150Malone (7) 20Mechanicsville (8) 52Medina (6) 60Newark (6) 18New York Mills (3) 326Ogdensburg (14) 55Olean (18) 150Oneida (9) 60Oneonta (10) 35Oriskany Falls (1) 10Patchogue (5) 500Peekskill (16) 500Phelps (1) , 13Piermont (1) 5Plattsburg (10) 205Port Chester (15) 1,000Port Jervis (9) 150Potsdam (4) 40Riverhead (3) 77Rouses Pt. (2) 6Tarry town (6) 400Tonawanda (8) 100


TABLE HJewish

City PopulationTupper Lake (4) 150Woodhull (1) 13

NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville (19) 250Durham (18) 500Gastonia (6) 39Goldsboro (6) 165Greensboro (16) 187Raleigh (19) 120Ramseur (1) 1Rocky Mount (8) 43Statesville (5) 55Tarboro (4) 55

NORTH DAKOTA

Bismarck (6) 22Dickinson (4) 51

OHIO

Alliance (15) 100Amsterdam (1) 11Eellaire (13) 440Bucyrus (8) 43Cambridge (11) 62Chillicothe (15) 51Fremont (10) 55Glendale (2) 10Ironton (13) 90Lancaster (13) 107Marietta (13) 80Marion (18) 100Middletown (13) 225Murray (1) 15Piqua (13) : 60St. Marys (6) 33Sekitan (2) 18Shadyside (1) 20Troy (6) 19Van Wert (17) 17Wellsville (8) 23

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationOKLAHOMA

Ardmore (9) 150Chickasha (10) 125Enid (14) 50Guthrie (12) 35Hartshorne (3) 18Lawton (8) 46McAlester (13) 37Tulsa (18) 500

PENNSYLVANIA

Aliquippa (2) 300Berwick (5) 157Bethlehem (13) 130Braddock (19) 1,600Bradford (15) 560California (2) 117Carbondale (17) 1,000Carnegie (10) 320Catasauqua (5) 50Chambersburg (12) 90Charleroi (10) 75Coatesville (11) 300Connells-ville (13) 383Conshohocken (7) 63Corry (6) 34Coudersport (3) 8Danville (8) 104Dickson City (9) 174Du Bois (13) 186Dunmore (18) 109Duquesne (16) 350Edgewood (3) 11Exeter Bor. (3) 198Farrell (10) 550Freedom (3) 11Glasaport (6) 120Homestead (19) 650Kittanning (4) 145Lebanon (19) 100Lock Haven (8) 200Lyndora (2) 53

THE JEWISH POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES (33

TABLE HJewish

City PopulationMcKees Rocks (15) 220Mahanoy City (16) 244Meadville (13) 75Middleto'wn (5) 85Midland (1) 94Mount Carmel (18) 550Nanticoke (19) 150New Kensington (8) 375Northampton (9) 100Northumberland (4) 88Oil City (16) 380Old Forge (11) 263Olyphant (9) 280Phoenixville (11) 220Pittston (16) 320Pottstown (16) 328Punxsutawney (9) 275Sharon (15) 500Southwest (2) 5Steelton (14) 250Sunbury (14) 150Swissvale (7) 375Titusville (9) 205Trafford (2) 14Uniontown (13) 600Warren (11) 102Washington (19) 400Wilkinsburg (19) 125Windber (8) 95

RHODE ISLAND

Bristol (10) . . 300Westerly (10) 212

SOUTH CAROLINA

Aiken (4) 76Beaufort (2) • 105Blackville (1) 39Camden (4) 75Darlington (4) 83Florence (7) 49Georgetown (6) 60

3

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationGreer (2) 17Spartanburg (IS) 120Sumter (8) 300Union (6) 40

SOUTH DAKOTA

Aberdeen (12) 150

TENNESSEE

Binghamton (2) 40Bristol (7) 125Clarksville (9) 90Columbia (6) 55Dyersburg (4) 46Goodlettsville (1) 8Jackson (16) 160Johnson City (9) 45

TEXAS

Abilene (9) 5Arlington (2) 28Brenham (5) 150Brownsville (31) 65Brownwood (7) 9Bryan (4) 59Columbus (2) 22Corpus Christi (8) 110Corsicana (10) 200Denison (14) 36Denton (5) 17Ennis (6) 38Gainesville (8) 40Greenville (9) 32Hallettsville (1) 27Hempstead (3) 50Hillsboro (6) 34Jefferson (3) 44Laredo (15) 93Marshall (11) 135Orange (6) 69Palestine (10) 95


TABLE H (CONTINUED)


Paris (11) 110Port Arthur (3) HOSan Angelo 0 0 ) 22Sherman (Vi) '11Taylor (5) 57Temple (11) 55Texarkana (10) 150Tyler (10) 350Victoria (4) 120Waxahachie (6) 29

UTAH

Logan (8) 75

Bennington (6) 103Montpelier (8) 100Newport (3) 22West Rutland (2) 33

Alexandria (15) 72Berkley (6) 88Charlottesville (7) 50Cliftonforge (6) 26Danville (19) 150Fredericksburg (6) 66Hampton (6) 80Harrisonburg' (5) 102Pocahontas (2) 81Staunton (11) 85

JewishPopulationCity

WASHINGTONAberdeen (14) 40Centralia (7) 35Ellensburg (4) 21Walla Walla (19) 100

WEST VIRGINIA

Bluefield (11) . . . . 152Eramwell (1)Clarksburg (9) 245Elkins (5)Fairmont (10)Gary (1)Kimball (2)

12956

45Morgantown (9) 120Parkersburg (18) 440

WISCONSINAppleton (17) 140Ashland (12) 22Beaverdam (7) 55Beloit (15) 167Fond du Lac (19) 125Hurley (3) 300Janesville (14) 83Marinette (15) 275Neenah (6) 33Stevens Point (9) 100Wausau (17) 225

WYOMING

Rock Springs (6) 28

The following table shows the Jewish population of thecountry, by states:

TABLE I

SHOWING THIS JEWISH POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES, BY STATES

Jewish JewishState Population • State Population

Alabama 11,086 California 63,652Arizona 1,013 Colorado 14,565Arkansas 5,012 Connecticut 66,862


TABLE IJewish

State PopulationDelaware 3,806District of Columbia.. 10,000Florida 6,451Georgia 22,414Idaho 1,078Illinois 246,637Indiana 25,833Iowa 15,555Kansas 9,450Kentucky 13,362Louisiana 12,723Maine 7,387Maryland 62,642Massachusetts 189,671Michigan 63,254Minnesota 31,462Mississippi 3,881Missouri 80,807Montana 2,518Nebraska 13,547Nevada 503New Hampshire 3,257New Jersey 149,476New Mexico 858New York 1,603,923North Carolina 4,915

(CONTINUED)

JewishState Population

North Dakota 1,492Ohio 166,361Oklahoma 5,186Oregon 9,767Pennsylvania 322,406Rhode Island 20,502South Carolina 4,816South Dakota 1,262Tennessee 14,034Texas 30,839UtahVermont

3,7372,221

Virginia 15.403WashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPorto RicoAlaska"Canal ZonePhilippine IslandsVirgin IslandsGuamHawaii

9,1175,129

28,581498200500200500701

150

Total 3,390,572

From the above table it would appear that the Jewish popu-lation of the United States approaches a total of nearly3,400,000. But it is probably not quite so great. In a massof computations, such as those here set forth, based from thebeginning largely on estimates, however carefully such esti-mates may have been pared down, it is entirely possible thatan aggregation of errors amounting to two or three per centmay have, in one way or another, crept in, no matter howvigilantly the labors of the collators may have been supervised.It is therefore considered advisable by the writer, in order thatthe figures here exhibited may not become liable to any charge


of having been padded or inflated, to assume some such per-centage of inaccuracy as that mentioned above, and there hasconsequently been allowed 2c/> for such potential errors, makingthe final estimate of the Jews of the United States 3,320,000,as of the beginning of the year 1918.

In the following table there is presented, in each case, theJewish population of each state in the United States, as wellas the Jewish population of each of the state's larger cities ortowns, together with the combined Jewish population of all ofthe state's small towns. By a larger city is here meant anymunicipality having a general population of more than 20,000,and by a small town is meant any town with a general popula-tion of less than 20,000 and more than 1000, the generalpopulation figures being in all instances taken from the 1910census, with the exception of the eight states of Iowa, Kansas,Massachusetts, Few Jersey, New York, North Dakota, SouthDakota, and Wyoming, where the 1915 census returns havebeen relied upon.

TABLE J. SHOWING THE JEWISH POPULATION or EACH STATE, BY CITIES

Jewish JewishCity Population City Popula ion

ALABAMA Texarkana 200Birmingham 3,500 91 small towns 3,012Mobile 2,200Montgomery 1,650 Total 5,012117 small towns 3,736

CALIFOENIATotal 11,086 Alameda 200

Berkeley 300ARIZONA Fresno 400

on Kmaii tnwT1« i ni« Los Angeles 18,000... small towns l,01o O a k l a n d bM0

AEKANSAS Sacramento. 900ARKANSAS Pasadena 350

Port Smith 300 San Diego 600Little Rock 1,500 San Francisco 30,000


TABLE JJewish

City PopulationSan Jose 200Stockton 1,000218 small towns 6,702

Total 63,652

COLORADO

Colorado Springs 660Denver 11,000Pueblo 1,00054 small towns 1,905

Total 14,565

CONNECTICUTBridgeport 12,000Danbury 300Hartford 16,000Meriden 1,000New Britain 2,500New Haven 18,000New London 1,000Norwalk 550Norwich 1,500Stamford 1,500Waterbury 6,000114 small towns 6,512

Total 6o,S62

DELAWAREWilmington 3,500

15 small towns 306

Total 3,806

IHSTKICT OF COLUMBIA

Washington 10,000FLORIDA

Jacksonville 2,000Key West 200Pensacola 1,000

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationTampa 1,00062 small towns 2,251

Total 6,451

GEORGIAAtlanta 10,000Augusta 2,500Columbus 300Macon 550Savannah 5,000117 small towns 4,064

Total 22,414

IDAHOBoise 20035 small towns 878

Total 1,078

ILLINOISAlton 90Aurora 300Belleville 150Bloomington 275Chicago 225,000Danville 625Decatur 200East St. Louis 1,000Elgin 500Evanston 250Galesburg 220Joliet 1,100Moline 60Oak Park 750Peoria 1,750Quincy 400Rockford 900Rock Island 412Springfield 700361 small towns 11,955

Total 246,637


TABLE J (CONTINUED)

CityJewish

Population

INDIANAAnderson 150Evansville 1,500Fort Wayne 1,650Hammond 600Indianapolis 10,000Lafayette 300Muncie 200New Albany 125Richmond 155South Bend 2,000Terre Haute 500191 small towns 8,653

CityKENTUCKY

CovingtonLexington^LouisvillePaducah97 small towns

JewishPopulation

350385

9,000250

3,377

Total 13,362

LOUISIANA

New Orleans 8,000Shreveport 1,50076 small towns 3,223

Total 25,833 Total 12,723

MAINEIOWA

BurlingtonCedar RapidsCouncil BluffsClintonDavenportDes MoinesDubuqueOttumwaSioux CityWaterloo205 small towns. . .

225700

1,00065

6003,200

450412

2,500325

6,078

BangorLewistonPortland113 small towns.

1,000275

2,5003,612

Total

MARYLAND

BaltimoreCumberland67 small towns.

7,387

60,000600

2,042

Total 15,555Total 62,642

MASSACHUSETTS

KANSAS

Kansas CityLeavenworthTopekaWichita131 small towns. . .

3,500600

1,000300

4,050

Total 9,450

Beverly . . .Boston . . . .Brockton .Brookline .CambridgeChelsea . . .Chicopee ..Everett . . .Fall River

55077,5001,500-

200S.OUO

13,000300500

7,500


TABLE JJewish

City PopulationGloucester 243Haverhill 3,500Holyoke 1,000Lawrence 2,000Lowell 6,000Lynn 7,500Maiden 9,000Medford 250New Bedford 3,500Newton 400North Adams 500Northampton 330Pittsfield 1,500

. Quincy 1,250Revere 6,000Salem 1,500Somerville 2,000Springfield 6,000Taunton 750Waltham 300Worcester 10,000268 small towns 17,098

Total 189,671

MICHIGAN

Battle Creek 244Bay City 1,000Calumet 110Detroit 50,000Flint 385Grand Rapids 1,000Jackson 300Kalamazoo 900Lansing 450Muskegon 300Saginaw 1,000199 small towns 7,565

Total 63,254

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationMINNESOTA

Duluth 2,300Minneapolis 15,000St. Paul 10,000145 small towns 4,162

Total 31,462

MISSISSIPPI

Jackson 126Meridian 400Vicksburg 53274 small towns 2,823

Total 3,881

MISSOURI

Joplin 250Kansas City ...." 12,000St. Joseph 3,300St. Louis 60,000Springfield 165216 small towns 5,092

Total 80,807

MONTANA

Butte 1,00034 small towns 1,518

Total 2,518

NEBRASKA

Lincoln 1,200Omaha 10,000South Omaha 26288 small towns 2,085

Total 13,547'

NEVADA

22 small towns 503


TABLE JJewish

City PopulationNEW HAMPSHIRE

ConcordManchesterNashua58 small towns

Total

NEW JERSEY

Atlantic CityBayonneCamdenEast Orange . . . .ElizabethHobokenIrvingtonJersey CityKearnyMontclairNewarkNew Brunswick .OrangePassaicPatersonPerth Amboy . . .PlainfleldTrentonUnionWest Hoboken ..West New York..190 small towns.

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationBuffalo 20,000

158600350

2,149

3,257

4,00010,0002,000

3005,0005,000

20012,500

40075

55,0003,000

2106,000

15,0005,0001,5007,000

400350

1,50015,041

Total 149,476

NEW MEXICO

35 small towns

NEW YORK

AlbanyAmsterdamAuburnBinghamton

7,000300250

1,500

Cohoes 200Elmira 1,200Gloversville 650Jamestown 125Kingston 800Mt. Vernon 3,000Newburgh 400New Rochelle 3,000New York 1,500,000Niagara Falls 400Oswego 300Poughkeepsie 1,600Rochester 20,000Rome 250.Schenectady 3,500Syracuse 12,000Troy 3,000Utica 1,600Watertown 230Yonkers 5,000356 small towns 17,618

Total l,b0d,923

NORTH CAROLINA

CharlotteWilmingtonWinston Salem . .110 small towns.

350400116

4,049

Total

NORTH DAKOTA

Fargo858 34 small towns.

4,915

600892

Total

OHIO

AkronAshtabula

1,492

2,000209


TABLE JJewish

City PopulationCanton 1,000Cincinnati 25,000Cleveland 100,000Columbus 9,000Dayton 4,000East Liverpool 300Hamilton 260Lima 300Lorain 350Mansfield 50Marion 100Newark 100Norwood 161Portsmouth 128Sandusky 143Springfield 400Steubenville 400Toledo 7,500Youngstown 5,000Zanesville 250287 small towns 9,710

Total 166,361

OKLAHOMA

Muskogee 225Oklahoma City 1,000Tulsa 500131 small towns 3,461

Total 5,186

OKEQON

Portland 8,00050 small towns 1,767

Total 9,767

PENNSYLVANIA

Allentown 1,200Altoona 1,000Braddock 1,600

(CONTINUED)Jewish

City PopulationButler 150Chester 1,000Baston 800Erie 1,500Harrisburg 4,000Hazleton 950Homestead 650Johnstown 400Lancaster 1,400Lebanon 100McKeesport 3,000Nanticoke 150New Castle 610Norristown 220Philadelphia 200,000Pittsburgh 60,000Pottsville 400Reading 1,750Scranton 7,500Shamokin 235Shenandoah 550South Bethlehem 1,300Washington 400Wilkes-Barre 3,000Wilkinsburg 125Williamsport 350York 700593 small towns 27,366

Total 322,406

RHODE ISLAND

Central Falls 250Cranston 400Newport 500Pawtucket 500Providence 15,000Woonsocket 90032 small towns 2,952

Total 20,502


TABLE J (CONTINUED)Jewish Jewish

City Population c i t y PopulationSOUTH CAKOUNA VERMONT

Charleston 1,900 Burlington 850Columbia 281 51 small towns 1,37177 small towns 2.635

Total 2,221Total 4,816

SOUTH DAKOTASioux City 20038 small towns 1,062

Total

TENNESSEEChattanooga ..KnoxvilleMemphisNashville90 small towns.

1,262

1,400350

7,0003,0002,284

Total 14,034

TEXASAustinBeaumontDallasEl PasoFort worthGalvestonHouston.San AntonioWaco286 small towns. ..

300400

8,0001,8002.2501,1005,0003,0001,5007,489

Total 30,839

OgdenSalt Lake City..34 small towns.

1252,5001,112

VIRGINIA

LynchburgNewport NewsNorfolkPetersburg . . . .Portsmouth . . .RichmondRoanoke87 small towns.

3002,0005,000

4001,0004,000

3002,403

Total 15,403

WASHINGTON

Bellingham . . .EverettSeattleSpokaneTacoma67 small towns.

250150

5,0001,100

9001,717

Total

WEST VIBGINIA

CharlestonHuntingtonWheeling92 small towns

9,117

1,000310

1,0002,819

Total

WISCONSIN

Total 3,737Green BayKenosha ..

5,129

300200


TABLE J (CONTINUED)Jewish Jewish

City Population City PopulationLa Crosse 235 Superior 800Madison 250 151 small towns 5,444Milwaukee 20,000 „„ ,„ ,Oshkosh 100 T o t a l 2 8 ' 5 8 1

Racine 400 WYOMINGSheboygan 852 18 small towns 498Grand total 3,388,951

The total Jewish population of the United States amounted,therefore, in 1917 to over 3,300,000. If to these be added theJews of Canada and Latin America, it will be found that thereare now in the Western Continent over three and a half millionJews. Twelve states of the Union, namely, California, Con-necticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michi-gan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsyl-vania, as shown by Table K, contain nine-tenths of all theJews in the country.

TABLE KSHOWING TWELVE STATES WHICH CONTAIN NINETY PER CENT OP THE

JEWS IN THE UNITED STATES

Jewish JewishState Population State Population

California 63,652 Missouri 80,807Connecticut 66,862 New Jersey 149,476Illinois 246,637 New York 1,603,923Indiana 25,833 Ohio 166,361Maryland 63,642 Pennsylvania 322,406Massachusetts 189,671Michigan 63,254 Total 3,041,524

The single state of New York, with a Jewish population ofover 1,600,000, holds, it will be seen, nearly half of all the Jewsin the United States. Wyoming and Nevada have less Jews


than any other state, namely, five hundred each, about thesame number as there are in the Philippines. Alaska also hasapproximately five hundred. There are two hundred in theCanal Zone, and as many in Porto Eico, seventy in the VirginIslands, and one in Guam.

In making all the computations for the purposes of thiscensus, no attention has been paid to places with a general-population of less than one thousand. Thus if here or theresome slight exaggerations have crept into our census, they willbe, in a measure, neutralized through the omission of the Jewishquotas in the numerous townlets that have been disregarded.It may be of interest to note here that New York is not per-centage-wise the most Jewish city. Chelsea, Mass., has ageneral population of forty-six thousand, and contains thirteenthousand Jews, or a Jewish population of twenty-eight percent. Kosenhayn, N. J. has a general population of sixhundred, and contains three hundred Jews, or a Jewish popula-tion of fifty per cent, while Carmel, N. J. lias a generalpopulation of seven hundred and fifty, and contains fourhundred and fifty Jews, or a Jewish population of sixty percent. Woodbine, N. J., is practically entirely Jewish inpopulation.

THE JEWS OP SERBIA 75

THE JEWS OF SERBIABY I. ALCALAY, CHIEF KABBI OF SERBIA

The Jews of Serbia represent a branch of a large group ofwhat is known as Oriental Jewry, who left Spain in 1492 orthereabouts, and settled in Turkey. Until the middle of thelast century they were, in the main, living under the politicalprotection of the Turkish Government. All their religiousand social concepts were identical with those of the OrientalJews. When, in course of time, the portion of Europe nowknown as Serbia freed itself from the yoke of the Turkish rule,an entirely new position was created for the Jews residing inthe liberated portion of the Balkans. At first they spokeLadino and a little Turkish; but with the formation of theSerbian Government, the Jews naturally found it very diffi-cult to respond to the new environment and conditions, owingto the fact that they had to learn the Serbian language andto adapt themselves to a regime that belonged to the Greek-Orthodox Church, whereas formerly the Mohammedan faithhad been predominant. As the Serbians at first consideredthe Jews loyal adherents of their former oppressors, theynaturally made the Jews conscious of a civic or patrioticinferiority. In consequence, the first years under the newregime were not free from strife and struggle. But at no timedid the Serbians openly display their antagonism or hatredtowards the Jews, or accuse them of forming a distinct groupwhich was not loyal to Serbia. For the Serbian Govern-ment, the rulers, and the princes not only found that the Jew


was in no way disloyal, but on the contrary discovered him tobe most patriotic in every respect.

This process of readjustment lasted nearly a whole genera-tion. During this time the Jew living in Serbia under Serbianrule had every opportunity to adapt himself to the new con-ditions. He learned to understand the manners and customsof his Serbian neighbors, and, what is most important, helearned the Serbian language. Thus the Jew of Serbia untilthe present war began had full opportunity to develop him-self, and he became one of the important factors in the life ofthe State. I t was not long before he proved his patriotismand loyalty by valor on the battlefield and by participating inthe intellectual and economic progress of the State.

Before entering upon details, I wish to quote some figuresof statistical interest. When the war broke out, there werefrom thirty-five to forty thousand Jews in Serbia. More thanhalf of them were late arrivals, who, after the Balkan war,had been attracted to Serbia from the Turkish empire. Thesenewcomers constituted an important addition to the Sephardiccommunity of Serbia. They had enjoyed the freedom ofSerbia for a period of ten months, when the present war brokeout and their further development was thereby interrupted.They had been and were still undergoing a transformation.In the main they lived like their coreligionists in Turkey.When, therefore, the Jews of Serbia are spoken of, that expres-sion is limited to the fifteen thousand Jews, who were in thatcountry for many, many years prior to the outbreak of theBalkan war. Of these fifteen thousand Jews fully ten thou-sand were residents of Belgrade, the rest being scatteredthroughout the smaller towns of Serbia, such as Nish, Shabatz,Leskovotz, Pirot, Pojarevatz, Smederevo, and Kraguyevatz.

THE JEWS OF SERBIA 7?

They were mainly occupied with commerce, although, ofcourse, they were also to be found among the various crafts.Not the least important was the position many of them occu-pied in the various liberal professions, in which fields theymade themselves especially valuable, so much st», that theyreflected great honor upon the rest of Jewry.

In consequence of the advantageous political position occu-pied by the Serbian Jews, which position they had earned forthemselves, it was possible for every Jew to be proud of hisreligion and, at the same time, gain the respect of his neigh-bors. I t was his chief pride to make his life an open book,especially in relation to his non-Jewish neighbors, for henoticed that in governmental affairs, as well as in social inter-course, no attempt had ever been made to belittle him onaccount of his religion. On the contrary, he noticed agenuine interest displayed ou the part of his neighbors in hisreligious practices. The king attended Jewish services; andon certain occasions the leading ministers and diplomats ofother faiths came to pay homage and respect to the ancientreligion of the Jews. All this made such a deep impressionupon the Jew, that he developed a high regard and loyal lovefor the traditional, as well as for the ceremonial phases of theJewish faith, thus becoming a better Jew and a better Serbian.

The Serbian Jew is by nature deeply religious, and he isever ready to make all personal sacrifices for the sake ofJudaism, though he is far from being narrow-minded. Hedoes not know the meaning of Eeform in contra-distinctionto Orthodoxy; but he happens to have developed a type ofJudaism in which the two are very happily blended. As faras the spirit of the times permits, the Jews of Serbia stand fastby Jewish traditions; but in their daily lives and in their


social relations they are absolutely up-to-date and modern inevery sense. Their homes are thoroughly Jewish in spirit, aswell as in practice. Every Jewish festival is strictly observedin accordance with the ritual. The most important phase ofJewish life, however, is brought out in the ceremonials of thesynagogue, to which the Jews come dressed in their best andin which they deport themselves with all the dignity andrespect that a house of worship should command. The liturgyhas not changed from the accepted traditional form. In allthe synagogues there are choirs. In Belgrade there is onesynagogue with a mixed choir, which, in quality and in artisticmerit, compares favorably with the best choirs to be heard inany Jewish house of worship. Of course, all the singers areJews and Jewesses. Many of the melodies rendered in theSerbian synagogues have come down to us from the time whenour ancestors resided in Spain, and are the same as in Holland,New York, Montreal, and the West Indies, although these areseparated from the Serbian Jews by four hundred yearsof history and by many thousand miles. In addition, how-ever, the latter have adopted some Hebrew melodies writtenby Sulzer, Lewandowski, and other modern Jewish religiouscomposers. The organ is never played on Sabbath or onfestival days. I t is only at patriotic and private festivi-ties, occurring on week-days, that the peal of the organever resounds. The prayers are mainly read in Hebrew,but some are translated into old Castilian or Serbian.In addition to festival sermons, special sermons are de-livered on Sabbaths, once a month, dealing invariably withethics, history, and other subjects, including every modernquestion of Jewish interest. The sermons are delivered in theSerbian language, and attract not only Jews, but also many

THE JEWS OF SERBIA 79

persons belonging to other denominations, who come to hearthe addresses and appear to be moved by the music. OnSaturday afternoons services are arranged for the young folks,especially for the students of the Hebrew classes, which areattended by young men and young women, by boys and girls.These take an active interest in the services. The boys andyoung men render some of the prayers. Special sermons forthe young people are delivered, calculated to develop in theyoung folks a sense of pride in matters Jewish. The servicesheld on the king's birthday are made so attractive that theleading dignitaries attend the synagogue and display a feelingof friendship and respect made stronger because of the whole-hearted spirit in which services of this type are conducted.

The education which the Jewish youth of Serbia receive inthe city schools is of a fairly high standard, and it may beasserted that these schools compare well with educationalinstitutions in the most enlightened countries. Education inSerbia is compulsory. The Jewish children, however, are notsatisfied with the public school education alone; they con-tinue their studies in high schools and other advanced institu-tions. Even children whose parents wish to have them take upa business career enter special commercial schools. Accord-ingly, the mercantile class contains men of high intellectualattainments. Apart from the young men who attend theBelgrade University, which, by the way, offers courses also towomen, several Serbian Jews take courses at leading uni-versities of other countries. During the ten years of attend-ance in the public, elementary, and high schools, every Serbianchild is compelled to take up religious instruction as well. TheJewish boy must furnish proof that he is receiving religiousinstruction, and unless he brings a certificate of special merit


in that respect, he is not allowed to be promoted. This hashelped the Serbian Jews to perfect their religious schools tosuch an extent that they really constitute the foundation ofJewish life. Every Jewish community has its religious schoolwhich is in charge of men who, in addition to their knowledgeof Hebrew, have a thorough modern education. The Jewishchildren, during the first four years of attendance at publicschool, are expected to take eighteen hours of Hebrew instruc-tion a week. While at the high school, they must necessarilycurtail their Hebrew studies, so that they can devote only sixhours to them. The hours for religious instruction never con-flict with those for secular education, and that is why thescholars are able to take advantage of both to the fullest ex-tent. The children acquire a correct Hebrew pronunciation, athorough knowledge of the Bible, both in the original languageand in a Serbian translation, and a familiarity with Jewishhistory from the beginning down to modern times, includingmodern social movements. All of the traditional and ritualobservances are explained to the child, so that he does notfollow them blindly, bu,t practises them intelligently andsincerely. The provincial schools have from one to twoHebrew teachers, but in, Belgrade, where the number ofJewish children in the public, elementary, and high schoolsamounts to seven hundred, there are seven male teachers andone female teacher for Hebrew; the principal, who is usuallya university graduate, also presides over certain classes whichreceive his personal instruction. The teachers are for themost part graduates of the Belgrade Jewish Seminary, whichwas supported by all of the Jewish communities of Serbia.Many of these teachers also taught in the regular public schools.However, since this Seminary has been closed, due to the


inability to attract candidates for this special field, it has beennecessary to draw upon Palestine for teachers. The Bible istaught in Hebrew. Every other subject of Jewish instructionis imparted in Serbian.

The manner in which these religious schools are conductedhas greatly helped to make the Jews of Serbia a highlycultured element in the country. There is a very large groupof Jewish young men who occupy splendid positions in thepolitical as well as in social life. For example, there are overthirty-five Jewish physicians in Serbia, though the Jewishpopulation amounts to only fifteen thousand. This comparesfavorably with the general community, for in the entire popu-lation of Serbia "which, before the war, amounted to threemillions, there was but one physician for every seven thousandsouls. In every other branch of the professions the quota ofJews is in the same proportion. Three Jews have occupiedpositions as under-secretaries in the State Department, one ofthem having been appointed consul-general in one of the lead-ing European cities. There is a Jewish officer in the army whohas worked his way up to the position of colonel, and consider-ing that he is only thirty-six years old, there is every reasonto hope that a still higher military rank will be reached by him.

The same is the case in the field of literature; the SerbianJews have made their mark in prose as well as in poetry. Thevery same consul-general, alluded to above, Mr. ChaimDavitcho, was a writer of distinction, whose original contri-butions and translations of foreign dramas, principally fromthe Spanish, have made him one of the most prominent figuresin the National Theatre and in the leading literary circles ofSerbia. But apart from having devoted himself to generalliterature, he has also written on subjects of Jewish interest.

82 AMERICAN JEIWISH YEAR BOOK

For example, he has produced a series of novels dealing withthe life of the Belgrade Jews, beginning with the period whenSerbia was under Turkish rule and bringing his material upto date. Throughout all of these novels, his special object wasto bring out very forcibly the loyalty of the Jew to his Godand the love that he bears his fellow-men. The incidentsin congregational and home life are treated by him with suchgrace and elegance as to make them stand out like gemsbeautifully set. The brother of Chaim Davitcho, Mr. BenkoDavitcho, who fell in action during the Balkan war, has alsoearned for himself a reputation as a litterateur. A score ofothers whose contributions to modern literature are most valu-able might be mentioned. All these prominent men are notonly conscientious Jews, but are ever ready to give up theirtime in facilitating the progress of Jewish communal affairs,in their respective towns, in the fields which have a particularattraction for them.

The rabbis of Serbia have various functions. They are notbound to the synagogue alone, but also devote part of theirtime to the Jewish social life. I t often happens that somefamilies owe their social and economic well-being to theactive endeavors and the practical aid rendered them by theirspiritual leaders. These diversified labors are greatly facili-tated by the recognition, aid, confidence, and authority thatthe rabbi enjoys on the part of the Government, as well as hiscommunity. A rabbi in Serbia, in addition to a diploma froma seminary, must, of necessity, have a university education, ormust give proof of his Hebrew and talmudic learning by adocument signed by one of the recognized spiritual leadersof Europe. He is elected by a committee consisting of theExecutives of the community and of twenty-five delegates

THE JEWS OP SERBIA 83

elected by the Jews who hold a special meeting for theirelection. The Government is always advised of the appoint-ment of a rabbi, and it usually sanctions the choice of theJewish community. This sanction carries with it the privi-leges accorded the rabbi. Then follows the installation of therabbi with all due pomp and ceremony. Three days aredevoted to this special celebration, in which non-Jews alsoparticipate as a mark of their respect to the newly electedreligious leader. The celebration begins with services in thesynagogue, and a prayer is offered for the well-being and thesuccess of the rabbi. Banquets, receptions, and concerts areincluded in the three days of festivity. The rabbi is in moresenses than one a state official, for, apart from performingreligious and social duties, he has to discharge state functionsaccording to the demands of the constitution.

The Greek-Orthodox Church is related to the State to suchan extent that it plays an important role in the life of theGovernment. The State is, therefore, compelled, in a sense,to allow the Jewish religious community to play a similar role.For example, marriages and divorces in Serbia are recognizedmainly and chiefly as Church or religious functions. The lawsof the State recognize only such marriages and divorces ashave had the sanction of a religious authority, and do notrequire any separate license. Further, in all Governmentfunctions, such as taking the oath of office for military or civilservice, or in legal proceedings, a religious leader must bepresent, in accordance with the provision of the law. TheJews have naturally developed the laws regulating marriagesand domestic relations in such a way that they enjoy not onlythe religious sanctity and privileges accorded them by theState authorities, but also executive power to carry out


decisions. They are even able to invoke the aid of the police.As a mark of the cultural development of Serbian JewTy, it

is perhaps well to dwell upon the excellent work achieved byseveral organizations. First among these organizations, andperhaps the most important one, is the one devoted to thespreading of the knowledge'of Judaism and Jewish historyamong the Serbian Jews. The second in importance is a FundOrganization, which has for its aim the grant of fellowships toJewish young men who are desirous of pursuing higher studiesin foreign universities but are economically unable to do so.Due to the efforts of this organization, many young men havereturned to Serbia, and have repaid the sums spent on themnot alone with actual money, but with the manifold servicesthey are rendering. Then there is the Zionist organization inSerbia which has succeeded in uniting the various elementsof Jewry. The Serbian Jews have always made it a point tosend their delegates to the Jewish National Congress, havepaid their shekels, and in every other respect have shared inall undertakings of the National Fund Organization. All thishas been done despite the fact that in Serbia the Zionist move-ment has never been very strong; but one thing must be re-membered : we have never had an anti-Zionist movement.

The leading social organization in Serbia is known as theSerbian Lodge of the I. 0. B. B. at Belgrade. That organiza-tion practically shapes the policy of social relations amongJews. This Lodge has been able, in the course of three years,to perfect its functions in such a manner as to play a part inthe social and economic welfare of Serbian Jewry and toshape the political opinions of the Jewish community. Everymember of the I. 0. B. B. considers it a privilege and an honorto belong to it, and only such are admitted as are deemed


satisfactory in every respect. The sessions of the Lodge arestrictly formal, and the order of business is very carefullyworked out.

It is hardly necessary to point out that the Serbian Jews, asall other Jewish communities, take care of their poor, who aremostly strangers that have come to Serbia because of unfavor-able conditions in other parts of Europe. Whenever specialcollections are made in order to provide Matzoth, clothing, orother articles for the poor, the amount gathered is always inexcess of the need. The surplus money thus raised is not laidaside as a permanent fund, but is at once transmitted either toPalestine, or to neighboring Balkan states, toward which aspecial kinship is naturally felt. The Jew of Serbia has neversought aid from his coreligionists outside of his country.When the Balkan war was declared, a special commission,under the leadership of Dr. Paul Nathan and Dr. Kahn ofBerlin, and of Mr. Elkan N. Adler of London, who also rep-resented the American philanthropic organizations, askedwhat could be done for the Jews of Serbia by the Jews ofAmerica, England, and Germany. The reply was: " We acceptyour greetings and kindly offer, and you may return with thesatisfaction of knowing that we always have looked after ourown and will continue to do so." But apart from the charitableaid rendered, the Jewish leaders in Serbia made it a point toafford help to their coreligionists, who were temporarily inneed, in a most dignified and honorable manner, by havingfounded for them what is known as the Jewish Bank. Thisinstitution is maintained by a membership, and also enjoysbequests specially left to it. I t is not a free-loan society, be-cause all transactions are based on strictly commercial lines;it differs from other banks only in the fact that the rate of


interest is lower than in other financial institutions, and thatcredit is extended to many who could not secure a loan fromany other source.

The relationship between the Jew and non-Jew in Serbia ismost amicable, and this is manifested not only between thehours of nine in the morning and five in the evening, bu,t alsoin private gatherings. Many of the larger concerns in Bel-grade have Jewish and non-Jewish partners, and when it isremembered that many of these firms have carried on businessfor over thirty years and that the partnerships have never beendissolved because of disputes or through legal proceedings, onemay well realize how harmonious the relationship is. Thequestion of religion never enters into the ranks of society.During all Jewish holidays and festivals the leading churchdignitaries make it a point not only to visit the synagogue, butalso to offer their congratulations in private by calling at thehome of the rabbi and conveying their personal, as well astheir church's congratulations. Whenever the king holds areception, many Jews are specially invited.

Although Jew and non-Jew live very harmoniously together,cases of intermarriage or conversion are extremely rare. Eitheract would be severely criticised on all sides, and the party, guiltyof such a misdeed would be boycotted by society at large. TheSerbian Jew is eminently proud of his Judaism, and feelsespecially dignified by virtue of the fact that he, coming fromSpain, can trace his ancestors without admixture for many,many generations, during which time they have happily beensubjected to less cruelty and oppression than have been manyof the Jews who have settled elsewhere.

Because the Jews of Serbia have strictly observed theirreligious practices, they have been able to retain many customs


that the Jews in other parts of the Orient have perhaps aban-doned to a large degree. For example, during the seven daysof Shiva the friends and relatives who visit the house ofmourning concern themselves with all of the needs of themourners. All food required is brought from without, and themou,rners are spared the trouble of providing any. On theSabbath following a wedding the groom has a special seat ofhonor in the synagogue, which is usually decorated withflowers, and during the reading of the Torah he is given thehonor of holding another scroll in his arms. As a final markof honor, the entire congregation rises, and sings a chant,inviting him to read Genesis 24, 1-7. As he steps forward fromhis seat to the Tebah, flowers and candies are thrown fromthe ladies' galleries by young and old. As he returns to hisseat, a similar ovation is accorded him.

This is but a brief outline of the religious, cultural, andsocial life of the Serbian Jews. Naturally, because of theterrible results of the present great war, all these facts, recol-lections, and associations come to the writer like the memoryof a dream. The Serbian Jews have lost all they possessed, andwill be compelled to begin anew when the time comes to re-establish themselves. Their only consolation in their sorrowis that Serbia has been able to come into closer contact withAmerica, and is better known by the Americans. They firmlybelieve that the Allies, Serbia among them, will be victoriousin this war. They believe that Serbia will be restored to herindependence and her place of honor among the nations. Theyare certain that, when the Serbian nation is restored and united,the Jews will again resume their happy life of the past, thehorrors of the present will be forgotten, and, with the blessingof God, a yet brighter future will be opened up for all theJews.


THE JEWISH WELFAEE BOARDBY CHESTER JACOB TELLER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JEWISH WELFARE BOAED

Primarily the purpose of the Jewish Welfare Board is tohelp America win the war. Despite the basic American prin-ciple of a separate Church and State, or, to he more exact,because of it, the American Government in the first days of thewar perceived the necessity of calling upon certain religiouswelfare agencies to co-operate with it. I t sought this co-operation because it recognized the value of morale in warfare,and knew how close was the relationship between morale andmodern community ways of life. With a breadth of view anda degree of foresight, perhaps never before equalled by a waradministration of any other country, the United States Gov-ernment set itself to thinking out the war problems not onlyin terms of ships, guns, munitions, and supplies, but also inhealth, decency, personal improvement of the men, content-ment, esprit. In short, all those elements that go to make upthe concept of morale in its broadest implications received theclosest study and the most thorough-going application.

A special Commission on Training Camp Activities wascreated, as a branch of the War Department, charged with thespecific duties of making life in the new American camps andin the communities adjoining the camps as normal as con-ditions of actual war and the problems of an unprecedentednational emergency would permit. This commission soughtto utilize the potential social resources of the country, and itearly brought to bear on the problem the whole strength of the

THE JEWISH WELFARE BOARD 89

Young Men's Christian Association, with its nation-wideorganization, so thoroughly alive to the needs of young men,and so excellently adapted to the nation's new work.

In the same spirit and for the same purposes the WarDepartment through this special Training Camp Commis-sion—the Fosdick Commission, as it has come to be known—invited the large Catholic group in America to participate inthe national welfare program, with the result that the Knightsof Columbus was nominated by the Catholic Church andaccepted by the American Government as the authoritativeCatholic agency for war purposes.

The selection of the third agency to represent what mightbe considered the third largest religious group in America,namely, the Jewish group, was fraught with difficulties. I t isa commentary upon Jewish life in America, and particularlyupon its work of national organization and management, thatwith 260 years of history behind it, and with literally thousandsof organizations, no single agency could be selected as repre-sentative of the Jewry of America. True, one or two of themseemed to have some special claim to such recognition, but byreason of their limited constitution or platform, or for someother reason, they failed to secure the endorsement of the Jewsas a whole. The result was a meeting of representatives ofsome ten or more national Jewish organizations, at which itwas decided that each organization present should delegatecertain powers to a new agency. This was the beginning of theorganization which has since become known as the JewishWelfare Board, and which has obtained the official recognitionof the Government and, indeed, its mandate to contribute onbehalf of the Jews of America to the national work of welfareamong the nation's uniformed men.


As the officially recognized agency of the War Departmentand of the Commission on Training Camp Activities, theJewish Welfare Board has been called to undertake high tasksand responsibilities. It has been charged with the nominationand selection of the Jewish welfare workers in the camps andcantonments of this country and in the hospitals and restcamps abroad. In these increasingly critical times, no taskcould be more exacting. The initial selection of men, however,is but part of it. It is necessary that they be carefullyapprised of their duties as quasi-pu,blic officials, that theyknow thoroughly their relation to the Government, to its mili-tary establishment, to the Commission on Training CampActivities, and to the welfare agencies with which we havejoined hands, namely, the Y. M. C. A. and the K. of C. Theymust know the meaning of democracy in the American camp.They should understand what Americanization denotes andwhat it does not. They must be inspired with the ideal of anarmy and navy, selected from all races and creeds, to fight forthe liberties of all peoples and for the rights of all religions,under our flag and under the flags of the Allies. And our wel-fare workers must be trained to interpret these things to the sol-diers and sailors, to bring group closer to group and all meninto clearer understanding of America's ideals and aims in thiswar. The welfare agencies are not invited to do separatistwork; they are asked to join hands in fostering and promotinga joint welfare program.

As its contribution to this program, the Jewish WelfareBoard has placed one hundred and ninety-eight workers inthe American camps, and has sent, in addition, countlessothers—volunteers who, as occasional or regular visitors in thecamps, have preached the message of religion, have assisted


in other ways at religious services, visited the sick in the hos-pitals, the men in difficulty in the guard-houses, or enter-tained men in groups and cheered and comforted them indi-vidually. As its contribution to the physical resources of thecamps, the Welfare Board is erecting thirty buildings, not tooverlap, not to duplicate, but to supplement the facilitiescreated by other agencies, where such facilities; were needed,either for the housing of our workers and the administration oftheir work, or for the general welfare needs of Jews and non-Jews alike. At Camp Upton, near New York, the JewishWelfare Building, recently completed, is used for services bysoldiers of every faith. On the other hand, the Welfare Boardmakes use of a general church headquarters, erected by theGeneral War-Time Commission on the Churches, to the up-keep of which it contributes a substantial amount of money.

Again, we have assisted the American Library Associationin its nation-wide campaign for books. We have encouragedthe giving of comforts and gifts to the soldiers and sailors,regardless of creed, for to draw distinctions between creedswould be to violate the very ethics of the democracy we cherish.As official representatives of the Government, we are called tominister to all men.

This by no means implies that religious work has no placein the American welfare program, or that the welfare agenciesmust reduce their efforts to that colorless, meaningless some-thing which frequently goes by the name of non-sectarianism.On the contrary, the Jewish Welfare Board would not trulyrepresent the American Government, unless it also representedthe organized Jewry which created it. Indeed, specializedministrations of each group to its own men in the camps areimplied in the very organization which the War Department


created with the help of the Commission on Training CampActivities and the welfare agencies.

Thanks to this large view on the part of the Government, wehave in the Welfare Board, for the first time in the history ofAmerica, an organization which not only has the official en-dorsement of the Government, but likewise that of organizedAmerican Jewry. The board to-day counts among its societiesno less than fourteeen prominent Jewish associations, amongwhich are the Agudath ha-Rabbonim, Central Conference ofAmerican Rabbis, Council of Jewish Women, Council ofYoung Men's Hebrew and Kindred Associations, IndependentOrder B'nai B'rith, Independent Order B'rith Abraham, Jew-ish Chautauqua Society, Jewish Publication Society ofAmerica, National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, NewYork Board of Jewish Ministers, Order B'rith Abraham,Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Union of Ortho-dox Jewish Congregations, and the United Synagogue ofAmerica.

The relationship between the Board and its parent bodies isfor the most part steady and constructive. The rabbinicalbodies have co-operated in the arrangement of an abridgedprayer book for the use of soldiers and sailors of our faith.The Jewish Publication Society of America acts as the pub-lishing agency of the board, which has thus far placed orderswith it for the publication of no less than one hundred andeighty thousand copies of the Abridged Prayer Book and onehundred and sixty thousand copies of the Readings from theHoly Scripture, arranged with the help of the Society's editor.

With the Agudath ha-Rabbonim (the Federation of Ortho-dox Rabbis) the Welfare Board has been active in an inquiryas to the demand for Kosher food on the part of the Jewish


men in the camps, governmental sanction having been securedfor the sale of Kosher non-perishable food products in thecamps and cantonments wherever such supply is warranted bythe demand therefor.

A series of circuits for the conduct of lecture courses to sol-diers and sailors throughout the spring and summer monthsis being arranged under the joint auspices of the Welfare Boardand the Jewish Chautauqua Society.

To the town or community program of the Welfare Boardsubstantial contributions have been made by the IndependentOrder B'nai B'rith, which has organized some eight or ninecommunity centers now operating as I. 0. B. B. branches ofthe Welfare Board. While these branches of themselves con-stitute a material donation to our total assets, the I. 0. B. B.and the Independent Order B'rith Abraham, as well as othernational Jewish fraternities, are rendering large services ofanother kind through the campaigns for funds which they havefurthered throughout their lodges and the moral backing andencouragement which they have from the beginning lent inunstinted measure.

The Council of Young Men's Hebrew and Kindred Associa-tions has acted as our special advisory body wherever we haveneeded the viewpoint of the specialist in the inauguration ofsoldier activities in conjunction with Y. M. C. A. work.

The American Jewish Belief Committee, though in no waya constituent or affiliated organization, has rendered our workan immeasurable service by relieving us almost entirely fromthe labor and responsibility of fund-raising. Of the millionor more dollars that have been contributed to welfare work todate, a very large part was secured in the special campaign of


the American Jewish Relief Committee in New York City inDecember last, which brought together a fund of about five mil-lion dollars for the war sufferers and the Welfare Board con-jointly, and a large part of the balance of our total income todate has likewise been secured under the friendly auspices ofthis committee.

To the American Jewish Committee, under the leadershipof Mr. Louis Marshall, we look for the adjudication of casesinvolving religious or other rights of Jewish men, and, in turn,we are helping the Bureau of Statistics of the American JewishCommittee in its special work of securing a list of the namesof all Jews participating in the present war in the Americanmilitary and naval forces, by sending to that bureau all thestatistical data which it becomes possible for our agents tosecure.

We are also extending assistance and hospitality to the Jew-ish Legionaries enlisting in America for service in Palestineunder the British flag, for which purposes we have made con- .tributions through the Zionist organizations.

Further mention might be made of several other groups oforganized Jewry, both national and local, that are aiding thewelfare work in its library collections and in other ways, andstill the list of our co-operating agencies would not be ex-hausted; but for the present purposes of illustrating ourattachment and responsibility to the organized Jewry ofAmerica, it is probably not necessary to multiply examples.

From the foregoing it will be seen that it is probably but fairto say the Jewish Welfare Board truly represents both theAmerican Government and American Jewry—at least so far asthe organizations of the latter are concerned. Unprecedented


as this is in the entire history of Jewish life in America, theWelfare Board lays no claim to any special distinction for thisachievement. It is the crisis which confronts America, thecrisis of the World War, that has brought about this result, andif it may be accounted an advantage from the point of view ofJewish group life, it is an advantage for which we as Jews canassume no merit or distinction. We shall, on the other hand,merit rebuke and censure if, to the accomplishment createdby these unlooked-for world conditions, we shall make nocontribution of our own. We can neither truly speak for ourGovernment nor for the organized Jewry of America, unless wealso represent the unorganized Jewish people of America, andby this unorganized Jewish people we must understand theeighty thousand American soldiers and sailors of Jewish faithand the hundreds of thousands more whose interests are boundup with theirs.

Difficult as it is to be true to the thoughts and sentiments ofthe Jewish people, the Welfare Board ardently desires so to be.With this general attitude toward its work, it assumes to preachno special -ism (except Judaism), and it permits none to bepreached. In its religious work in the camps it attempts tomeet the needs of the men as these needs are there ascertained.For Jews desiring an orthodox service it promotes orthodoxservices. For sons of Keform Jews it supplies reform serviceswith the Union Prayer Book. For the preponderating groupof soldiers of orthodox Jewish families, whose requirementsare best met by what is called Conservative Judaism, appro-priate services are conducted accordingly. Without standard-izing any doctrine of its own, the Welfare Board endorses alldegrees of doctrine, if soldiers of Jewish faith uphold them,

4


Without seeking to impose any ready-made program of its own,it gives encouragement to whatever the self-expression of theJewish men demands.

With the American Library Association the Board isco-operating in supplying Yiddish books and other readingmatter to Yiddish-speaking men. It has prepared to date, fordistribution in the camps, three pamphlets in Yiddish, one onGovernment benefits and two on problems of social hygiene,and it has at the present time in contemplation several addi-tional pamphlets in this language. For those who desire toconduct Jewish discussion circles it has now in preparationseveral subject outlines for guidance and instruction in theconduct of such circles. With a donation from the JewishPublication Society of a library of Jewish books in each of thecamps and cantonments, foundations have been laid for a Jew-ish library, to which the Board is making additions from weekto week.

In addition to these group activities along religious or edu-cational lines, the welfare workers specialize in what has beencalled personal welfare work, and it may be said without exag-geration that no personal welfare work that is being carriedon in the American camps is more intensive or constructivethan that of the representatives of the Jewish Welfare Board.The personal problems that come before the welfare workershave a vast variety of phases, including certain military andnon-military problems of the men themselves, as well as ques-tions involving the men and their families. Our workers areregular visitors at the hospitals and guard-houses; they assistand advise men in matters of transfer, leave, and real or fan-cied discrimination; they advise them as to money and businessmatters, many of our representatives giving legal advice.


Others who are rabbis perform individual religious ministra-tions of various kinds, particularly at the embarkation camps.In cases involving the families of men, it is our policy to referlargely to the American Bed Cross, to whom the Governmenthas delegated these functions. A basis of co-operation hasbeen established.with the Red Cross, but of necessity it is stilltentative. The family difficulties of men in the service consti-tute a developing problem. It is a dynamic rather than a staticsituation that we are here dealing with, and the basis ofco-operation between the welfare agencies and the Eed Crossmust of necessity be progressive rather than fixed, dependingupon developing problems and experience, as well as uponchanges in formulation of policy in the Red Cross itself andas between the Red Cross and the War Department. The prob-lem of the welfare worker is not confined to the camp, however.He follows the soldiers wherever they go. In the near-by com-munities, the welfare worker makes the community welfareprogram, co-ordinating the hospitality activities, collecting anddispatching the comforts and gifts, managing the entertain-ments at the community center, and assisting soldiers andsailors in utilizing the religious or other facilities of the townor city.

For the men overseas, a special group has been assigned. Itcomprises a commission of two workers, one of whom willremain in Paris to direct the overseas work, while the otherwill return with a report based upon his survey of existing con-ditions. A supplementary group will comprise some six oreight workers, trained in our American service, whose functionit will be to initiate similar activities in the important posts inFrance, and to this group additions will be made from monthto month, until an adequate force shall have been sent abroad.


In addition to the welfare workers, the Government contem-plates sending army chaplains of the various faiths, to theextent of one for each twelve hundred men. The Jewish chap-lains will be selected by the Government after endorsement bythe Committee on Chaplains of the Welfare Board, which sincethe beginning of the war has acted as the Government's advi-sory agency, with reference to all Jewish chaplains.

Though ostensibly limited in its work to the men of theUnited States Army and Navy, the Welfare Board conceives itstask broadly. Under the latest military rulings, American sol-diers abroad are members of the army of the Allies, and withthis breaking down of national distinctions, the scope of ourwork is correspondingly enlarged. Thus the Welfare Board haspurchased ten thousand copies of the books for soldiers pub-lished by Dr. J. H. Hertz, chief rabbi of Great Britain, fordistribution among the English-speaking Jewish soldiers ofthe Allies, five thousand copies of Psalms and five thousandcopies entitled Jewish Thoughts. These are being distributedthrough Dr. Levy, chief rabbi of Paris, and Eabbi Voorsanger,chaplain with the American Expeditionary Forces.

We have likewise made a subvention to the Jewish Commu-nity of Washington for welfare work among civilian workers,including women as well as men, and we are making a studyof conditions among Jewish girls in New York as a result ofrevelations recently made with respect to places largely fre-quented by soldiers and sailors.

Whether in all this work we, represent the sentiments andviewpoints of the Jewish people, or whether we fail to representit, would be difficult to say. Indeed, our Jewry of America is ofsuch a composite nature, and the forces that play upon it are sovaried and deep-rooted in their origin, that it is hard even to


ascertain what these sentiments and viewpoints are. So far asthe articulate groups are concerned, we know that we have beencriticized now for being too Jewish, and again for not beingJewish enough; for advocating what has been called " segrega-tion ", and again for being exponents of what has been calledthe melting-pot theory; on the one hand, for making martyrsof the Jewish men with the colors, because we have failed tofurnish them with Kosher food, and, on the other, for makingmartyrs of them in our sympathy with those who desire suchdietary restrictions. Fault is found with us for permittingYiddish books to be circulated in the camps, and again we areblamed for not providing enough of this literature.

Of one other important department of the welfare work scammention has as yet been made—the work of our local Jewries.We hold that our purpose is unfulfilled, that we cannot trulyrepresent either the Government or nationally organizedJewry, unless and until we also represent the locally organizedJewry, that is, the local Jewish communities. It is from theselocal communities that the Jewish soldiers have come. It is tothese communities that they will return. Indeed, in ten ora score of years from now, the eighty or hundred thousand,or possibly one hundred and fifty thousand Jews of ourNational Army and Navy will be the prominent Jewish citi-zens, the upholders of our Jewish communities, the leadersand workers of our local Jewries. If we would have themremain steadfast to these communities throughout all thetragic days through which they must presently pass, they mustbe made to feel the spiritual forces of the communities behindthem. They must know that these forces are with them wher-ever they may go. Apart from this, the national Jewish Wel-fare Board is in the truest sense the child of the local commu-

jOO AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK

nities, as well as of the national Jewish organizations. I t isto the local communities that we turn for hoth moral and finan-cial support. We look to them, moreover, for definite service.We expect each community to send its Jewish boys into theservice with a formal expression of its belief in them, so thateach man may feel the power and strength of his communitybehind him. We expect each community to follow its soldierpwith gifts, by correspondence and other aid, as well as byvisitation to their families. We expect each community, mean-while, to prepare for the return of these young men, for theirreadjustment to civil life, for the rehabilitation of theirfamilies, and for the new adjustments in the work of the socialagencies of each town.

It was with all these ideals in mind that the Welfare Board,unlike the Knights of Columbus and the Y. M. C. A., incorpo-rated into its platform a program of town as well as of campwork. For the past six months it has worked incessantly in theorganization of what it calls local branches. At the present dayeighty-five Jewish communities have organized themselves asJ. W. B. branches. Twenty more are in process of organiza-tion. Before the end of this year the Welfare Board plans tohave organized no less than two hundred local Jewries as Wel-fare Board subsidiaries. The results of this policy have alreadyproven the wisdom thereof. I t has stimulated wide-spreadinterest in soldier and sailor work. This is particularly trueof those centers of Jewish life which are somewhat remote fromlarge encampments. In the camp cities or camp towns thepresence of uniformed men has of itself stimulated this inter-est, and it may be truly said that the real welfare workersare the Jews and Jewesses of these camp cities. In the veryfirst days and months of the war, they were contributing their


time and energies and giving of their means to the entertain-ment of men on leave, to visiting the sick, and to affordingcomfort to the lonely and dejected. Bu,t in the towns moreremote from the camps this stimulation of interest has beenprovided by the organization of the J. W. B. branches.

The fiscal policy of the Welfare Board was determined sev-eral months ago when its Executive Committee voted in favorof a central collection and disbursement of funds under whichall moneys raised for and in behalf of the Welfare Boardbecame payable to the national treasurer, the national bodymaking itself responsible in turn for promoting and financing-welfare work in the towns and cities as well as in the Americanand overseas camps. It was felt that, though this fund wasprocured from the local Jewries of the country, authority tospend it should proceed from the central office, which, byreason of its national and international perspective, could bestdecide as to the wisdom of expenditures, and thus guaranteeto the local Jewries the best possible administration of thefunds that they themselves had created. Any other policywould have been fatal, and would have made each communitythe collector and dispenser of its own welfare fund, thus lead-ing to excessive outlays for town hospitality, much of whichis not only of no positive social value, but of a decided negativesocial value, while leaving without adequate resources the moreimmediately important work in the camps. Indeed to haveadopted a less centralized system would have made impossiblea truly responsible administration of the fund, such as the WarDepartment justly expects of the agency which it has nomi-nated as the authoritative functioning body for its Jewishgroup of soldiers. The National Jewish Welfare Board desiresto be in the truest sense the representative of local Jewries. It

]02 AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK

is the local communities organized, combined, and raised tonational self-consciousness. In this view of the case, thenational office is but the visible expression of a covenant orpact between all the local communities of America, each ofwhich desires to serve the most by serving all the rest.

The national office furnishes to each community under thispact the advantages of a broad perspective. I t provides ameans of contact with the Federal Government to which it isaccredited by the Jews of America. I t has to-day an' organi-zation of nearly 200 workers associated for the purpose ofcarrying on the welfare work of the correlated communities ofthe country. It provides to these communities a school inwhich each month a new group of some twenty-five or moremen from various sections are trained as community ser-vants—men who now give themselves to Jewish war work andwill not fail the community when later called upon to help solvethe even more trying problems of the post-war period. I tplaces at the disposition of all local communities a EesearchDepartment for the study of the war aspects of communityproblems as they change and develop under the impact of theworld struggle.

• Has not then an organization like this, created in an emer-gency—representing the American Government, organizedJewry, the plain Jewish people, and the local communities ofAmerica—a unique opportunity? And shall not AmericanJews avail themselves of it by rising now as never before to atrue consciousness of the character, the scope, and the meaning of their entire community ?

THE COLLECTION OF JEWISH WAR STATISTICS 103

THE COLLECTION OF JEWISH WAR STATISTICS

BY JULIAN LI-AVITT,

IX CHARGE OF THE DIVISION OF WAR STATISTICS OF THE BUREAU OF

JEWISH STATISTICS AND RESEARCH

From the first days of the entry of the United States into theWorld War the American Jewish Committee felt the need of,and recognized the opportunity for, a complete record of Jewishservice in the common cause. For reasons too well known tobe enumerated here, statistics of an entirely reliable naturebearing upon Jewish service in the wars of the United Stateshad never before been gathered. The work of Simon Wolf,The American Jew as Patriot, Soldier, and Citizen (1895), isobviously a bio-historical rather than a statistical record. ThePreliminary List of Jews Serving in the Spanish-AmericanWar, compiled by Dr. Cyrus Adler and published in the YearBook 5661 (1900-1901), is, as its title implies, a tentativeeffort; while the article on Jews in the United States Army andNavy, prepared by Captain Landes for the Year Book 5677(1916-17), is admittedly a rough approximation rather than ascientific census. The present moment, it was therefore felt,presented, for the first time in the history of American Jewry,an opportunity for the preparation of a contemporary recordthat should prove of service to the Jews of America for all time.

To this end the American Jewish Committee assigned to itsBureau of Statistics and Research, as a major function, thetask of collecting data bearing upon all Jews in the militaryand naval services of the United States, at home or abroad,


in the regular civilian service at Washington, in the newlyestablished War Bureaus, and in the various auxiliary serviceswhere Jews are known to be rendering valuable aid—in short,to establish at this time, and later to render possible the publi-cation of, a comprehensive historical and statistical record ofJewish contributions to the success of the United States in thegreatest world war.

But while the many advantages of such an undertaking weregenerally recognized, its difficulties were by no means under-estimated. It was known that the official records of the armyand navy make no note of religious affiliations, so that a bareexamination of the millions of names on the rolls, even if per-mission were granted to make such search, would in itselfbe an enterprise of considerable magnitude. It was also recog-nized that the Jewish quotas, coming as they would fromwidely scattered parts of the country, would contain thousandsof men who had naturally drifted away from Jewish affiliations,other thousands who had, in the process of Americanization,changed their names, and some who would, for reasons of theirown, even seek to conceal their racial or religious identity. Inview of this, it was decided to approach the problem from asmany angles as possible, in order to reduce to a minimum thatpercentage of error always inherent in a work of this nature.Three main channels of information are thus being explored:(1) Jewish sources; (2) official records at Washington; (3)other records of a public and private nature.

Prom the very inception of this war statistics work, theclosest possible co-operation has been fostered and maintainedbetween the Bureau of Statistics and the agents of the JewishWelfare Board stationed at various camps and ships andalso at the front. These representatives are under instructions


to send in to the Bureau or to the Board or both all informationof a statistical character gathered by, or known to, them,including individual registration cards signed by the Jewishsoldiers, religious censuses taken by the Board or by otheragencies in the camps, holiday furlough records, recipientsof Bibles, etc. The Board has also posted conspicuous noticesin the camps, advertising the work in question, and has en-closed the proper material, such as blanks and registrationcards, in the vast number of Bibles and Prayer Books which ithas issued to the Jewish soldiers and sailors, as well as in theother literature which it is spreading broadcast. In short, ithas lent its co-operation systematically and efficiently, therebyassuring to the Bureau of Statistics a steady flow of the mostvaluable information possible direct from camps, ships, andtrenches. All other Jewish organizations, local and national,throughout the country—religious, fraternal, trade and labor,Zionist organizations, etc.—have likewise been circularizedby the Bureau of Statistics with requests for lists of memberswho have been called to the colors.

The response to date has been tremendously gratifying. Tothe rabbis of the country the Bureau of Statistics is particularlyindebted for a great volume of information respecting the menin service belonging to their congregations, invaluable in qual-ity and quantity. All Jewish dailies and weeklies have beencarefully searched and clipped for reports of enlistments, forgroup and local honor rolls, for news of service flag dedications,etc., and news items that suggest clues to other sources of infor-mation have been diligently followed up. Thus, a casual pressclipping one day reported the organization of a Jewish Soldiers'Club at Camp Gordon. The secretary of the club was at once


communicated with, and he responded in due course witha remarkably painstaking list of the club's members.

In addition, every effort is being made to reach all Jewishagencies likely to possess information of value—parents' asso-ciations, or other next-of-kin groups that are in touch withthe men at the front; Jewish publicists and communal workers;Jewish newspaper men on the staffs of Jewish or non-Jewishpapers; employers' and employes' associations in trades andindustries wholly or preponderantly Jewish; lodges, clubs, andthe like.

Eecognizing, however, that, because of the limitationsalready referred to, purely Jewish sources of information wouldbe inadequate for the purposes in view, a determined effort hasbeen made to gain access to departmental records in Washing-ton and at the various state capitals, in order to gather at thebest original source whatever data might be secured as toJewish enlistments, with the idea that the two inquiries—oneinto Jewish, and the other into non-Jewish channels of infor-mation—should serve to supplement and correct each other.For this purpose an office was opened, at the beginning of thepresent year, in Washington, in charge of the present writer.It was hoped that access might be secured either to the files ofthe War Risk Insurance Bureau, where are kept the originalapplications of all soldiers and sailors who have taken outinsurance policies with the Government, as well as the allot-ment and allowance records, or to the files of the Adjutant-General's Office, the Statistical Division of which collects andtabulates all " service records " of the men in the army, includ-ing the invaluable " holiday furlough " records, or else to thefiles of the Provost Marshal General's Office, where all the draftrecords are to be found. Every assurance of co-operation was

THE COLLECTION OP JEWISH WAR STATISTICS 107

given by the officers in charge of these various records, but itwas soon found that, because of the tremendous burdens whichrecent war developments have imposed upon all these bureaus,it would be advisable to wait with the actual procedure of searchuntil the archives were in better order, since, in the presentstate of these records, the work of examination would be undulycomplicated for all concerned. These searches have, therefore,been suspended for the present, with the exception of twobureaus: the Marine Corps, where, through the courtesy ofBrigadier-General Laucheimer, permission to examine the fileswas freely granted, and where the files themselves were foundto be in such perfect condition as to make the quest compara-tively simple, and the Office of the Surgeon-General, wheresearches are now under way.

Outside of Washington, a great body of information respect-ing the National Guard and the Federalized Militia of thestates is to be found in the offices of the Adjutants-General atthe various state capitals. Arrangements have consequentlybeen made to have their records systematically examined. Thefiles at Albany have already been thoroughly searched by arepresentative of the Bureau of Statistics, Miss Ruth Hessberg,who has, with extraordinary skill and diligence, located thou-sands of names of Jewish soldiers. The search at Harrisburgand at a number of other leading capitals is now under way.In addition, the Army Orders and Assignments, CasualtyLists, etc., issued by the United States Adjutant-General'sOffice and published in the Congressional Record, the OfficialBulletin, and in part in the metropolitan dailies, constitutea rich source of official information which is closely examinedfor Jewish data. Finally, there remain the records of the localdraft and exemption boards, particularly in the districts


notably Jewish, or in leading centers of Jewish population.These records, although inferior to the others in certainrespects, in so far as they supply data only as to the inductionof the men and none at all as to their later service history, willnevertheless be of great value in complementing and correctingthe other particulars available.

Numerous subsidiary sources of information in non-Jewishquarters occasionally supply most valuable data and supple-ment the two main avenues of information, the strictly Jewishand the strictly official. Among these are the Eed Cross,whose Home Service Divisions maintain at their local officesrecords of dependency and cases requiring other home relief;the War Service Eosters of the leading colleges and universitiesof the country; the records of local historical societies; theforthcoming edition of the various professional directories,and so forth. Arrangements have recently been entered into,providing for an exchange of information with most of theseagencies.

From these various sources, some 60,000 records have atpresent (July 30, 1918) been collected, and are now beingverified, classified, and tabulated. And since it is apparentthat the value of the work as a whole will depend almostentirely upon the accuracy of the methods adopted to avoidduplication and confusion, it may be desirable, at this point,to present a brief description of the technique involved. First,as to the methods adopted for the identification of Jewishnames. I t is recognized, at the outset, that no perfect methodhas as yet been developed. To identify, with unerring certainty,Jewish names in a bare list of mixed names is utterly impos-sible. But a reasonable degree of accuracy is entirely feasible.To begin with, there is the great mass of information supplied


by the Jewish Welfare Board and other organizations and indi-viduals, to whom the Jewish registrants are personally known.These names are accepted without question, as they arevirtually certified. As to the remainder, there are names sounmistakably Jewish that, when taken in connection with theirhome addresses, next-of-kin, or branch of service—as, for ex-ample, in the case of officers in the medical or dental corpsbearing distinctly Jewish cognomens—they may be acceptedwithout further question. Where names have been anglicizedor adapted in any way, the names of next-of-kin frequentlyremain unchanged, or perhaps the very form of the changemay to a trained mind suggest the original. Other clues of likenature will at once occur to the reader—registration districts,if distinctively Jewish, birthplace or nativity of parents, theuse of certain forenames or certain abbreviations of surnames—all these and other characteristics too numerous to mention,while not conclusive in themselves, tend nevertheless to furnishbroad indications which, followed up by the skilled investigator,generally lead to satisfactory proof, positive or negative.Finally, it frequently happens that names coming from a non-Jewish source will be automatically checked, at the moment offiling, by a source unmistakably Jewish. Moreover, it is con-templated that, as soon as the local lists are reasonably com-plete, check lists will be made up by towns and cities, copiesthereof to be sent to the local press and to the leading Jews ineach community for revision and verification. Altogether,therefore, it may be confidently stated that, from present indi-cations, the final residuum of doubtful, uncertified names willbe practically negligible.

The cataloguing methods adopted will also serve, in a con-siderable degree, as a check against duplication and inclusion

HO AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK

of improper material. As the records are received they arecopied, in triplicate, on cards having blanks for full name,home address, age, nativity of self and parents, branch ofservice, rank, regiment and company, camp or station, sourceof information received, and service record. These three cards,one original and two carbons!, a r e filed in three separatecatalogues, one arranged alphabetically and so devised as tobring together automatically all variant forms of names whichare especially liable to misplacements because of common errorsin reporting, copying, or transliterating; another cataloguearranged by branches of the service, with officers and honormen" signalled " ; and a third arranged by states, cities, and towns.By this means it will be possible to report not only as to theservice records of any individual, but also as the aggregate ofenlistments, local quotas, distribution by branches of the ser-vice and by localities, number and proportion of officers, andsimilar data of general interest. Analyses and studies of thismaterial may be made and published from time to time, asoccasion may demand, before, the completion of the entire work.

Although the collection of military and naval statistics con-stitutes, of necessity, the major problem before the Bureau ofStatistics at present, the record of civilian war service is byno means to be neglected. The Washington office has gatheredall data available as to Jews in the Federal Civil Service andin the new War Bureaus, numbering to date some two thousandnames and also much information as to Jews in the various aux-iliary services, such as four-minute men, Liberty-Bond sales-men, members of Draft Boards, and War Service committeesthroughout the country, while all other information obtainableas to Jewish contributions to the Red Cross, Hospital and

THK COLLECTION OF JEWISH WAR STATISTICS m

Ambulance Units, Bond Subscriptions, and other war serviceis being systematically collected and classified.

From this brief account of the work undertaken so farit will be apparent that the measure of success which mayultimately attend the venture will depend in large part uponthe co-operation of all elements in Jewish life. Tribute hasalready been paid to the service of the Jewish Welfare Boardand to the magnificent co-operation of the spiritual andsecular leaders of American Jewry. All the readers of thisarticle can help definitely and notably by sending to the Bureauof Jewish Statistics and Research any data that comes withinthe scope of this work. At present this means any informationwhatsoever concerning the Jews in the present war. Con-cretely, the individual or organization desiring to assist in thismost important work can do so in the following manner:

(1) By sending in names of individual soldiers and sailors,particularly those that do not ordinarily suggest a Jewishorigin, and renewing the record from time to time with suchfresh information as may develop, in the way of honors, pro-motions, or casualties; (2) by locating and notifying theBureau of sources at which a considerable mass of informationmay be traced; (3) by interesting any agencies of publicity thatmay be reached so as to enlist the widest possible number ofpeople in the work; (4) by sending to the Bureau, either forimmediate perusal or for permanent preservation in its ar-chives, letters from soldiers and sailors at the front, or othermaterial of historical value.

It would have been extremely desirable to conclude thisarticle with a brief summary of the statistical results obtainedthus far in the course of this inquiry. The vast material stillremaining to be collated and digested, however, makes it ad-


visable to defer the presentation of actual figures until such atime as it may be possible to present them with that degree offulness and accuracy which the importance of the subjectdemands.

From indications already at hand, however, it may be con-fidently promised that the evidence, when fully developed, willshow conclusively that the Jews of America are acquittingthemselves magnificently, as soldiers and citizens, in this war;that their contributions of men and means tend to exceed, bya generous margin, their due quotas; that the Jewish soldiersat the front fight with no less valor than their comrades; thattheir losses are as great—and their rewards no less.

JEWISH FEDERATION OF NEW YORK CITY H 3

FEDERATION FOR THE SUPPORT OF JEWISHPHILANTHROPIC SOCIETIES OF

NEW YORK CITY*BY I. EDWIN GOLDWASSER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

In the American Jewish Year Book for the year 5676 thereappears a significant article on the Federation movement inAmerican Jewish philanthropy by Dr. Joseph Jacobs. Indescribing the attempts that had been made to apply themethods of a Federation to the largest Jewish community inthe world, the writer says: " The number of institutions withfairly large incomes was so considerable that one board repre-senting all might be of an unwieldy character. There are alsoin Manhattan several hospitals, many orphanages and generallya larger number of separate institutions of the same class thanis found in other cities. To these and other arguments wasadded the consideration which had been urged in other cities,that Federation would destroy the personal interest in indi-vidual charities which led to such large endowments, dona-tions and bequests."

These difficulties created what the author called " an unfor-tunate deadlock," when, spurred on by the Heinsheimerbequest, a large number of the institutions conferred withthe view of determining whether Federation would be practi-cable.

* In preparing this article, passages have been frequently quotedfrom the following pamphlets: Plan of Federation, adopted June6, 1916; Report of Special Committee of Seven, March 12, 1917;By-Laws of Federation, adopted June 24, 1917.


It was left to Felix M. Warburg to re-open the considerationof the problem in 1916. After a long period devoted topersonal conferences with leaders of the various institutions,it was decided to form a Committee to consider the organiza-tion of a Federation in New York City, with the view of formu-lating, if possible, a plan of Federation which might be accept-able to the institutions.

This Committee on Federation consisted of the following:Samuel Greenbaum, Chairman; Leo Arnstein; Emil Baer-wald; Julius Ballin; George Blumenthal; Joseph L. Butten-wieser; Joseph H. Cohen; William JST. Cohen; Abram I. Elkus;William Goldman, Secretary; Sol Kohn; Lee Kohns; ArthurLehman; Samuel D. Levy; Adolph Lewisohn; Morton H.Meinhard; Joseph E. JSTewburger; Leopold Plaut; Jacob H.Schiff; Mortimer L. Schiff; Louis Stern; Felix M. Warburg;Jacob Wertheim.

On February 26, 1916, it appointed a Special Committeeconsisting of Abram I. ELkus, Chairman; Leo Arnstein;Joseph H. Cohen; Samuel Greenbaum; William Goldman;Jesse I. Straus; Felix M. Warburg; H. G. Friedman, Secre-tary.

The Special Committee submitted its report pursuant tothe resolution of the Committee on Federation, dated February26, 1916, " to consider all plans of Federation which have beenproposed, and all criticisms and suggestions thereon, and alsoto act as Committee on Conciliation of all suggestions withreference to the conditions under which a plan shall be putin operation."

In accordance with these instructions, the Committeedevoted twelve meetings during a period of nearly three monthsto the problems presented to Federation. It studied various

JEWISH FEDERATION OF NEW YORK CITY H5

plans proposed, including those of Mr. Nathaniel Myers, ofMessrs. Chester J. Teller, and Morris D. Waldman, the planformulated by the Advisory Committee of the Bureau ofPhilanthropic Research and the suggestions of Mr. Cyrus L.Sulzberger, and the Constitutions of Federations of othercities. Criticisms and suggestions from societies and personsinterested were invited. Every effort was made to keep the pub-lic informed of the various steps in the development of the planto be presented. More important than this, however, was thefact that the Committee was ready at all times to give carefulconsideration to any definite suggestion for modification of theplan, so that a substantial agreement might be reached.

On May 25,1916, the Special Committee presented its reportto the Committee on Federation.

On June 6, 1916, the last-named Committee adopted the fol-lowing resolution: " Resolved, That the Plan of Federationformulated by the Special Committee be adopted; that thePlan be submitted to the societies therein named, such societiesto notify the Secretary of the Committee on Federation of theirassent to the Plan and to designate their representatives onthe Organization Committee and on the Board of Delegateson or before July 15, 1916; that the Federation be organizedas soon as the Plan shall have been assented to by societiesreceiving two-thirds of the total amount collected in 1915 inmembership dues and subscriptions by the societies named inthe Plan."

In connection with this resolution, the report of the Com-mittee was submitted, consisting of two parts, (1) a reviseddraft of the Constitution for the Federation and (2) a state-ment in explanation of the provisions of the Plan of Federa-


tion. Since this Constitution became the basis of the By-Lawsunder which the Federation is now operating, it is probablethat the clearest statement of the Federation can be found inthe explanation of the Plan as submitted by the Committee.

The Committee proposed as the name for the organizationthe descriptive title of " Federation for the Support of JewishPhilanthropic Societies of New York City."

PURPOSE

It was proposed that the scope of the Federation be limitedto the support of philanthropic societies ministering to theneeds of Jews of the boroughs of Manhattan and • theBronx. Brooklyn had its own organization and it was felt thatthere shoiild be no intrusion in that field. It was not the inten-tion of the committee, however, to make the location of a societythe test of eligibility for admission to the Federation, butrather the territory from which its beneficiaries are drawn.Institutions located, outside of New York City carrying onwork primarily for the benefit of residents of Manhattan andthe Bronx are entitled to the support of the Federation, equallywith those located within these boroughs.

MEMBERSHIP

(a) Any person who subscribes and pays to the Federation atleast ten dollars a year is entitled to be elected by the Boardto regular membership therein, with the privilege to cast onevote in person or by proxy, and otherwise to participate in themeetings and affairs of the Federation and to hold office thereinas hereinafter provided; (b) any group of persons, unable toqualify as regular members, who jointly subscribe and pay tothe Federation at least fifteen dollars a year, may in the dis-

JEWISH FEDERATION OP NEW YORK CITY n ?

cretion and during the pleasure of the Board, be elected to agroup membership therein, with the right to designate one oftheir group to exercise the privileges of a regular member; (c)any person under the age of twenty-one years who subscribesand pays to the Federation at least five dollars a year may, inthe discretion of the Board, be elected a junior member thereinduring his minority, without the privileges of a regularmember.

It is planned to maintain the membership of the beneficiarysocieties. For this purpose the Committee proposed that wherea member of the Federation failed to designate the beneficiariesfor his contribution, but subscribed an amount equal to or in ex-cess of his aggregate membership payments in 1915 to the fed-erated societies, it was to be assumed that it was his intentionto remain a member of those societies and to contribute to eachof them the same amount as in 1915. All other undesignatedsubscriptions are to be assigned by the Board of Trustees to thesocieties in such amounts as will enable each society to maintainits membership at no less than the amount received in 1915.

For the convenience of members who desire to make a singlecontribution to all philanthropies, including societies not partof the Federation, Federation acts as a clearing-house, and paysamounts designated to such outside organizations.

In other words, a subscription to the Federation may com-bine the following: A subscription to the General Fund, adesignated subscription to federated societies, and a designatedsubscription to unaffiliated societies. No subscriptions tounaffiliated societies are accepted, however, until the minimumsubscription of $10 to the General Fund of the Federationor to one of the federated societies is included in thesubscription.

1 1 8 AMERICAN J E W I S H YEAR BOOK

T H E ADMISSION OF KELIGIOUS EDUCATIONAL SOCIETIES

The first and most important consideration here was thecharacter of the activities which it is the purpose of the Federa-tion to foster and support. The second point was : What shallbe the basis for admitting or rejecting societies engaged inactivities coming within the general purposes of the Federa-tion ?

The purpose of the Federation is to support philanthropicsocieties. No doubt exists that the Federation should take incharitable and relief agencies, organizations for the care ofthe sick, the dependent and delinquent, societies for generaleducational and social activities. The question was raisedwhether or not the Federation should also embrace societiescarrying on the work of religious education. The followingexcerpt from the report of the Committee is of interest:

" The problem of religious education is highly complex. Thesocieties in this field engage in work which is in part charitableand in part self-supporting. They provide facilities forreligious education, and give free instruction to children whocannot afford to pay. Some of these societies conduct alsosettlement activities, clubs, gymnasiums, and classes. Thereare in Greater New York some eighty week-day religiousschools, known as Talmud Torahs, and Hebrew schools, etc.These vary greatly in the character and value of their work,their standards and methods of instruction. Their supportcomes from two classes, those who themselves receive benefitsfrom the society by sending their children or attending thesynagogue usually connected with the school, and those whocontribute from purely philanthropic motives in order toadvance the purpose of the society.

JEWISH FEDERATION OP NEW YORK CITY H9

The problem of religious education from the standpoint ofFederation presents three phases which may here be noted:(1) While the work of these societies is undoubtedly of thehighest value, not only from a religious standpoint, but froma lay point of view, there is not the unanimity of opinion in thecommunity as regards the aims, methods, and purposes ofreligious educational work which exists with reference to thework of other charitable and social service agencies. (2) Theorganization of religious education is still in its beginnings.Its adequate development will require very large additions tothe income of such societies and appropriations increasing verymuch more rapidly than the allotments for other philanthropicwork. (3) The support of such societies is to a very greatextent local rather than general. It is derived from very smallcontributions and the collection of such funds, and the reten-tion of this class of members is likely to present the greatestdifficulties."

For these reasons it seemed unwise for the Federation tocomplicate its problems at the beginning by taking over thesupport of institutions engaged in philanthropic religiousactivities.

On January 8, 1917, however, a Committee of Twenty-fivepresented to the Federation a request that the Federation con-sider the financial aspect of Jewish religious education in NewYork City. On the same day the Chairman of the Organiza-tion Committee of the Federation appointed a Special Commit-tee of Seven to study in all its aspects the subject of Jewishreligious education in New York City. In its report this com-mittee submitted the following considerations:

" The application of religious schools for affiliation withFederation presents distinctly to Federation the problem of


admitting societies carrying on religious education as dis-tinguished from institutions engaged mainly in secular work.When the plan of Federation was adopted, it was agreed tobe 'unwise for the Federation to complicate its problems atthe beginning by taking over the support of institutionsengaged in philanthropic-religious activities.' The Committeewhich drew up the plan foresaw that the question of supportingsocieties engaged in philanthropic-religious activities shouldhave to be considered again. The societies conducting re-ligious schools submit that this question be taken up nowbecause Federation has made their present position, and,to a greater extent, their future development precarious. AsFederation becomes more successful and allies to itself thevarious elements in the community, it will become increas-ingly difficult for them to secure funds as independent organi-zations. The presidents of some of these societies stated that inmany instances contributors have retujned bills for dues withthe single word ' Federation', and that as a result some ofthe schools may be obliged to close their doors.

It is further submitted by the applicant societies that ifthey were to form a Federation of their own in order to financetheir activities and make an appeal to the public, the resultwould be detrimental to both the religious schools and toFederation, the community would be disorganized by the estab-lishment of more than one Federation, and the endeavor tounify philanthropic activities would be frustrated. Therewould result a separation in the community between those nowactive on behalf of secular philanthropies and those who areinterested in religious education.

The support of religious education presents grave problemsfor Federation. As noted by the Committee which framed

JEWISH FEDERATION OF NEW YORK CITY 121

the plan of Federation, the community is not a unit in religiousbelief, and in Federation there are represented the most diver-gent shades of faith. Questions of conscience and convictionare involved, rather than those of policy and method. Groundsfor differences are thus more deeply seated. Serious attentionmust, therefore, be given to objections to the inclusion inFederation of institutions with activities in reference to whichthere may be wide differences of opinion.

Your Committee, however, is of the view that these objec-tions to the admission of religious societies to Federation arenot sufficient to counterbalance the injury which might resultfrom their exclusion, not merely to the cause of religious educa-tion, but also to the work of these schools as moral influencesin the community for bridging the gap between "parent andchild, and for maintaining the influence of the home and thefamily.

Moreover, it is fundamental in the plan of Federation thateach society shall have autonomy in its internal management,and so long as this principle is observed there should be noreason why the difference of opinion or belief among subscribersto Federation should constitute a bar to the admission of thesesocieties. If religious societies are admitted, Federation musthave nothing whatsoever to do with curriculum or religiousbeliefs. The control of the policies of the schools must be leftto each individual institution, and there must be no groundsfor any suspicion that the Federation is in the remotest degreeseeking to influence them in the instruction which they areto give in the matters of religion."

In November, 1917, the conditions that had been set for theadmission of the religious educational societies were properlymet by the following bodies, which were declared affiliated with


the Federation: Schools and Extension Activities of theBureau of Education, Central Jewish Institute, Down-TownTalmud Torah, Salanter Talmud Torah, Machzike TalmudTorah, and Up-Town Talmud Torah.

KESTRICTIONS UPON AFFILIATED BODIES

No beneficiary society, auxiliary society, nor any person intheir behalf, was to give entertainments for the purpose of rais-ing funds or soliciting donations or contributions other thanpermanent endowments or legacies in behalf of such societies.

Before making a special appeal to the community for build-ing funds or other extraordinary purposes, beneficiary societiesare required to inform the Board of Trustees, and, if suchappeal is approved, the societies receive the endorsement andsupport of the Federation.

Co-operation in this respect between the societies of theFederation will undoubtedly prove of great benefit to thesocieties through the avoidance of the multiplicity of appealsof the same character at the same time. Appeals approved bythe Federation will win for the society support from the entirecommunity.

ORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNING BODY

The problem of organizing a governing body for the Federa-tion was attended by peculiar difficulties in New York. Thesocieties themselves differed in the extent of the supportwhich they received from the public, the number of theirmembers, and their income. In addition to these, Federationcreated a new organization of contributors. Various planswere submitted to the Committee, involving two bodies, one


elected by the members and another by the institutions, theone to serve as a check on the other, or one large body madeup of the delegates of the societies and of representatives ofthe public electing in turn a smaller administrative body.The Committee did not favor the plan involving two bodies,one to exercise a veto power over the other. It was felt thatsuch a system would result in friction and prove cumbersomein operation. The Committee did not approve an organizationcalling for indirect election and representation such as isinvolved in the selection of the Administrative Board by anintermediate body. It held fast to the position that theresponsibility of the governing body should be direct to thesocieties and to the contributors. The following quotationsfrom the By-Laws will show the plan of organization:

" SECTION 1. The management of the Federation shall bevested in a Board of Trustees which shall adopt its own rulesof procedure not inconsistent with the charter or By-Laws,by two-thirds of its total number of votes. Its action in matterswithin its jurisdiction shall be final, conclusive and bindingupon all of the Beneficiary Societies. The Board of Trusteesshall be constituted of Trustees designated by BeneficiarySocieties and of ten Trustees-at-Large elected by the membersof the Federation as follows:

SECTION 2. One Trustee shall be designated by each societyreceiving an income from membership dues or subscriptionsin the year 1915 of not less than $10,000 nor more than $50,-000, and two Trustees by each society receiving an incomefrom membership dues or subscriptions in 1915 in excess of$50,000.

SECTION 3. The Trustee or Trustees designated by a Bene-ficiary Society shall be entitled to cast a- number of votes in


accordance with the income of the society from membershipdues or subscriptions in 1915, as follows:

$10,000 and over, but not exceeding $25,000, one voteOver $25,000, " " " 50,000, two votes

50,000, " " " 75,000, three votes75,000, " " " 100,000, four votes

" 100,000, five votes

SECTION 4. A Trustee designated by a society entitled todesignate two Trustees may in the absence of his colleaguecast the total number of votes of both such Trustees.

SECTION 5. Societies receiving an income from membershipdues or subscriptions in 1915 of $3,000 or more, but not somuch as $10,000, may combine for the purpose of designat-ing Trustees, and shall be entitled to designate one Trusteefor each $15,000 of income received in 1915 from membershipdues or subscriptions by the societies so combining.

SECTION 6. The number of votes of Trustees designated bysocieties with an income of less than $10,000 from membershipdues or subscriptions, or allotments from the Federation, shallnot exceed twenty-five per cent of the total number of votesof the Board of Trustees, unless the allotment to such societiesshall exceed twenty-five per cent of the total appropriationsof the Federation to all Beneficiary Societies. In case suchallotment is less than twenty-five per cent of such total appro-priations, the Board shall reduce the number of Trustees tobe designated by such societies, so that their votes shall notexceed twenty-five per cent of the total number of votes ofthe Board of Trustees.

SECTION 7. Beneficiary Societies admitted after July 1,1917, may be authorized by two-thirds of the total number ofvotes of the Board of Trustees to designate Trustees on thebasis of income from membership dues or subscriptions as pre-


scribed above, except that the income from membership dues orsubscriptions of a society so admitted shall be taken to be theaverage annual amount received during a period of not lessthan two years immediately before admission to the Federation.

SECTION 8. Societies organized with the consent of theBoard of Trustees may be authorized with the consent of thetotal number of its votes to designate Trustees on the basis ofthe amount of the appropriations allotted to them by theFederation, such appropriations to be regarded for thispurpose as the equivalent of income from membership duesor subscriptions.

SECTION 9. Societies shall give notice to the Federation ofpersons designated by them as Trustees and such Trusteesshall serve until their successors are designated.

SECTION 10. In December, 1919, and every third year there-after, the Board of Trustees shall reapportion the numberof trustees and the number of votes assigned to beneficiarysocieties. The basis of reapportionment shall be the average oJ:the annual amounts allotted to each society by the Federationduring the three years elapsed, such average allotment to beregarded as the equivalent of the income from membershipdues and subscriptions for determining tb.3 number of Trusteesand the number of votes to which a society shall be entitled.

SECTION 11. The members of the Federation shall elect byballot ten Trustees-at-Large, each entitled to cast one vote,from candidates nominated as follows:

SECTION 13. Nominations for such Trustees shall be sub-mitted to the Board of Trustees and posted conspicuously inthe office of the Federation not less than forty-five days beforetlie Annual Election by a Nominating Committee, appointedby the President of the Federation, consisting of twenty-five


members of the Federation, none of whom shall be a Trustee ora Delegate of the Federation or a member of an ExecutiveBoard of a Beneficiary Society. Nominations may also bemade by a petition signed by no less than one hundred membersof the Federation, and filed with the Federation twenty-fivedays before the date of the Annual Election. Nominations maybe made at the meeting if the Nominating Commitee shallfail to duly make its nominations or if its nominees shall beor become disqualified in whole or in part or if vacancies amongthe Trustees occur since the date of its report. The Nominat-ing Committee and all nominating petitions shall designateone or more persons to act as proxies,, without prejudice to theright of any member to select his own proxy.

SECTION 13. No member of the Federation shall be eligiblefor election as Trustee-at-Large unless he shall have servedfor one year as member of the Board of Delegates. Thisprovision shall not apply to Trustees-at-Large elected at thefirst Annual Election.

SECTION 14. The term of office for Trustees-at-Large shallbe three years, except that of the Trustees-at-Large chosenat the first Annual Election, three shall be elected for a termof one year, four for a term of two years, and three for a term ofthree years.

SECTION 15. In the event of the resignation or death of aTrustee-at-Large, the Board of Trustees shall elect a memberof the Board of Delegates to serve as Trustee-at-Large to thedate of the next Annual Election, when a successor shall beelected for the unexpired term by the members of the Federa-tion."

In forming the Board of Trustees of the Federation, theCommittee sought to meet conditions. Its aim was to appor-


tion representation to the different societies in accordance withtheir income from the public and to give recognition to thecontributors organized as a body in the Federation. In entrust-ing the election of the greater proportion of the Trustees to theinstitutions, the Committee endeavored to secure for Federa-tion continuity in the policies of our institutions, the interestand support of those who have been most active in the develop-ment of Jewish philanthropic endeavor and who have hadmost experience in the management of the societies. In plac-ing on the governing board a considerable number of Trusteesto be elected directly by the members, persons not now con-nected with the executive boards of the societies, an oppor-tunity was given for representation to elements in the commu-nity not at present associated with the administration of ourinstitutions. The Committee endeavored also to give justrepresentation on the governing body to small societies. Theonly organizations excluded from representation are thosewith incomes of less than $3,000. Such societies are none theless eligible for admission to Federation and as their workis extended and their allotment increases beyond $3,000, theybecome entitled to representation on the same basis as othersocieties.

SOLICITATION OF MEMBERSHIP AND CONTRIBUTIONS

The By-Laws provide: There shall be a Board of Delegatesof the Federation, the function of which shall be to considerways and means of enlisting the support of the community,to secure memberships and solicit funds for the Federation,and to perform such other duties as the Board of Trustees

5


may prescribe. The Board of Delegates shall be chosen inthe following manner:

Each society shall designate to the Board two Delegates foreach vote to which it is entitled in the Board of Trustees, pro-vided that each society shall designate at least one Delegate.Societies shall give notice to the Federation of personsdesignated by them as Delegates, and such Delegates shallserve until their successors are designated.

The members of the Federation shall elect by ballot onehundred Delegates-at-Large to be nominated in the samemanner as Trustee-at-Large.

The term of office of Delegates-at-Large shall be three years,except that of the Delegates chosen at the first Annual Elec-tion, thirty-three shall be elected for a term of one year, thirty-four for a term of two years, and thirty-three for a term of threeyears.

In the event of the resignation or death of a Delegate-at-Large, the President of the Federation shall appoint a memberof the Federation to serve to the date of the next AnnualElection, when a successor shall be elected for the unexpiredterm by the members of the Federation.

The President of the Federation shall be President of theBoard of Delegates.

This plan aims to lend dignity and importance to member-ship in the soliciting body on behalf of the contributors bymaking the position dependent on election and in this waya representative one. It is noted further that one year'sservice in this body is a condition of eligibility for electionas Trustee-at-Large. The number of elected members makespossible the representation from all elements of the community,and thereby enables the Federation to reach all classes in its


behalf. The object in placing on this body delegates fromthe institutions was to give opportunity to the societies todesignate those whom they knew to be most successful in secur-ing funds. Directors in the various organizations acquaintedwith their work and their clientele are assigned to serve onthe soliciting body. These bring to it experience and the inter-est which comes from a knowledge of the needs of the insti-tutions. The advantage in this plan is that it combines withthe work of soliciting funds administrative duties in the con-stituent societies of the Federation.

APPORTIONMENT OF THE FUNDS OF THE FEDERATION

The following excerpts from the by-laws indicate the methodof the apportionment of the Federation funds:

" SECTION 1. Members of the Federation shall be requestedto designate and may designate the Beneficiary Societiesin which they desire membership and the amounts tobe paid to such societies out of their contributions to theFederation; the contributions of a member to BeneficiarySocieties prior to their admission to the Federation shall bedeemed continuous designations by such members unlessaffirmatively revoked or unless his contribution to the Federa-tion shall not equal his total contributions to such BeneficiarySocieties; the Federation from among its members not sodesignating may nominate to any Beneficiary Society, uponits request, a sufficient number of members to maintain themembership roll of such society at the number which it hadduring the fiscal year next preceding its admission to theFederation; provided, however, that members so designatedor nominated shall be elected members by such Beneficiary


Societies in accordance with their by-laws without further lia-bility for membership dues or otherwise.

SECTION 2. Out of the undesignated funds the expensesof Federation shall first be paid, and from the surplus thereshall be allotted to each Beneficiary Society an amount whichwith the designated sums shall make the total appropriatedby the Federation to each society equal the sum collected byit from (a) membership dues or subscriptions in the year 1915and (b) the average amount received in the years 1911-1915 indonations for purposes other than endowment, building, orspecial funds, and (c) the average annual amount of net pro-ceeds from entertainments received in the years 1911-1915,and (d) the amount paid by an auxiliary society to it orexpended in its behalf in 1915.

SECTION 3. The Board of Trustees may create and maintainout of the undesignated funds an emergency fund, which shallat no time exceed $300,000. Appropriations from this fundshall be made only to meet extraordinary conditions andemergencies and upon two-thirds of the total number of votesof the Board.

SECTION 4. The Board of Trustees may in its absolutediscretion make appropriations from the balance of anyundesignated funds to Beneficiary Societies upon two-thirdsof the votes of all trustees present, and not less than a majorityof the total number of votes of the Board. In makingappropriations from such undesignated balance, the Boardshall consider the needs of each society and its income fromall sources, but shall not consider as available income theamount received by a society in legacies and devises.

SECTION 5. The Board of Trustees by two-thirds of thetotal number of its votes may make appropriations from the


undesignated funds to organizations other than BeneficiarySocieties, to be expended for philanthropic or philanthropic-religious purposes in behalf of the Jews of Manhattan and TheBronx. No part of the undesignated funds shall, however,be appropriated for activities not primarily philanthropicor philanthropic-religious.

SECTION 6. The Federation may in its discretion receivefrom members funds designated for the use of organizationsand not beneficiaries thereof, and shall pay such funds inaccordance with the wishes of the contributors; but such fundsshall not be included as a membership payment of such member.

SECTION 7. The Federation shall discourage the makingof legacies and devises to it and shall recommend that thesebe made direct to the Beneficiary Societies. The Federationshall not accept legacies or devises by which the principal isto be held in trust by the Federation and only the income isto be available for distribution; and all legacies and devisesreceived shall, within a period of three years after receipt, bedistributed to the Beneficiary Societies, or, upon two-thirdsof the total number of votes of the Board of Trustees, to newsocieties to be formed."

Representatives of smaller societies, with expanding activi-ties, expressed the fear that the growth of their organizationsmight be hampered unless they were assured of increased fundsto enable them to meet their commitments. The situation ofthe large institutions is not different from that of the smallersocieties. Both classes of organizations look forward to enlargedactivities, for which they must have additional funds. Thegeneral experience under Federation elsewhere has been thatthe income of federated societies increased thirty per cent ormore. The purpose of Federation here is to secure as great


an increase or a greater one, in order that all societies mighthave adequate support for their work. The Board of Trusteesis free to use the increased funds to meet the requirementsof the societies.

EMERGENCY FUND

The Committee left the creation of an Emergency Fundoptional with the Board of Trustees. To make the establish-ment of such a reserve mandatory might involve the tying-upof funds at a time when they were needed for immediate uses.It is proposed that the maximum amount for the fund shall be$300,000, and that, as this amount is reduced, appropriationsmay be made to replenish it. This fund should be availablefor use only to meet emergencies such as wide-spread businessdepression and other extraordinary occurrences which mightin any year seriously reduce the income of the Federation, orgive rise tb exceptional demands. I t is the intention thatthis fund shall be drawn upon only to meet the needs of Man-hattan and the Bronx. It should not be used to meet emergen-cies outside of New York City. The Committee believes itwould not be proper to make appropriation from it for emer-gencies elsewhere in the United States or abroad, for the reasonthat the purpose of this reserve is to safeguard the work of theFederation. Such sums as might be voted from this fundfor such other uses could doubtless be secured otherwise.

This fund is to be regarded as available for use only inemergencies and not as a substitute for moneys which shouldbe secured in subscriptions from the public. The Committee,accordingly, recommended that this reserve be safeguardedby requiring that appropriations from it should be upon two-thirds of all the votes of the Board of Trustees.

J E W I S H FEDERATION OP N E W YORK CITY 1 3 3

LEGACIES

The Committee believed that it is for the best interests ofthe community that legacies be made to the constituentsocieties of the Federation. The function of the Federationshould be to gather and distribute annual contributions andnot to accumulate trust funds. The Federation should there-fore discourage legacies to itself and recommend that bequestsbe made directly to the beneficiary societies. It should furtherrefuse to accept legacies or devises to be held in trust by theFederation.

If legacies or devises are nevertheless left to the Federation,the principal is to be treated as part of the income of theFederation available for distribution to its beneficiaries.Where large amounts are involved, it may not always beexpedient to distribute the total in one year. The budgets ofthe institutions are necessarily adjusted to their regular income,and it would not be desirable to expand activities to absorban increased appropriation, the recurrence of which couldnot be counted upon.

Again, there may be need for new activities, or new agencies,to the financing of which such funds could be most advan-tageously devoted. The Committee, accordingly, provided thatthe Board of Trustees have discretion to extend the distributionof legacies received over a period not to exceed three years,and also that the Board be authorized, upon a two-thirds' vote,to use the funds derived from legacies for financing newactivities.

CONDITIONS FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF FEDERATION

The Committee was of the opinion that the best methodwould be to organize the Federation in accordance with the


plan proposed and to proceed with a canvass. Federationwas to be declared effective as soon as its financial successwas established.

Accordingly, in the fall of 1916, a systematic campaign wasplanned, the condition being that subscriptions to the amountof two million dollars must be secured in order to makeFederation operative. In other words, the Committee recom-mended that the Federation should be declared operative whenthere should have been secured from subscribers to the Federa-tion an increase of $200,000 over the amount contributed bythem in 1915 in membership dues or subscriptions and indonations other than for permanent or building funds to thebeneficiary societies, or $700,000 in excess of the sum con-tributed by such subscribers in membership dues alone. Theoriginal Organization Committee consisted of ten represen-tatives, none of whom was a director or an officer of thesocieties named; two representatives from each of the follow-ing: Montefiore Home and Hospital for Chronic Diseases,Mount Sinai Hospital and United Hebrew Charities; onerepresentative from each of the following: Association forthe Improved Instruction of Deaf-Mutes, Beth Israel Hospi-tal, Crippled Children's East Side Free School, Dispensary andHospital for Deformities and Joint Diseases, EducationalAlliance, Emanuel Sisterhood for Personal Service, FreeSynagogue Social Service Department, Hebrew Free LoanSociety, Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society, Hebrew Tech-nical Institute, Hebrew Technical School for Girls, Home forAged and Infirm Hebrews, Home for Hebrew Infants, JewishProtectory and Aid Society, Joint Committee on Tuberculosis,Lebanon Hospital Association, Sanitarium for Hebrew


Children, Widowed Mothers' Fund Association, Young Men'sHebrew Association, and Young Women's Hebrew Association.

On January 1, 1917, Federation was declared operative,and the following officers were elected: Felix M. Warburg,President; Julius Goldman, Vice-President; Lee K. Frankel,Secretary; Harry Sachs, Treasurer; Harriet B. Lowenstein,Comptroller and Auditor; I. Edwin Goldwasser, ExecutiveDirector.

On April 27, 1917, under Chapter 269 of the Laws of NewYork, the Federation was incorporated. The act of incorpora-tion was as follows:

" SECTION 1. Felix M. Warburg, Leo Arnstein, Emil Baer-wald, Mrs. Sidney C. Borg, Joseph L. Buttenwieser, Joseph H.Cohen, William N. Cohen, Julius J. Dukas, Mrs. WilliamEinstein, Benjamin F. Feiner, Lee K. Frankel, Harry G.Friedman, Mrs. Henry Goldman, Julius Goldman, WilliamGoldman, Emil Goldmark, Paul M. Herzog, Mark Hyman,Samuel I. Hyman, Sol Kohn, Lee Kohns, Mrs. AlexanderKohut, Edward Lauterbach,, Arthur Lehman, Irving Lehman,Meyer London, Edwin S. Lorsh, Aaron E. Nusbaum, LeopoldPlaut, Theodore Rosenwald, Harry Sachs, Samuel Sachs,Fred M. Stein, Maximilian Toch, Mrs. Israel Unterberg,Jacob Wertheim, Charles A. Wimpfheimer, and Stephen S.Wise, together with such other persons as they may associatewith them, and their successors, are hereby created a bodycorporate with perpetual succession by the name of Federa-tion for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies ofNew York City, and by that name shall possess all of thepowers which by the general corporation law are conferredupon corporations; and in addition thereto, shall have fillthe powers and be subject to all the restrictions which now or


hereafter may pertain by law to membership corporations, sofar as the same are applicable thereto, and are not inconsistentwith the provisions of this act. I t shall also have the powerto take and hold by bequest, devise, gift, purchase, lease, orby judicial order or decree, either absolutely or in trust forany of its purposes, or in trust for any of the corporationsformed for charitable, benevolent or educational purposesreferred to in the section thereof, any property, real orpersonal, without limitation as to amount or value, exceptsuch limitation, if any, as the legislature may hereafterspecifically impose; to sell, mortgage, lease, exchange, convey,or otherwise dispose of or transfer such property; to investand re-invest the principal thereof and the surplus incometherefrom; to expend the principal and income of any trustfund which it may take and hold as herein provided, in accor-dance with the terms of the trust upon which the same shallbe held, and to expend the principal and income of anyproperty held by it absolutely, or in trust for its generalpurposes, in such manner as in the judgment of its trusteeswill best promote its objects.

SECTION 2. The objects of said corporation shall be, andit is hereby further empowered, to aid, support, and advise,and to conduct, by itself or in co-operation with any charitable,benevolent or educational corporation, association, committee,or any other agency, now or hereafter existing which shall beaffiliated with the corporation hereby organized, any or allphilanthropic work which shall be carried on within the stateof New York or elsewhere, and which shall be primarily forthe benefit of the Jews of New York City, including the susten-ance, shelter and relief of the needy and of such persons asare dependent and sick, crippled, deformed, chronic invalids,


convalescents, infants, orphans, widows, aged, infirm, forsaken,deaf, dumb, blind, defectives or delinquents; the assistance ofimmigrants and their children; the moral, religious and phys-ical training of the young and adolescent; the securing ofemployment for those in need thereof; the promotion of self-support and other cognate ends; but not excluding any othercharitable or benevolent purposes not herein enumerated.

SECTION 3. The objects of said corporation shall furtherbe, to secure for the affiliated corporations referred to in sectiontwo hereof, heretofore or hereafter organized under any lawof this state for any of the aforesaid purposes, adequatemeans of support in furtherance of the purposes for which suchcorporations shall be severally formed; to provide efficientmethods for the collection and distribution of moneys orproperty contributed for their maintenance in accordance withthe wishes of individual contributors, when expressed, andin default of any designation by the contributors, in suchmanner as it shall deem just and equitable; to relieve suchcorporations from making separate appeals to the public andindependent collections of funds, so as to enable them themore effectively to carry on their philanthropic activities; tofoster co-operation among them; to avoid waste in administra-tion; to stimulate financial economy, and to encourage suchfurther charitable, benevolent or educational work among theJews of the city of New York as may not be sufficiently carriedon by any existing organization.

SECTION 4. The persons named in the first section of thisact shall constitute the first board of trustees and membersof the corporation. They, or a majority of them, shall holda meeting to organize the corporation, and adopt By-Laws notinconsistent with this act, or with the laws of the state, which


shall prescribe the qualifications of members; the manner oftheir selection; the amount of annual dues to be paid by them;their voting power, the number of trustees, not less than thirty-six, by whom the business and affairs of the corporation shallbe managed; the classification of such trustees and the dura-tion of the terms of office of each class of trustees; the qualifica-tions, powers and manner of selection of the several of theclasses of trustees and of the officers of the corporation; themanner in which vacancies among the trustees occurring bydeath, resignation, increase in number, or in any other way,shall be filled; the creation of an executive committee withpower to conduct the activities of the corporation betweenthe several meeetings of the trustees, and of a board ofdelegates to represent this corporation and the philanthropiccorporations or agencies referred to in the second sectionhereof, and define the powers to be exercised by or which maybe delegated to them; the method of amending the By-Lawsof the corporation, and such other provisions for its manage-ment and government, the disposition of its property andthe regulation of its affairs, as may be deemed expedient.The by-laws may also prescribe the terms and conditionsupon which the several philanthropic corporations or agenciesspecified in the second section hereof may become affiliatedwith this corporation as beneficiaries of its activities; regulatethe relations between this corporation and such affiliatedcorporations or agencies; make provision to carry out anyagreement with, or any terms and conditions accepted by, suchcorporations or agencies or any of them which may be conferredon members of this corporation; empower such corporations oragencies now or hereafter affiliated with this corporation todesignate such number of trustees with such voting power


as may be stated in the by-laws, in addition to the trusteesselected by the members of this corporation.

SECTION 5. This corporation is not established and shallnot be maintained or conducted for pecuniary profit, butshall be and remain a charitable corporation. None of itstrustees, officers, members or employees shall receive or belawfully entitled to receive any pecuniary profit from theoperations thereof, except reasonable compensation for servicesin effecting one or more of its corporate objects or as properbeneficiaries of its strictly charitable purposes."

On June 24, in accordance with the Enabling Act, theFederation was formally organized with the following societiesdeclared affiliated: Association for the Improved Instructionof Deaf-Mutes, Beth Israel Hospital, Committee for the Careof Jewish Tuberculous, Crippled Children's East Side FreeSchool, Educational Alliance, Emanuel Sisterhood, Free Syna-gogue Social Service, Hebrew Free Loan, Hebrew OrphanAsylum, Hebrew Sheltering Guardian, Hebrew Technical In-stitute, Hebrew Technical School for Girls, Home for Agedand Infirm Hebrews, Home for Hebrew Infants, Hospital forDeformities and Joint Diseases, Jewish Protectory, LebanonHospital, Montefiore.Home, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sanitariumfor Hebrew Children, United Hebrew Charities, WidowedMothers' Fund, Young Men's Hebrew Association, YoungWomen's Hebrew Association, Ahawath Chesed Sisterhood,Amelia Eelief Society, Beth El Sisterhood, Blythedale Home,B'nai Jeshurun Sisterhood, Brightside Day Nursery, CeresSewing Circle, Children's Haven, Columbia Religious andIndustrial School, Crippled Children's Driving Fund, EmanuelBrotherhood, Federated Employment Bureau for Jewish Girls,Federation Settlement, Fellowship House, Jewish Big Brother


Association, Jewish Maternity Hospital, Jewish SabbathAssociation, Jewish Working Girls' Vacation, Ladies Bene-ficiary, Ladies Fuel and Aid, Lakeview Home, Mount SinaiTraining School for Nurses, National Desertion Bureau,National Hospital for Consumptives, Eecreation Kooms andSettlement, Eodef Sholom Sisterhood, Shaaray Telfila Sister-hood, Sisterhood of Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue,Stony Wold Auxiliary, Temple Israel Sisterhood.

When Federation was declared operative, the total of sub-scriptions secured was $2,000,000, and the number ofsubscribers 9,500. At the end of the first year, the totalof subscriptions was $2,400,000, and the number of subscribershad increased to 17,000.

On June 24, 1917, when Federation was incorporated, thenumber of societies affiliated was fifty-five. On January 1,1918, the number of affiliated societies had increased to eighty-four.

From the inception of Federation two vital aims have beenheld steadily before the Trustees. One was the securing oflarger funds for the support of the philanthropic institutionsof the city. The other was to increase the nujnber of members,so that it might be said that Jewish philanthropy was receiv-ing the support of the entire Jewish community.

In the fall of 1917 an organization was developed with theaim of canvassing every district in the city so as to reachthose who had in the past not contributed to any of theorganized philanthropies in the city. The campaign was con-centrated within a period of two weeks. A novel feature wasthe transformation of the regulation afternoon rallies, heldfor the purpose of receiving reports from the various workers,into meetings which were utilized for educational propaganda


on the subject of Jewish philanthropic work in New YorkCity. Five-minute addresses were delivered on various topics,all touching on the work of the Federation and its societies.The campaign was noteworthy also in that the co-operationwas secured of the larger fraternal organizations, such as theIndependent Order Free Sons of Israel, Independent OrderB'nai Brith, Independent Order Brith Abraham, etc. Inaddition to the subscriptions of the members of these orders,the lodges themselves enrolled themselves as contributingmembers to the Federation.

When the campaign was completed, over 51,000 new membershad been enrolled, making a total of upwards of 71,000 con-tributing members to the Federation.

The Federation guarantees to the affiliated societies certainamounts based upon the receipts of the societies from member-ship dues, subscriptions, and donations in the year 1915. Theguarantee to the affiliated societies is $1,429,362.52. Thefunds available for Federation purposes in 1918 are $2,600,-000. In other words, the Federation in the second year of itsexistence has raised funds over $1,100,000 in excess of whathad been raised prior to the organization of the Federation.This is an increase of over eighty per cent.

The experience in New York has demonstrated severalthings. In the first place, the deadlock has been broken. Whatten years ago was deemed to be an impossibility is now anactuality. There is a Federation. I t has been formed inaccordance with the plan that has received the approval of allthe constituent societies. The old fear that a Federationwould interfere with the autonomy of the institutions nolonger exists. In no way, directly or indirectly, has there


been any tendency to regulate the operation of the societiesor to affect the administration of their work.

As an agency for securing additional funds from the com-munity and increasing the number of subscribers to theGeneral Fund, the Federation has demonstrated its successin a magnificent way. Upwards of $3,000,000 in annual con-tributions pass through the office of the Federation, designatedto Federation purposes and distributed to unaffiliated societiesin accordance with the wishes of the contributors. Upwardsof nine hundred societies receive funds in accordance withthe designations of the members of the Federation—this inaddition to the eighty-four societies affiliated with theFederation.

The entire community has been welded into a solid unit.There is no division of up-town or down-town nor any othersort of division within the Federation. Problems of the com-munity are considered in the broadest possible way, and thedecisions are accepted by the constituent societies as the resultof the most careful deliberation. The various campaignshave developed new groups of workers; men and women neverbefore connected with Jewish work have rallied to the causeof the Federation, and have contributed in no small measureto its remarkable success.

The committees of the Federation are considering the generalproblems, of community welfare, and for the first time in thehistory of the Jewish community in New York City opportu-nity is given for the full consideration of problems that affectmany institutions. The possibilities for co-ordination andco-operation are practically unlimited. Up to the present verylittle has been accomplished in a positive way to show theresults of these conferences. They carry within themselves,


however, potentialities that are immeasurable. The citationof some of. these problems may be of interest as indicating thetrend of thought. The following list is selected:

What are the arguments for and against a single placing-outbureau for the two large child-caring institutions now affili-ated with the Federation? Would such a bureau be moreeconomical and conserve the best interests of the communityand of the institutions ?

What institutions must be developed or created to care forfoundlings who may be offered for adoption ?

How can co-operation be established between the variousinstitutions and the Department of Education of the city withthe view of determining whether the City Department may notmore effectively take over parts of the educational work nowcarried on in the institutions affiliated with the Federation ?

What plan can be formulated to co-ordinate all types ofplacement and vocational guidance work now carried on inthe institutions with the view of making present work moreeffective and preparing for the demands that will be madeupon employment agencies in the period of adjustment afterthe war?

What plan will be most effective to care for cardiacs?Is it possible to develop a committee for the social care

of the Jewish sick, which shall consider all constructive plansof rehabilitating those who are temporarily or permanentlyincapacitated from carrying on their regular employment?

What are the hospital needs t)f the Bronx ? To what extentcan existing institutions be reorganized and merged so as tomake adequate provision for this section of the Jewish com-munity ?


What are the needs and what are the present facilities ofthe institutions affiliated with the Federation with referenceto summer recreation, either for a period of two weeks or forweek-end holidays? What is the best method of developingexisting facilities in order adequately to provide for theproblem ?

The Federation has already achieved one definite, co-ordi-nated plan. The preventive and after-care work for juveniledelinquents has been co-ordinated under a central committee,which represents four different agencies, all affiliated with theFederation. Adequate funds have been provided by theFederation, and for the first time in the history of the com-munity the problem is being properly taken care of inaccordance with a plan which is comprehensive in outline andwhich has received the approval not only of the professionalworkers but of the directors of the various institutionsconcerned.

An Advisory Purchasing Committee has been formed whichhas already effected joint purchases of goods in bulk. Thiswill be greatly extended in the coming year with the idea ofeffecting even greater economies.

A committee has been organized to consider the problemof the standardization of salaries paid to social workers andof developing a plan for. providing pensions for all those inthe service of the societies affiliated with the Federation.

Under the direction of Mr. Leopold Plaut, the Presidentof the United Hebrew Charities^ Mr. A. Oseroff, the ExecutiveDirector, and Mr. Morris D. Waldman, formerly ExecutiveDirector of the United Hebrew Charities and now ExecutiveDirector of the Boston Federation, a plan is being developedwhereby all relief work is to be co-ordinated under the direc-

JEWISH FEDERATION OP NEW YORK CITY 145

tion of the United Hebrew Charities. The work of the sister-hoods is to be standardized, while the invaluable personalservice rendered by the members of the sisterhoods will, in theopinion of those who are furthering the plan, not be in anysense reduced.

Such, then, is a brief record of the organization of the NewYork Federation, its material growth in the first year and ahalf of its existence.

One type of influence, however, which is being steadilyexercised in the Jewish community, which cannot adequatelybe expressed in words nor can it be reduced to statistics isthis: For a year and a half a Board of Trustees has met toconsider the problems connected with the greatest Jewish com-munity in the world. This Board consists for the most partof Trustees delegated by the various institutions. With yearsof tradition behind them, it was but natural that they camestrongly imbued with the feeling of institutional pride andof institutional accomplishment. A great forward step hasbeen made in that the requirements of individual institutionsare now considered subordinate in the deliberations of theBoard of Trustees to the greater problems of the community asa whole. What were before conflicting elements are graduallycoming together. Where there was in previous years a pullingapart there is now a steady forging ahead. Through direct con-tact in committees and at the meetings of the Board, the Trus-tees are beginning to understand one another. Institutions arecoming to a better appreciation of the problems presented byfields other than those in which they are laboring. The workersthemselves, the superintendents, are co-operating to the fullestextent.


The problems that are still to be met are many. Thedifficulties to be overcome are great. There will be manyanxious days ahead, but so firmly has the Federation planteditself in the institutional management of the Jewish commu-nity that those who are responsible for the success of theFederation feel that there is no problem so great but thatFederation can find its solution. The feeling is optimisticin the highest degree.

While the size of New York City seems to render it immune,for the time being at all events, there is discussion in certainquarters of New York and in many cities through the UnitedStates of a new form of Federation which is worthy of theclosest study. Many cities have already organized war chests;joint funds are accumulated to take care of all war needs andof local philanthropies as well. I t is as yet too early to saywhat the outcome of this movement will be. I t must not beforgotten that the demands for war-time activities will ceasewhen peace once more is with us. In the meantime, thegreatest care must be taken that the continuous and depend-able support of local philanthropies shall not in any way beplaced in jeopardy by the combination of many funds into asingle war chest.

This is not to be interpreted in any sense as a questioningof the value of the war-chest idea. I t is intended merely toserve as a note of warning indicating what should be theattitude of those upon whom must fall the tremendousresponsibility of maintaining peace-time philanthropies intime of war, so that their efficiency may not be impaired andthat their organization may be ready to take over at the close ofthe war the added burden which the period of rehabilitationand readjustment necessarily brings with it.

THE JEWISH POPULATION OP THE UNITED STATES - Census.gov · THE JEWISH POPULATION OP THE UNITED STATES BY SAMSON D. OPPENHEIM, J. D. DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF JEWISH STATISTICS AND

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