Kratak pregled istorije doseljavanja Jevreja u SAD do 1924. godine: seminarski rad

Abstract

Iskustvo američkih Jevreja je oblikovano tokom mnogih generacija i uticalo je na živote jevrejskih doseljenika koji su uglavnom crpeli inspiraciju iz sopstvene bogate tradicije kao i sticanjem novih iskustava kroz stalnu komunikaciju sa svojim američkim sunarodnicima nejevrejskog porekla. Ta raznolikost je jevrejsku zajednicu u Americi vremenom učinila jedinstvenom u odnosu na ostale jevrejske zajednice u svetu ali je često činila i različitom od ostalih Amerikanaca. Tako je američko jevrejstvo razvilo sopstveni identitet u mnogočemu različit od ostalih Jevreja. Sama činjenica da su se doseljavali u sredinu oformljenu od mnoštva emigranata činila je da Jevreji nisu morali kriti sopstveni identitet, niti je asimilacija bila izražena. Jevrejska zajednica se konstituisala u nekoliko većih luka na Atlantskom okeanu. Život je bio organizovan hijerarhijski, a domovi su bili uvek oko sinagoge. Poštovao se šabat, jela se košer hrana a deca vaspitavana u jevrejskom duhu. Jevreji u Americi nisu bili stigmatizovani ni bojom svoje kože niti katoličkim nasleđem. Takođe, religija je prihvaćena kao privatna stvar, a politička i ljudska prava su uglavnom bila uvažavana. Dvadesetih godina devetnaestog veka useljeničke kvote su predstavljale veliki problem, kao i kvote za upisivanje na koledž i slično. Iako nije bilo direktnih aktivnosti protiv jevrejske zajednice, rasistički stavovi su dovodili do određenih društvenih i političkih diskriminacija. Ovi stavovi su veoma ograničavali Jevreje u svakodnevnom životu i društvenom delovanju. Sve to dovodi do toga da mnogi Jevreji, uklapajući se u većinsku sredinu, napuštaju svoje jevrejsko nasleđe ili gube kontakt sa njim i asimiliraju se u hrišćansku većinu. U ovom radu prikazan je kratak pregled istorije doseljavanja Jevreja u Sjedinjene američke države do 1924. godine (kada su uvedena stroga ograničenja na useljeničke kvote), njihovi motivi za dolazak kao i teškoće sa kojima su se susretali.

The American Jewish experience was shaped over many generations and influenced the lives of Jewish settlers who were mostly inspired by their rich traditions as well as gaining new experiences through constant communication with their non-Jewish American compatriots. This diversity over time made the Jewish community in America unique compared to other Jewish communities in the world, but it also often made it different from other Americans. Thus, American Jewry developed its own identity in many respects different from other Jews. The very fact that they were moving into an environment formed by many emigrants meant that Jews did not have to hide their identity, nor was assimilation expressed. The Jewish community was established in several major ports on the Atlantic Ocean. Life was organized hierarchically, and homes were always around the synagogue. Shabbat was respected, kosher food was eaten, and children were raised in the Jewish spirit. Jews in America were not stigmatized either by the color of their skin or by their heritage. Also, religion was accepted as a private matter, and political and human rights were generally respected. In the 1820s, immigration quotas were a big problem, as were college admissions quotas. Although there were no direct activities against the Jewish community, racist attitudes led to certain social and political discriminations. These attitudes greatly limited Jews in everyday life and social activities. All this leads to many Jews, fitting into the majority environment, abandoning their Jewish heritage or losing contact with it, and assimilating into the Christian majority. This paper presents a brief overview of the history of Jewish immigration to the United States until 1924 (when strong restrictions on immigration quotas were taken into), their motives for coming, and the difficulties they had.