Despite the fact that this channel currently remains firmly in the Victorian period, I feel compelled to comment on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last night for the benefit of our friends and followers in Minhag Anglia. UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has composed a special prayer for the Queen linked below, while Sephardic Senior Rabbi Joseph Dweck has offered his condolences. I was unable to find any announcement of special services regarding the Queen’s passing, but I would be surprised if nothing was done to memorialize her at tonight’s shabbat services in any active UK synagogue. If you don’t know where to go, I would suggest the West London Synagogue (reform) as it has been the most explicit in marking the news. I hope you enjoyed this video, and God save the King. -Sam Aronow twitter.com/chiefrabbi/status/1567950100252758016
@Bob McBob An American _and_ an Israeli! _Two_ former imperial subjects that became republics! But both countries are now friends with the UK (thanks respectively to Ramsay MacDonald and Harold Wilson) and it's simply a matter of respect.
I always wondered why Reform Judaism was so extremely strong in the US. As an Israeli (where Reform Jews are almost inexistant, there is basically only Orthodox Jews in different levels of observance, from Atheists to fully observants) this is something that was extremely hard to grasp, now seeing the bigger picture it only makes sense....
Because 1) The early Zionists whom the vast majority had Socialist ideals, weren't religious at all, 2) The religious who lived in the area were either Ortodox from the Old-Yishuv, Mizrahi Jews whom of course did not have any connections to reform Judaism and religious Zionists that are essentially founded out of moderate Ortodox that were more Zionist (Even the founder of religious Zionism - the Rabbi Kook, was an Ortodox). 3) Israeli does not have many Jews of Western European origin, but Mizrahi and Eastern European (Even most of the French Jews im Israel are descendents of Frenchified Maghrebi Jews). "צרפוקאים" Most of the reformists in Europe were exterminated in the holocaust and the few that left, were more likely to stay or immigrate to America. Those who fled to Israel after the holocaust were mainly Eastern Europeans (from pretty obvious reasons, they were less likely to stay). בכנות, אתה אי פעם פגשת אישית בארץ יהודי ממוצא בריטי, הולנדי או שווייצרי? Reform Judaism was mainly a Western European thing. That resembles the demographics of the American Jews - and less the Israeli Jews. But what actually interesting to me, is how it isn't widespread among the Jews from Latin America. As well as how did it effected on the rest of the Jews in the Anglo British Empire (South Africa, Australia, NZ...) And why didn't many American Jews came to Israel? This question is very relevant to this day. (What I wrote in here applies Canada to the US and not the Empire).
@@מ.מ-ה9ד In order for large numbers of American Jews to move to Israel, there must be a widespread impetus to leave the United States. No such impetus has existed in American history. Even in the 1920s, which I would consider the apex of American political antisemitism, it wasn't worth it. For this reason, the few American Israelis tend to either be very religious or old-school SocDem/DemSocs like myself. And additionally, there is a perception in the US that we make up a _much_ larger share of Israel's population than we do.
@@themacandcheeseorca1128 Well! It’s unlikely in Los Angeles, CA. Reformed Jewish Angelenos are expecting the Metro D Line and Metro Regional Connector to open which will bypass traffic.
I love the way the line at 14:14 is worded. The implication that Emperor Joshua Norton was one of the most renowned Jewish rabbis of North America is the best thing I've ever heard
One thing that consistently impresses me with this channel is that Sam also is working to improve his videos, both in content and in presentation. It's always been enjoyable, but goes from good to better and better.
I knew, I just KNEW that there was gonna be an Atun-Shei reference in here! Would be amazing if you guys did a special, maybe the history Judaisim in New Orleans, or the South in general?
Late, but that'd be interesting. There's even an old synagogue in Natchez, Mississippi. No clue if it's still active, but it looked to be just about as old as the Catholic basilica in the city.
"Fuck you" is about the best way to put it, yea. It will never not be bitterly AMAZING to me that in the United States of America of all places, a nation whose very bedrock is that everyone here is from somewhere else save for the natives can have such a history of venom toward those very immigrants. It's like so many of us wish the door had simply slammed shut behind us when OUR family came to America, because for some reason WE deserved it and THOSE people didn't. Jewish history in the CSA only proves an important rule. It does not matter how hard you tokenize yourself, how much of your own interest you sell out to convince people you're "One of the good ones." Bigots and hate mongers will never accept you, the only thing you will have gained is a hole in the chest where your soul used to go.
@@samwill7259 You'd be surprised how often it works, actually. The best way to unite people is often against a different entity. And frankly, the argument against bigotry can sometimes sound like arguments against common sense; like thinking about the arguments about illegal immigration for example. But shilling for literal race supremacy is always a bad, so cursing them out is more than fair. It's just the logic behind your comment that I contend with.
@@stephenjenkins7971 I disagree on the basis that I don't recognize any immigration laws and legitimate and therefore don't recognize the difference between legal or illegal immigration as concepts. I don't even recognize BORDERS as a legitimate concept
It's interesting how Grant's checkered past relationship with Judaism giving way to him becoming very outwardly pro-Jewish in his later political career, kinda mirrors the curious contradiction found in the fact that he was both the last US president to have owned slaves, while he was also one of the most important figures in laying the initial constitutional and political groundwork upon which the rights of and safety of freed slaves was built. Truly a man of contradictions.
You could also say about Friedrich Hecker, the former German Revolutionary who led the 82nd IL before Salomon and was praised by Moses Hess. And Bismarck for that matter, whom will be seen again alongside Grant!
I adore the fact you put Indigenous nations on the map! To note: Iroquois (or IROQ.) should probably be Haudenosaunee (or HAUD.). If you need the names of Indigenous countries (e.g., Nitassinan, Očhethi Šakowiŋ, Tsalaguwetiyi, Mi'kma'ki, etc.) for future videos, let me know!
As someone not of Jewish background, and mostly unaware of Jewish American history, this video was a really fascinating glimpse into elements of my home's story I was totally ignorant of. Thank you very much for this!
This channel opened my eyes to Jewish History. I've been binge watching your channel, and as a gentile, I am thoroughly enjoying it. Keep up the good work!
Excellent video as always Sam! I especially loved the San Francisco section, as my Dad grew up there and attended Lowell High School along with the descendents of Levi Stauss! Kudos also for acknowledging Emperor Norton's abolitionist credentials (also a staunch opponent of anti-Chinese discrimination). Never knew about the first female rabbi in the US being a San Franciscan! Love the Ken Burns nods throughout! And the Atun-Shei Films nod of course!
Just wanted to let you know that as a gentile, when this was my first suggestion I was so excited that I didn't even look to see what else was new on TH-cam before watching this. I love your channel. Keep up the good work and have a blessed sabbath.
"Brothels charged a premium on Jewish prostitutes, especially if they were natural Redheads." Please elaborate. I understand that people fetishise Jewish women, but why Redheaded Jewish Women? Is it a Jewish fetishisation+Redhead fetishisation combo or is there something about Redheaded Jewish Women?
I think it’s the intersection of two distinct preferences, or at least that’s how Herbert Asbury makes it sound in _The Barbary Coast._ I’ve never come across an explicit fetish for Jewish redheads.
@@SamAronow Apparently people used to associate being Redheaded with being Jewish in Medieval Europe. So perhaps being Redheaded symbolised that they were 'pure' Jews?
And you'd be right. I think the platform overall has much more to say about Gilded Age sociology than it does about Judaism, so it is certainly historically interesting, but religiously I think its importance is overrated.
That heavy Ken Burns hype on the intro! Loved this video from the American Experience intro to the incredible Aronow family photo at the end. With your videos only getting more on point, maybe its time for the Nat. Endowment for the Humanitites to come thru as a patron?
I always love your secret messages for like a frame or a few, so you: 1) just see a picture of someone who will be coming up later to foreshadow them, or 2) as you do here at 7:20, state an unpleasant truth. I have learned so much from your videos over the past year that I have been watching them. Toda!
I feel like at some point, this series is bound to get major institutional backing. The quality is so consistent in its baseline and its growth. It started great but keeps getting better!
Very interesting (as always ;). I always thought reform Judaism was something created and codified in Germany and was transplanted into America by immigrants. From your telling, this was more of a pure American creation, that developed out of the American Jewish experience, independent of German influence. The story of the quick influx of Jews to San Francisco reminded me of one of my favorite movies called the Frisco Kid, which supposedly takes place in 1850. Gene Wilder is a fairly orthodox Jew from the old country, who has to travel across the US on horseback to get to San Francisco, to become their new rabbi. The scenes with Harrison Ford, who he meets along the way are classics. Highly recommended.
I wrote my senior thesis on confederate Jewry and it was enjoyable seeing a lot of the same people I researched brought up in this video. Although I will say that rabbi wise initially tried to justify slavery and didn’t support the north in what he believed was his way to keep Jews unified. His attitude did change by the end of the war.
I read Wise's comments, and in context it's clear that he is distinguishing between the form of slavery described in the Torah (which was more akin to indentured servitude) and chattel slavery as a rebuttal against religious defenders of the institution.
Interesting on how the "old" settlement pattern fit in with the classic "German Triangle" (Cincinnati, St Louis, and Milwaukee, more often than not coming through Baltimore). Since the next wave is going to be MUCH more urban. Also I assume, having a glut of Rabbis. Are we going to hear about some underemployed Rabbi from Budapest and his kids?
I wouldn't say that about the settlement pattern. In 1880 the majority of American Jews lived in just six cities, and Chicago was the only Midwestern one. Cincinnati was only a major center of Jewish thought because it happened to be the _first_ major city in the Midwest.
Thank you for the sober, (almost*) neutral perspective. Unpacked just last week did an episode about American Reform Judaism and cited the 1885 document you read. They treated it like it was more influential then you regarded it. Now, I'm not a historian, and I don't know which one of you is more correct about this, but I love hearing the different voices on these topics. *: Your anti-antisemetic bit was awesome. BURNED!
A likud mp also used it a few months ago when he attacked the reform chief rabbi of israel, also an mp, on the Knesset floor, citing the document as proof that reform Judaism is antizionist by default and is an evil faith. Really disgusting stuff. The document was barely agreed in any reform congregation, and in the 1930s, with zionism being very mainstream in jewish culture, reform leaders signed that they were in agreement that Zionism is an integral part of Jewish faith
I actually avoid _Unpacked_ to avoid the possibility of accidental plagiarism (compare to Henry Abramson who has a very different style of presentation, so it's not as much of an issue), but I love hearing the parallels and contrasts between us.
@@itayeldad3317 Yes, the Ragak is a friend of mine and it has not escaped my notice that Radical Reform, which has never existed in the time Israel as been a country, lives on as a strawman for the Israeli religious right.
Sam, you are a shining diamond of your subject. I don't even relate or objectively cared about any of this, yet the whole academic-realist approach to the matter is something attention can't avoid. If anybody told you that details don't make an accessible approach to the subject on youtube specificity grabbing world, don't listen. I'd rather subscribe to you 300 times, even if I'm realistically completely outside of any clickbait.
The municipal cemetery in Natchez, Mississippi has a 19th-century Jewish section in which everyone is German. The only local killed in the brief Union attack in 1862 is in that section.
I just wanted to say,it make me really proud watching this and your other videos. To keep it short I didn’t know my dads family was Jewish until 4 years ago. I feel like I’m getting to know who they were through your stories. So thanks
The lack of separation of church and state in Massachusetts (official religion: Congregationalism, aka Puritanism) was a major inadvertent factor in the development and widespread acceptance of Unitarianism (part of Unitarian Universalism). It seems that all of the Congregational churches were considered public, and thus the stakeholders included not only the (generally more conservative and puritanical) full church members, but also the (more liberal) general population, which preferred liberal, Unitarian interpretations of religion. After some litigation, courts ruled that the churches had to listen to the population in general, and so numerous Congregational churches became Unitarian churches overnight. The conservatives got fed up with this and voted to separate church from state in Massachusetts.
I admit I was trying to figure out what the holiest UU place was. It turns out that Unitarian Universalism doesn't have an official hierarchy, but it seems that there is a de facto "most historical place" of UU in ... Boston, Massachusetts. (Unitarians also like Walden Pond and Concord because they like the Transcendentalists.) There are a few historical UU congregations still extant there and plenty of history. So I found myself positing that the "most holy place" in UU might actually be Boston Common or a general area nearby.
I know two abolintists who were anti Semitic towards Jewish people. They were William Lloyd Garrison and Lydia Marie Child. Although William Lloyd Garrison was supportive of immediately ending slavery due to how horrible it was and he also supported rights for African Americans and also supported the right for women to vote and Lydia Marie Child opposed The Trail of Tears and supported Native American rights they were still people and they weren't perfect and while we should acknowledge the good things that they did we should also acknowledge the fact that they had anti Semitic beliefs towards Jewish people and other flaws that they had.
Excellent video! I never thought the expansions towards the West and Mexican territories was primarily to extend slave states and only after the discovery of gold in California the whole march towards West became what I knew. It never fails to impress me how much slavery shaped the history of the US.
@@marksimons8861 It does, but such horrid institutions also shape the present of every nation in history. The US is just far more honest about it rather than trying to pretend it doesn't exist.
The Rodef Shalom congregation in Pittsburgh where the convention was held still stands today. There are a lot of antiques and paintings inside, some of which relate to it. I can get you some pictures if you want.
In addition to being America, the decades and decades of no rabbi set Judaism in America on a independent, individual path. Had never thought about the one reflecting the other. Thanks again, Sam, for sharing this.
I could see them doing it as them butchering history like they did with the liberty bell. For those having trouble seeing the one-frame joke you can move frame by frame with the < and > keys.
I believe it is because the vast majority of American Jews are descended from those who came after this time-- the late 1800s to 1920s, mostly from Eastern Europe.
Even though the Reform Movement has added back many rituals it once discarded, the main reason for its success today is its embrace of intermarriage and patrilineal descent. In another generation or two, most Reform American Jews will not be Jewish according to halacha if trends continue.
7:20 the message that flashes on the screen is "The Gang Commits a Pogrom" It went way too fast for me to read properly and it took me 5 times to pause it enough to read it.
It is sad to see that Sephardic are totally dismissed from this video narrative. The first Rabbis were Sephardic Jews. Sephardic synagogues were not reform.
I'm a super fan of your work Sam... I get emotional to every video you post... Would you organize a real world meeting in Israel 🇮🇱 ? Would love to meet you...
This was a really cool episode! Just out of curiousity, were there Jewish communities established in British North America (aka Canada) during this time period, and if so, did their traditions follow the same path as Judaism in the United States during this same time period?
Yes, and it was very similar, though they had a later start, and systemic antisemitism was _much_ more prevalent throughout Canadian history. You can probably guess the main reason why, though it took many forms across the country; only the Maritime Provinces lacked any antisemitic movement in modern times. I'd really love to do a special on Canada, though figuring out its place in my schedule is challenging.
It’s weird to see New York, NY & Brooklyn, NY as distinct cities but of course they were in 1880. Still a strange way to look at the numbers from the 21st century perspective where today’s NYC basically has 1st & 3rd spots in this list 😅
recently i went to a Babylonian synagougue for the first time (before I only went once to an Ashkenazi one and multipole times to a sephardic one) and after the prayer we had a Shabbat Chatan and while we ate my parents talked with the fairly Young rabbi about all sorts of things but then my mother asked him if he thinks that a unified Israeli Minhag would arise and he answered that he thinks it'll happen in the next 100 years do you think wer'e getting closer to a unified minhag or further away?
I know that's just a minor element of the whole story, but can I just say how awesome it is that they decided to distance themselves not just from biblical literalism but also creationism in the Pittsburgh Platform, as well as to officially embrace the scientific explanation for the diversity of life? Also, I'm curious -- did this particular point cause any serious controversy within the Jewish community at the time?
@@SamAronow Let me rephrase that. I know that biblical literalism is mainly a Christian thing. Still, even the Christian groups that weren't strictly literalist and accepted, say, the geological evidence for the age of the Earth, weren't always comfortable with evolution. And this was still the 19th century, mere 26 years after the publication of Darwin's "On the Origin...". While it was already the best available scientific explanation for the diversity of life, it was still in its relative infancy. Taken together with the declarations of friendship towards Christians and Muslims, the Pittsburgh Platform sounds quite progressive even by today's standards.
I have enjoyed many of your episodes on Jewish history and the details you go into. A great deal of information. Thank you very much. On another topic, what is the piece of music playing at the beginning of the video?
Wait. Wasn't Louisiana French? Hence the Louisiana purchase you might have mentioned in an earlier episode in which the US federal government bought the Louisiana territories from Napoleon Bonaparte.
Louisiana was French until 1764, when control was transferred to Spain in accordance with the 1762 Treaty of San Ildefonso. In 1800, Napoleon secured the re-acquisition of the territory, but it didn't go into effect until 9 March 1803, by which time it had already been sold to the US, which officially took control the following day (known as "Three Flags Day").
Outstanding episode! Especially liked the tying of the Mexican War to the expansion of slavery (a Texas public school teacher would get in trouble for saying that) and how the “forty-eighters” thwarted that.
Specific to Texas, I think there's been a little overcorrection. Certainly the expansion of slavery was the aim of _one_ of the factions of Texas Revolutionaries, and ultimately the ones that took power and purged the other. Luckily the Seguín stuff is starting to see the light of day. That's also why I made sure to mention all _four_ California rebellions, as a rejoinder to those who only know the last one and assume it was purely a US-sponsored land-grab.
@@SamAronow I recently read Forget the Alamo, by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford. They argue that cotton profit was the impetus to settle East Texas, going back to 1820 and before. Lots of fun details in that book about, for example, Austin's negotiations with Mexico.
I do at like how you just casually mention Emperor Norton with no further elaboration. I imagine that you have some viewers who were very confused add who the hell he was.
I think that the influx of 48ers of all or no faith is under-appreciated in the popular understanding or US history. that and the "hungry 40s" (Including the potato famine in Ireland) providing the Union with hundreds of thousands who had no truck with slavery. .
Great Episode, but you missed someone: A Jewish Baseball pioneer and innovator from Ft Wayne, Indiana, Louis Wilbur Heilbroner, managed the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1900 season. Heilbroner was also a pioneer in baseball statistics, and in 1909, he founded the first commercial Baseball statistical bureau.
10:12 Is the dragon flag meant to be the Qing Dynasty’s flag? If so…they didn’t use ANY flag until 1888, the flag adopted then was rectangular, and the dragon took a straighter form😅
My understanding is that the Jews who came to New Amsterdam in 1654 from Recife, Brazil came with their rabbi. They are the founders of Shearith Israel in New York City. The reason that they came to New Amsterdam is because they were expelled from Brazil. The expulsion wasn't declared IN the Americas, sure, but it did expel Jews from part of the Americas. (And yes, I know...The expulsion in question, technically, wasn't even declared at that time. It was just a matter of the land changing hands from Dutch control to Portuguese control.)
Wonderfully illuminating documentaries! I send them to friends and family. It explains so much the strange and alienated relationship many American Jews have with their own cultures and religion.
Is the Jews under Roosevelt picture gonna be one of your future thumbnails? I always thought that period was interesting. And what was the major wave of antisemitism in the 60s? For the life of me I can't figure out what you're talking about, and my grandparents tell me so much about Jewish life at that time and before that. I know Nixon was an antisemite but it doesn't seem like he was very public about it, and that was later. It'll be very interesting when we get to that period.
@@jessetaran7116 This was before what you're thinking of and more in the vein of what happened in 19th Century London, with Jews and Jewish culture becoming genuinely in vogue.
another great video, jewish american culture sometimes seems more american than it even is jewish, but in an era of assimilation, it seems that was not considered a bad thing. Edit: also the southern proclaimed love of jews is actually much...weirder, and that's all i am going to say.
Despite the fact that this channel currently remains firmly in the Victorian period, I feel compelled to comment on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last night for the benefit of our friends and followers in Minhag Anglia. UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has composed a special prayer for the Queen linked below, while Sephardic Senior Rabbi Joseph Dweck has offered his condolences.
I was unable to find any announcement of special services regarding the Queen’s passing, but I would be surprised if nothing was done to memorialize her at tonight’s shabbat services in any active UK synagogue. If you don’t know where to go, I would suggest the West London Synagogue (reform) as it has been the most explicit in marking the news. I hope you enjoyed this video, and God save the King.
-Sam Aronow
twitter.com/chiefrabbi/status/1567950100252758016
what the fuck
@@bijtmntongaf
On what?
The fact that Lizzie’s death has got Americans to say God Save The King after so many centuries must make George III very happy.
@Bob McBob An American _and_ an Israeli! _Two_ former imperial subjects that became republics! But both countries are now friends with the UK (thanks respectively to Ramsay MacDonald and Harold Wilson) and it's simply a matter of respect.
Thanks man. And I'm sure I will 😃
I always wondered why Reform Judaism was so extremely strong in the US. As an Israeli (where Reform Jews are almost inexistant, there is basically only Orthodox Jews in different levels of observance, from Atheists to fully observants) this is something that was extremely hard to grasp, now seeing the bigger picture it only makes sense....
Because
1) The early Zionists whom the vast majority had Socialist ideals, weren't religious at all,
2) The religious who lived in the area were either Ortodox from the Old-Yishuv, Mizrahi Jews whom of course did not have any connections to reform Judaism and religious Zionists that are essentially founded out of moderate Ortodox that were more Zionist (Even the founder of religious Zionism - the Rabbi Kook, was an Ortodox).
3) Israeli does not have many Jews of Western European origin, but Mizrahi and Eastern European (Even most of the French Jews im Israel are descendents of Frenchified Maghrebi Jews). "צרפוקאים"
Most of the reformists in Europe were exterminated in the holocaust and the few that left, were more likely to stay or immigrate to America. Those who fled to Israel after the holocaust were mainly Eastern Europeans (from pretty obvious reasons, they were less likely to stay).
בכנות, אתה אי פעם פגשת אישית בארץ יהודי ממוצא בריטי, הולנדי או שווייצרי?
Reform Judaism was mainly a Western European thing. That resembles the demographics of the American Jews - and less the Israeli Jews.
But what actually interesting to me, is how it isn't widespread among the Jews from Latin America.
As well as how did it effected on the rest of the Jews in the Anglo British Empire (South Africa, Australia, NZ...)
And why didn't many American Jews came to Israel? This question is very relevant to this day.
(What I wrote in here applies Canada to the US and not the Empire).
@@מ.מ-ה9ד In order for large numbers of American Jews to move to Israel, there must be a widespread impetus to leave the United States. No such impetus has existed in American history. Even in the 1920s, which I would consider the apex of American political antisemitism, it wasn't worth it. For this reason, the few American Israelis tend to either be very religious or old-school SocDem/DemSocs like myself. And additionally, there is a perception in the US that we make up a _much_ larger share of Israel's population than we do.
@@SamAronow All I’m saying, is that it’s looking like that impetus could come soon, depending on how things go.
@@themacandcheeseorca1128
Well! It’s unlikely in Los Angeles, CA.
Reformed Jewish Angelenos are expecting the Metro D Line and Metro Regional Connector to open which will bypass traffic.
@@whathell6t Yeah but the Dankal is also opening.
I love the way the line at 14:14 is worded. The implication that Emperor Joshua Norton was one of the most renowned Jewish rabbis of North America is the best thing I've ever heard
I wonder if he has heard of Sam O’Nella.
Great episode! Kudos to using the correct Confederate flag and extra kudos for the Checkmate Lincolnites reference.
Agreed, but where did he even use the CSA flag, must have missed it. The 1861 flag, the 1863 flag, or the 1865 flag? 1861 I'm guessing?
@@dannyhightower911 At the 15:53 mark he shows the third national flag.
Incredible work Sam. We're so lucky to have quality content like this. What a gift to public scholarship. Thank you.
One thing that consistently impresses me with this channel is that Sam also is working to improve his videos, both in content and in presentation. It's always been enjoyable, but goes from good to better and better.
Thank you! I actually went to the Crissy Field Marsh before dawn to film that intro.
Emperor Joshua Norton was Jewish?!?
That surprised me too.
@@jamestown8398 me too
I knew, I just KNEW that there was gonna be an Atun-Shei reference in here! Would be amazing if you guys did a special, maybe the history Judaisim in New Orleans, or the South in general?
That would be awesome!
Late, but that'd be interesting. There's even an old synagogue in Natchez, Mississippi. No clue if it's still active, but it looked to be just about as old as the Catholic basilica in the city.
Another fascinating episode and I loved that you added the photo of your Aronow family at the end!
"Fuck you" is about the best way to put it, yea. It will never not be bitterly AMAZING to me that in the United States of America of all places, a nation whose very bedrock is that everyone here is from somewhere else save for the natives can have such a history of venom toward those very immigrants. It's like so many of us wish the door had simply slammed shut behind us when OUR family came to America, because for some reason WE deserved it and THOSE people didn't.
Jewish history in the CSA only proves an important rule. It does not matter how hard you tokenize yourself, how much of your own interest you sell out to convince people you're "One of the good ones." Bigots and hate mongers will never accept you, the only thing you will have gained is a hole in the chest where your soul used to go.
@@chimera9818 My brother, who is in the process of converting, is still adapting to the "I can be proud of this thing I believe in" part of it
And to top it all off: _Judah P. Benjamin was an immigrant._
@@SamAronow Well of course. You can't be in the Hateful Bastard Club without being a card carrying hypocrite! It's right there on the sign!
@@samwill7259 You'd be surprised how often it works, actually. The best way to unite people is often against a different entity. And frankly, the argument against bigotry can sometimes sound like arguments against common sense; like thinking about the arguments about illegal immigration for example.
But shilling for literal race supremacy is always a bad, so cursing them out is more than fair. It's just the logic behind your comment that I contend with.
@@stephenjenkins7971 I disagree on the basis that I don't recognize any immigration laws and legitimate and therefore don't recognize the difference between legal or illegal immigration as concepts. I don't even recognize BORDERS as a legitimate concept
Thank you for recognizing the Native American nations in your maps.
So many publishers seem to always find ways of not mentioning them…
That’s one of the main selling points of Omniatlas, which he uses for his maps.
America’s history begins with the indigenous civilizations that emerged here.
It's interesting how Grant's checkered past relationship with Judaism giving way to him becoming very outwardly pro-Jewish in his later political career, kinda mirrors the curious contradiction found in the fact that he was both the last US president to have owned slaves, while he was also one of the most important figures in laying the initial constitutional and political groundwork upon which the rights of and safety of freed slaves was built. Truly a man of contradictions.
You could also say about Friedrich Hecker, the former German Revolutionary who led the 82nd IL before Salomon and was praised by Moses Hess. And Bismarck for that matter, whom will be seen again alongside Grant!
sure, though he didn't keep said slave for long. also, his abolitionist views come from his family.
After rewatching I just now noticed the picture with your family at the end. That was really touching.
Very good, I was aware of basically none of this story until now. Thanks for sharing Sammy.
Also the photo at the end is just amazing.
I adore the fact you put Indigenous nations on the map! To note: Iroquois (or IROQ.) should probably be Haudenosaunee (or HAUD.). If you need the names of Indigenous countries (e.g., Nitassinan, Očhethi Šakowiŋ, Tsalaguwetiyi, Mi'kma'ki, etc.) for future videos, let me know!
As someone not of Jewish background, and mostly unaware of Jewish American history, this video was a really fascinating glimpse into elements of my home's story I was totally ignorant of. Thank you very much for this!
This channel opened my eyes to Jewish History. I've been binge watching your channel, and as a gentile, I am thoroughly enjoying it. Keep up the good work!
Excellent video as always Sam! I especially loved the San Francisco section, as my Dad grew up there and attended Lowell High School along with the descendents of Levi Stauss! Kudos also for acknowledging Emperor Norton's abolitionist credentials (also a staunch opponent of anti-Chinese discrimination). Never knew about the first female rabbi in the US being a San Franciscan! Love the Ken Burns nods throughout! And the Atun-Shei Films nod of course!
Ah, but she wasn't the first female rabbi; she actually turned down the offer to become ordained.
First female rabbi was in the congregation I used to belong to, Beth Israel (Reform) in Cleveland, Ohio - on the west side.
Just wanted to let you know that as a gentile, when this was my first suggestion I was so excited that I didn't even look to see what else was new on TH-cam before watching this. I love your channel. Keep up the good work and have a blessed sabbath.
"Brothels charged a premium on Jewish prostitutes, especially if they were natural Redheads."
Please elaborate.
I understand that people fetishise Jewish women, but why Redheaded Jewish Women? Is it a Jewish fetishisation+Redhead fetishisation combo or is there something about Redheaded Jewish Women?
Because sexy gingers lol
Look I'm not here to justify it I just know what they're talking about
I think it’s the intersection of two distinct preferences, or at least that’s how Herbert Asbury makes it sound in _The Barbary Coast._ I’ve never come across an explicit fetish for Jewish redheads.
@@SamAronow Apparently people used to associate being Redheaded with being Jewish in Medieval Europe. So perhaps being Redheaded symbolised that they were 'pure' Jews?
I think the confusion is because red hair used to be associated with Jews much more strongly than it is today.
28:35
Very controversial. Even secular atheist and agnostic Jews like myself (and probably Sam too) reject those three laws.
And you'd be right. I think the platform overall has much more to say about Gilded Age sociology than it does about Judaism, so it is certainly historically interesting, but religiously I think its importance is overrated.
Eh, with number 5, I feel like many EXTREMELY secular Jews would agree with that. Especially socialist ones.
Dude, every time you post, you make my day.
Thank you for making these videos for us.
EDIT: I also love the Atun-Shei reference.
*slow clap* for “Checkmate, Benjaminites!”
Slow clap? That caused a straight up guffaw from me. TOTALLY unexpected.
Oh yeah, the tribe whose territory Jerusalem was smack in the middle of (although IIRC the city itself was run by Levites)
@@Rickyrab Yes. That was what the joke was referring to.
That heavy Ken Burns hype on the intro! Loved this video from the American Experience intro to the incredible Aronow family photo at the end. With your videos only getting more on point, maybe its time for the Nat. Endowment for the Humanitites to come thru as a patron?
It's nice to see my hometown of Baltimore in Jewish history. Also, we say it as baldmore.
I always love your secret messages for like a frame or a few, so you: 1) just see a picture of someone who will be coming up later to foreshadow them, or 2) as you do here at 7:20, state an unpleasant truth. I have learned so much from your videos over the past year that I have been watching them. Toda!
I feel like at some point, this series is bound to get major institutional backing. The quality is so consistent in its baseline and its growth. It started great but keeps getting better!
Very interesting (as always ;).
I always thought reform Judaism was something created and codified in Germany and was transplanted into America by immigrants. From your telling, this was more of a pure American creation, that developed out of the American Jewish experience, independent of German influence.
The story of the quick influx of Jews to San Francisco reminded me of one of my favorite movies called the Frisco Kid, which supposedly takes place in 1850. Gene Wilder is a fairly orthodox Jew from the old country, who has to travel across the US on horseback to get to San Francisco, to become their new rabbi. The scenes with Harrison Ford, who he meets along the way are classics. Highly recommended.
I thought about that movie a lot when working on this, because of course this was a time when _all_ rabbis in the US were born and educated elsewhere!
I wrote my senior thesis on confederate Jewry and it was enjoyable seeing a lot of the same people I researched brought up in this video. Although I will say that rabbi wise initially tried to justify slavery and didn’t support the north in what he believed was his way to keep Jews unified. His attitude did change by the end of the war.
I read Wise's comments, and in context it's clear that he is distinguishing between the form of slavery described in the Torah (which was more akin to indentured servitude) and chattel slavery as a rebuttal against religious defenders of the institution.
I love all your videos. I love learning about Jewish history I never knew about. Your accent really showed when you said Chigaaaaago.
Interesting on how the "old" settlement pattern fit in with the classic "German Triangle" (Cincinnati, St Louis, and Milwaukee, more often than not coming through Baltimore). Since the next wave is going to be MUCH more urban. Also I assume, having a glut of Rabbis. Are we going to hear about some underemployed Rabbi from Budapest and his kids?
I wouldn't say that about the settlement pattern. In 1880 the majority of American Jews lived in just six cities, and Chicago was the only Midwestern one. Cincinnati was only a major center of Jewish thought because it happened to be the _first_ major city in the Midwest.
Yes finally the civil war Jewish style
I am in awe of you!
Thank you for the sober, (almost*) neutral perspective. Unpacked just last week did an episode about American Reform Judaism and cited the 1885 document you read. They treated it like it was more influential then you regarded it. Now, I'm not a historian, and I don't know which one of you is more correct about this, but I love hearing the different voices on these topics.
*: Your anti-antisemetic bit was awesome. BURNED!
A likud mp also used it a few months ago when he attacked the reform chief rabbi of israel, also an mp, on the Knesset floor, citing the document as proof that reform Judaism is antizionist by default and is an evil faith. Really disgusting stuff.
The document was barely agreed in any reform congregation, and in the 1930s, with zionism being very mainstream in jewish culture, reform leaders signed that they were in agreement that Zionism is an integral part of Jewish faith
I actually avoid _Unpacked_ to avoid the possibility of accidental plagiarism (compare to Henry Abramson who has a very different style of presentation, so it's not as much of an issue), but I love hearing the parallels and contrasts between us.
@@itayeldad3317 Yes, the Ragak is a friend of mine and it has not escaped my notice that Radical Reform, which has never existed in the time Israel as been a country, lives on as a strawman for the Israeli religious right.
Love the Ken Burns style introduction
Even if the reader ruthlessly imitated me - Mary Chesnut
Sam, you are a shining diamond of your subject. I don't even relate or objectively cared about any of this, yet the whole academic-realist approach to the matter is something attention can't avoid. If anybody told you that details don't make an accessible approach to the subject on youtube specificity grabbing world, don't listen. I'd rather subscribe to you 300 times, even if I'm realistically completely outside of any clickbait.
Such thorough and well produced content! Please keep up the fantastic work.
The Atun Shei Easter Egg was appreciated!
The municipal cemetery in Natchez, Mississippi has a 19th-century Jewish section in which everyone is German. The only local killed in the brief Union attack in 1862 is in that section.
Fantastic episode: fascinating & informative. And the maps are Fabulous!
I just wanted to say,it make me really proud watching this and your other videos. To keep it short I didn’t know my dads family was Jewish until 4 years ago. I feel like I’m getting to know who they were through your stories. So thanks
The lack of separation of church and state in Massachusetts (official religion: Congregationalism, aka Puritanism) was a major inadvertent factor in the development and widespread acceptance of Unitarianism (part of Unitarian Universalism). It seems that all of the Congregational churches were considered public, and thus the stakeholders included not only the (generally more conservative and puritanical) full church members, but also the (more liberal) general population, which preferred liberal, Unitarian interpretations of religion. After some litigation, courts ruled that the churches had to listen to the population in general, and so numerous Congregational churches became Unitarian churches overnight. The conservatives got fed up with this and voted to separate church from state in Massachusetts.
I admit I was trying to figure out what the holiest UU place was. It turns out that Unitarian Universalism doesn't have an official hierarchy, but it seems that there is a de facto "most historical place" of UU in ... Boston, Massachusetts. (Unitarians also like Walden Pond and Concord because they like the Transcendentalists.) There are a few historical UU congregations still extant there and plenty of history.
So I found myself positing that the "most holy place" in UU might actually be Boston Common or a general area nearby.
Now back to Judaism!
Love it. If we rabbis in Israel were elected by the public we'd have full Laïcité by lunchtime.
Sam. Always amazing. Are we going to be able to produce videos of this kind from where this video leaves off until today?
I know two abolintists who were anti Semitic towards Jewish people. They were William Lloyd Garrison and Lydia Marie Child. Although William Lloyd Garrison was supportive of immediately ending slavery due to how horrible it was and he also supported rights for African Americans and also supported the right for women to vote and Lydia Marie Child opposed The Trail of Tears and supported Native American rights they were still people and they weren't perfect and while we should acknowledge the good things that they did we should also acknowledge the fact that they had anti Semitic beliefs towards Jewish people and other flaws that they had.
Excellent video! I never thought the expansions towards the West and Mexican territories was primarily to extend slave states and only after the discovery of gold in California the whole march towards West became what I knew. It never fails to impress me how much slavery shaped the history of the US.
As an outsider, it looks to me that slavery still shapes the present in the US.
@@marksimons8861 It does, but such horrid institutions also shape the present of every nation in history. The US is just far more honest about it rather than trying to pretend it doesn't exist.
The Rodef Shalom congregation in Pittsburgh where the convention was held still stands today. There are a lot of antiques and paintings inside, some of which relate to it. I can get you some pictures if you want.
I was so excited to hear you reference Jonathan Sarna. I had the pleasure of hearing him give a talk on General Orders No 11 in Memphis, such a gift.
In addition to being America, the decades and decades of no rabbi set Judaism in America on a independent, individual path. Had never thought about the one reflecting the other. Thanks again, Sam, for sharing this.
Recovering Catholic/Atheist here. Love the history Sam. Thanks so much.
(7:20)
I can imagine this being an actual IASIP episode.
I could see them doing it as them butchering history like they did with the liberty bell.
For those having trouble seeing the one-frame joke you can move frame by frame with the < and > keys.
Being from the South, I have so many issues with Grant proclamation, but glad he seemed to sincerely turn it around.
Thank you Sam , great video
these videos are incredible
Thanks for the content buddy. It helps.
That was really interesting. Thanks!!
It's amazing that American Jewry survived so long with all that intermarriage and people assimilating away from Judaism.
I believe it is because the vast majority of American Jews are descended from those who came after this time-- the late 1800s to 1920s, mostly from Eastern Europe.
Even though the Reform Movement has added back many rituals it once discarded, the main reason for its success today is its embrace of intermarriage and patrilineal descent. In another generation or two, most Reform American Jews will not be Jewish according to halacha if trends continue.
Level of sass in this video is greatly appreciated
Wow, I am always moved by these accounts, and I learn so much from your videos.
This is fantastic! מזל טוב!
7:20 the message that flashes on the screen is "The Gang Commits a Pogrom" It went way too fast for me to read properly and it took me 5 times to pause it enough to read it.
As someone doing research on Jewish northeast OH it’s super useful to get a picture of the development of Jewish communities in the US at large!
Opening genuinely had me thinking I had clicked on the wrong video. Lovely touch
I love the Ken Burns homage.
It is sad to see that Sephardic are totally dismissed from this video narrative. The first Rabbis were Sephardic Jews. Sephardic synagogues were not reform.
I'm a super fan of your work Sam...
I get emotional to every video you post...
Would you organize a real world meeting in Israel 🇮🇱 ?
Would love to meet you...
Same!
This was a really cool episode! Just out of curiousity, were there Jewish communities established in British North America (aka Canada) during this time period, and if so, did their traditions follow the same path as Judaism in the United States during this same time period?
Yes, and it was very similar, though they had a later start, and systemic antisemitism was _much_ more prevalent throughout Canadian history. You can probably guess the main reason why, though it took many forms across the country; only the Maritime Provinces lacked any antisemitic movement in modern times. I'd really love to do a special on Canada, though figuring out its place in my schedule is challenging.
It’s weird to see New York, NY & Brooklyn, NY as distinct cities but of course they were in 1880. Still a strange way to look at the numbers from the 21st century perspective where today’s NYC basically has 1st & 3rd spots in this list 😅
I like that graphic where the eyes come close to the camera in a scary way 😂😂
1:40 I didn't know tattoos were fashionable in 1840
OMG! Did you just channel Atun Shei Films? Nice!
Moses and his best friend, Yosemite Sam !
My family is also from Humboldt Park. Small world!
Almost every time TH-cam sticks an ad in a video, the video stalls. Why is this so?
recently i went to a Babylonian synagougue for the first time (before I only went once to an Ashkenazi one and multipole times to a sephardic one) and after the prayer we had a Shabbat Chatan and while we ate my parents talked with the fairly Young rabbi about all sorts of things but then my mother asked him if he thinks that a unified Israeli Minhag would arise and he answered that he thinks it'll happen in the next 100 years
do you think wer'e getting closer to a unified minhag or further away?
what is a babylonian synagouge?
@@nachocheese2823 Iraqi Jewish one
@@tzvi7989 why would they be considered babylonian, babylon hasnt existed in thousands of years
@@nachocheese2823 the Jewish community there started when it was
@@tzvi7989Is there any actuall distinction from other groups of jews? Do they have unique customs? Do they have their own נוסח?
Yep, the hospital where I was born in New Orleans, Touro Infirmary, is still there. There's a Touro street in my neighborhood as well.
I know that's just a minor element of the whole story, but can I just say how awesome it is that they decided to distance themselves not just from biblical literalism but also creationism in the Pittsburgh Platform, as well as to officially embrace the scientific explanation for the diversity of life? Also, I'm curious -- did this particular point cause any serious controversy within the Jewish community at the time?
Not at all; biblical literalism, or at least the method of interpretation that denies being an interpretation, is not a Jewish tradition.
@@SamAronow Let me rephrase that. I know that biblical literalism is mainly a Christian thing. Still, even the Christian groups that weren't strictly literalist and accepted, say, the geological evidence for the age of the Earth, weren't always comfortable with evolution. And this was still the 19th century, mere 26 years after the publication of Darwin's "On the Origin...". While it was already the best available scientific explanation for the diversity of life, it was still in its relative infancy. Taken together with the declarations of friendship towards Christians and Muslims, the Pittsburgh Platform sounds quite progressive even by today's standards.
@@Qba86 I do think that was a very pointed statement for the time and place.
I have enjoyed many of your episodes on Jewish history and the details you go into. A great deal of information. Thank you very much. On another topic, what is the piece of music playing at the beginning of the video?
21:00 that was a good one
Wait. Wasn't Louisiana French? Hence the Louisiana purchase you might have mentioned in an earlier episode in which the US federal government bought the Louisiana territories from Napoleon Bonaparte.
Louisiana was French until 1764, when control was transferred to Spain in accordance with the 1762 Treaty of San Ildefonso. In 1800, Napoleon secured the re-acquisition of the territory, but it didn't go into effect until 9 March 1803, by which time it had already been sold to the US, which officially took control the following day (known as "Three Flags Day").
Good episode my cousin in San Francisco is having her Bat Mitzvah this December
Tell her Mazal Tov for me! 20 December will actually be the 20th anniversary of _my_ bar mitzvah!
Outstanding episode! Especially liked the tying of the Mexican War to the expansion of slavery (a Texas public school teacher would get in trouble for saying that) and how the “forty-eighters” thwarted that.
Specific to Texas, I think there's been a little overcorrection. Certainly the expansion of slavery was the aim of _one_ of the factions of Texas Revolutionaries, and ultimately the ones that took power and purged the other. Luckily the Seguín stuff is starting to see the light of day. That's also why I made sure to mention all _four_ California rebellions, as a rejoinder to those who only know the last one and assume it was purely a US-sponsored land-grab.
@@SamAronow I recently read Forget the Alamo, by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and Jason Stanford. They argue that cotton profit was the impetus to settle East Texas, going back to 1820 and before. Lots of fun details in that book about, for example, Austin's negotiations with Mexico.
I do at like how you just casually mention Emperor Norton with no further elaboration. I imagine that you have some viewers who were very confused add who the hell he was.
Love the maps almost as much as the history. Filling in maps is pretty much how I learned history,
28:59 It's actually spelled "superseded".
I think that the influx of 48ers of all or no faith is under-appreciated in the popular understanding or US history. that and the "hungry 40s" (Including the potato famine in Ireland) providing the Union with hundreds of thousands who had no truck with slavery. .
7:21 I mean, they totally would
A little ironic that the book against any references to the Temple would be named "Olat Tamid"... dontcha think?
Great Episode, but you missed someone: A Jewish Baseball pioneer and innovator from Ft Wayne, Indiana, Louis Wilbur Heilbroner, managed the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1900 season. Heilbroner was also a pioneer in baseball statistics, and in 1909, he founded the first commercial Baseball statistical bureau.
10:12 Is the dragon flag meant to be the Qing Dynasty’s flag? If so…they didn’t use ANY flag until 1888, the flag adopted then was rectangular, and the dragon took a straighter form😅
My understanding is that the Jews who came to New Amsterdam in 1654 from Recife, Brazil came with their rabbi. They are the founders of Shearith Israel in New York City. The reason that they came to New Amsterdam is because they were expelled from Brazil. The expulsion wasn't declared IN the Americas, sure, but it did expel Jews from part of the Americas. (And yes, I know...The expulsion in question, technically, wasn't even declared at that time. It was just a matter of the land changing hands from Dutch control to Portuguese control.)
your videos are so good, sam! ישר כוח on all the incredible work you are doing for jewish education! you are truly a חכם!
Wonderfully illuminating documentaries! I send them to friends and family. It explains so much the strange and alienated relationship many American Jews have with their own cultures and religion.
Like the Ken Burns nod
Is the Jews under Roosevelt picture gonna be one of your future thumbnails? I always thought that period was interesting. And what was the major wave of antisemitism in the 60s? For the life of me I can't figure out what you're talking about, and my grandparents tell me so much about Jewish life at that time and before that. I know Nixon was an antisemite but it doesn't seem like he was very public about it, and that was later. It'll be very interesting when we get to that period.
You misunderstand- the 1960s were an unprecedented era of _philosemitism_ in America, not antisemitism.
@@SamAronow Oh yes! That I've heard. It can be just as dehumanizing as antisemitism.
@@jessetaran7116 This was before what you're thinking of and more in the vein of what happened in 19th Century London, with Jews and Jewish culture becoming genuinely in vogue.
Love it when my favourite TH-cam craters reference each other.
Sam, was that your voice speaking as Jacob A. Cohen? If yes, wow. I am amazed.
What is the opening string music during the introduction?
another great video, jewish american culture sometimes seems more american than it even is jewish, but in an era of assimilation, it seems that was not considered a bad thing.
Edit: also the southern proclaimed love of jews is actually much...weirder, and that's all i am going to say.
@@chimera9818 to an extent, but it seems jewish people are extremely successful in american society.
@@bhuddy1832 don't worry, im in WI so i know all about it.
I just still find it interesting regardless.
Ah, I see, I am an ardent observer of atun-shei films as well.