One of the most challenging aspects of absorbing the Jewish immigrants was meeting the needs of Religious Jews. Some of the most quintessential requirements of Judaism are praying in temple, observing the Sabbath, providing Jewish education, keeping kosher, and maintaining the tradition of the Mikveh. Many of these customs require special accommodations, and for a growing and developing city, in which Old World traditions were not a top priority, one would assume that these accommodations could not be made. In New York City, that was not the case. Most of the religious accommodations were, to a large extent, already available due to the existence of the Jewish community for more than two-hundred years. This community fought for the rights to establish the infrastructure for observing the Jewish religion.

Religious Accommodations of New York City:

One of the most facilitating factors in regard to providing a Jewish environment was the tendency of Jews to live in closed and uniform communities. Within these neighborhoods, there was always easy access to the essential religious institutions, primarily the synagogue. This was critical because of the strict Sabbath and Holy day rules: mainly the prohibition of any kind of transportation. A congregate had to be able to walk to temple regardless of age, health, and weather conditions. Jews also had to attend services on a daily basis, and for laboring immigrants with long and exhausting workdays, proximity to a synagogue was vital. These immigrants could not afford neither the time nor cost of frequently traveling to a temple.

Within a Jewish neighborhood, there was always a school, and in many cases it was linked to the synagogue. The connection between school and synagogue was twofold: both physically and spiritually. The school was part of the synagogue and the curriculum mainly included studies of torah, prayers, and "gemora" (interpretations of the bible and Jewish laws). This education was suitable for religious immigrants, and was ideal for those who feared a loss of religion in the New World.

Another religious aspect that was preserved without any problems was the Kosher Kitchen. The laws of Kashrut contain three main areas: special methods for slaughtering, special handling of milk and dairy products, and supervised preparation of wine and its derivatives. Within a Jewish neighborhood there was always a kosher butcher, a kosher grocery store, a kosher wine store, and kosher restaurants. The structure of the Jewish community within the geographical neighborhood enabled a prosperous market in kosher products for the benefit of both buyers and sellers. In addition, Jews had less exposure to non-kosher foods and restaurants inside their neighborhoods.

The Emergence of Reform Judaism

Reform Judaism emerged following the emancipation from ghetto life in the late 18th century as it sought to modernize Judaism and stem the tide of assimilation threatening German Jewry. Reform Judaism first appeared in New York in 1845 with the establishment of Temple Emanu-El.

1845: 33 German Jewish immigrants rent a meeting room on
Grand Street and form the first "Reform" congregation in the city. 1

In New York, throughout the 19th century, the reform community remained primarily German even with the large influx of Eastern European Jews towards the end of the century. The Eastern European immigrants kept their traditional style of worship at first, but as they adjusted and became assimilated to the New World, many of them followed in the German Jews' footsteps. In 1913, on the Lower East Side, 60 percent of the retail shops, pushcarts, and garment factories were doing business on Saturdays.2 Many of the Eastern European immigrants grew to find the lenient rules of Reform Judaism accommodating and more appropriate for their lifestyles.

"One of the guiding principles of Reform Judaism is the autonomy of the individual. A Reform Jew has the right to decide whether to subscribe to this particular belief or to that particular practice… We differ from more ritually observant Jews because we recognize that our sacred heritage has evolved and adapted over the centuries and that it must continue to do so. And we also recognize that if Judaism were not capable of evolution, of REFORM, it could not survive… Judaism has never demanded uniformity of belief or practice. But we must never forget that whether we are Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, or Orthodox, we are all an essential part of K'lal Yisrael -- the worldwide community of Jewry."3
-Rabbi Simeon J. Maslin, President of Central Conference of American Rabbis.

Social Aspects

Religious Aspects

Economical Aspects