A bookreview by Parshang khakpour on:
Jewish American and Political Participation
BY:RAFAEL MEDOFF
Dr.Medoff, director of the David S.Wyman Institute and an expert on jewish history, in his work, "Jewish Americans and Political Participation" mostly focuces on jews role in political branches-specially on Congress-and that how they have orgnized the process by "lobbying".But at first , the author gives some overal view about jewish in the United States.
In the first chapter, the book argues about different aspects related to American jewish community like demographic portrait , their first settlement in New Amesterdam , their rudiments of communal existance and their commercial and political situation in colonies.This chapter also goes on two important immigrations;German jewish immigration during the mid-1800s mostly for economic causes, and the Russian immigration, because of oppression besides the other factors, as the author argues.
Turning to the early eruptions of Anti-semitism ,Medoff takes the issue with a historical view and comes to the conclusion that the anti-semitism came from the jealousy toward economic sucsses of jwes .But, as he mentions, they could remain together by obeying their traditions, their customs and religion and also by fallowing Judaism as a philanthropy.
Medoff argues that how American jews could response to Zionism by American sense and how anti-semitism , effected jewish communities to believe in Zionism.He also mentions some differences between Zionism in America-urging on practical developments-and Europe ,insisting on international diplomacy.
Again ,Medoff talks about philanthrophy as something that united American jews toward Holocaust ,and brings some evidences that show how they could do so.He also describes how 'Joint' and 'UPA' (the United Palestine Appeal), created the United jewish Appeal to increase "coordination of fundraising activities between the council of jewish communities through the U.S."(page 48)
The author , in the next chapter , argues about 'Protest Politics' both domestic and international ones.Looking historically at jewish participation in domestic protest
, Medoff describes that how the first jewish colonist ,supported by political and economic power, could orgnized a petition of protest for reversal of the deportation decree, a diplomacy that would be followed by American jews during the next centuries.He brings some examples that show how and in what cases ,American jews who were little in number and worry about their situation in the United States,could protest against the majority of non-jews settlers.As an evidence the author describes the jews protest against 'JEW BILL", the law that didn't let non-christians serve as states officer.
The book also encounter to the role of Reform Rabbis as an important supporter of American Jews in social and political protests who denounced child labor and issued a social justice platform for an eight-hour work, the elimination of child labor, and union rights.
Along with Reform rabbis' activities for socisl justice , the author also believes that jewish feminist fought for woman suffrage and without their support as it has been quoted from Kuzmack"middle-class women alone couldn't have gatherd the grassroot political base that secured their victory."(page 84)
Jewish protests about foreign issues on which this book focuses, include ,very detailed and well-described,jews response to the Dauscus blood libel of 1840 and their attempts to establish the 'Board of Delegates of American Israelites', as the first national American jewish defence organization.
The other important subject that the book describes extensively, is about the activities done by jewish radicals on foreign affairs during World War I and their dillema to choose patriotism or radicalism and their final decision to support the U.S. war effort.With bringing another examples of jews participaton in foreign politics like their strategy toward anti-zionism and toward Hitler'spower,the writer has shown in this book the fact that American jews had been always sensetive toward the situation of their own and the other jews around the world.
'The Jewish Vote' was so significant for the author that he specialized a divided chapter on it. He believes that the concept of jewish vote has surely effected on American politic.Medoff describes , in spite of jews deniel fearing anti-semitism sense,the assumption of 'jewish vote'has persisted among both anti-semites and aspiring politicians.
The writer supports his assumption by different examples of presidential contest of 1868 and of the early 1900s.He also defines the relationship between jews and two important parties in the U.S.,Democrats and Republics and the presidents who came out of them.
In the next chapter, Medoff demonstrates how lobbyists have had an influence on U.S. governnent's policy ,their failurs and successes and also their effort to oppose to restrict immigration that included, as Medoff says , Russian and German jews which had done significantly by Louis Marshal who directed a lobbying effort in washington.
The other important issue mentioned in this book in which jewish lobbying played a first-place role was convincing Americans presidents to endores building a jewish national home in Palestine that followed to attracting american policy makers for helping militarily and supporting Europian jewish immigration to Palestine.
Discussing about different american presidents' policy like Wilson, Truman, Eisenhower ,toward Israel, the writer shows Israelies lobbies , have been always secured by american assistance significantly by financial and military aids.
Again historically detailed , the auther in the last chapter focuses on participation of jews in office from the first years of their settlement,as a minority, in the new world, and their problems like anti-semitism aura,to hold office.The books looks at jews' attempts to win elections as a way to prove their existance in American society.
Medoff describes different aspects of jews office holding ;their participation in the Supreme Court and the fact that how Louis Brandeis could be known as the first jewish justice of the Supreme Court by president wilson and 15 years later Benjamin Cardozo the second one by Herbert Hoover.The writer believes that political office for the American jews ,meant finding a better place in American society and culture.It became more obvious , as the book mentions ,when their population increased because of immigration and they could be elected in large numbers.
In almost all parts of the book one can see the jews concern toward important issues related to their stability-socially, culturally and politically-first in the United States and then in the world.
The book also includes some documents related to jews and American administrators after the revelution that can be authentic evidences to prove the author's claimesn for many cases e.g 'jew bill', 'zionism' and 'immigration'.
BY:RAFAEL MEDOFF
Dr.Medoff, director of the David S.Wyman Institute and an expert on jewish history, in his work, "Jewish Americans and Political Participation" mostly focuces on jews role in political branches-specially on Congress-and that how they have orgnized the process by "lobbying".But at first , the author gives some overal view about jewish in the United States.
In the first chapter, the book argues about different aspects related to American jewish community like demographic portrait , their first settlement in New Amesterdam , their rudiments of communal existance and their commercial and political situation in colonies.This chapter also goes on two important immigrations;German jewish immigration during the mid-1800s mostly for economic causes, and the Russian immigration, because of oppression besides the other factors, as the author argues.
Turning to the early eruptions of Anti-semitism ,Medoff takes the issue with a historical view and comes to the conclusion that the anti-semitism came from the jealousy toward economic sucsses of jwes .But, as he mentions, they could remain together by obeying their traditions, their customs and religion and also by fallowing Judaism as a philanthropy.
Medoff argues that how American jews could response to Zionism by American sense and how anti-semitism , effected jewish communities to believe in Zionism.He also mentions some differences between Zionism in America-urging on practical developments-and Europe ,insisting on international diplomacy.
Again ,Medoff talks about philanthrophy as something that united American jews toward Holocaust ,and brings some evidences that show how they could do so.He also describes how 'Joint' and 'UPA' (the United Palestine Appeal), created the United jewish Appeal to increase "coordination of fundraising activities between the council of jewish communities through the U.S."(page 48)
The author , in the next chapter , argues about 'Protest Politics' both domestic and international ones.Looking historically at jewish participation in domestic protest
, Medoff describes that how the first jewish colonist ,supported by political and economic power, could orgnized a petition of protest for reversal of the deportation decree, a diplomacy that would be followed by American jews during the next centuries.He brings some examples that show how and in what cases ,American jews who were little in number and worry about their situation in the United States,could protest against the majority of non-jews settlers.As an evidence the author describes the jews protest against 'JEW BILL", the law that didn't let non-christians serve as states officer.
The book also encounter to the role of Reform Rabbis as an important supporter of American Jews in social and political protests who denounced child labor and issued a social justice platform for an eight-hour work, the elimination of child labor, and union rights.
Along with Reform rabbis' activities for socisl justice , the author also believes that jewish feminist fought for woman suffrage and without their support as it has been quoted from Kuzmack"middle-class women alone couldn't have gatherd the grassroot political base that secured their victory."(page 84)
Jewish protests about foreign issues on which this book focuses, include ,very detailed and well-described,jews response to the Dauscus blood libel of 1840 and their attempts to establish the 'Board of Delegates of American Israelites', as the first national American jewish defence organization.
The other important subject that the book describes extensively, is about the activities done by jewish radicals on foreign affairs during World War I and their dillema to choose patriotism or radicalism and their final decision to support the U.S. war effort.With bringing another examples of jews participaton in foreign politics like their strategy toward anti-zionism and toward Hitler'spower,the writer has shown in this book the fact that American jews had been always sensetive toward the situation of their own and the other jews around the world.
'The Jewish Vote' was so significant for the author that he specialized a divided chapter on it. He believes that the concept of jewish vote has surely effected on American politic.Medoff describes , in spite of jews deniel fearing anti-semitism sense,the assumption of 'jewish vote'has persisted among both anti-semites and aspiring politicians.
The writer supports his assumption by different examples of presidential contest of 1868 and of the early 1900s.He also defines the relationship between jews and two important parties in the U.S.,Democrats and Republics and the presidents who came out of them.
In the next chapter, Medoff demonstrates how lobbyists have had an influence on U.S. governnent's policy ,their failurs and successes and also their effort to oppose to restrict immigration that included, as Medoff says , Russian and German jews which had done significantly by Louis Marshal who directed a lobbying effort in washington.
The other important issue mentioned in this book in which jewish lobbying played a first-place role was convincing Americans presidents to endores building a jewish national home in Palestine that followed to attracting american policy makers for helping militarily and supporting Europian jewish immigration to Palestine.
Discussing about different american presidents' policy like Wilson, Truman, Eisenhower ,toward Israel, the writer shows Israelies lobbies , have been always secured by american assistance significantly by financial and military aids.
Again historically detailed , the auther in the last chapter focuses on participation of jews in office from the first years of their settlement,as a minority, in the new world, and their problems like anti-semitism aura,to hold office.The books looks at jews' attempts to win elections as a way to prove their existance in American society.
Medoff describes different aspects of jews office holding ;their participation in the Supreme Court and the fact that how Louis Brandeis could be known as the first jewish justice of the Supreme Court by president wilson and 15 years later Benjamin Cardozo the second one by Herbert Hoover.The writer believes that political office for the American jews ,meant finding a better place in American society and culture.It became more obvious , as the book mentions ,when their population increased because of immigration and they could be elected in large numbers.
In almost all parts of the book one can see the jews concern toward important issues related to their stability-socially, culturally and politically-first in the United States and then in the world.
The book also includes some documents related to jews and American administrators after the revelution that can be authentic evidences to prove the author's claimesn for many cases e.g 'jew bill', 'zionism' and 'immigration'.
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