The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-05-25
JEWS In AMERICA.
RAPID GROWTH IN NUMBERS,
WEALTH AND INFLUENCE.
Their Progress in Every Field Of
Activity Relatively Greater
Than Is That of Any
other Race.

other Race.
A committee Of Jews Is making ar
rangements for the celebration of the
25Oth anniversary of the settlement OF
Jews In this country, and more par
ticularly of the grant by the Dutch
West Indies company In 1855 OF social
and political privileges to Jewish
settlers In New York, as II Is now, re-
ports the New York sun. Jews were
not allowed TO acquire real estate and
TO exercise In quietness their religion
within their houses, but were eN-
cmded from employment I'm the public
service. were not allowed 80 open re-
tail shops" and were enioincd 10 build
their houses CLOSE together In con
venient place on one or the other side
Of New Amsterdam. though actually
they seem TO have resided where they
wllled.
Their exclusion from retail trade
proved 10 be TO their advantage. since
t drove them into foreign and inter
colonial trade. and Jews. though few
10 number. became among the most
prominent and successful OF the i'm
porters and exporter q the colonial
period. How few they were is indi-
Gated by the fact that even at the be-
ginning OF the last century the Jewish
population of the whole union was os-
timated at less than 5000 aud had In
creased to only about 10000 30 lately
as the middle OF that century.
Thereafter. however. they Increased
with relative rapldity. 30 that by 1850
their numbers were estimated az about
quarter Of a million Then came the
great Jewish immigration. since which
the Jewish population OF the United
states has grown to about a million
and half OF which about one-half
are IN the city Of New York The
American Jewish Yearbook for the
present year estimates the total NUM-
Der of Jews ia the world at about
Ill.0lQ.000 Nearly one seventh Of them,
therefore. are now IN this country.
The only countries where there are
more OF them are Russia With about
! 100000 and Austria-Hungary. with
about 100000. and % is from these
tu.o countries that their emigration
10 the United States is now most
numerous.
Already there are more Jews in the
city OF New York than lu an Ger
many by nearly 100000. and the vol
ume OF their immigration 60 this port
Is now greater than ever II they
shall continue to come at the present
raie their numbers iu this country
viii be doubled ten years hence. and
will boz greater than in any other OF
the world except Russia.
The progress Of the Jews in America
and more especially 10 New York. in
every field OF activity. is relatively
greater than that OF any other race.
This Yearbook gives MANY pages OF
biographical sketches of American
Jews who have attained political and
social prominence. Us long ust 81
Jewish periodicals contains the names
OF FIVE Hiddish daily newspapers in
New York. besides many weekly and
monthly publications On the same
/ iargon. I'm the last congress OF the
I United states Ave Jews are enumer-
atcd. Representative Emerich. Of
Illinois: Meyer OF louisiana Gold
I fogle and Littauer. OF New York. be-
sides lsidor Rayner senaior-elect
/ from Maryland. all Of them demo
Gratis except Mr Llttauer. repub-
llcan. In The present congress the
Jewish representation Is larger The
division OF Jewish citizens between the
republican and democratic parties g.
not calculable. Very many of then
are neither. but are socialists. the
party OF which. relatively 20 strong
on The east side of New York. Is made
up Of Jews chiefly.
The celebration OF the coming OF
Jews TO this country Is set for next
autumn somewhere about Thanks
giving day Exercises viii be held On
every synagogue and Hebrew Sabbath
school On the union. aud there will
be also an imposing public celebra-
ton. The event. too. viii be signal
lied Boy The publication OF historical
souvenir book and the erection OF a
/ permanent public memorial. for which
subscriptions viii be- made by The
| Jews OF ihe country This event. con
tended Hon oscar S. Straus al The
Jewish conference on the subject in
the early part of this month. was as
national IN It's scope as the landing OF
the Pilgrims and accordingly its
celebration should be national rather
than merely local. lie would mark
IL by "a memorial Of some kind which
would stand as a signpost to all those
who come after MS"