21. JEWS IN AMERICA. Although the Jewish population of America has been greatly increased by immigration only since 1881, Jews have been closely identified with American his tory for centuries.
Before taking up the history of the Jews in America, some statistics concerning the Amer ican-Jewish population at various periods will be in order, as tending to throw light on more isolated historical incidents relating, for the most part, to the experience of a small fraction only.
Statistics.—The latest and most authorita tive statistics as to the present Jewish popula tion of the United States arc furnished by the 'American Jewish Year Book> (1918), wherein it is computed that the total number of Jews in this country is 3,300,000, of whom about 1,500,000 reside in New York city; in Chi cago, 225,000; Philadelphia, 200,000; Cleveland, 100.000: Boston. 77.500: Saint Louis. 60.000: Baltimore, 60,000; Pittsburgh, 60,000; Newark, 55,000; Detroit, 50,000, and San Francisco 25,000; all the other States and Territories, in cluding Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands, and also the District of Columbia, like wise contain some Jewish residents. In mak ing up this total, account is taken of the fact that about 2,001,000 Jewish immigrants- arrived in the United States from 1881 to 1 July 1915. New York city, which contains the largest Jewish community that has ever existed within the confines of a single municipality, has over 1,200 congregations, and 180 religious schools with 41,403 pupils, exclusive of about 14,000 who attend private schools. It has over 100 recrea tional and cultural agencies, more than 1,000 mutual aid societies, 965 lodges, 193 economic agencies and 164 philanthropic and correctional agencies. Dr. Oppenheim gives a list of nine cities, exclusive of New York city, containing an aggregate of over 9,200,000 inhabitants, of which 900,000 are Jews. New York city is not percentage-wise the most Jewish city. Chelsea, Mass., has a general population of 46,000 and contains 13,000 Jews, or a Jewish population of 28 per cent. Rosenhayn, N. J., has a gen eral population of 600, and contains 300 Jews, or a Jewish population of 50 per cent, while Cannel, N. J. has a general population of 750 and contains J., Jews or a Jewish population of 60 per cent. Woodbine, N. J., is practically en tirely Jewish in population. The same au thority computes the Jewish population of America, exclusive of the United States, as follows: Canada, 75,681; British West Indies, approximately, 1,000; Argentina, 55,000; Brazil, 3,000; Cuba, 4,000; Mexico, 8,900; Curacao, 670; Surinam (Dutch Guiana), 933, and Vene zuela, 411. These figures are mere estimates,
than which nothing more accurate is at pres sent obtainable; but they are no doubt approx imately correct, being based upon partial actual counts; the United States census of 1910 re turns of persons giving Hebrew and Yiddish as their mother tongue; the government immi gration records, analyses of death rates and reports of competent judges in the various localities, and having also been revised from time to time in the light of criticism and new data.
The first systematic attempt to secure statis tics of the Jewish population in the United States culminated in the publication of a re port by the Union of American Hebrew Con gregations in 1880, giving estimates for each State and city in the Union, and aggregating 230.257 persons. In connection with the na tional census of 1890 statistical information was gathered regarding Jewish congregations in the United States, and the total number of Jewish communicants was estimated at 130,496, belonging to 533 church organizations. Of these, 316 organizations, having 122 church edifices, valued at $2,802,050 and 51,597 com municants, are to be credited to Orthodox Judaism, while Reform Judaism counted 217 organizations, having 179 church edifices, valued at $6,952,225, and 72,899 communicants. A very large majority of the Jewish immigrants ar riving in the United States since 1890 belong to the orthodox wing, and even the figures of 1890 undoubtedly disregard numerous small, often unorganized, orthodox congregations, from whom it was relatively more difficult to secure reports. In 1818 the Jewish population of the United States was estimated at 3,000 only; in 1848, at 50,000. In South America there were several thoniand Jews prior to 1650. the greater part of whom were in Brazil, as noted below; but hostile laws and the persecu tions of the Inquisition, While driving some to the West Indies, and even as far north as New Netherlands. caused several thousands Jewish settlers in Spanish and Portuguese territories to totally give up. their Jewish identity.