Psychology

The Jewish American population consists of the citizens of the United States with either Jewish ethnicity or Jewish faith. This population came to the United States from their native countries, namely from Eastern and Central Europe. The Jewish community consists of people with the Jewish background and those born to the descendants of the Jewish immigrants in the United States. This population includes Ashkenazi, who emigrated from their native countries to the United States. Other Jews in the United States include Mizrahis and Sephardics. These are the minor Jewish ethnic groups. The Jewish Americans also include the Native Americans converted to take up the Jewish faith or ethnicity (Seth, 1997). The latter turned to the Jewish faith as well as adjusted to the Jewish cultural practices.

The United States population consists of a high percentage of the Jewish communities. The United States has been ranked the second in terms of the Jewish population. Israel has the highest number of the Jewish communities. According to the statistics done in 2007, America had a total of about 5.1 million Jews, which equaled to 2 of the total American population.  The Israeli Jewish population reached about 5.5 million in the same year. The State is normally considered as the homeland of Jews (Stephen  Eunice, 2007). Apart from this, most Jews do not consider Israel to be their original home. Many Jews consider America as the de facto home of Jews, since they are viewed as part of America. The United States and Israel are two states in the world, which have the highest number of the Jewish communities. Despite the fact that the Jewish population is very small compared to the entire America, it contributes a lot to the American economy. Jews participate in business, education, American government amongst other activities in the United States. American Jews had many set backs, such as anti-Semitism. Despite their cultural practices, American Jews have been accepted in America as a part of the population. They have been included in the American politics and culture.

Jewish Americans came to the United States as early as in the seventh century, although they were little in numbers and included Sephardic Jews, who had migrated form Portugal and Spain. There was a rapid growth of the American Jewish population in 1830. Charleston, which is in North America, had the largest Jewish population. The nineteenth century recorded the highest Jews migration to the United States. Ashkenazi Jews, who originally were from Germany, moved to the United States and worked there as business owners and merchants. By 1880, the number of Jews in America rose to around 250000. This population consisted of secular and educated German Jews. Sephardic Jews were still influential at this time (Annelise, Elizabeth, Ronald, 1999). The persecution of Jews, which took place in the Eastern part, saw many Jews migrate to the United States, thus giving birth to the American Jews communities. Before the Immigration Act passed in 1924, the number of Jewish immigrants amounted to around 2 million. They concentrated in New York City making up the most highly Jewish populated area in the world.

The wake of the twentieth century introduced much networking amongst the Jewish communities. Synagogues and Landsmannschaften were put up. Assimilation and integration in to the American lifestyle was the main concern for the American Jews. This made them incorporated into the American life. American Jews were fully involved in the Second World War, after which they adopted Suburbanization, prevailing at that time. Intermarriages prospered in the increased population of the Jewish communities. The trend of secularization also contributed to the increase of the American Jews numbers (Pellegrini, 2004). The Jewish communities became stronger with establishing synagogues and Jewish educational centers. Continual immigration has contributed to the increased American Jews population. The economic and political changes that occurred in the Soviet Union made many Soviet Jews migrate to Israel and the United States. This immigration forms the largest immigration of Soviet Jews. Jewish American population has been reduced, due to various aspects, such as limited birth rates amongst the Jews and limitation of immigration. The Immigration Act of 1924 reduced the population.

Jews settled in different parts of the United States. Most Jews were concentrated in New York City and its environment, for example, Charleston. They occupied the cities, which had already had synagogues by that time. Sephardic Jews, who were based in Amsterdam and London, offered support to the Jewish businessmen, who had moved to the United States. Westward expansion of the Jewish community was prospered by the immigration of German Jews, due to the massacres perfected in Germany (Seth, 1997). Most cities took up Jewish cultures that had their cultural traditions and religious beliefs. The Jewish centers were comprised of synagogues, Jewish business and cultural traditions. Jews contributed to the economic growth by taking part in the establishment of gold and cotton production (Annelise, Elizabeth, Ronald, 1999). Most Jews migrated from Germany due to several factors, such as the restrictive legislation towards marriage and the poor economic conditions. Most Jews from the Eastern Europe developed their cultural heritage, thus keeping their identity opposed to the German Jews, who adopted the American culture.

Assimilation into the American life was mandatory for the Jews, who had migrated from their native countries due to unfavorable social and economic conditions.  The Jews were very willing to develop themselves in a developing society. Jews tried to combat the negative stereotypes concerning them and anti-Semitism. Jewish merchants produced goods and services, which were widely accepted by the American society (Pellegrini, 2004). Jews were widely accepted in the United States due to the religious freedom provided by the United States constitution.

Anti-Semitism came forth with the arrival of Jews from the Eastern Europe. Jews were excluded from public places, such as clubs and resorts. Americans adopted the negative stereotypes with the European anti-Semitism. Jews were taken to be parasitic, clannish, and vulgar amongst other negative stereotypes. To enable European Jews adapt to American society, the Americanized Jews provided support in terms of aids and jobs. Restrictive legislation was one of the factors highly fought out by the Jewish communities. Discrimination against Jews continued to take place in the twentieth century even with the anti-societies, which were introduced by Americanized Jews to fight stereotypes and ethnic hatred. Covenants were practiced against the Jewish society. Restrictions, such as housing ones, were put forth for the Jews. Discrimination also was to be seen concerning the access to higher educational establishments. There were restrictive quotas against Jews (Annelise, Elizabeth, Ronald, 1999). The enrollment of Jews dropped rapidly with the introduction of the restrictive quotas. The passing of the Immigration Act portrayed the negative painted to most of the Jews migrating from Russia. Russian Jews were considered to acquire low living standards equal to animal living. Jewish were associated with the Russian Revolution, thus making them acquire a negative image. The negative stereotypes were emphasized in most American literature.

The values and the norms of the American society have been sandwiched to the Jewish family. The acculturation and accommodation to these values and norms has been witnessed in the Jewish family over the past century. The Jewish family was viewed as bound to reading the Bible, was home oriented and patriarchal. The Jewish community has distinguished socioeconomic characteristics. Most of the Jews in the United States are ranked as either middle class or upper middle class (Seth, 1997). The Jewish community has been widely accepted in the United States due to the freedom of religion, democracy in the United States, openness and other favorable opportunities. The American Jewish population has been absorbed by the American life, since the changes they have made towards their self segregation and cultural traditions. This affected their career choices as well as their marriage.

There are various characteristics, which dominated in the American Jewish in the late 20th century. These include the following the increased intermarriage, aging population, reduced fertility leading to decreased family size and shifting from one area to another. They were also highly educated. The cultural heritage of the Jews has been widely affected. The cultural norms relate to community and family relations. Keeping the Sabbath is amongst the ways, in which the Jews have maintained their cultural heritage. The significance of synagogue and the Sabbath has been sidelined by the American Jews (Pellegrini, 2004). This cultural heritage has declined in the recent past. Marriage has been considered as a holy thing within the Jewish community. Intermarriages within the Jewish community have been viewed with different dimensions. It is forbidden for a Jew to marry Gentiles. This has been sidelined, since much intermarriage has taken place between Jews and non-Jews. These are some of the social stressors of the Jewish community.