Jews of the American West
Edited by Moses Rischin
From a 1986 Conference at the University of Denver
1991
I'm 50% percent german, ethnically, on mom's side. Growing up in California I was raised to be totally clueless about german/jewish tensions. One of mom's closest friends was jewish and her son was very good friends with both my brother and I. His older sister was one of my first major crushes in puberty, probably for the best though that I didn't act on it.
One of my strongest memories from going to school back east was attempting to flirt with a Jewish girl during my Freshmen year and getting totally shot down. Nothing particulary dramatic, save for the realization on my part as to what was going on.
Based on my experiences in Seattle I dug up this book. It makes virtually no reference to Seattle and only a few passing one's to Portland. The book did provide a scholarly confirmation to my own experience - California Jews are the most integrated in their communities.
Descriptions of some of the in-fighting among competing organizations is a bit mundane, but it sets the stage for a much more interesting debate. Prior to WW2 there was a major Jewish 'anti-zionist' movement in America, based in San Francisco. The basic philosophy was that jews here should see themselves as americans first and drop all the old european divisiveness. In it's day it was perhaps dominant, however given Hitler and the formation of Israel it's arguments lost sway almost completely.
Also interesting are the discussions about intermarriage.
I won't go into my Jewish experience in Seattle, save to say it was not positive. It would be interesting to discuss same with some of the contributors to this volume, if I had the time for such things. I do have Jewish friends from LA that I met back east whom I think were as clueless, or nearly clueless, as I. That's a conversation I do hope to have.
FWIW my mother's family was part of the same german immigration wave that brought the first german jews to America - many of whom also ended up in California. Go figure.
