History of the Jews in New York City

Main article: Jews in New York City
Further information: History of the Jews in the United States

Approximately 12% of New York City's population is Jewish, making it the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel. Many Jews live in the five boroughs of New York City, and even more live in the New York metropolitan area.

The first Jewish person to settle in New Amsterdam was Jacob Barsimson in 1654. Later, a group of Jewish people came from Recife, Brazil.

By 1910, New York City had become a major home for Jewish people. Today, Jewish traditions and culture have had a big influence on the culture of New York City.

As of 2023, about 10% of people in New York City are Jewish. The Jewish population in New York state is growing, especially in places like Long Island and the Hudson Valley.

Historical population

Population comparisons

The New York metropolitan area has more than 1.3 million Jewish people. This makes it the second largest area for Jewish people in the world after the Tel Aviv area in Israel. New York City itself has more Jewish people than any other city in the world.

Immigration overview

Ashkenazi Jews

In the mid-1800s, many Jewish people from Russia, Lithuania, and Poland moved to New York City. The number of Jewish people in the city grew quickly during the early 1900s and reached about 2 million by the 1950s. After that, the number began to go down as many moved to the suburbs or other states like California and Florida. In the 1980s and 1990s, new Jewish people from the former Soviet Union arrived. By 2002, about 12% of people in New York City were Jewish, with many living in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Brooklyn has the most Jewish people, with about one out of four people there being Jewish.

Orthodox Jews

New York City has many Orthodox Jewish people. The main offices of Jewish groups like Chabad, Bobov, and Satmar are in the city. While most Jewish people in New York are not very religious, the Orthodox community is growing because Orthodox families often have many children. Borough Park in Brooklyn has many Orthodox Jewish people and a high number of births. Other Orthodox communities are growing in areas like Rockland County and the Hudson Valley in New York, and in New Jersey.

Sephardic Jews

Sephardic Jewish people, including those from Syria, have lived in New York City since the late 1800s. Many settled in Brooklyn. Some came from Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, and Morocco. In the 1990s, about 23% of Arab people in New York City were Sephardic Jewish people. Egyptian Jewish people arrived more recently and often speak Ladino, Arabic, and French. They mostly live in Queens and Brooklyn.

Multiracial Jews

Most Jewish people in New York City are non-Hispanic white, but some identify as Asian, Black, Latino, or multiracial. Many Bukharian Jewish people from Uzbekistan live in Queens neighborhoods like Rego Park and Forest Hills. Queens also has a community of Georgian Jewish people, and Brooklyn has Mountain Jewish people from Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus.

Immigration history

1654–1800

Main article: Jews in New Amsterdam

The first Jewish person known to live in New Amsterdam was Jacob Barsimson, who arrived in 1654. Soon after, a group of Jewish people came to New Amsterdam from Brazil. They were leaving because Portugal had taken back control of a place called Dutch Brazil.

Governor Peter Stuyvesant did not want them to stay, but leaders from Amsterdam said they could stay. Even so, many left after a few years because of rules that made it hard for them.

When the English took control in 1664, only one Jewish person’s name was on a list of people who had to promise to follow the rules. In 1680, more Jewish families arrived.

The first synagogue, called Congregation Shearith Israel, started in 1682 but did not get its own building until 1730. Over time, this synagogue became very important in Jewish life in New York.

1800–1881

After wars in Europe, many German and Polish Jews moved to New York. This led to the creation of more synagogues, like B’nai Jeshurun in 1825.

Jewish schools and help groups also started. For example, Mount Sinai Hospital opened in 1852.

1881–1945

From 1881 to 1924, many Jews came to the United States because of unfair treatment in their home countries. Over two million Jews moved to the US, and more than a million came to New York.

Many settled in an area called the Lower East Side. They brought their own languages and customs with them.

New York became a place where Jewish newspapers were published, like the Forverts, which started in 1897.

Growth in Hasidic Judaism

After World War II, many Jewish leaders who had escaped danger came to New York. Some started new communities in places like Williamsburg, Crown Heights, and Borough Park in Brooklyn.

New communities also grew in places like New Square, Kiryas Joel, and Kaser, where families could live close together and follow their traditions.

Periods of discord

During times of trouble and unfair treatment in Brooklyn, Crown Heights became a special place for talking about how Jewish communities could stay in city neighborhoods. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights, asked Jews to stay and help the community. He said that leaving would make Jewish communities in the city weaker. He told people to “stand firm and not run away,” showing Crown Heights as an important example for Jewish communities everywhere.

Contributions

Jewish people helped shape many parts of New York City's culture and traditions. They brought foods like the bagel, which became very popular. Jewish communities also built important places of worship, with the first one, Shearith Israel, starting in 1654. Over time, many Jewish people moved to areas like Borough Park in Brooklyn, where they kept their traditions alive.

Jews made big impacts in science, theater, and music. For example, Otto Loewi won a top science prize for his work. The Yiddish Theater started in 1903, bringing Jewish stories and plays to the stage. Famous actors and singers, including Tony Curtis, Stephen Sondheim, Scarlett Johansson, and Barbra Streisand, also came from Jewish backgrounds and helped make New York City a place where many cultures and talents could grow.