PUBLICITY PHOTOS
When the Gold Rush hit, San Francisco’s population skyrocketed from 800 to 36,000 in just four years. Gambling houses and debauchery flourished, but so did a diverse climate that leveled the economic and cultural playing field for white immigrants -- like Jews.
A city was born, and for the Jews, it was their American Jerusalem.
|
Murders and robberies occur frequently but who cares. |
In Europe, Jews had been barred from becoming farmers or artisans and were forced to work as peddlers and merchants. In San Francisco, these were the very skills that were in demand. Not all dreams of fortune panned out for gold prospectors, but someone had to feed and clothe them.
And whereas other cultures headed home once they made their money, Jews were twice as likely to stay and put down roots. By the late 1870s, San Francisco had the second largest Jewish population in America, second only to New York.
|
Well, dearie, I’ll believe most anything now. |
Even as fortunes were made, however, Jews struggled within their community and without. When Jewish immigrants couldn’t agree on a liturgy, two competing congregations were formed. At the same time, assimilation into American culture posed a threat to Judaism itself. In the 1860s, a Catholic opera singer was hired for Jewish high holidays, and many Jews celebrated Christmas – right down to a dinner of plump suckling pig.
