Mr. Lewinstein goes to parliament: rethinking the history and historiography of Jewish immigration

Abstract

ABSTRACTWith remarkable consistency, the history of Jewish migration westward from Eastern Europe has been narrated and analyzed as the outcome of interaction between a familiar triad of forces: first, a population of immigrants whose vibrant religious practice and confrontational politics led to conflict with the pre-existing communal leaders and institutions; second, an acculturated community of established Jews; and, third, a majority population liable to be hostile to both foreigners and Jews. The immigrants’ acculturation is seen to follow from the interventions of reform and philanthropy and a process of change over generations. This essay provides a critical examination of the current orthodoxy by examining the case of Jewish immigration to London in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It begins with a consideration of the historiography and historical sources that have given rise to the predominant interpretation. It goes on to excavate patterns, practices, and social relations that suggest a different and new perspective on the history of Jewish integration.