Taking Care of Our Own: Narratives of Jewish Giving and the Galveston Movement

Abstract

During the Progressive Era, American Jewish philanthropists and social workers attempted to reconcile Jewish conceptions of giving ( tzedakah ) with modern, scientific methods of assessing need and dispensing aid. The “distribution” work of the Industrial Removal Office and the Galveston Movement attempted to address both ethnic and civic needs. These projects highlight the benefits and limitations of Jewish reformers adopting bureaucratic methods to address the plight of indigent coreligionists. Proponents of distribution believed their efforts negotiated Jewish and American interests: by sending skilled laborers to the interior where they were needed, Jewish philanthropists addressed the industrial demands of the nation as well as the problems of destitute immigrants. The desire among some of these immigrants to maintain religiously observant lives posed a formidable challenge to Jewish reformers. Their practical philanthropy did not recognize the importance of daily prayer or Sabbath observance. In fact, some viewed traditional religious practice as an obstacle to successful assimilation. This examination demonstrates that Jewish and American interests were not always mutually informing and questions the success of these philanthropic endeavors to meet their exalted goals.