Rothenberg: CH. 4 How Jews Became White Folks – Karen Brodkin

In this reading from Rothenberg, Karen Brodkin suggests that Jewish success was not a product of hard work or education. At this time, the segregation of blacks really affected the Jews’ place in society. Being “white” ended up as an advantage point for them. They used it to their advantage to become less oppressed in society. This was a big deal because blacks were still discriminated against while the Jews were using their whiteness to rise above.

“Part of my ethnic heritage was the belief that Jews ere smart and that our success was due to our own efforts and abilities, reinforced by a culture that valued sticking together, hard work, education, and deferred gratification (38). Brodkin continued to say, “I affirm all of those abilities and ideals and their contribution to Jews’ upward mobility, but I also argue that they were still far from sufficient to account for Jewish success (38-39). Blacks, Jews and immigrants were all oppressed groups. In this reading it confirms that Jews were the first of the Euro-immigrants to enter into colleges in significant numbers. Although it was a good thing they were able to even get into colleges, they were still discriminated against. Many Jews believed that their success was due to their hard work and the fact that they highly valued education. Brodkin said that they didn’t see race.

“In time and with hard work, every ethnic group would get a piece of the pie, and the United States would be a nation with equal opportunity for all its people to become part of a prosperous middle-class majority” (43). This was a huge step for race during this time. After the war, affirmative action stepped as a tool to make things equal. Earning a degree was very important; it pretty much meant you were upper-class in society. Soldiers coming home had nothing so a bill was created to help them out. Job training, employment, housing and education were all included in the GI bill. By using their whiteness to their advantage, Jews were included in this, but blacks were not. After the war, blacks were highly discriminated against when it came to the well-paid jobs and housing. Blacks were always the first to be fired, as well as white women. Redlining occurred, but the maps were kept in secret. How does the idea of redlining look in today’s society as opposed to years ago when it first began?

This selection by Brodkin really shows a connection from the past to the present. Although this supposedly isn’t an affirmative action piece, it shows that it’s always been an issue in society.