The American Jewish Archives Journal Volume LXI 2009 • Number 2 Academic Advisory & Editorial Board Jonathan D. Sarna, Co-chair Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts Gary P. Zola, Co-chair Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, Ohio Martin A. Cohen Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, New York Norman J. Cohen Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, New York Sara S. Lee Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles, California Pamela S. Nadell American University, Washington, DC Kevin Proffitt American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio Mark A. Raider University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio Marc Lee Raphael College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia Shuly Rubin Schwartz The Jewish Theological Seminary, New York, New York Robert M. Seltzer Hunter College, New York, New York Lance J. Sussman Congregation Keneseth Israel, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania VoLume LXI Number 2 (2009) A Journal Devoted to the Preservation and Study of The American Jewish Experience Gary P. Zola, Ph.D., Editor Dana Herman, Ph.D., Managing Editor Phil Reekers, Editorial Assistant Jacob Rader Marcus, Ph.D., Founding Editor (1896–1995) Published by The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives Located on the Cincinnati campus of the Hebrew union College–Jewish Institute of Religion Cincinnati • New York • Los Angeles • Jerusalem Publication of this journal is made possible, in part, by gifts from Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York and by the Dolores and Walter Neustadt American Jewish Archives Journal endowment fund. The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives Located on the Cincinnati campus of the Hebrew union College–Jewish Institute of Religion Cincinnati • New York • Los Angeles • Jerusalem Dr. David Ellenson, President On the cover: From left to right: The covers of three of Naomi W. Cohen’s influential works: Jacob H. Schiff: A Study in American Jewish Leadership (Hanover and London: Brandeis University Press, 1999), Encounter with Emancipation: The German Jews in the United States, 1830–1914 (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1984), and Not Free to Desist: The American Jewish Committee, 1906–1966 (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1972). (Courtesy American Jewish Archives) The American Jewish Archives Journal is indexed in the Index to Jewish Periodicals, Current Contents, American Historical Review, United States Political Science Documents, and the Journal of American History. Information for Contributors: The American Jewish Archives Journal generally follows The Chicago Manual of Style (15th Edition) but issues its own style sheet, which may be accessed by visiting the American Jewish Archives website at: www.AmericanJewishArchives.org ISSN 002-905X © 2009 by The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives ii • American Jewish Archives Journal CONTENTS To Our Readers Gary P. Zola, Editor pp. vii–xi Appreciation Naomi W. Cohen as Teacher and Scholar: An Appreciation Robert M. Seltzer et al. pp. 1–5 Writings of Naomi W. Cohen Compiled by Brian Smollett pp. 6–9 Articles The Education of Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic Children in Mid-Nineteenth-Century New York City Stephan F. Brumberg pp. 10–41 “Not Quite ‘Our Crowd’”: The Trajectory of the Obermayer Family, 1618–2009 Kenneth Libo pp. 42–60 Jewish Life in the United States 1878–1881, According to Ha-Zefirah Robert M. Seltzer pp. 61–72 “Free America:” Glimpses of Jewish Immigrant Life in the Pages of American Brivnshtelers Alice Nakhimovsky and Roberta Newman pp. 73–98 Commissioner Williams and the Jews Naomi W. Cohen pp. 99–126 Volume LXI Number 2 • iii The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Hebraist: The Life and Dreams of Aron Shimon Shpall Shuly Rubin Schwartz pp. 127–144 The Depth of Ethnicity: Jewish Identity and Ideology in Interwar New York City Jeffrey S. Gurock pp. 145–162 American Jewish Leadership Confronts the Holocaust: Revisiting Naomi Cohen’s Thesis and the American Jewish Committee Steven Bayme pp. 163–186 Book Reviews Herbert Alpert, Louis Marshall, 1856–1929: A Life Devoted To Justice and Judaism reviewed by Henry M. Greenberg pp. 187–188 Baruch J. Cohon, ed., Faithfully Yours: Selected Rabbinical Correspondence of Rabbi Samuel S. Cohon During the Years 1917–1957 reviewed by Mara Cohen Ioannides pp. 188–189 Aviva Ben-Ur, Sephardic Jews in America: A Diasporic History reviewed by Ronnie Perelis pp. 189–191 Hasia Diner, We Remember with Reverence and Love: American Jews and the Myth of Silence after the Holocaust, 1945–1962 reviewed by Robin Judd pp. 192–193 Henry L. Feingold, Jewish Power in America: Myth and Reality reviewed by Robert M. Seltzer pp. 193–194 Jeffrey S. Gurock, Orthodox Jews in America reviewed by William Shaffir pp. 194–195 iv • American Jewish Archives Journal Ira Robinson, Translating a Tradition: Studies in American Jewish History reviewed by David Weinfeld pp. 196–197 Barry Seldes, Leonard Bernstein: The Political Life of an American Musician reviewed by Stephen J. Whitfield pp. 198–199 Gerald Tulchinsky, Canada’s Jews: A People’s Journey reviewed by Steven Lapidus pp. 200–201 Mel Young, ed., Uriah: Uriah Phillips Levy, Captain, USN, and the Naval Court of Inquiry reviewed by William Pencak pp. 201–202 Recent Archival Acquisitions 2009 pp. 203–207 Councils pp. 209–210 Index pp. 211–220 Volume LXI Number 2 • v We mourn the passing of our beloved teacher, patron, and friend Dr. Alfred Gottschalk (1930–2009) President, HuC-JIR (1971–1995) Chancellor (1996–2000) Chancellor Emeritus (2001–2009) No rabbi commanded greater respect and awe than 'mori v’rabi', my teacher and my Rabbi... Alfred Gottschalk. His death leaves us bereft and forlorn. His life was a remarkable one, and his accomplishments legendary. Rabbi David Ellenson Eulogy for Dr. Gottschalk, 14 September 2009 vi • American Jewish Archives Journal TO our readers… In 1986, the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC- JIR) published a delightful “Tribute Volume” to commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of Jacob Rader Marcus’s birth. The booklet’s editors invited dozens of Marcus’s friends, colleagues, and disciples to write a 150-word response to the question: “What was the most memorable lesson I learned from Jacob Rader Marcus?” Dr. Naomi W. Cohen, then a professor of history at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, was one of the many eminent scholars who happily contributed to this distinctive compilation of “Marcusian” lore. Cohen’s entry reads as follows: As a young graduate student I visited the American Jewish Archives some thirty-five years ago. There I met Jacob Marcus for the first time. I shall never forget his warm welcome, his gracious hospitality, and his keen interest in my research. He went out of his way to put necessary materials at my disposal. By his behavior, he taught me that a teacher’s encouragement of students consists of treating their work with the same enthusiasm and seriousness that he brings to his own.1 The story behind this special tribute edition ofThe American Jewish Archives Journal (The AJAJ) authenticates the veracity of Cohen’s testimonial to Marcus on his ninetieth birthday. Indeed, it was her own students and disciples who first urged the editors of this journal to develop a thematic issue wherein Cohen’s important contributions to the field of American Jewish history could be appropriately highlighted. The achievements of which her colleagues spoke transcended her well-deserved reputation as a meticulous and productive scholar. In fact, the primary impetus for honoring Cohen’s work came upon the recom- mendation of those whom she has generously mentored over the decades. For all those who contributed to this special issue, Cohen has consistently been a teacher who treated their work with the same enthusiasm and seriousness that she brought to her own. The proposal that The AJAJ honor Cohen took hold immediately. As a pioneering scholar of the American Jewish experience, Cohen’s frequently cited volumes are considered by most colleagues to be essential reading. It is also important to note that, for more than a half century, Cohen has been a loyal friend and enthusiastic patron of the American Jewish Archives (AJA). Over the decades, she has commended the AJA’s holdings to researchers and doctoral students. She remains one of the AJA’s most loyal boosters and generous benefactors. For all of these reasons, it seemed quite fitting to have the AJA’s journal fête Naomi Cohen. One of Cohen’s colleagues at Hunter College, Dr. Robert M. Seltzer— himself a graduate of HUC-JIR and a member of The Marcus Center’s Academic Volume LXI Number 2 • vii Advisory and Editorial Board—conceptualized this volume and, to a large extent, served as its executive editor. It was Seltzer who identified and invited the distinguished contributors to participate in this special publication. We are also indebted to The AJAJ’s capable managing editor, Dr. Dana Herman, who worked diligently with Seltzer to ensure that this tribute volume appeared in a timely fashion. Our readers will enjoy reading the fruits of their collaborative labors. Stephan F. Brumberg, a distinguished historian of Jewish education in the United States, honors his colleague with an essay that traces the evolution of Jewish education in New York City during the first three-quarters of the nineteenth century. Prior to the Civil War, Jewish immigrants had abandoned their interest in parochial schools in favor of public school education, despite the school system’s Protestant influence. Many Catholic immigrants, on the other hand, preferred parochial education. Brumberg explains why “different faith communities react[ed] differently to the changing education sector of New York City.”2 Genealogists and students of the German Jewish experience in America will benefit from reading Kenneth Libo’s article on the Obermayer family.