This week, Social Studies teacher, Mr. Robert Sandler shares that he had "Dr. Aaron Welt from Hunter College visit his NYC History class. Dr. Welt's research has appeared in American Jewish History and the Journal of American Ethnic History, among other publications. He is currently turning his dissertation, “The Jewish Strong Arm Men: Organized Crime and Industrial Order in the Jewish Ethnic Economy, 1909–32” into a book. In our class he used primary documents from the archives at Columbia University and the Center for Jewish History to discus the history of Jewish gangsters, labor racketeering and their role in the ethnic economy, specifically the garment industry.
We learned about how the police inflated crime statistics to make nativist arguments to limit Jewish immigration, and how the Jewish community led by rabbis pushed back against organized crime with the development of the Bureau of Social Morals. We also looked at infamous Jewish gangsters like "Dopey" Benny Fein, and Jacob "Greaser" Rosenzweig, their connection with Tammany Hall and why the Jewish organized crime faded away. It was a enlightening presentation! " (photos courtesy of Ms. Sandler)
