Dublin Core
Titre
The segregating city: Philadelphia's Jews in the urban crisis, 1964-1984
Sujet
Philadelphia, Jews, urban crisis, crime, education, Wynnefield
Description
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was America’s first great city, but it fell on especially hard times after the mid-1960s. The urban crisis became the catch-all name for these hard times across America. The confluence of race riots, suburbanization, urban blight, deindustrialization, the decline of retail corridors, a rising crime rate, perceived declines in the quality of public education, financial crises in city governments, increased racial tensions contributed to the pervasive sense that cities in America were no longer vital places. While the origins of the urban crisis have been located in the 1940s, the development of a narrative of urban decline gathered strength in Philadelphia after the riots of the summer of 1964. The power of narrative concretely shaped life during the urban crisis.
The Jewish community played a special role the history of American cities as one of America’s most urban-centric people. In the postwar era and especially after the urban crisis of 1960s and 1970s, they became one of the nation’s most suburban groups. In Philadelphia, the African-American community followed a similar path of migration from inner-city neighborhoods toward the suburbs as the Jewish community. This created tension between the two groups as Jews were often the only whites in black communities during the urban crisis. Jews ran many of the stores and served as landlords. They also worked as teachers and social workers in the poor black neighborhoods. In the reports that followed the riots of 1960s, the Jewish merchant and landlord of the inner city were often taken to task for profiting off of the poor. One part of the response of the Jewish community in Philadelphia was to facilitate the removal of Jewish merchants from inner-city neighborhoods. More conflict occurred when Blacks sought to move into middle-class Jewish neighborhoods. The growing perception that the America’s inner city public schools were failing the city’s youth provided another strong reason for many to leave the city for the suburbs.
The Jewish community played a special role the history of American cities as one of America’s most urban-centric people. In the postwar era and especially after the urban crisis of 1960s and 1970s, they became one of the nation’s most suburban groups. In Philadelphia, the African-American community followed a similar path of migration from inner-city neighborhoods toward the suburbs as the Jewish community. This created tension between the two groups as Jews were often the only whites in black communities during the urban crisis. Jews ran many of the stores and served as landlords. They also worked as teachers and social workers in the poor black neighborhoods. In the reports that followed the riots of 1960s, the Jewish merchant and landlord of the inner city were often taken to task for profiting off of the poor. One part of the response of the Jewish community in Philadelphia was to facilitate the removal of Jewish merchants from inner-city neighborhoods. More conflict occurred when Blacks sought to move into middle-class Jewish neighborhoods. The growing perception that the America’s inner city public schools were failing the city’s youth provided another strong reason for many to leave the city for the suburbs.
Créateur
Merkowitz, David Jay
Éditeur
University of Cincinnati
Date
2010
Contributeur
Stradling, David. Advisor
Langue
en
Type
Dissertation
Identifiant
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1273595539
http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/items/show/1071
http://lallier.msh-vdl.fr/theses/archive/files/5895eef79dd812cad418344c2aad8d4f.jpg