While the histories of other Jewish communities in the U.S. have often been overshadowed by New York, the Jews of Staten Island have suffered the same fate within the scholarship of America’s largest Jewish city. Although Staten Island has the smallest Jewish population in all of the city’s boroughs, its percentage of the population in Richmond County exceeds any state in the country, and it is among the fastest growing Jewish communities in New York. This presentation will paint a picture of Jewish life on Staten Island and its distinctive character, including its relationship with Reform Judaism and the reverse phenomenon of absorbing a dramatic influx of Russian Jews at the turn of the 21st century. There will be a discussion of the social, religious, educational, and institutional developments of the community, its changing demographics, and how the organized Jewish community adapted to these transformations, with a special emphasis on the impact of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. This account is based significantly on primary source material found in the College of Staten Island’s Archives.
Guest speaker Amy Stempler is an assistant professor at the College of Staten Island, CUNY, where she serves as coordinator of library instruction. She received her bachelors and masters in history from The George Washington University and her masters in library and information science from the Pratt Institute. Her research interests include Judaica librarianship, Jewish book history, and the history of the Jews of NJ and NY. She has curated several exhibits, including the Jewish Museum of New Jersey’s inaugural exhibit, “L’Chaim: Celebrating the Highlights of 20th Century Jewish Life in New Jersey.” Her article, “Isaac Edward Kiev: Early Leader in American Judaica Librarianship,” will be published this fall in Judaica Librarianship.
New York City, NY; NYC