Episode 2: The lost history of American Jews

This episode explores the forgotten history of American Jews, answering listener questions about their identity and cultural development. The host traces the migration of Jews from the Russian Empire to the US, highlighting their initial poverty and the subsequent creation of robust communal institutions focused on mutual support. A key takeaway is that American Jews, despite their immense success, largely lack awareness of their own history, a phenomenon rooted in the trauma of past oppression and a conscious rejection of European Jewish elites. The episode concludes by suggesting that this "forgetting" might be a source of both strength and current vulnerability for the community. The host uses the example of the rapid decline of Jewish organized crime compared to other ethnic groups to illustrate this point.