Communal Reflections: The Jewish Historical Society of Staten Island Oral History Project

Authors

Amy F. Stempler, College of Staten Island, CUNYFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 2015

Abstract

The history of Jewish communities in New York has often cast a shadow over the history of other communities throughout the United States. Staten Island, though part of America’s largest Jewish city, has not received the scholarly attention awarded to Manhattan and the other outer boroughs. By the end of the twentieth century, Staten Island had the fastest growing Jewish community in New York City. Jews constituted 9 percent of the borough’s population, a higher proportion of the population than the number of Jews in all states outside of New York. Little is known about the community, especially its early years. However, with evidence from an oral history project, we can now begin to reveal some of the historically significant aspects of Jewish life on Staten Island.