History of the Jews in Arizona

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Jewish people have been living in Arizona since the mid-1870s. [1] In 1877, there were 48 Jews living in the Arizona territory. Over succeeding decades, Arizona's Jewish population rose to 2,000 in 1897 and fell to 500 in 1907. By 1973, it had risen again to over 21,000. [2] The Jewish population grew rapidly after World War II. [1] Today, there are over 82,000 Jewish residents in Arizona. [3]

Jews and Christians had good relations in pioneer Arizona; many well-known firms had Jewish and Christian partners. [1] Many Jews served in territorial and state legislatures. Jacob Weinberger was on the Arizona Supreme Court. There have been several Jewish mayors of Phoenix and Tucson in recent years. [1]

The first synagogue built in Phoenix was Temple Beth Israel. At the time that this synagogue was originally built, there were approximately 120 Jews living in the Phoenix area. [3] After its move to Scottsdale, AZ other congregations emerged across the valley in Mesa, Tempe, Glendale, Paradise Valley, and other locations. Organized Jewish congregations were also found in Flagstaff, Kingman, Mesa, Prescott, Scottsdale and Tucson. [1]

Despite the success of early and mid-Jewish leaders in the territory and state, Jews living in Arizona have still faced challenges observing Judaism and facing anti-Semitism. While Jews around the world fell victim to Hitler's Nazi movement from the mid-1930s onwards, Jews in Arizona experienced their own form of anti-Semitism leading up to the 1960s. This mainly included being restricted from specific resorts. [4]

Organizations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottsdale, Arizona</span> City in Maricopa County, Arizona, US

Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott, a retired U.S. Army chaplain, the city was incorporated in 1951 with a population of 2,000. At the 2020 census, the population was 241,361, which had grown from 217,385 in 2010. Its slogan is "The West's Most Western Town". Over the past two decades, it has been one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.

A number of organizations and academics consider the Nation of Islam (NOI) to be antisemitic. The NOI has engaged in Holocaust denial, and exaggerates the role of Jews in the African slave trade; mainstream historians, such as Saul S. Friedman, have said Jews had a negligible role. The NOI has repeatedly rejected charges made against it as false and politically motivated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Foxman</span> Polish Jewish American lawyer, activist

Abraham Henry Foxman is an American lawyer and activist. He served as the national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) from 1987 to 2015, and is currently the League's national director emeritus. From 2016 to 2021 he served as vice chair of the board of trustees at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City in order to lead its efforts on antisemitism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Jews in Switzerland</span>

The history of the Jews in Switzerland extends back at least a thousand years. Jews and Judaism have been present in the territory of what is now Switzerland since before the emergence of the medieval Old Swiss Confederacy in the 13th century.

The transportation system of Arizona comprises car, rail, air, bus, and bicycle transport.

Jewish Nicaraguans or Nicaraguan Jews are Nicaraguans of Jewish ancestry who were born in or have immigrated to Nicaragua. They are part of the ethnic Jewish diaspora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antisemitism in the United States</span> Hatred towards the Jewish people within the US

Antisemitism has long existed in the United States. Most Jewish community relations agencies in the United States draw distinctions between antisemitism, which is measured in terms of attitudes and behaviors, and the security and status of American Jews, which are both measured by the occurrence of specific incidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Jews in the American West</span>

The 19th century saw Jews, like many other people, moving to the American West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congregation Beth Israel (Scottsdale, Arizona)</span> Reform Jewish synagogue in Scottsdale, Arizona, US

Congregation Beth Israel is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 10460 North 56th Street in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the United States. Incorporated in 1920, the congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism in 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Community Council of Victoria</span>

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria Inc (JCCV) is the main representative body for Victorian Jewry, representing 52 Jewish community organisations and over 60,000 Victorian Jews. The JCCV's mission is to represent the Victorian Jewish community, the largest Jewish community in Australia, and deal with matters that affect its status, welfare and interests. The JCCV was established in 1938 as the Victorian Jewish Advisory Board. It has been known as the Jewish Community Council of Victoria since 1989 and became incorporated in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shmuly Yanklowitz</span> American rabbi, activist, and author

Shmuly Yanklowitz is an Orthodox rabbi.

David Rebibo is an Orthodox Jewish congregational rabbi, founder and dean of a K-8 Jewish day school, and founder and head of a kosher certification agency in Phoenix, Arizona. He is also president of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of Greater Phoenix. He is a driving force behind the development of the Orthodox Jewish community of Phoenix since 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Jews in Houston</span>

The Jewish community of Houston, Texas has grown and thrived since the 1800s. As of 2008, Jews lived in many Houston neighborhoods and Meyerland is the center of the Jewish community in the area.

Antisemitism in Venezuela has occurred throughout the history of the Jews in Venezuela. However, under the presidencies of both Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, allegations of antisemitism grew following actions and statements by the Venezuelan government, while also occurring in public incidents. The Bolivarian government would also use the words of "Jewish" and "Zionist" interchangeably in order to avoid accusations of antisemitism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alma Hernandez</span> American politician

Alma Hernandez is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Arizona House of Representatives for the 20th district. Hernandez was elected in 2018 to succeed Macario Saldate, who was term-limited. She was the youngest woman elected to the Arizona House of Representatives.

Racism in Jewish communities is a source of concern for people of color, particularly for Jews of color. Black Jews, Indigenous Jews, and other Jews of color report that they experience racism from white Jews in many countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Kenya, South Africa, and New Zealand. Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews also report experiences with racism by Ashkenazi Jews. The centering of Ashkenazi Jews is sometimes known as Ashkenormativity. In historically white-dominated countries with a legacy of anti-Black racism, such as the United States and South Africa, racism within the Jewish community often manifests itself as anti-Blackness. In Israel, racism among Israeli Jews often manifests itself as discrimination and prejudice against Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, Ethiopian Jews, African immigrants, and Palestinians. Controversially, some critics describe Zionism as racist or settler colonial in nature.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Arizona Jewish History". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  2. "Arizona Jewish Pioneers | Southwest Jewish Archives". swja.library.arizona.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  3. 1 2 "Arizona Jewish Historical Society — History". Arizona Jewish Historical Society. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  4. Pleeter, Zach. "A history of Jewish life in Arizona: Struggles and triumph in the desert" . Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jewish organizations in Arizona | Cause IQ". www.causeiq.com. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Agencies & Organizations | Arizona Jewish Life". 2015-08-08. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  7. 1 2 "Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona | Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona". www.jfsa.org. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  8. 1 2 3 "Agencies & Organizations | Arizona Jewish Life". 2014-08-04. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  9. "JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS IN ARIZONA, USA". www.kosherdelight.com. Retrieved 2023-04-08.