Selections from the Bintel Brief
The Bintel Brief was an advice column in the Jewish Daily Forward, a newspaper founded by immigrant Jews just after the turn of the 20th century. The letters record the ordinary stories and dilemmas of newcomers making their way in a new land. While many of the details are grounded in the context of Jewish immigration in early 20th-century New York, the letters raise universal questions about integration, assimilation, and acculturation, themes as timely now as they were when they were written. Use this link to learn more about the lives of Jews on the Lower East Side of New York at the turn of the 20th century.
Some of these resources require using this password: ReMigLib@2024!
1907: Anti-Semitism and Bigotry at Work
1909: Detained on Ellis Island