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Why peddling
In previous post, I discuss why Jewish people tend not to take traditional occupation such as farming. Hasia Diner wrote, “Peddling served as a springboard to more lucrative and decidedly more comfortable occupations, ones which did not force its practitioners to walk the road for five days a week, selling goods door to door and house to house.” It was a temporary job for early Jews and they established their social status as a public trader, which later made them easy to take prosperous occupations such as a banker and an owner of the store. Among those who started as a peddler later exploited these experiences as a trader and a network they built as a peddler to take more lucrative occupation, Marcus Goldman, the founder of the world largest investment bank Goldman Sachs, is the one.
Most peddlers later become the storeowner and settled in the communities. Back in European home, peddling ended up becoming life-long occupation while in the New world, it was just a transitional occupation at a time they started to settle and intermingle into American society. As Jewish peddler expedited the economic mobility of American and the rising of American economy from 1800s to early 1900s made them more needed. In addition, Jewish peddler take distinct position in American society as an intermediator between different ethnic groups when they were recognized as White and minority at the same time. Jewish store as a subsequent consequences shaped by previous occupation choice of being peddler preserve its legacy and serve as a ethnic intermediate. Although, after the Civil war when racial coalition was at its highest in American history, Jewish store owner “provided an alternative to having to enter through the back door of the store, the rude treatment, and the exorbitant interest charged to black customers” (Diner), Jewish store served its important function as a way to racial integration and equality. This is well portrayed in Stella Suberman’s memoir, The Jew Store, in her description of support from African American communities to Jewish mayor candidate, her father.
In previous post, I discuss why Jewish people tend not to take traditional occupation such as farming. Hasia Diner wrote, “Peddling served as a springboard to more lucrative and decidedly more comfortable occupations, ones which did not force its practitioners to walk the road for five days a week, selling goods door to door and house to house.” It was a temporary job for early Jews and they established their social status as a public trader, which later made them easy to take prosperous occupations such as a banker and an owner of the store. Among those who started as a peddler later exploited these experiences as a trader and a network they built as a peddler to take more lucrative occupation, Marcus Goldman, the founder of the world largest investment bank Goldman Sachs, is the one.
Most peddlers later become the storeowner and settled in the communities. Back in European home, peddling ended up becoming life-long occupation while in the New world, it was just a transitional occupation at a time they started to settle and intermingle into American society. As Jewish peddler expedited the economic mobility of American and the rising of American economy from 1800s to early 1900s made them more needed. In addition, Jewish peddler take distinct position in American society as an intermediator between different ethnic groups when they were recognized as White and minority at the same time. Jewish store as a subsequent consequences shaped by previous occupation choice of being peddler preserve its legacy and serve as a ethnic intermediate. Although, after the Civil war when racial coalition was at its highest in American history, Jewish store owner “provided an alternative to having to enter through the back door of the store, the rude treatment, and the exorbitant interest charged to black customers” (Diner), Jewish store served its important function as a way to racial integration and equality. This is well portrayed in Stella Suberman’s memoir, The Jew Store, in her description of support from African American communities to Jewish mayor candidate, her father.