The First Russian Jews in America

The most massive movement of a Jewish population in history occurred in the thirty-three years preceding World War I. In that time span two million Jews immigrated to the United States coming mainly from Russia. Economic and social success of a group of immigrants can be explained by the combination of their own attributes and the conditions they find in the host country. This article provides an example of the interface between the needs of individuals, the immigrants, in a crisis situation and the opportunities in a different system, the target country, that provides a solution for those in need.