Jews in the Crisis of 1929 and the Great Depression

The Great Depression, triggered by the Wall Street stock market crash in October 1929, struck the Jewish communities of the United States and Europe hard, weakened by unemployment, commercial bankruptcies, and the precariousness of a population often concentrated in small trade and crafts. In the United States, where the immigrant community was still largely urban and working-class, the crisis worsened difficulties while fueling a wave of populist antisemitism, embodied notably by radio preacher Charles Coughlin, who portrayed Jews as responsible for financial disorder. In Europe, the economic slump fed the rise of far-right movements and, in Germany, contributed to the success of the Nazi party. For many Jews, the ordeal reinforced engagement in left-wing movements, trade unions, and, in the United States, support for Roosevelt's New Deal. The crisis thus had contrasting effects, combining an aggravation of hostilities and the progressive political radicalization of part of the community.

Sources & resources

• Jewish Virtual Library ↗
• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan