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The Jews

Strength in Numbers
According to a 2002 UJA Federation of New York’s Jewish Community study, there are 186,000 Jewish people living in Queens.

Where They Live
Since Jews are one of three ethnicities that have had the most impact on Queens evolution (alongside the Irish and the Italians), you can see their influence borough-wide, especially in Laurelton, Bayside and Flushing.

Many Soviet émigrés who settled in Rego Park in the 1980s and ‘90s were Bukharan Jews from Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states.

How They Got There
In 1907, the Sons of Israel Congregation was formed at 69-06 75th St. Its synagogue attracted many Jews from Manhattan’s Lower East Side. In 1972, the Sons of Israel merged with the Congregation Ahavath Achim, which maintained a temple at 75-27 67th Dr.

Although the numbers of Russian-Jewish immigrants increased throughout the 20th century, it wasn’t until the early 1970s when hundreds of thousands of Jews fled Communist oppression and settled in Queens. Their arrival came after the Soviets agreed to allow as many as 250,000 citizens to emigrate in response to a new trade act with the United States in 1974.

The migration brought Jewish settlements to central Queens, which had roots that were prominent in Slavic and Central Asian cultures.

What Makes Them
Who They Are
After World War II, most of the world entreated the United Nations to provide a recognized Jewish state. The vote, cast at our own Flushing Meadows, the U.N.’s first home, passed on Nov. 27, 1947. Six-thousand miles away, people of Jerusalem joined in celebration with the crowds that gathered at Flushing Meadows to rejoice the state’s U.N. acceptance.

Don’t be confused, though; being a Jew in America doesn’t necessarily mean identifying culturally or politically with Israel any stronger than with the neighborhood you grew up in. Being Jewish means living in two worlds at once—the world of ethnicity and of religion.

The Good Life
Since the late 18th century, Jewish progression in Queens has blossomed into all aspects of life and helped shape the melting pot we have all come to embrace. From Russian-Jewish barber shops in Fresh Meadows, to business tycoons and elected officials scattered throughout the borough, Jewish heritage is one that continues to flourish while maintaining its centuries-old traditions.

The Not So-Good Life
Of course, Jews have been witness to some of the world’s most infamous conflicts. From centuries-old hostilities (and outright war) between them and Arab cultures, inflamed by Israel’s creation and continuing today, to the Nazi atrocities of WWII, the Jews have battled anti-Semitic prejudices on several fronts.

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