8 - Becoming English in the Workplace

Summary

Upon arrival in Britain, many Jews entered a relatively narrow range of jobs, including the garment trade or boot and shoe industries, in which nearly 40 per cent of Jewish immigrants had worked before emigrating. Records from the JBG, the press and parliamentary investigations offer a picture of women's changing experience in the labour market. Over time, Jewish women experienced improved working conditions and entered a wider range of occupations. Especially as women found employment beyond the East End, work contributed to their acculturation through new friendships, increased access to the consumer market and greater self-sufficiency.

The Extent of Female Labour

In recent years, there has been a good deal of debate over the extent and nature of women's work and economic roles prior to emigration. Traditional images of Jewish women often place them at the centre of the family's economic survival. Zborowski and Herzog described work in Eastern Europe as sexless and respected scholars claim women toiled while their men-folk prayed and studied the great works of Jewish law. According to sociologist Arthur Ruppin, ‘distinguishing features’ of Jewish family life included chastity before marriage, matrimonial fidelity, respect of children for parents and ‘boundless love and devotion’ by parents. Women did not participate in public life, ‘but attended to their domestic duties or assisted their husbands in their work’. Certainly, the popular image of women supporting their families had a basis in reality, but did not characterize the majority of Eastern European Jewish families.