9780062971876

0062971875

9780062971890

"The story of the mass exodus of Jews out of Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th century and the titans of industry who made it possible"-- Provided by publisher.

Over thirty years, from 1890 to 1921, 2.5 million Jews, fleeing discrimination and violence in their homelands of Eastern Europe, arrived in the United States. Many sailed on steamships from Hamburg. This mass exodus was facilitated by three businessmen whose involvement in the Jewish-American narrative has been largely forgotten: Jacob Schiff, the managing partner of the investment bank Kuhn, Loeb & Company, who used his immense wealth to help Jews to leave Europe; Albert Ballin, managing director of the Hamburg-American Line, who created a transportation network of trains and steamships to carry them across continents and an ocean; and J. P. Morgan, mastermind of the International Mercantile Marine (I.M.M.) trust, who tried to monopolize the lucrative steamship business. Though their goals were often contradictory, together they made possible a migration that spared millions from persecution. Descendants of these immigrants included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Estée Lauder, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Fanny Brice, Lauren Bacall, the Marx Brothers, David Sarnoff, Al Jolson, Sam Goldwyn, Ben Shahn, Hank Greenberg, Moses Annenberg, and many more--including Ujifusa's great grandparents. That is their legacy.

Part I. The Jew boy of Morris & Co. ; Convert, emigrate, or disappear ; Schiff, the immigrant success story ; Albert Ballin takes over HAPAG ; Immigrants and "Asia's fearful scourge" ; The aristocrats mobilize

Part II. A banker's charity ; Morganizing the Atlantic ; The Kaiser's Jews ; Morgan's big offer

Part III. The Weinsteins: One journey of many ; The most infamous pogrom ; Gaming the Russo-Japanese war ; Making peace with the Aid Society ; Revolution and rebuilding ; Revolution and rebuilding ; Immigration restriction goes mainstream ; Halting the march to armageddon

Part IV. Betraying the Morgan Trust ; The martyrs of the Titanic ; My field is the world ; A life's work ruined ; He who saves one life, savs the world entire

Epilogue: Kaddish for those left behind.

Jews, Russian > Migrations.

Jews > Russia > History > 20th century.

Jews > Soviet Union > History > 20th century.

Jewish refugees > United States.

Capitalists and financiers > United States > Biography.

Capitalists and financiers > Germany > Biography.

Philanthropists > United States > Biography.

United States > Emigration and immigration > History > 20th century.