Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Jews in Chatham

At one time Chatham was the home to more than 3,000 Jews and neighboring Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood was home to more than 4,000. If anyone out there knows about the history of Jews in Chatham, please submit of your stories of you and your family in Chatham.

6 comments:

Worlee Glover said...

This is totally ridiculous. Your President and Vice President parents were some of the first African American families to move in the community. Secondly, have you ever read the history of CAPCC to see how it got started? Do that before you ask anymore questions.

JP Paulus said...

Actually, you're the one who's a bit off here, Worlee. A University of CHicago newspaper mentioned the Jewish population on Sep 18, 2007 .

Yes, Chatham has been predominantly African American for half a century. But i have known even a few white people who lived in the area (or close by) when they were growing up.

And many Afrcian Americans i have talked to have had sometie with CHatham in the past.

You it is certainly NOT ridiculous to ask if someone's family had a tie to CHatham, even someone Jewish.

Chatham's history extends beyond the 1950's. Denying that is like saying there weren't people in America before the whites came.

Worlee Glover said...

I never ask anyone to deny it. I know and have met many individuals who have lived in Chatham, atttended Saint Dorothy, and had homes displaced by the Dany Ryan Expressway construction.

The point is it is documented and Keith Tate and Maryellen Drake and others within the organization have spoken on this subject extensively. As well as several Jewish organizations had maintained relationships with CAPCC.

Secondly, CAPCC came to an organization because the white residents in the community did not want the new black residents to be part of their community organization. The black residents along with several Jewish residents are responsible for CAPCC as well as Chatham village cooperatives.

The POINT is JP, if you are going to run the blog of an organization you need to have knowledge of its history. This is information is documented in the Whitney Young library. But I guess all those whites from the Northside are overunning the library.

ifiworld said...

From 1880 to 1950 there were Jews who lived in Chatham...I lawyer on an opposing side of a lawsuit I filed, said his grandmother, a Jew, lived in Chatham, and knew it as an absolutely beautiful neighborhood them. The Jews left Chatham with the white flight of the mid-1950s.

Chatham/Avalon Park Community Council said...

We welcome all stories past and present about Jews in Chatham. Submit them all month long!

JP Paulus said...

There a blog entries which are just blatantly silly and/or ill informed. This particular one is just generic, and not deserving of such a tongue lashing.

It just asked a simple question, which asks for individuals to share their stories.

Sure, you could look it up in the library. But it would be far more dynamic & personal to hear it from 1st or 2nd hand sources (i.e. children of those who lived in Chatham; passing on stories their relatives told).

I think it beats the same 3 people commenting.