Routine basis know paul well. Hes been our fearless leader for the past several years in helping to direct the symposium. Because of that, i feel like no introduction is needed. That old canard, but in pauls case, its really true. Ill just say that he comes to us from the university of saskatchewan to give you a sense of how far hes come to be with us today. Hes there on a professor, visiting professorship on human rights. And hell be speaking on a nation of immigrants, the keynote, of course, is an opportunity to look at the theme in a broader sense. So hes going to be laying the groundwork for everything were going to be discussing tomorrow, and i hope youll all come back if you can tomorrow as well. One last thing before paul comes up to the podium. We have a special lunch program, something we dont do typically. Were going to have a speaker join us during lunch period tomorrow. So we can keep people in the room, but have boxed lunches to make that easy for you. And i think youll re
Jewish community. Up to 1924, Ultra Orthodox Jews generally chose not to come to the United States. There were even rabinic rulings in europe discouraging jewish immigration to america. It was very simple. If you come to america, it will be better for your body. It will be worse for your soul. And your grandchildren will be gentiles. And they said dont come to america. And as a result, the ultra communities did not. After world war ii, though, the surviving ultra communities did. In part, they came here because they were either nonzionist or antizionist and didnt want to go to israel. So they come here. And that population today is what is changing the americanjewish community more than anything else because of their extreme birth rate. I would invite anyone to take a tour of borough park or flatbush in brooklyn, by zip code, they have the highest birth rates of any place in the United States. And if there is retention over generations, the prediction is somewhere around half of the am
Colonial period to modern day. This event is part of a twoday u. S. Capital Historical Society symposium. Its about an hour and 15 minutes. The keynote opening this particular symposium. We have paul finkelman. Those of you who come on a routine basis know paul well. Hes been our fearless leader for the past several years in helping to direct the symposium. Because of that, i feel like no introduction is needed. That old canard, but in pauls case, its really true. Ill just say that he comes to us from the university of saskatchewan to give you a sense of how far hes come to be with us today. Hes there on a professor, visiting professorship on human rights. And hell be speaking on a nation of immigrants, the keynote, of course, is an opportunity to look at the theme in a broader sense. So hes going to be laying the groundwork for everything were going to be discussing tomorrow, and i hope youll all come back as you can tomorrow as well. One last thing before paul comes up to the podium.
Was in the 80s. When a soviet Jewry Movement begins here in the United States. And the American Jewish Community Found itself in direct, direct defiance of the wishes of the Israeli Government that wanted the russians to go there. And the American Jewish community argued freedom of choice. On immigration. Of course once the russian jews arrive here in large numbers, they really dont want a lot to do with them and ill just end with an anecdote. I mentioned to my own synagogue board, maybe we should have an Outreach Program to russian jews in northeast philadelphia. And one member said out loud, why do we need to do that . I already have somebody to do my nails. Coming up tonight on American History tv, its the history of immigration. Starting at 8 00 p. M. , well show you a comparison of the roles of congress, states, and the president in developing immigration policy. Going all the way back to the colonial period. Then at 9 20 eastern, the origins of the 1882 chinese exclusion act and