[Naomi20254]

I think a lot of Gentiles would like to ask that question; it's terribly un-PC but fair. In the 'old country,' meaning Eastern Europe for most American Jews, Jews were not allowed to own land and were not allowed into the artisan guilds. Going back further to the Middle Ages, Jews in many cities were not allowed to do anything but lend money at interest (forbidden to Christians)or sell used clothing. Early on, Jews became merchants and bankers since they were restricted to these professions. Fast-forward to the U.S. Did Jewish immigrants, who didn't know the front end of a cow from the back, take up farming in Minnesota? No, they ended up in garment factories in New York and other big cities; they also, particularly in the South and Midwest, were peddlers to rural communities. As the economy changed, Jewish professions changed too: the peddler ended up owning a general store, the garment guy ended up being a bigwig on 7th Avenue, and a lot of Jews went into businesses that were not closed to them by old-line WASPS, especially media and the movies. Even today, you see the entepreneurial spirit of the old ghetto in the number of Jews involved in dot-com startups... The professions, that's different. Jews were closed out of the law and medicine in Europe until the Napoleonic liberation of the 19th century, but here in America, well....that's different! The professions combine financial security (that you can always take with you in a pogrom, because a medical degree is in your head rather than in immovable real estate) with the veneration Jews have for education (advanced degrees.) I'm out of my own background on this one, but I see much in common with today's Indian and Chinese immigrants: get a good degree from a big-name college and start your own business/practice. All the stores in my old, formerly Jewish neighborhood are now owned by Asians.... Hope that helped.

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Name : Naomi20254, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 44, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Public affairs, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

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