The Long History of the Schmatte Business
During the latter half of the 19th century and the first couple of decades of the 20th century, during the great immigration from Europe into the United States, Jewish people made up a significant percentage of those coming into the United States, with more than 2 million Jewish immigrants entering the country between 1890 and 1920. While there were no laws limiting what they could legally do in America, there were nonetheless barriers that made it difficult for Jews to totally assimilate into American culture. Some professions and some employers simply wouldn’t hire them and there were no anti-discrimination laws or regulations to prevent such actions. One industry, though, where Jewish labor was allowed, welcomed and almost coveted, was the garment industry. According to one source, in 1910, about four in ten garment workers in New York and approximately one in four nationwide were Jewish.
Why Were Jewish Immigrants Able to Thrive in the Garment Industry around the Turn of the 20th Century?
First and foremost, many Jewish immigrants came to the United States with extensive tailoring skills, as well as considerable experience working with textiles, tailoring and garments. In Europe, as in the United States, the “schmatte” industry (from the Yiddish term for “rag”) had virtually no barriers to entry and required very little investment for workers or employers…basically a needle and thread. The first production sewing machines were not manufactured until the 1850s, so most clothes before that time were hand-sewn and stitched. Many Jewish immigrants had developed those skills in Europe, they could easily bring needles with them, and many of the potential places of employment (essentially sweatshops) were in or close to neighborhoods where they settled upon arrival. Even after the development of the treadle sewing machine, cost was seldom a barrier to entry into the garment industry.
In addition, for Jewish immigrants who arrived after 1850 benefited from well-established Jewish supply chains in both the wholesale and retail sectors. It wasn’t uncommon for clothing to be sewn or stitched by Jewish needle workers, in a shop run by Jewish contractors, to be initially put into the hands of Jewish wholesalers who then sold to Jewish retailers.
Did Jewish Immigrants in the Garment Industry Suffer because of Antisemitism?
Though it might seem that, if Jewish needleworkers, shop owners, wholesalers and retailers were able to thrive in the garment industry, it must have been relatively free of discrimination, that was not the case. In Europe and in the United States, most guilds prohibited Jewish membership. This forced Jewish immigrants into the so-called “sweatshops” prevalent in New York City and Baltimore, often enduring abysmal working conditions, including scant attention to safety or sanitary matters.
Because they were essentially shut out of mainstream commerce, Jewish merchants and entrepreneurs established their own entire industry, building their own supply chains, establishing their own department stores (Macy’s, Kaufmann’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, to name a few), and even their own fashion stores and shows.
At the same time, Jewish workers in the sweatshops mobilized and organized, using strikes and other actions to establish the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (ACWA). In addition, certain Jewish religious laws, such as shatnez, which prohibits mixing wool and linen, helped Jewish tailors and milliners acquire highly developed skills for working with and grading different fabrics, which helped enhance production in their factories.
Gutterman’s and Gutterman Warheit—Comprehensive Funeral and Burial Assistance for More than 130 Years
At Gutterman’s and Gutterman Warheit, with funeral chapels located in both New York and Florida, we have provided comprehensive funeral and burial services to individuals and families in the Jewish community for more than six generations. We understand the distinct practices within each Jewish tradition and can assist with every detail, whether it’s the structure of the memorial service or the selection of a casket, monument or marker, arrangement for sitting Shiva or the preparation of a Yahrzeit calendar. We will also work directly with the Chevra Kadisha to ensure compliance with Jewish law in the preparation of the body.
To learn how we can help, send us an email or call us at one of the numbers listed below.
Gutterman’s & Gutterman Warheit — Where Relationships Matter
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