with expectation to settle here permanently.
Unenterprising, unlettered, they are at the same time hardy, thrifty
and shrewd, honest and pious. They are undoubtedly highly endowed with
gifts of imagination and artistic expression for which in their American
conditions they find little or no outlet.

[Sidenote: Necessity of Christian Environment]

And here again is the point we are constantly having impressed upon us.
What the immigrant shall become, for good or ill, depends chiefly upon
what conditions are made for him, and whether he is given a chance to
express his best self in this country. Grinding monopoly, harsh
treatment, prejudice that drives into clannishness and race
hatred--these will make of the Slavs a peril. A genuinely Christian
environment and treatment will find them receptive and ready for
Americanization through evangelization.

_VIII. The Russian Jews_

[Sidenote: An Interesting Group]

In some respects the most interesting immigrants from the Slav countries
are the Jews from Russia and Roumania. The German Jew and the Russian
Jew must not be confounded; they are as distinct as any two races in the
entire immigrant group. The German Jew came to America to make more
money, and is making it. The Russian Jew, who comes from persecution, is
rigidly orthodox, and regards the commercial German class as apostate.
He forms a picturesque, vigorous, _sui generis_ member of the alien
procession.

[Sidenote: Coming Rapidly]

Since the year 1881 not less than 750,000 Jewish immigrants have arrived
at the port of New York alone. On Manhattan Island more than every
fourth person you meet is a Jew. The Jews admitted at Ellis Island
during the past five years outnumbered all the communicants in the
Protestant churches in Greater New York.

[Sidenote: Where they Come from]

Of the 106,000 Jews admitted in 1904, a large proportion of whom settled
in New York, 77,000 came from the Russian Empire, 20,000 from
Austria-Hungary, and 6,000 from Roumania. Jewish immigrants from eastern
Europe are all one people.

[Sidenote: Occupation]

They show a larger proportion with skilled, professional and commercial
training and experience than do any of the other newer immigrants except
the Finns. Nearly twenty per cent. of the Hebrew immigrants are tailors,
nearly five per cent. mechanics, merchants, or clerks, and almost one
per cent. follow the professions. Of the remainder a very considerable
proportion, though