When my grandfather first arrived in Allentown, he lived in the Ward, on 2nd. Street. It was around 1895, and the neighborhood was full of immigrants. Some groups came from the same area in the old country, most noticeably the Syrians, from the village of Amar. They were members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, a Christian minority in a Muslim country. The congregation of St. George's Church on Catasauqua Ave., largely is descended from those immigrants. Well known names in Allentown, such as Atiyeh, Haddad, Hanna, Makoul, Koury and Joseph are among their members. They were among one of the first groups to organize, and those organizations still exist. The photo above was organized by the Syrian American Organization in 1944. Note that Jewish, on the left, is treated as a nationality.
click on photo to enlarge
reprinted from previous years
Like my father before me, I grew up with many Syrian friends. They took me along to St. George's for Christmas Mass. It was understood that they supported Syria (and the Assad's), and they understood that I supported Israel. This relationship is not unique to my family, but exists with many second and third generation Syrians and Jews. In today's Allentown, Puerto Rico is now another location of importance.
ReplyDeleteI remember going with my dad to 2nd st and visiting many of his Syrian friends. My father's father came from Amar and these friends were a tight knit community. There was a small synogue on 2nd st between Tilghman and Allen and I remember seeing the rabbi outside of the synogue. I am now 74 yrs old and when I think about those times with my dad I have the fondest memories.
ReplyDelete