Dr. Jeffrey Gurock chats about Parkchester to two avid listeners
Dr. Jeffrey Gurock, Libby M.Klaperman Professor of Jewish History, gave a lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, on his newest book, Parkchester: A Bronx Tale of Race and Ethnicity, sponsored by the . An enthusiastic audience of amateur historians, lovers of urban history and people curious about the ebb and flow of the Jewish community in New York City filled the Yagoda Commons on the Israel Henry Beren campus and peppered Dr. Gurock with questions, anecdotes and praise for his work.
Parkchester was a planned community, founded by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1940 in the East Bronx, where, as Dr. Gurock explained, 鈥測ou didn鈥檛 choose to live there, they chose you to live there. In a way,鈥 he joked, 鈥渢he Jews, Italians, Irish and others who got to live in Parkchester were all 鈥榯he chosen people.鈥欌 He also pointed out that African Americans and Latinos were not initially among the chosen, making their way to Parkchester much later.
Along with that sense of chosenness came a pride in living in a 鈥渇resh, new neighborhood,鈥漺hich led to a 鈥済et-along attitude鈥 that reduced tensions and animosities, a situation that Dr. Gurock attested to personally, having lived in Parkchester from 1949 to 1975.
Given the response to the book鈥檚 publication, Dr. Gurock now considers it a 鈥渨ork in progress鈥 and will be looking to do a second edition in order to contain the many reminiscences and artifacts that have come to light about the founding of this exceptional community.
Dr. Jeffrey Gurock speaks about the origins of Parkchester in the East Bronx
Dr. Jeffrey Gurock chats about Parkchester to two avid listeners
Dr. Jeffrey Gurock speaks about the origins of Parkchester in the East Bronx
