ABSTRACT
Jewish workers in Amsterdam were native born. Most were descendants of Ashkenazi families who had settled in the capital at least a century before. Religion and common heritage were the foundation for this identity, which largely determined people's courses of life, such as whom they married, where they settled, where they sought employment, and who their social contacts were. The proportion of Jews was negligible in other industries and in construction work. Jewish men were also relatively likely to work as civil servants or as professionals. The percentage of Jews receiving poor relief was reported to be far larger than the corresponding proportion among members of other religious congregations which meant that the middle class was virtually non-existent among the Jews. The Jewish community did not undertake major efforts to promote confessional education, despite the widespread concern that reduced awareness of Judaism would lead the children to become less religious. The Jewish press noted the presence of anti-Semitism and issued warnings.
