What if the story of Jews and American banking wasn’t about Wall Street titans—but about immigrant families who built commercial banking businesses that helped others thrive? Indeed, many are familiar with the names of famous early-twentieth-century German Jewish bankers such as Jacob Schiff or Felix Warburg, but far fewer have ever heard of men like Sender Jarmulowsky, Max Kobre, or Saul Singer. These East European Jewish immigrants helped millions of migrants with a few dollars and a dream save money, borrow money, buy ship tickets, and send small sums overseas. Millions saw their financial lives shaped by these men whose stories are now in the dustbin of history. This talk with author and Columbia Professor Rebecca Kobrin ‘94 shares their stories and how they reshaped not only banking but the business of mass migration and real estate development in America. Based on Professor Kobrin’s newest book, Credit to the Nation: Eastern European Jewish Immigrant Bankers and the Shaping of American Finance, 1873–1930.
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