Category Archives: Events

Cultural Festivals

Part of Syracuse’s love for festivals comes from it’s appreciation for diversity and culture. Throughout the summer, many weekends are devoted to festivals that celebrate a culture with respect to both its heritage and its Syracuse roots. All of these festivals are free, non-profit organizations that are built and created by passionate locals and frequented by Syracuse natives from all walks of life. Offering live music, delicious authentic food, and plenty of activities for both adults and children, the variety of culturul festivals hosted in Syracuse is a great thing to check out on a beautiful summer day.

 

***Dates may change yearly. Please see websites provided for exact dates and times.

 

Middle Eastern Festival

Every year in July, St. Elias’s Antiochian Orthodox Church hosts its annual Middle Eastern festival. Outside you’ll find live music and performances by the dance groups. In the adjacent tent festival goers can order authentic Middle Eastern food. Make your way inside to find the Souk Marketplace where they sell gold and unique imported merchandise. A live cooking demo is done on Saturday with WCNY’s Julie Tabouli. The festival is held at 4988 Onondaga Road in Syracuse.

For more information: cultural-festival

Macedonian Festival

Every year in August, St. George’s Macedonian Orthodox Church hosts their annual cultural festival featuring authentic Macedonian food, desserts, beverages, music, and dancing. Festival goers can sit outdoors and enjoy the sunny weather while listening to a live band, “Merak,” and sampling native foods cooked fresh to order. Their dance troupe, “Kitka,” will entertain you with their lively takes on traditional numbers. Make your way inside to the banquet hall where you’ll find their huge dessert bar, serving not only authentic Macedonian treats, but popular American sweets, cookies, and cakes for all palletes! Take a tour of the church and discover their beautifully painted floor to ceiling al frescos! Children will be sure to be entertained with bounce houses and games! Seating is available indoors and outdoors to accommodate everyone! The festival is located at 5083 Onondaga Road in Syracuse.

For more information: For more information: cultural-festival

Irish Festival

The Guinness Syracuse Irish Festival is the perfect place to enjoy traditional Irish cuisine and heavy draft beers while listening to live bands playing both contemporary and traditional Celtic music. And being set up in Clinton Square, it’ll almost feel like the streets of Dublin itelf! Besides live music, you can also enjoy entertainment from folk dancers and bagpipe players, getting a true taste of the traditions of Irish culture and spirit. The festival runs for 2 days in the first week of September and is located in the downtown area of Syracuse, NY. [2]

For more information:

Greek Festival

Every summer, St. Sophia’s Greek Festival kicks off the Syracuse festival season with simmering hot gyros. Located in the parking lot of St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church, this festival has grown bigger and bigger every year. It offers plenty of live entertainment including traditional Greek bands and dancers. In celebrating the culture of Greece and its traditions, the festival also has a Greek food marketplace and grocery store that sells dry goods, olives and cheeses. The festival runs for 4 days, and is held at St. Sophia’s in DeWitt, NY. Admission is free, with food and beverage costs varying. [3]

For more information: http://www.syracusegreekfest.com/

Italian Festival

Italian Fest, also known as Festa Italiania, was made for anyone with a big appetite for pasta and gellatos. More than twenty restaurants-some of which come from Syracuse’s own Little Italy-participate in this celebration of Italy’s deep family heritage and cooking traditions. The festival runs for 3 days and is set up in front of City Hall on Washington St. in the downtown area of Syracuse, NY. [1]

For more information: http://www.festaitaliana.bizland.com/

 

Juneteenth Festival

In recognition of June 19th, 1865, the day the last American slaves heard news of their freedom, Syracuse is host to an African-American cultural festival that celebrates pride in the black culture. Although the festival offers entertainment that speaks of black heritage, it also provides attendees with a lot of information regarding political issues surrounding the black community. The progressive environment of this festival lets people know they truly are apart of a community. The festival is held in Clinton Square in the downtown area of Syracuse, NY. [4]

Links

For more information: http://syracusejuneteenth.org/

The Oncenter

 

The Oncenter, Syracuse NY

Overview: Though the Oncenter is gargantuan in size, housing a plethora of diverse venues, perhaps the section most frequented by students is the Convention Center. Not only are the majority of concerts held here (the major reason why Syracuse University students attend events at the Oncenter), many sororities and fraternities on campus hold formal and social events here as well.

The physical layout of the Convention Center is extremely spacious, and includes a connected 1000+ car-parking garage, a large and aesthetically pleasing atrium, a 15,000 square foot ballroom, and a 65,000 square foot multipurpose exhibit hall. The majority of the concerts SU students attend are held in the multipurpose exhibit hall, which can house thousands of people for any given event.

Other than the Westcott Theater, the Oncenter’s Convention Center is perhaps the most easily accessible ‘off-campus’ venue for students. Because of its close proximity to campus, students can easily take a cab there for a relatively low price, making it accessible for underclassmen who don’t have access to a car. Also because of its much larger size, the Oncenter is able to hold concerts on a much larger scale, which in turn attracts a large and diverse audience interested in attending their events.

Tiesto at the Onncenter, Syracuse NY 2/19/12

Entertainment: Perhaps the most frequented events by Syracuse University students at the Oncenter’s Convention Center are those of the electronic dance music variety. Because of the Convention Center’s size, the venue is able to accommodate big-name artists for an even bigger audience.  In the past year, talent that has preformed at the Oncenter’s Convention Center include Tiesto, Steve Aoki, Tommy Trash, and many other electronic dance music headliners. While the Oncenter’s convention center also hosts a variety of other types of musical genres, including rock and pop, those are significantly less popular among SU students. For a complete schedule of events, please visit: http://www.oncenter.org/calendar-of-events/2013-04

Security: Security at the Oncenter’s Convention Center is incredibly strict, if not quite as strict as airport security. No outside food or drink is permitted, including mints or gum, nor are cosmetic items such as Chap Stick or makeup. Security at the Oncenter’s Convention Center also has a reputation as being very rude and harsh, so students be warned upon entering. No outside drugs and alcohol are permitted under any circumstances.

Address: 800 South State Street, Syracuse, New York 13210

Contact:

Phone: (315) 435 – 8000

Fax: (315) 435 – 8099

For general questions, comments, or concerns, please send a message to: http://www.oncenter.org/send-message

Directions (From Syracuse University):

Walking: (About 20 minutes)

  1. Head north on South Crouse Avenue toward Waverly Avenue. Continue for 0.2 miles.
  2. Turn left onto East Adams Street. Continue for 0.3 miles.
  3. Turn right onto Almond Street/Van Buren Street. Continue to follow Almond Street for 0.1 miles.
  4. Turn left onto Harrison Street. Continue for 0.3 miles.
  5. Turn right now South State Street. Continue for 0.1 miles. Destination will be in front of you.

By Bus:

Syracuse university students can take the Connective Corridor bus from College Place, which makes a stop at the Warehouse, which is located almost directly behind and is walking distance from the convention center. For a complete bus schedule, please visit: http://connectivecorridor.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Connective-Corridor-2012-2013-Academic-Year-bus-schedule.pdf.

By Car: (About 7 minutes)

  1. Head north on South Crouse Avenue toward Waverly Avenue. Continue for 0.3 miles.
  2. Turn left onto Harrison Street. Continue for 0.6 miles.
  3. Turn right onto South State Street. Continue for 0.1 miles. Destination will be in front of you.

Attire: N/A. Casual.

Parking: The Oncenter has a 1000+ car-parking garage that is located on the corner of South State Street and Adams Street. It is in very close proximity to its venue. For more information, please visit: .

 

References:

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5. Alissa Meagher, promoter for the Oncenter

6.  

Westcott Theatre

Westcott Theatre
The Westcott Theater which is a old cinema that has been renovated and reconstructed from past years, which now have been formed into a Upstate NY premiere live music venue. Major functions are Bar, Movies, and Performing Arts. The Westcott Theater host national, regional and local bands at the venue. Many well-known performers, as well as underground artists have came to perform in this venue. The type of genres that are performed at Westcott range from Hip Hop, Rock, Country, Pop, Heavy Metal , Techno, and others. The ticket prices varies for events, so you will need to find out about the prices by calling, email, internet, or fliers that are put around the Westcott Community and Syracuse area. This theater has become a very live and jive place now. 

Early Development of Theater
Westcott Theater open since 1919 , known as the Westcott Cinema was a well known cinema for its previewing of independent and foreign films for all those cinema lovers out there who wanted something different from the regular mainstream Hollywood movies. Westcott Cinema opened in 1928 and was called the Harvard Theater, a singled screen movie theater . The audience varies from students, professors, locals, etc. Overall, Westcott is highly prized by its audiences because it is venue that offers quality entertainment at a low cost.

Closing Down of Theater
Westcott Theater was managed by Nat Tobin since 1993 till 0ctober 17, 2007 when it closed. Since 1919, Westcott Cinema was a building that been renamed several times as an independent movie house. Westcott Cinema was the home of the Syracuse International Film and Video Festival. In the Daily Orange a VPA professor from Syracuse University stated “The festival is a community event with venues all over the city. It will miss Westcott,” Shapiro said, “Losing it is a serious loss to the city and community. It’s a cultural icon within Westcott nation.”. The main reason for the closing of the cinema was its overall physical layout like the single screen , seating, and lavatories needed renovation. This theater was a historical landmark and many thought that this movie theater was very convenient to the SU community because of it close vicinity to SU campus. Even students stated, “It’s sad; there’s no where to see good indie films. I get sick of the stuff from Blockbuster and Regal; there’s no originality in it,” said Alex Piliouras, a sophomore television, radio and film major.

Reopening
Since then, the Westcott Theatre has reopened and now serves as a live music venue, where bands and artists both mainstream and underground come to perform.

Notable Performers:
▪ The Bob Marley Wailers
▪ Asher Roth
▪ Ra Ra Riot
▪ GhostFace Killah

Contact:
Phone: (315)299-8886

Location:
524 Westcott Street Syracuse,NY 13210

Hours: Varies upon Events

Email: [email protected]
Twitter : @WestcottTheatre
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewestcotttheater

 

Prohibition in Syracuse

Overview

Prohibition was enacted in the United States when the Congress has passed the 18th Amendment on December 1917 Members of the Intercollegiate Prohibition Association of Syracuse University in 1911. Many Organizations Arose In Favor of Prohibition Before the Eighteenth Amendment was Enacted. . The associations focus was to promote an interest in broad political and economic reforms; the most vital one of the focus was an elimination of “the evils of liquor” Chancellor Charles Wesley Flint was a strong advocate of prohibition during his tenure as the university's chancellor from 1922-1936. Copyright: Syracuse University Archives Credit: Kazu Hayakawa. He was known for several issues including defending prohibition 38. When asked in a newspaper publication about the topic of prohibition and Syracuse University, he stated,

Two things must be kept entirely separate: (1) The attitude of the University toward indulgence in intoxicating liquors. That has been invariably the same since the origin of the University, and is practically the same or approximately the same in all leading educational institutions; drinking is not accepted by any as an academic accomplishment nor tolerated as a necessary feature of student life. This has no relation to politics or to methods of regulation of the traffic. Syracuse University’s attitude is the same now as it was in saloon days and as it will be under any system of regulation. (2) Of entirely different complexion is the University’s attitude towards the question of the best governmental method of handling the liquor traffic 40.

This publication from the Syracuse Journal suggests that the chancellor was stating the fact that drinking will not be considered as an accomplishment or goal of an individual. He furthermore states that alcohol has no relations to the student life whether if it’s academics or in organizations. Many students view drinking as in integral part of their lives. The second point he makes states the fact that the university had no relations on whether or how the liquor was trafficked into Syracuse University or the city itself as one of the major problems were bootleggers and illegal manufacturing of liquor at that time. While the second point isn’t much relevant, the firsts statement regarding prohibition is important since it relates to how the university views the consumption of alcohol. In addition to the statement given by the chancellor, the University had a policy in regards to alcohol which states,

“Indulgences in intoxicating liquors, purchasing the same or frequenting places where sold, also gambling, being abuses of student privileges and violations of the traditions and principles of the University, are forbidden by its regulations. A student by the act of registration agrees in honor to observe these regulations, and the University therefore must act toward any such indulgences with the utmost severity” 40.

This rule concludes that many students were advised to keep their drinking out of sight of authorities as it was deemed by the university to be in violation with the student’s honor code. Still drinking flourished outside of the campus as well as private properties as many individuals partook in the event without any reported repercussions from the authorities that were overseeing the alcohol consumption on campus as well as in the city.

Post Prohibition

Prohibition proved to be unfavorable to many individuals and lawmakers and in 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified to repeal prohibition 42. After prohibition was repealed, many breweries in Syracuse re-opened, such as Zett’s, Bartels, Greenway, Moore and Quinn, and Haberle 17. Although some breweries had re-opened, many restrictive laws remained on the books that inhibited establishments of small breweries 17.

 

  1. , ed. “Prohibition.” Digital History. Digital History, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3383>.
  2. , ed. “Prohibition.” Digital History. Digital History, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3383>.
  3. Hanson , David. “The Volstead Act.” Alcohol Problem and Solutions. Sociology Department State University of New York Potsdam, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/Volstead-Act.html>.
  4. Berg , Ellen. “Teen Drinking.” Teen Drinking. 2008. <http://www.faqs.org/childhood/So-Th/Teen-Drinking.html>.
  5. Roberts, Clarence. Illinois Intercollegiate Prohibition Association. 140. Web. <http://dig.lib.niu.edu/ISHS/ishs-1977may/ishs-1977may-140.pdf>.
  6. Roberts, Clarence. Illinois Intercollegiate Prohibition Association. 140. Web. <http://dig.lib.niu.edu/ISHS/ishs-1977may/ishs-1977may-140.pdf>.
  7. “Prohibition Club.” The Onondagan. Syracuse: 1911.
  8. “Prohibition Club.” The Onondagan. Syracuse: 1911.
  9. “Prohibition Club.” The Onondagan. Syracuse: 1911.
  10. Roberts, Clarence. Illinois Intercollegiate Prohibition Association. 140. Web. <http://dig.lib.niu.edu/ISHS/ishs-1977may/ishs-1977may-140.pdf>.
  11. Roberts, Clarence. Illinois Intercollegiate Prohibition Association. 140. Web. <http://dig.lib.niu.edu/ISHS/ishs-1977may/ishs-1977may-140.pdf>.
  12. Whalen , William. Separated Brethren: A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Other Religions in the United States. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2001. 82. eBook.
  13. Whalen , William. Separated Brethren: A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Other Religions in the United States. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2001. 82. eBook.
  14. Whalen , William. Separated Brethren: A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Other Religions in the United States. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2001. 82. eBook.
  15. Whalen , William. Separated Brethren: A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Other Religions in the United States. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2001. 82. eBook.
  16. Salt City Critique
  17. Ensminger, Peter. “Brewing in Syracuse … from 1804 to the Middle Ages.” Beer in Syracuse. Great Lakes Brewing News, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://hbd.org/ensmingr/syracuse.html>.
  18. Ensminger, Peter. “Brewing in Syracuse … from 1804 to the Middle Ages.” Beer in Syracuse. Great Lakes Brewing News, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://hbd.org/ensmingr/syracuse.html>
  19. Ensminger, Peter. “Brewing in Syracuse … from 1804 to the Middle Ages.” Beer in Syracuse. Great Lakes Brewing News, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://hbd.org/ensmingr/syracuse.html>
  20. , ed. “Teaching With Documents: The Volstead Act and Related Prohibition Documents .” National Archives. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration . Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/volstead-act/>.
  21. Ensminger, Peter. “Brewing in Syracuse … from 1804 to the Middle Ages.” Beer in Syracuse. Great Lakes Brewing News, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://hbd.org/ensmingr/syracuse.html>.
  22. Ensminger, Peter. “Brewing in Syracuse … from 1804 to the Middle Ages.” Beer in Syracuse. Great Lakes Brewing News, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://hbd.org/ensmingr/syracuse.html>.
  23. , ed. “Teaching With Documents: The Volstead Act and Related Prohibition Documents .” National Archives. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration . Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/volstead-act/>.
  24. , ed. “History and Tradition.” Century Club of Syracuse. The Century Club of Syracuse, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://centuryclubofsyracuse.com/about/>.
  25. Lessing, Anne. “How the Prohibition Changed America.” Yahoo! Voices. Yahoo! Contributor Network, 30 November 2010. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://voices.yahoo.com/how-prohibition-changed-america-7307854.html?cat=37>.
  26. Berg , Ellen. “Teen Drinking.” Teen Drinking. 2008. <http://www.faqs.org/childhood/So-Th/Teen-Drinking.html>.
  27. Berg , Ellen. “Teen Drinking.” Teen Drinking. 2008. <http://www.faqs.org/childhood/So-Th/Teen-Drinking.html>.
  28. , ed. “Student Testimony Against Prohibition.” Temperance and Prohibtion. The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://prohibition.osu.edu/american-prohibition-1920/student-testimony-against-prohibition>.
  29. , ed. “Student Testimony Against Prohibition.” Temperance and Prohibtion. The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://prohibition.osu.edu/american-prohibition-1920/student-testimony-against-prohibition>.
  30. , ed. “Student Testimony Against Prohibition.” Temperance and Prohibtion. The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://prohibition.osu.edu/american-prohibition-1920/student-testimony-against-prohibition>.
  31. Sneed, Tierney. “5 Reasons to Thank Prohibition on ‘Repeal Day.” US News. US News, 5 Dec 2012. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/12/05/5-reasons-to-thank-prohibition-on-repeal-day>.
  32. Sneed, Tierney. “5 Reasons to Thank Prohibition on ‘Repeal Day.” US News. US News, 5 Dec 2012. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/12/05/5-reasons-to-thank-prohibition-on-repeal-day>.
  33. Berg , Ellen. “Teen Drinking.” Teen Drinking. 2008. <http://www.faqs.org/childhood/So-Th/Teen-Drinking.html>.
  34. Orange Peel Jan. 1920
  35. Adamcyzk, Brandon. “The Depression/WWII: 1922-1945.” College of Visual and Performing Arts. Syracuse University, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://vpa.syr.edu/music/departments/university-bands/history/the-depression>.
  36. Bottle Cry 1932
  37. Davidson, Kirk. Selling Sin: The Marketing of Socially Unacceptable Products. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. 36. eBook. <http://books.google.com/books?id=-qQhMYLT7tgC&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=alcohol consumption during prohibition syracuse&source=bl&ots=BDBLb2d3Uj&sig=QVVDgk4Uld1cJNvUWWJJQRIQgmE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=phdTUYTsMtHK4APF-oCICA&ved=0CD8Q6AEwATgo
  38. Galvin , Edward. “The Chancellors: A History of Leadership at Syracuse University.” Syracuse University Archives. Syracuse University Archives, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://archives.syr.edu/exhibits/leadership.html>.
  39. Galvin , Edward. “The Chancellors: A History of Leadership at Syracuse University.” Syracuse University Archives. Syracuse University Archives, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://archives.syr.edu/exhibits/leadership.html>.
  40. “Chancellor’s Message.” Syracuse Journal Syracuse 30 Nov 1930, n. pag. Print.
  41. “Chancellor’s Message.” Syracuse Journal Syracuse 30 Nov 1930, n. pag. Print.
  42. Petrillo, Jay. “Rum Running In The North Country During Prohibition (1920-1933).” . Plattsburgh. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/jay.petrillo/Background Info page.htm>.
  43. Ensminger, Peter. “Brewing in Syracuse … from 1804 to the Middle Ages.” Beer in Syracuse. Great Lakes Brewing News, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://hbd.org/ensmingr/syracuse.html>.
  44. Ensminger, Peter. “Brewing in Syracuse … from 1804 to the Middle Ages.” Beer in Syracuse. Great Lakes Brewing News, n.d. Web. 2 Apr 2013. <http://hbd.org/ensmingr/syracuse.html>.

Anti-Semitism at Syracuse University: Between the World Wars

 

Since its founding, Syracuse University has prided itself on tolerance. Today, the policy is taken for granted, but it was not always so easy to combat discrimination. Beginning in the early 1880s, anti-Semitic in Eastern Europe forcibly dispersed Jews into central Europe and overseas to the United States, and New York in particular. As immigrants reached American shores, many in the established Jewish elite harbored considerable concerns over the potential for a new wave of discrimination. Over the next three decades, anti-Semitism would indeed surface at all levels of American society.

Jewish adversaries bore few anxieties about the rise of African or Irish Americans to power in media, law, finance and government. These “ethnic” groups had never occupied positions of power, the vast majority living in desperate poverty. But Jews were different. They had been exiled from Eastern Europe not because of famine or slavery or crime, but specifically because they were perceived as threatening to national political systems.

To mitigate the perceived risks of Jewish dominance, doorways to affluence were targeted. The most brazen arena was the university, where Jewish enrollment quotas were imposed at many national universities, including Harvard. Rule of law, immigration policies, athletics and discrimination in social organizations (both at universities and externally) entertained anti-Semitic overtones as well.

Born in 1856 to German-Jewish immigrants, native Syracusan Louis Marshall grew up to be an infamous civil rights attorney and political activist. While defending Leo Frank, a Jewish accountant convicted of murder in Georgia, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees at Syracuse University, a position he would hold until his death in 1929. During his tenure, SU successfully avoided official enrollment quotas, though the campus was certainly not immune to the widespread anti-Semitic attitudes of the time.

Marshall was in a difficult position, hedging the interests of a variety of Jewish and non-Jewish constituencies. Jewish interests and ethics varied across the country, an obstacle Marshall often ran into. The increase in anti-Semitism that occurred after his death would cement him as a worldwide hero against discrimination. In Syracuse, his legacy lives on through his namesake,

Marshall Square Mall, located on Marshall St. was named after Louis Marshall. Courtesy of Syracuse University Archives

Marshall Square Mall, located on Marshall St. was named after Louis Marshall. Courtesy: Syracuse University Archives

 

1. Early History

By the time he was 40, Louis Marshall was among the most distinguished lawyers in the United States. His rhetorical abilities and public presence placed him in a distinctive position alongside other Jewish elites of the time. As Jewish immigration began to escalate near the turn of the century, Marshall, alongside Jacob Schiff and Cyrus Adler, introduced the Galveston Plan, an attempt to direct Jewish migrant ships to Texas in order to avoid a massive assimilation on the eastern seaboard Born in Syracuse, Louis Marshall would become the most distinguished civil rights lawyer of the early 20th century

The next twenty years of his life would be spent as the most illustrious opponent of bigotry, fastidiously attached to the growing marginalization of the world Jewry, in particular. It was a difficult position to fill. Human societies were diversifying across the globe, challenging traditionally homogenous power structures. More importantly, the scale and rapidity of immigrant integration was unprecedented, especially in the United States. Jewish immigration grew to extraordinary proportions between 1880 and the mid-1920s. Estimates suggest that roughly two million Jewish immigrants arrived during this thirty-year stretch. [11]

It is difficult to describe the societal tendencies of Jews during the early 20th century without a hint of prejudice. Krefetz (1982) explains that the skills brought from Eastern Europe, namely, “trading and exchanging, commerce, city living, property rights, … and accumulation of funds for future investment” suggest a cultural propensity for achieving financial security. By the 1980’s, Jewish families had the highest average family income of any ethnic group in the United States, a remarkable feat considering their relatively recent arrival. Louis Marshall wrote a lengthy editorial on the state of anti-Semitism in 1925. As Marshall’s death approached, he was also beginning to lose the battle at Syracuse.

Death

Barely a month before the Great Depression hit, Marshall passed away at a conference in Zurich, Switzerland.

“I am deeply grieved to learn that my friend Louis Marshall has passed,” wired President Herbert Hoover to the Jewish Telegraph Agency (NY) upon hearing of the Jewish icon’s death. “His eminent services in law, government, conciliation and philanthropy will remain of enduring value to this country.” 19. A year later, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then the Governor of New York, designated an appropriation of over half a million dollars for to house the College of Forestry named after Marshall (Marshall Hall at SUNY-ESF still stands today) 20. At his death, Louis Marshall was among the most distinguished lawyers and political activists in the entire world.

The Syracuse Post-Standard noted that, “particularly there his effective service was given to the assurance of fair treatment of the Jewish minorities scattered thru the trouble nations of the European continent.” In his later years, Marshall had worked to secure funding for Jews in the wake of WWI. His most notable accomplishment came at the Treaty of Versailles while he was serving as the President of the American Jewish Committee. Here, he helped organize the new constitutions of Eastern Europe, which granted Jews full equality. Unfortunately, the pillars of equality that he had worked so hard to achieve would be unwound after his untimely death. 21.

 

3. 1930s

The decade that followed Marshall’s passing would see a marked rise in anti-Semitism at Syracuse University, a phenomenon he had successfully combated during his fifteen-year tenure. Jewish enrollment deteriorated and social organizations grew increasingly prejudiced.

Jewish Segregation

Beginning in the 1928-1929 academic year, Jewish students were segregated into Jewish-only dormitories. Over the next ten years, an intra-university debate raged over the policy, which was rescinded then re-enacted in 1934 and again in 1935 22.

Meanwhile, Jewish enrollment plummeted. By 1939, the freshman class had been cut to 7% from its 15% peak in 1923 23. In 1935, a year of segregated dormitories, Marty Glickman enrolled as a first-year student at Syracuse. While only eighteen years of age, he qualified for the United States Olympic team in 1936 as a sprinter for the 4x100m relay team alongside Jesse Owens and a multitude of other prolific American athletes. To his dismay, the games were to be held in Nazi Germany.

Marty Glickman Incident

Burdened by the debts of WWI and the Great Depression, Germany was among the most nationalistic – and racially obsessed – of the entire Western world. More than blacks or any other ethnic minority, German anger was directed towards Jews, as the shadow of the Holocaust reminds us. Jesse Owens and fellow African-American Ralph Metcalfe would end up running the relay in the place of Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller, Jewish sprinters from Syracuse University and the University of Michigan respectively. The pair served as the American track and field team’s only Jewish members, and had been expected to anchor the team. 24

The hostilities began just 24 hours before the 4×100 relay final. Foy Draper and Frank Wykoff, sprinters from USC, were selected to run the relay alongside gold medalists Owens and Metcalfe. After setting world records in the 100m, 200m and the long jump, most expected that Owens would hang up his spikes and watch while his teammates competed in the 4 x 100 meter relay, an event they were certain to win regardless of his participation. Either way, there was little question that Glickman and Stoller should have rounded out the team. “Draper and Wykoff…had been beaten by both Stoller and Glickman in time trials last week,” The New York Times reported in the days following the race. The motives behind Glickman and Stoller’s unseemly dismissal remain a mystery, though anti-Semitism was the obvious culprit. 25

Surprisingly, Hitler did not explicitly request the removal of Glickman and Stoller from the American 4x100m team. The Chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee, , was a friend and sympathizer of Hitler. Brundage was the member of several committees and athletic clubs that prohibited Jewish members, a common occurrence in the era. He is more famous for his order to continue with the 1972 Munich Games after twelve Israeli athletes were executed by Islamic extremists. It should come as no surprise then, that Brundage is thought to have been responsible for Glickman and Stoller’s removal. Today, there are few historians who doubt Brundage’s motives. 26

While Glickman would blame blatant racism for the incident in the years following, his immediate reaction was less explicit. During an interview with The New York Times, Glickman charged that “politics” caused his dismissal, a result of Olympic Coach Dean Cromwell “looking out for the Southern Californians.” It was indicative of an era where anti-Semitism was largely muted and operated under the radar. 27

Glickman and Ed O’Brien, Syracuse University’s other 1936 Olympian, were asked to contribute editorials to the Daily Orange about their experiences in Berlin. Each were allocated a half-page column of about 250 words. Both students expressed anger towards the US Olympic Committee for its spontaneous removal of Glickman, with O’Brien briefly describing it as a “raw deal”. Glickman also expressed frustration and allotted an equally small segment of his column to the incident. While the event seems momentous and infuriating today, it was less significant in the moment. Neither O’Brien nor Glickman mention the anti-Semitic attitudes thought to have driven the decision. 28

Final Erosion

It became apparent that neither the administration nor the student body had interest in advocating for Jewish interests. With Marshall deceased, no Jewish figures held enough power to prevent the flirtations with anti-Semitism throughout the 1930s. A series of letters written by SU Chancellor William Graham, who served during the late 1930s and early 1940s, suggest approval of anti-Semitic media coverage. The most damning letter (January 24, 1939) expressed support for Father Charles Coughlin, who hosted an anti-Semitic radio show that would endorse Hitler and Mussolini beginning in 1936. 29

 

 

 

  1. Brawley, Edward A. “The Galveston Project.” Berman Jewish Policy Archive. New York, 2009. p. 3-25
  2. Day, James R. “Letter”. American Hebrew. Syraucse University Archives. Syracuse, NY. Apr 4. 1890
  3. Oney, Steve. And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo FrankPantheon Books. New York, 2003.
  4. Watson, Thomas E. “The Jeffersonian, Volume 12, Issue 27” Thomas E. Watson Papers #755. The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 8 July 1915.
  5. Woodward, Comer Vann. Tom Watson: Agrarian RebelOxford University Press. Oxford, 1938.
  6. “Marshall Says Tom Watson is Frank’s Slayer” The New York Times. New York, 17 Aug. 1915
  7. Reznikoff, Charles ed. Louis Marshall: Champion of LibertyJewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia, 1957. p. 1157
  8. “Louis Marshall, ‘Little Giant of Jewry’ Dies in Zurich” Syracuse Herald-Journal. Syracuse University Archives, Syracuse, NY, 11 Sept 1929.
  9. Krefetz, Gerald. Jews and Money: The Myths and the Reality
  10. Gladwell, Malcolm. “Getting In.” The New Yorker. New York, 10 Oct. 2005.
  11. Strum, Harvey. “Louis Marshall and Anti-Semitism at Syracuse University.” Syracuse University Archives, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, NY, 1983.
  12. Strum, Harvey. p. 2-8
  13. Ryback, T.W. Hitler’s Private Library: the Books that shaped his life. Knopf: New York, 2008. p. 69
  14. Woeste, Victoria. Suing Henry Ford: America’s First Hate Speech Case. American Bar Foundation: Chicago. 19 Oct. 2012, p. 2
  15.  Syracuse Herald-Journal. 11 Sept 1929.
  16. “The International Jew: The World’s Foremost Problem Chapter 12.” The Dearborn Independent, May 22 1920-January 14 1922. Dearborn Publish Co. Dearborn, MI. May 22 1920.
  17. Marshall, Louis. “Judaism – The Strength and Refuge of the Jew.” The Union Bulletin. Syracuse University Archives, Syracuse, NY. 1925.
  18.  “Anti-Semitic Scare at Syracuse University” The Union Bulletin. Syracuse University Archives, Syracuse, NY, 1925.
  19. “Hoover Lauds Marshall as Man of Value.” The New York Times. Syracuse University Archives. Syracuse, NY, 12 Sept. 1929.
  20. “Roosevelt Asks $600,00 Forestry Building At Syracuse University as Memorial to Marshall.” The New York Times. New York Times Archives. 12 Jan. 1930.
  21. “Louis Marshall, Great Leader of Jews, Native of Syracuse, Was Lawyer Here Until 1894.” The Syracuse Post-Standard. Syracuse University Archives, Syracuse, NY, 12 Sept. 1929.
  22. Strum, p. 8-9
  23. Strum. p. 9-10
  24. Glickman, Marty. Fastest Kid on the Block: The Marty Glickman Story. Syracuse University Press. Syracuse, NY. 1996. p. 17-18.
  25. Associated Press. “Stoller Declares He Wil Quit Track.” The New York Times. New York Times Archives. 9 Aug. 1936.
  26. Guttman, Allen. “The Games Must Go On: Avery Brundage and the Olympic Movement.” Columbia University Press. New York. 1984. p. 250-252
  27. Associated Press. “Stoller Declares He Will Quit Track.” The New York Times. New York Times Archives. New York, Aug 9. 1936
  28. Glickman, Marty and O’Brien, Ed. “Syracuse’s Olympians Relate First-Hand Relate First Hand Stories.” The Daily Orange. Syracuse University Archives. Syracuse, NY, Sept 1936.
  29. “William Graham to Frank Harrington” W. Freeman Galpin Papers, Syracuse University Archives.  Jan 24. 1939.