Disciplines
Jewish Studies
Abstract
Summarized by Kathryn Amend
Ina Gordon grew up on Morris Avenue, just east of the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. She describes her childhood with two siblings in a tiny apartment, and her happy upbringing despite her family’s economic struggles. She reminisces on summers spent renting bungalows in the Catskills and childhood joys such as roller skating, visiting the library, and playing tennis.
Gordon explains the importance of education in her family, and describes how she ended up traveling to the University of Chicago for her undergraduate degree. She and her brother both received scholarships to attend. They had a very different educational experience than the rest of Gordon’s friends in her apartment building, who attended CCNY or NYU (if any college at all). Gordon is very grateful for her decision to attend, and all of the adults in her life who guided her towards that opportunity.
In Chicago, Gordon experienced a different, more diverse environment than she had in the Bronx. She reflects on the difference between attending school and playdates in an environment that was almost entirely Jewish to attending college in a city with a wide variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds.
After school, Gordon moved back to the Bronx where she met her husband, who grew up in Pennsylvania. Together, they lived in an apartment in the Bronx for about a decade. They rented bungalows in Monticello for the summer, reminding Gordon of her childhood traditions.
While Gordon grew up in a very Jewish environment, she describes a lack of religious influence in her life as a child. Her family could not afford to attend a synagogue, and children were not allowed into the local synagogue even if they could afford it. Other traditions replaced typical religious ceremonies, and Gordon still felt very connected with her identity.
Keywords: University of Chicago, Taft High School, City College of New York, Race, Education, Scholarship, Grand Concourse, Catskills, Working-class, Feminism, Social Mobility, Suburbanization, Judaism
Recommended Citation
Maier Garcia, Sophia, "Gordon, Ina" (2023). Bronx Jewish History Project. 31.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/bjhp/31
