Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma

When you think of chicken ranchers, you probably aren't thinking this is something the immigrant Jews were involved in.  Well, if you thought this, you'd be wrong.  Beginning around 1920, thousands of Russian Jews came to America, to escape the harsh and anti-Semitic practices of Russia.  Most came to through Ellis Island, but many, who heard about farming opportunities near San Francisco, went west.  In Czarist Russia, Jews were not allowed to own land, but here in Petaluma, for a small price, Jews could buy a few acres of land, and begin farming.

Hebrew free loans and some local banks with low interest loans were often available to immigrants to encourage them take up chicken farming.  Life was good for these immigrants.  They prospered, and welcomed new immigrants to their community.  In early 1930, a community center was built, but interestingly enough, they did not want a shul (synagogue) attached to the center, that is, until they discovered that if they had a synagogue, the building received tax benefits.  They changed their minds and built the shul.  Money talks!

Most of the immigrants to Petaluma were not religious, in fact, according to many children and grandchildren of the chicken ranchers, most of the immigrants were Atheists.  Most were raised in religious families, but upon settling in America, most were liberal Atheists.  They were, however, strongly culturally Jewish, continuing to speak Yiddish, sing and dance traditional Jewish songs and dances, and kept up all religious holidays.

As time went on, Jews started to become active in community politics.  They started to organize workers.  One man tried to unionize  apple pickers in the 1930's, long before Caesar Chavez came along.  He and others who tried to unionize were terrorized by groups that fire bombed their homes, harrassed their families, and even tar and feathered them.  None were ever punished for these acts.

After viewing a movie on the Jewish chicken ranchers, many of the  seniors at Seacrest told their stories.  What I discovered was that Jewish chicken ranchers existed all over the country.  Men and women told stories about family members in New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin, and San Fernando Valley, that had owned chicken ranches.  Today, all the ranches in Petaluma are gone.  Most chicken ranching has moved to the south, where it is less expensive.  The Jews that farmed in Petaluma have moved on, too.  They have assimilated into American society.  The people that told the stories about the Jewish chicken ranchers have fond memories of this period of their life, and realize that nothing like that could happen in the 21st century.