I thought maybe his involvement with the German American associations was unusual. After all, there wasn't much social cross-over between the German Jews and the general population in 1840s Bavaria. So why would there be in America? But I'm a bit adrift; however drowning in UW books. Maier Zunder identified himself to the community as the German representative though he did not hide the fact that he was an "Israelite." Some authors I'm reading now say that a lot of Jews participated in German ethnic organizations. Some say they didn't.
As I was perusing the incomplete digitized 19th century New Haven newspapers online, I wasn't finding much. Then it hit me. I knew there was an active German language press at that time. In fact I had paid cash money to a student to translate many dozens of German language articles that were in the scrapbook.
Certainly more complete information would be included about the German community in the local German language press. Duh. But a. I don't think they're online or even on Worldcat and b. I don't read German. Aha, here is where knowing a second language would help.
One book I read mainly concerning the Chicago Jew schided the other authors for not examining the German language press and citied another article mostly about New York Jews cited all kinds of examples of 19th century Jews who had been involved in German community organizations and arts.
So I don't know and I can't think of any way I can easily find out. Just like how I can't figure out how I can't figure out what happened with school prayers in the New Haven schools after the devotional exercise controversy died down in 1878.
Some examples of American German language press in 1922 from wikipedia.
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