Jewish/Chaldean/Armenian concentrations in Oak Park, Southfield, West Bloomfield, etc. (Detroit: neighborhood, school district)

[yofie]

Given that various Oakland County suburbs, like Oak Park, Southfield, Farmington Hills, and West Bloomfield, have large populations of Jews, Chaldeans/Assyrians, and Armenians alike, is it possible to say that at least some of these areas have a majority of these three groups combined? Or at least of Jews and Chaldeans/Assyrians combined? (Ok, maybe not most parts of Southfield, as that's predominantly black now.)

(The Jews, Chaldeans, and Armenians all being ethnic groups that have made it big into the middle class, that have historically valued education, even more than many other ethnic groups, and that have survived genocide within the past century.)

[usroute10]

-Maybe West Bloomfield.

These groups (Jewish/Chaldean) make up a sizeable portion of Farmington Hills population, but I don't think that all of them added together constitute a majority.

-Southfield's Jewish and Chaldean populations have moved on to wealthier Oakland County suburbs to the north and west.

-Oak Park's Jewish population is mostly the Hasidic Jews and they are a minority. The other Jewish populations that once lived in Oak Park have moved onto to places like West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills (like they bailed from Southfield).

-It should be noted that the suburb of Sterling Heights has a large, ever-increasing Chaldean/Assyrian population.

[yofie]

Originally Posted by usroute10

-Maybe West Bloomfield.

These groups (Jewish/Chaldean) make up a sizeable portion of Farmington Hills population, but I don't think that all of them added together constitute a majority.

-Southfield's Jewish and Chaldean populations have moved on to wealthier Oakland County suburbs to the north and west.

-Oak Park's Jewish population is mostly the Hasidic Jews and they are a minority. The other Jewish populations that once lived in Oak Park have moved onto to places like West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills (like they bailed from Southfield).

-It should be noted that the suburb of Sterling Heights has a large, ever-increasing Chaldean/Assyrian population.

Oak Park and Southfield - in terms of Jews - mainly have Orthodox Jews. And no, except for Habad, they're not Hasidic exactly. Leaving aside from the relatively small Habad community, the two main groups are the Haredim (or non-Hasidic ultra-Orthodox Jews) and the Modern Orthodox, who at least try to synthesize a fully Jewish existence with modern education, culture, and so forth). And while West Bloomfield Jews are mainly secular, there are some Orthodox Jews as well.

Just wondering - what percentage of the whites are Jews in such smaller areas as Huntington Woods? Lathrup Village? Berkley? And what are the corresponding Chaldean figures? Armenian figures?

[Geo-Aggie]

There's still a significant Jewish presence in Oak Park, at least north of 696. I drive down Coolidge just about every day and pass a Jewish bakery, a Jewish place or worship, and a Jewish school. If I go this direction on weekends I often see some curiously dressed individuals out walking, who I believe are Jewish of some sort (I don't know much about Judaism, so I apologize if this is wrong or sounds offensive).

As for nearby communities, I live in Berkley and there are a noticeable number of Jewish people here, though the vast majority appear to be non-practicing or more culturally Jewish. My oldest kid's two best friends both have 1 Jewish parent and 1 Christian parent, though as far as I know, neither family actively attends or practices and I'd say most of the town is moderately secular. I have not personally met anyone with a Chaldean or Armenian background in Berkley, Huntington Woods, or Northern Oak Park. This is not to say this doesn't exist, but the majority of the ancestral origin in this area appears to be Western/Central European (Irish, English, German, Polish..)

[yofie]

Originally Posted by Geo-Aggie

There's still a significant Jewish presence in Oak Park, at least north of 696. I drive down Coolidge just about every day and pass a Jewish bakery, a Jewish place or worship, and a Jewish school. If I go this direction on weekends I often see some curiously dressed individuals out walking, who I believe are Jewish of some sort (I don't know much about Judaism, so I apologize if this is wrong or sounds offensive).

As for nearby communities, I live in Berkley and there are a noticeable number of Jewish people here, though the vast majority appear to be non-practicing or more culturally Jewish. My oldest kid's two best friends both have 1 Jewish parent and 1 Christian parent, though as far as I know, neither family actively attends or practices and I'd say most of the town is moderately secular. I have not personally met anyone with a Chaldean or Armenian background in Berkley, Huntington Woods, or Northern Oak Park. This is not to say this doesn't exist, but the majority of the ancestral origin in this area appears to be Western/Central European (Irish, English, German, Polish..)

How about in Lathrup Village?

[yofie]

Originally Posted by usroute10

-Maybe West Bloomfield.

I suppose that this combined Jewish/Chaldean majority in West Bloomfield could be a way of "compensating" for the lack of a Jewish-majority neighbourhood in Metro Detroit the way there is in Beachwood in the Cleveland area?!

[Republic of Michigan]

If you study the migration patterns in Metro Detroit, you will notice something interesting. Jews moved from Detroit into Oak Park, then to Southfield, then to West Bloomfield. Chaldeans followed suit, from Detroit to Oak Park to Southfield, then to Farm Hills/West Bloomfield. Blacks have also followed this pattern from Detroit to Oak Park to Southfield, and then to Farm Hills/West Bloomfield.

All 3 ethnic groups have had similar migration patterns. However, as the Chaldean population is quite large, many have moved to the East Side - Troy and Sterling Heights.

[usroute10]

Originally Posted by yofie

I suppose that this combined Jewish/Chaldean majority in West Bloomfield could be a way of "compensating" for the lack of a Jewish-majority neighbourhood in Metro Detroit the way there is in Beachwood in the Cleveland area?!

Back in the '90s when I was growing up, West Bloomfield and Farmington Hills were known for their Jewish Populations. West Bloomfield moreso than Farmington Hills. Maybe the Jewish population was the majority back then in WB, but I doubt now. The Jewish Community Center was in West Bloomfield and it contained the nation's 1st Holocaust memorial museum. Now African-Americans make up a notable portion of the population of West Bloomfield, and I am sure they have replaced some whites, Chaldeans, and Jews. The Chaldean Museum did open up in WB last year

In the 90's, the city where I grew up Southfield, was known as the city that FORMERLY had a large Jewish population. Southfield High School was over 80% black by 1994 and had maybe a handful of Jews, but during my freshman year there, Southfield Public Schools observed the Jewish holiday of Roshanah and we had no school that day! I vaguely remember some of my classmates being puzzled about why we had that day off. 1994 was the last year of that nonsense. The northern part of Southfield had a high Chaldean population in the '90s, but that population was declining, and they no longer make up a large percentage of Southfield.

For Farmington Hills, in the '90s, North Farmington High School was well known for its Jewish population. It might have had a Jewish majority back in the '90s/early 2000's. But you may be correct. I don't think Metro Detroit had a super majority Jewish city like Beachwood in the Cleveland area.

For Lathrup Village, it is a tiny community that is just an extension of Southfield, only with some 1920's era mini-mansions mixed in.

[slowdawg]

Im not aware of any "Armenian" community. There is an Armenian church in Southfield but they do not have any kind of strong Armenian neighborhood.

Southfield is still heavily Jewish along 10 Mile from Greenfield to Southfield, including Lincoln, aka "10 1/2 Mile". Theres a Jewish School still in use near 12 Mile/Evergreen so a few Jewish families remain there. The remaining chaldean families in Southfield have been there awhile.

Oak Parks Jewish population is also centered around Greenfield/10 Mile. Its less Jewish near Coolidge and mostly black south of 9 Mile.

West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Twp, franklin and Huntington Woods are the most Jewish, with decent numbers also in Farmington Hills, Novi and Birmingham.

There is a large Chaldean presence in west Bloomfield, too. But many have branched out to Sterling Heights and, if they arent as wealthy, north Warren.

Lathrup Village used to be largely Jewish, but is not predominantly black, with the Jewish residents being older and the Chaldean population nil.

Berkley was always a white, lower-middle class city that only recently has been riding Royal Oaks coattails as a trendier suburb. Plumbers and roofers have been replaced by techies. It was never highly Chaldean or Jewish. However, the school district covers norther Oak Park and the very Jewish city of Huntington Woods.
Nowadays, Ferndale probably has a lot more Jews than Berkley. For now.