A SHORT HISTORY OF OUR SERBIAN COLONY 

IN NEW JERSEY AND OUR CHURCH

The Serbian colony in Elizabeth and Newark, N.J., has existed since the beginning of the last century (1900). The Serb who came to the States from different Serbian lands under foreign rule: Old Serbia, Macedonia, Bachka, Banat, Srem, Bosnia, Hercegovina, Dalmatia, Lika, Kordun, Bania and Slavonia. They had two reasons for emigrating: foreign oppression (Austrian, Hungarian and Turkish) and their own poverty. The number of Serbs who emigrated from the former Kingdom of Serbia was very small while the number of Montenegrin Serbs, who left their country looking for a better life was quite high.

The Serbs from Banat, especially those from the vicinity of Temishvar, whose villages, after the First World War were given to Romania, were the first Serbian settlers in Elizabeth and Newark. Entire families (like Gruyichs four brothers, Dragichs three brothers and Jezdimirs two brothers), left their fertile Banat and went overseas to seek their fortune in the New World. When they arrived , these people of ours were left to their own devices. Their ancestors had had another leaving of their land when they emigrated to the desrted and swampy regions of Banat and Bachka in 1690. These Serbs had been there persecuted by proselyte elements of the other faith and prevented by force to cross themselves with three fingers.

When these Serbs arrived in this country they found freedom and economic opportunity. Still, as unskilled laborers they toiled mightily for low wages. Nor were there any social services to assist them either financially or in becoming accustomed to a completely new world. The nostalgia for their old country was great and life for the new emigrants was difficult. Besides, in spite of other difficulties, they could not speak English at all. Without Social Security, which started only in 1935., they were left to the mercy of their employers, who determined their wages as they pleased. A substantial number of Serbs were working for a wage of 10 to 15 cents per hour, sometimes 11 hours per day and even on Saturdays and Sundays. It forced them to form mutual benefit societies such as “Banat” in Elizabeth and the “People’s Helping Society” in Newark. 

The Serbian church did not exist in New York or New Jersey. Our first Serbian emigrants did not have a place to worship, to alleviate their longing for their old country, they had no place to hear the Serbian Orthodox Service. However, without Serbian clergy they could not always include the traditions unique to Serbian Orthodoxy, traditions handed down from their ancestors for many centuries. Indeed, some customs predate Christianity by centuries. The only place where they could pray was the Russian church in New York.

Thinking always of how they would get their own church, they gathered in Newark and New York socially and to talk about Serbian affairs. In Newark, they organized the Serbian Sister’s Circle which was presided over by sister Anka Gruyich. Then the Serbs from New York and New Jersey founded the Serbian Singing Society “Gusle” with Maxa Zlatich as the first President. The Singing Society had a great success especially during First World War, when its president was the late Ljuba Salevic from New York. “Gusle” presented several plays from the Serbian folklore.

This working class of Serbian emigrants felt that they needed cultural and spiritual development. It was not enough to work for room and board alone; the soul also needed spiritual substance. Then the great Serbian American, a scientist and inventor, and a professor at Columbia University, Dr.Michael Pupin (who was also born in Banat), gave new direction and inspiration to the Serbian effort.

In 1912, under the direction of the late Vasa Bukvich, a tamburitza orchestra “Banat” was founded in Elizabeth. “Banat” became famous all over America with its classic “Zikino Kolo” the record of which could be found in almost all Serbian homes in America. Bukvich with his orchestra played at all the Serbian performances on the American East Coast and especially the Serbian folklore plays performed by the Serbian Singing Society ”Gusle” from new York. This orchestra existed until a few years ago, when it disbanded because of the old age of its members. In 1962, “Banat” celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. The last conductor of the orchestra was Milutin J. Jevtich before he left Elizabeth, NJ.

The Serbian colony in Elizabeth, between the wars, was very active. They longed to have own Serbian school because their children were of school age and were going to the American schools. Mingling with American children, they started to forget the Serbian language, which they have already learned at home. The colony needed money for the school, and they raised it among themselves. They opened the school in the Russian Hall on Third Street in Elizabeth and engaged as a teacher Mrs. Emilia Petrovich. She had come to the States from the Romanian Banat, and, in the old country, she had been a teacher by profession. A great many boys and girls learned their Serbian at this school.

During First World War, the American Serbs volunteered in significant number to the Serbian and Montenegrin armies as well as to the American army, in which they distinguished themselves as soldiers. The American Serb from Mid-West, Andjelko Mandusich, was a hero who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for Bravery.

When yet a Second World War started, the Serbs of New Jersey and New York still did not have their own church. Finally, the Yugoslav government in exile of Dr. Bozhidar Pourirch helped the Serbian colony in New York and New Jersey to buy, in 1944., the Episcopalian church located on 25^th and 26^th Street in New York. The Episcopalians, and especially their bishop Dr. Manning, a great friend of the Serbian people, were generous towards Serbs and ceded them their church under very favorable terms. Today this church is the Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava.

After Second World War a great number of Serbian P.O.W.’s in German camps did not wish to return to their native lands. Yet another emigration began in 1947 and included all social classes from workers and former members of the Government and Cabinet. These people emigrated from Germany, France, Italy, Greece and other countries. Later on, as economic conditions worsened in Yugoslavia, they were even permitted to leave that country. This relaxation was not due to magnanimity but because Communism simply cannot support its people.

Many of these people stayed in New York and New Jersey, especially in Elizabeth and vicinity. These newcomers mingled easily with the Serbs who had arrived earlier to the United States. They increased considerably the number of Serbs in Elizabeth and gradually became a part of the old community which, because of their influence, became more dynamic.

Because of the distance and expense involved in traveling to New York City, some members of the community wished to form Church Congregation of Saint Sava in New York City. The majority decoded to form the Church Congregation of St. George in Elizabeth. Emil Gruyich, an American born Serb, was elected president of the new Steering Committee. Brother Gruyich is still an active member of our Congregation in Elizabeth. Committee received a charter from the State of New Jersey in 1953. It then purchased property near end of South Broad Street. The dollar then was very rare and precious. Only a few of our members were able to make substantial donations to the church. It was a big event when the late Djura Pisar, who was then retired, set aside $500.00 and gave it to the church as his donation. Mrs. Julia Janos Serra did likewise and also donated $500.00. Enthusiasm for the church was strong amongst all members, but not with some people in New York. Unjustifiably, they feared that their church would lose a considerable number of church-goers from New Jersey. They succeeded in persuading the Bishop  (Dionisije) and he was reluctant to give us the authorization to form our Congregation. However, finally gave us his approval at the end of December 1959.

Before we received the Bishop’s approval, the Church Congregation decided to build a hall on the bought property. This decision provoked sharp discussion. The membership was divided but finally the majority was for the building of the hall. Work on the building started and then stopped: there was no more money and no more enthusiasm. But we decided to build the church first and then try to finish the hall. The people who believed in building the church first argued that the members would give their donations more readily for building the church than for building the hall. The membership was again divided. The members who before were for the building of the hall, now became adversaries of the building of the church. Discussion and arguing were heated. We were forced to have two consecutive meetings in order to be able to make a definitive decision for the building of the church. But this decision, not being unanimous, broke off from the group those who voted against building of the church first. Almost all of them, with a few exceptions, later boycotted work on the church building.

We started to build the church in the spring of 1960., and we finished all the work and dedicated the church on October 8, 1961. When we started building, we had only $11.39 in our building fund. All the work, except the roofing and plastering, were done by our members voluntarily, working weekdays after 5 p.m. and on weekends. All these volunteer workers were indefatigable, and all of them hurried to finish the church as soon as possible. Everybody who was able to help the church by a financial donation, did so. Seven members decided to help finish the church by lending $7,000.00 without interest, each of them giving $1,000.00. Those noble men – one of them, the late Ivan Jovanovich, from Wilkes Barre, Pa., donated his part of $1,000.00 to the Congregation – never annoyed us by asking for their money back before we were able to return it.”