Jewish country club

Jewish country clubs are country clubs in the United States and other Western countries whose membership is predominantly Jewish. They emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries as a response to widespread antisemitic exclusion from other elite social clubs. The practice was a form of racial segregation. Consequently, many major American cities have at least one country club of Jewish origin, and in places with larger Jewish communities, several such clubs were established by affluent Jewish individuals of the period.

Although Jews, along with other ethnic and religious minorities, continue to face exclusion from certain country clubs, formal restrictions on Jewish membership began to diminish during the 1970s to 1980s. By the 1990s, particularly following the 1990 PGA Championship, more clubs began admitting Jews, African Americans, and other minority groups. As a result of increased integration and greater choice for affluent Jews, many Jewish country clubs experienced declining membership, with some closing entirely and others evolving into more diverse institutions.

Nevertheless, some clubs, while de jure open to all, may de facto continue to exclude individuals of Jewish heritage through pretexts or subtle forms of discrimination. As a result, Jewish country clubs have retained a distinct identity and continue to exist in major cities across the United States. In the Philadelphia area, however, all but one of the remaining clubs have ceased their affiliation with the Jewish Federation, which was once regarded as a key element of their Jewish character through its role in charitable fundraising.