Not to take things too far off-topic, one of the things that concerns me as I make more friends among traditional Jews compared to the M.O., Conservative and Reform I grew up with is the amount of drinking. When I’m with traditional friends they start sooner, take more and larger drinks over the course of the evening, and are more likely to take their alcohol straight. I’m not saying that everyone does this, but I’ve definitely noticed it on average.
When my father was growing up in New York he says it was noteworthy when a Jew of any sort drank a lot, let alone got drunk. His uncle was a shame to the family because he got drunk regularly. It stood out because it was something “Jews don’t do”.
Is this something recent? Is it due to the wave of Eastern European refugees after WWII?