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Brandeis  University 

National 

Women's  Committee 


Western  Jewry 

An  Account  of  the  Achievements 
of  the  Jews  and  Judaism 
in  California 


Including 

Eulogies  and  Biographies 


' '  The  Jews  in  California 

By 
MARTIN  A.  MEYER,  Ph.  D. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

EMANU-EL 

SAN  FRANCISCO 
JUNE,  1916 


9nr) 


•  \j 


[5 
1040- 

R(6 


PRrNTED    BY 

CALIFORNIA     PRESS 

340    SANSOME   STREET 


Foreword 


'T^HE  Story  of  Israel  in  California  is  of  sufficient  import  to 
-'-  justify  its  preservation  in  compact  form.  The  Jezcish 
"Fortv-niners"  came  from  every  nook  and  corner  of  the  earth. 
While  not  differing  from  other  men  in  their  aims  for  material 
gains,  they  ^brought  zvith  them  that  Jczcish  consciousness  ivith- 
out  zchich  there  could  have  been  in  California  no  continuation 
of  Israel's  noble  traditions. 

And  so  within  the  tents  of  these  sturdy  nez\.'Comers  there 
zvere  conceived  plans  for  the  establishment  of  Jezvish  communal 
institutions.  When  the  communities  grczu  and  attained  material 
success,  synagogues  and  religious  schools,  benevolent  societies 
and  homes  for  orphans,  the  sick  and  the  aged,  z^'ere  erected. 

In  their  ciz'ic  z'irtues  and  those  qualities  that  attest  the  literal 
strength  of  a  community  the  Jezvish  men  and  women  of  pioneer 
days  occupied  distinguished  rank. 

In  the  pages  to  follozv  I  have  incorporated  brief  sketches 
of  a  fezi'  of  the  principal  religious,  social  and  fraternal  organi- 
zations and  the  men  and  z^'omcn  nozc  actively  engaged  in  emu- 
lating the  splendid  c.vamples  set  by  those  zdio  have  passed 
azi.'ay.  If  is  earnestly  hoped  that  their  loyalty  to  the  cause  of 
Judaism  and  the  Jezv  may  serve  as  an  inspiration  to  the  younger 
generation,  to  the  end  that  the  religious  and  communal  history 
of  the  Jezi'S  in  California  may  be  fully  preserved. 

In  dedicating  this  volume  to  the  monory  of  the  Jeicish 
pioneers  and  their  successors.  I  zcish  to  record  my  grateful 
thanks  and  acknozvledgments  to  Rev.  Dr.  Martin  A.  Meyer, 
zvhose  advice  has  been  invaluable  to  me,  as  zvell  as  to  those 
z^'hosc  generous  contributions  hazr  made  its  publication  pos- 
sible. 

A.  W.  VOORSAXGHR. 


PHOTOGRAPHS    BY 

FERRAND    STUDIO 
SAN    FRANCISCO 

HEMENWAY    STUDIO 
LOS   ANGELES 


THE  JEWS  OF  CALIFORNIA 

A  Sketch  of  Their  Settlement  in  the  State  and  of  Their 

Economic  and  Social  Development,  With  Special 

Reference  to  the  City  of  San  Francisco 

By  Martin  A.  Meyer,  Ph.  D.,  Rabbi  of  Temple  Emanu-El, 
San  Francisco,  California 

THE  story  of  the  settlement  of  the  Jews  in  America,  their  spread 
over  the  continent,  their  participation  in  the  various  activities 
of  American  life,  their  internal  development,  all  form  a  most 
interesting  series  of  chapters  in  the  romance  of  the  American  Nation. 
Much  of  the  material  is  still  hidden  away  in  official  archives  and  un- 
published private  correspondence.  Its  bulk  must  be  large,  judging  by 
the  rather  extensive  amount  of  material  already  published ;  and  each 
year  discloses  new  stores. 

The  promise  of  American  Jewish  historical  studies  is  far  greater 
than  the  considerable  bulk  of  its  past  production. 

In  the  working  out  of  the  affairs  of  this  new  Nation  it  is  of  serious 
interest  to  every  student  both  of  American  and  of  Jewish  history  to 
know  the  important  contributions  that  the  Jews  have  made  at  each 
and  every  step  in  American  development.  It  is  indicative  of  the  broad 
spirit  of  American  life ;  it  is  still  further  indicative  of  the  adaptable 
spirit  of  the  Jew,  his  fine  patriotism,  his  ability  for  service  and  sacri- 
fice,' his  growing  importance  in  the  affairs  of  the  world.  At  home, 
everywhere  and  nowhere — nowhere  has  the  Jew  flourished  as  in  Amer- 
ica. Nowhere  has  he  been  compelled  to  face  more  serious  problems 
than  in  this  land.  Liberty  has  been  as  severe  a  test  of  his  integrity 
and  loyalty  as  ever  persecution  and  discrimination  have  been.  He  has 
faced  and  still  faces  questions  of  internal  organization,  of  religious 
form  and  spirit,  of  philanthropic  and  social  endeavor  such  as  never 
before  in  all  his  history  presented  themselves  to  him. 

The  two  and  one-half  million  Jews  in  America  today  not  only 
form  the  freest  part  of  world  Jewry,  but  many  hold  that  they  have  in 
their  keeping  whatever  future  the  Jew  may  have  in  the  world.  Im- 
migration has  been  the  crux  of  the  American  Jewish  problem  of  the 
past  quarter  century.  It  has  brought  all  the  forces  of  American  Jewish 
life  to  a  focus.  Social  service  for  the  newcome  classes  has  been 
splendidly  developed  by  the  Jewish  group.  This  large  immigration  is 
directly  responsible  for  the  remarkable  numerical  growth  of  American 
Jewry  as  well  as  for  the  growing  importance  of  the  Jewish  group  in 
American  affairs  and  in  the  councils  of  world  Jewry. 

On  the  Atlantic  seaboard  we  have  traces  of  Jewish  settlement 
within  a  third  of  a  century  after  the  permanent  establishment  of  the 
first  North  European  group.    And  from  that  date,  1655,  in  unbroken 


6  WESTERN   JEWRY 

line,  the  Jew  has  continued  to  come  to  America,  to  give  to  America 
and  to  receive  from  America.  On  the  Pacific  Coast  we  do  not  have 
to  wait  so  long  to  discover  the  Jew  as  a  factor  in  population  and  in 
local  enterprise.  The  very  year  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California 
and  the  coming  of  the  Americans  in  numbers,  the  Jew  was  found 
side  by  side  with  the  other  pioneers  in  mining  camp  and  in  city, 
wooing  golden  fortune  either  with  the  miner's  cradle  or  with  the 
merchant's  stock  of  life's  necessities. 

It  is  an  open  question  whether  any  Jews  are  to  be  found  among 
the  settlers  in  the  Mexican  era  of  California  history.  In  going  over 
the  material  a  number  of  names  are  found  which  suggest  a  Jewish 
origin.  However,  only  minute  and  painstaking  studies — such  as  have 
not  yet  been  made — can  verify  these  traditions  and  impressions.  The 
descendants  of  Benjamin  and  Raphael  Fisher  claim  that  these  brothers 
carried  on  business  in  San  Francisco  in  1847  and  later  returned  to 
their  birthplace,  Kempen,  Prussia.  We  may  speak  with  certainty 
of  Lieutenant  Washington  Bartlett,  U.  S.  N.  (whose  mother  was  a 
Jewess  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina),  who  was  the  first  Alcalde  of 
the  city  of  San  Francisco.  Soule  in  his  "Annals  of  San  Francisco" 
mentions  one  Isaac  Livick  as  a  resident  of  Yerba  Buena  in  October, 
1840;  of  M.  Schallenberger  in  San  Jose  in  March,  1844,  and  of  Julius 
Wetzler  in  San  Francisco  in  the  spring  of  1849.  Mention  one  of  our 
other  secondary  sources  makes  of  Lewis  Adler,  who  came  to  San 
Francisco  in  1846  from  Honolulu,  and  who  entered  the  service  of 
Leidesdorff  &  Co.  The  pioneer  records  also  refer  to  one  Louis  Glass 
as  resident  here  in  1848.  All  these  names  are  open  to  question  and 
discussion.  The  report  that  William  Leidesdorfif — a  pioneer  merchant 
and  financier — was  a  Jew  does  not  seem  to  be  well  founded.  A  number 
of  names,  unmistakably  Jewish,  are  recorded  by  Soule  in  the  latter 
part  of  1849 — J.  N.  Cordoza,  S.  Rosenthal  and  Joseph  Shannon  as  well 
as  many  others.  The  loss  of  the  pioneer  records  during  the  great  fire 
of  1906  is  an  irreparable  one.  There  are  many  things  which  we  shall 
never  know  of  this  early  period.  The  active  steps  now  being  taken 
by  the  Pacific  Coast  Historical  Society  to  preserve  early  records  by 
their  re-publication  as  well  as  by  their  encouraging  local  historical 
studies,  assures  much  good  material  for  the  use  of  future  students 
and  historians. 

The  Jew,  like  his  fellows,  heard  the  call  of  the  gold  and  followed 
that  siren  call  across  desert  and  mountains,  amid  hardships,  thirst, 
heat,  hunger  and  hostile  tribesmen.  The  epoch  of  the  journeying  of 
these  Argonauts  across  the  untried  continent,  afoot,  in  ox  teams, 
across  the  fever-haunted  Isthmus,  around  the  stormy  Cape  is  one  of 
the  most  thrilling  and  romantic  chapters  in  American  history.  They 
came  to  find  golden  fortunes  in  the  hills  of  California,  primarily  in  the 
mines,  whose  richness  was  reported  to  rival  that  of  the  biblical  Ophir. 


WESTERN   JEWRY  7 

But  they  did  more  than  win  fortunes  for  themselves.  They  were  the 
bearers  of  a  culture  and  a  civilization.  Their  efforts  made  lasting 
what  the  military  victories  of  the  Mexican  War  in  the  preceding  years 
had  made  possible — the  establishment  of  American  political,  social 
and  civic  institutions  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  Seeking  gold,  these  men 
founded  an  empire,  whose  opening  chapters  have  hardly  now  been 
concluded. 

The   mines   soon   proved   inadequate   to   satisfy  the  ambitions   of 
these  venturers.     The  needs  of  a  growing  population,  and  the  possi- 
bilities  of  the   soil    and   climate   of   California   pointed    new   ways   to 
fortune.      Cities   sprang  up   and   flourished.      Many   of  these   pioneer 
settlements  have  since  dwindled,  but  this  western  empire  has  grown 
from  strength  to  strength.     The  great  valleys  of  the  interior  were  too 
rich  to  be  neglected  long.     In  the   Mexican  period  great  herds  had 
roamed  the  hills  and  plains  and  food  supplies  had  been  produced  barely 
sufficient   for  local  needs.     Soon  after  the  first  flush  of  the  miners' 
fortune  had  passed,  the  larger  economic  possibilities  of  the  land  made 
themselves   felt.     California  became  one  of  the  great  grain  and  hay 
centers  of  the  world.     This  agricultural  Ufe  as  much  as  the  mineral 
wealth  of  the  State  gave  it  world-wide  significance.     The  harbor  of 
San  Francisco  was  filled  with  a  fleet  of  boats  which  carried  the  prod- 
ucts of  the  State  to  every  quarter  of  the  globe.     Cattle-raising  still 
flourished  in  this  new  area,  and  a  period  of  remarkable  prosperity 
was  entered  upon.     Great  fortunes  were  built  up  on  the  products 
of  the  soil.     But  this  era  of  great  ranches  and  ranges  has  in  turn 
given  way  to  more  intensive  and  diversified  agricultural  and  hor- 
ticultural activities.     The  development  of  irrigation  systems  added 
untold   wealth   values   to   the  valley   lands.      Hay   and   grain    were 
no  longer  profitable  ventures.     The  great  holdings  are  even  now 
being  divided  and  subdivided  and  a  new  epoch  of  California's  eco- 
nomic life  is  being  begun  in  which  fruits  and  nuts  are  the  great 
features.     Fresh  and  dry  fruits  have  become  the  staple  products 
of  this  region  and  the  old-time  grains  have  lost  their  place  as  char- 
acteristic of  the  land.     The  carrying  trade  has  gradually  dwindled, 
but  the  opening  of  the   Panama  Canal    (1915)    promises   new   life 
in  this  direction. 

Of  industrial  activity,  there  has  been  comparatively  little  in 
the  West  up  to  the  present  day.  The  development  of  railway 
transportation  between  the  Coast  and  the  East  made  the  Coast 
dependent  upon  the  East  for  manufactured  wares.  Raw  material 
suitable  for  manufacturing  purposes  is  only  now  becoming  abun- 
dant. Up  till  recently  there  was  no  adequate  supply  of  fuel  or  of 
labor.  Coal  deposits  were  scanty  ;  iron  ore  practically  unknown ; 
but  the  recent  discovery  of  oil  in  vast  quantities  and  the  still  more 
recent  development  of  hydro-electric  power  promises  to  remedy  this 


8  WESTERN   JEWRY 

situation.  The  question  of  labor  is  still  a  difficult  one.  With  a 
population  of  about  three  millions  of  people  in  a  territory  only 
somewhat  smaller  than  that  of  the  German  Empire  it  can  not  be 
said  that  the  State  is  overpopulated.  Labor  questions  of  peculiar 
difficulty  have  presented  themselves  almost  in  the  very  beginning 
of  California's  history.  The  feeling  against  the  yellow  races  is 
still  strong;  so  strong  that  discriminatory  legislation  is  being  con- 
stantly agitated.  Yet  the  lack  of  labor  has  prevented  the  devel- 
opment of  California's  natural  resources  as  well  as  its  industrial 
life.  So  the  State  still  remains  primarily  an  agricultural  com- 
munity. 

We  have  taken  pains  thus  to  present  in  outline  the  economic 
life  of  California,  since  the  history  of  Jewish  settlement  and  growth 
is  peculiarly  associated  with  the  various  stages  of  this  develop- 
ment. In  this  connection  we  might  mention  another  fact  of  more 
or  less  interest  for  the  economic  story  of  the  State  as  well  as  of 
its  Jews.  There  have  always  been  intimate  relations  between  the 
Pacific  Coast  of  the  United  States  and  the  Central  American  and 
Mexican  republics.  These  republics  have  looked  more  to  California, 
with  its  Spanish  traditions,  than  to  other  parts  of  the  Union.  As 
a  consequence,  numbers  of  families  who  have  acquired  fortunes 
in  these  regions  have  finally  settled  in  California  and  established 
themselves  there.  So  numbers  of  the  wealthier  citizens  of  the 
State  have  large  interests  in  the  Latin  republics  of  Central  America. 
And  in  particular  can  this  be  said  of  a  considerable  number  of 
Jewish  families  now  resident  in  San  Francisco  and  elsewhere  in 
the  State,  such  as  the  Stahl,  Schwartz  and  Baruch  families.  There 
is  also  a  similar  group  which  came  here  from  Hawaii,  of  whom 
the  Hymans  are  the  most  prominent  Jews. 

In  that  group  known  as  the  pioneers,  consisting  of  those  who 
reached  California  before  the  end  of  the  year  1850,  there  is  no  lack 
of  Jewish  names.  The  city  directory  of  San  Francisco,  published 
in  September,  1850,  the  first  issued,  contains  a  goodly  number  of 
names  of  firms  and  of  individuals  known  to  have  been  Jews.  No 
doubt  there  were  others  than  those  there  recorded,  but  they  are 
lost  to  knowledge,  at  any  rate  in  the  present  state  of  our  ignorance 
of  these  things.  As  this  essay  is  to  be  a  general  statement  of 
the  story  of  California  Jews  rather  than  a  scientific  document, 
we  shall  omit  the  enumeration  of  the  rather  lengthy  list  of  names 
found  in  this  interesting  little  volume.  We  know  that  besides  form- 
ing a  considerable  group  in  the  metropolis,  even  at  this  early  date 
Jews  were  to  be  found  in  Los  Angeles,  Stockton,  Sacramento, 
Grass  Valley — generally  throughout  the  State.  It  is  well  nigh 
impossible  to  make  mention  of  all  the  settlements  which  already 
at  this  time  contained  Jewish  residents.     Many  were  actually  en- 


WESTERN   JEWRY  9 

gaged  in  mining,  Init  the  large  majority  were  to  be  found  follow- 
ing the  lines  of  business  so  popular  with  the  Jew.  They  prac- 
tically monopolized  the  clothing  and  dry  goods  business.  Finance 
earlv  engaged  their  attention,  as  the  names  of  Rothschild  (through 
their  representation,  Benjamin  Davidson),  Lazard  Freres,  Seligman, 
Reese  and  Wormser  indicate. 

The  decades  immediately  following  the  pioneers  witnessed  a 
constant  increase  in  the  numbers  of  Jews  in  California.  There 
was  considerable  shifting  of  population.  San  Francisco,  as  the 
metropolis,  naturally  attracted  many  who  had  accumulated  for- 
tunes in  the  interior  towns.  As  the  mines  played  out  and  busi- 
ness languished,  merchants  left  for  more  promising  locations.  As 
the  valley  towns  began  to  develop  as  commercial  centers  in  the 
agricultural  districts,  Jews  found  their  way  to  them ;  so  that  it 
can  be  said  with  a  fair  degree  of  accuracy  that  there  is  no  town 
of  size  in  California  without  its  Jews.  Equally  to  be  noted  is  the 
large  number  of  Jews  who  acquired  fortunes  here  in  California 
and  left  the  State  and  settled  in  the  East  and  in  Europe.  The 
great  fortunes  of  the  early  part  of  this  period  were  made  in  the 
larger  centers  in  commercial  and  financial  transactions.  In  the 
wholesale  and  jobbing  lines  the  names  of  Heller,  Sachs,  Neustadter, 
Schweitzer,  Scholle,  Strauss  and  Dinkelspiel  are  outstanding. 

Closely  associated  with  the  story  of  mining  activity  on  the 
Coast  will  ever  live  the  name  of  Adolph  Sutro.  The  Sutro  tunnel 
was  little  short  of  a  triumph  of  engineering  genius  and  stands 
out  as  the  conspicuous  achievement  of  a  life  busy  with  big  schemes 
of  community  importance. 

The  hay  and  grain  interests  proved  attractive  to  many  Jews. 
We  mention  in  this  connection  Isaac  Friedlander,  who,  before  his 
failure,  was  known  as  the  grain  king.  Anspacher,  Eppinger,  Blum, 
Frankenheimer  and  Newman  are  names  to  be  noted  in  connection 
with  this  branch  of  the  State's  activity.  Many  Jews  have  since 
turned  their  attention  to  buying  valley  lands,  so  that  today  there 
are  vast  holdings  in  lands  in  such  names  in  many  localities.  The 
wine  industry  is  closely  associated  with  agricultural  developments 
of  the  interior.  Vineyards  of  great  acreage  are  found  in  large  num- 
bers through  the  greater  part  of  the  State.  The  members  of  many 
firms  dominant  in  this  industry  are  Jewish.  The  Jacobi  and  the 
Lachman  families  are  particularly  well  known.  There  is  prac- 
tically no  distilling  of  whiskey  and  brandy  done  on  the  Coast, 
but  a  large  number  of  Jews  are  active  in  the  distributing  end  of  the 
spirits  business. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Henry  A.  Jastro  of  Bakersiield 
is  today  known  as  the  cattle  king  of  California,  an  industry  which 
even    in    its    dwindling    state    is    still    of    considerable    importance. 


10  WESTERN   JEWRY 

Closely  allied  to  this  enterprise  is  the  wool  business,  in  which  at 
least  one  Jewish  firm  stands  out  conspicuously — S.  Koshland  & 
Co.  Leather,  hides  and  tanning  also  engage  considerable  Jewish 
enterprise  and  capital. 

In  those  very  vital  transactions  which  made  possible  the  de- 
velopment of  irrigation,  the  banking  firm  of  Daniel  Meyer  plays 
a  prominent  part.  In  fact,  the  remarkable  development  of  irriga- 
tion in  California  is  due  in  a  large  measure  to  the  foresight  and 
the  confidence  of  the  late  Daniel  Meyer  in  such  enterprises.  He 
was  about  the  only  one  of  the  early  Jewish  financiers  who  under- 
took other  than  purely  commercial  transactions.  It  is  well  nigh 
impossible  to  overestimate  the  significance  of  irrigation  systems 
for  the  development  of  the  State.  It  has  literally  made  a  garden 
of  a  desert,  whose  fruitfulness  is  unequalled  in  history.  In  the 
resulting  period  of  intensive  and  varied  horticulture  the  names 
of  a  number  of  Jews  are  so  conspicuous  as  to  suggest  the  dom- 
inance of  the  Jew  in  the  fruit  industry :  Castle  Brothers.  Guggenheim 
Brothers  and  Rosenberg  Brothers  are  but  a  few  of  the  larger  firms 
whose  command  of  this  situation  is  well  nigh  complete. 

In  the  development  of  the  oil  fields  of  California  we  again 
meet  a  group  of  Jewish  names  of  some  standing.  Julius  and 
Adolph  Mack,  the  Pauson  family  and  Leon  Guggenheim— to  men- 
tion but  a  very  few  of  a  long  list  who  have  assisted  in  promoting 
this  industry  to  a  place  of  real  importance  in  California  life.  In 
the  field  of  hydro-electric  development  the  names  of  Herbert  and 
Mortimer  Fleishhacker  stand  out  conspicuously.  It  is  difficult 
to  do  justice  in  passing  to  the  constructive  character  of  the  work 
of  men  such  as  these  two  brothers  here  mentioned.  While  winning 
vast  fortunes  for  themselves,  at  the  same  time  they  have  brought 
great  and  significant  results  to  the  State. 

Practically  all  of  the  names  already  mentioned  are  associated 
with  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  The  very  mention  of  the 
South  brings  to  mind  the  name  of  the  one  man  whose  financial 
genius  was  and  is  possibly  greater  than  that  of  any  individual  Jew 
of  the  older  generation  in  the  State — Isaias  W.  Hellman,  Sr.  His 
life  is  an  epitome  of  the  remarkable  development  of  Los  Angeles. 
He  touched  its  many-sided  and  complex  activity  at  almost  every 
point  with  an  understanding  that  has  been  prophetic.  Associated 
with  him  were  several  brothers,  but  his  remarkable  personality 
has  dominated  them  and  the  whole  group  allied  with  them.  About 
twenty  years  ago  Mr.  Hellman  transferred  his  headquarters  to 
San  Francisco,  where  he  continues  to  demonstrate  his  rare  achieve- 
ments in  the  financial  and  industrial  world. 

In  the  development  of  the  department  store  in  California,  we 
again  meet  a  Jewish  group  whose   work  has  been   creative.      Wein- 


WESTERN    JEWRY  11 

stock  &  Lubin  in  Sacramento  (the  activities  of  the  members  of 
this  firm  will  come  in  for  fuller  discussion  elsewhere),  Hamburger 
Brothers  in  Los  Angeles,  the  Kahn  and  Abrahamson  families  in  Oak- 
land, the  Hochheimer  Company  in  \A'illows  and  Bakersfield,  Ra- 
phael Weill,  the  Davis  family,  the  Dernhams,  the  Pragers  of  San 
Francisco  are  but  a  few  of  those  merchant  princes  whose  broad 
conception  of  the  function  of  the  department  store  has  lifted  their 
work  to  a  scale  of  communal  significance. 

Jews  represent  large  local  tobacco  interests;  M.  A.  Gunst 
&  Company.  Bachman,  Ehrman,  etc.  In  the  provision  line  they 
play  a  large  role:  Haas,  Brandenstein,  Getz.  John  Rothschild, 
Sussman  &  Wormser,  to  mention  but  a  very  few  of  the  larger 
dealers,  many  of  whom  are  also  engaged  in  the  packing  and  can- 
ning industry.  In  fact,  the  great  California  Fruit  Canners'  Asso- 
ciation is  to  a  large  extent  a  "Jewish"  corporation.  The  salmon 
packing  industry  has  attracted  much  Jewish  capital ;  the  New- 
man and  Greenebaum  names  may  be  mentioned  in  this  connection. 
Jesse  W.  Lilienthal  has  been  the  efficient  president  of  the 
United  Railways  of  San   Francisco  for  several  years  past. 

With  the  development  of  the  Alaska  fur  trade  some  of  the  most 
distinguished  names  in  California's  Jewish  life  have  been  associated. 
The  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  chief  of  whose  stockholders  were 
the  Sloss,  Gerstle,  Wasserman,  Greenebaum  and  Greenwald  families, 
did  yeoman  service  in  the  sealing  and  fur  trade  of  Alaska  and  con- 
tributed in  no  little  measure  to  the  opening  up  of  that  territory.  The 
activities  of  this  company  and  of  the  Northern  Commercial  Company 
(developed  by  the  same  group)  also  included  the  important  factor 
of  transportation  between  California  ports  and  Alaska.  The  H.  Liebes 
Company  has  also  been  largely  active  in  the  distant  North  along  sim- 
ilar lines.  The  John  Rosenfeld's  Sons'  Company  has  been  promi- 
nent in  the  coal  and  shipping  industry  between  the  port  of  San  Fran- 
cisco and   British   Columbia. 

It  is  not  our  intention  to  catalogue  the  economic  activities  of 
the  Jews  of  the  State,  but  any  review  of  these  activities  which  does 
not  take  into  consideration  the  part  played  by  the  Jews  must  neces- 
sarily fall  short  of  completeness.  Jews  are  found  practically  in  every 
department  of  our  business  Hfe.  In  the  financial,  commercial  and  in- 
dustrial life  of  California  the  Jew  has  played  and  plays  a  big  part. 
His  commanding  position  in  this  side  of  the  community  life  has  given 
him  no  less  prominence  than  his  general  participation  in  the  other 
alTairs   of   the    State. 

Probably  no  one  thing  was  so  indicative  of  the  unusual  position 
which  the  Jew  has  won  for  himself  in  San  Francisco  and  in  the  State 
as  was  his  splendid  representation  on  the  board  of  directors  on  the 
Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition.     That  spelled  not  only  finan- 


12  WESTERN   JEWRY 

cial  importance  but  also  indicated  his  social  and  communal  strength. 
On  the  board  we  found  Messrs.  I.  W.  Hellman,  Jr..  Leon  Sloss.  M.  J. 
Brandenstein,  Alfred  Esberg,  Rudolph  Taussig,  M.  H.  de  Young  and 
Andrew  Davis,  since  deceased.  Auxiliary  directors  were  Messrs. 
Morris  Meyerfeld,  Jr.,  J.  B.  Levison  and  Herbert  Fleishhacker.  On 
the  Ladies'  Exposition  Board  were  Mesdames  Louis  Sloss,  M.  C.  Sloss, 
Jesse  W.  Lilienthal,  L  Lowenberg  and  L  W.  Hellman,  Jr. 

In  the  professional  field  the  Jews  of  California  have  played  a  help- 
ful role.  Among  the  pioneer  preachers  the  names  of  Julius  Eckman, 
Elkan  Cohn  and  Henry  A.  Henry  stand  out  no  less  prominently  than 
did  that  of  Jacob  Voorsanger  in  the  generation  of  the  Epigoni.  Sol- 
omon Heydenfeldt,  Henry  A.  Lyons  and  Max  C.  Sloss  (still  incumbent) 
have  graced  the  Supreme  Court  bench  of  the  State.  Walter  Levy 
and  Marcel  Cerf  served  on  the  bench  of  the  Superior  Court  of  the 
city  and  county  of  San  Francisco.  Messrs.  A.  T.  Barnett,  L  M.  Golden, 
M.  Oppenheim,  George  Samuels  and  Henry  L.  Joachimsen  have  pre- 
sided over  courts  of  lesser  jurisdiction.  Jesse  W.  Lilienthal  (son  of 
the  distinguished  rabbi  of  Cincinnati )  is  head  of  the  San  Francisco 
Bar  Association  and  generally  active  in  all  community  enterprises. 
Joseph  Naphtaly  and  Charles  Ackerman  are  still  names  to  conjure 
with — big  men  of  a  previous  generation,  when  courage  and  knowl- 
edge were  the  qualifications  of  the  local  bar.  Drs.  Samuel  Lilien- 
thal, Julius  Rosenstirn,  Albert  Abrams,  Joseph  O.  Hirschfelder,  Al- 
fred Regensberger  and  Leo  Newmark  are  but  a  few  of  the  men  of 
medical  training  who  rose  to  distinction  here  in  California.  A  whole 
host  of  younger  men  give  promise  for  the  future  honor  of  the  Jew  in 
this  line  of  activity,  in  which  the  Jew  has  so  frequently  enjoyed  well- 
merited  honor  and  distinction. 

Time  and  space  do  not  permit  the  enumeration  of  all  the  Jews 
who  have  held  public  office  in  this  State.  Max  Popper  (Democrat) 
and  Meyer  Lissner  (Progressive)  have  exercised  a  State  control  of 
the  policies  of  their  political  organizations.  The  long  and  dis- 
tinguished service  of  the  Hon.  Julius  Kahn  in  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives is  one  of  the  finest  chapters  in  our  political  history. 
The  first  Mayor  (alcalde)  of  San  Francisco,  1849,  was  Washington 
Bartlett,  to  whom  reference  has  been  made  above.  Adolph  Sutro,  of 
mining  fame,  was  mayor  of  San  Francisco  (1894-96).  His  fight  for 
the  people's  interests  against  the  railroads  was  one  of  the  most  spec- 
tacular of  local  politics  and  of  great  significance  for  the  freer  devel- 
opment of  the  State.  His  great  designs  for  his  adopted  city  came  to  an 
untimely  end  with  his  death.  Among  his  descendants  there  was  no 
one  found  with  big  enough  vision  to  continue  them.  The  great  baths, 
Sutro  Heights,  his  library  (partly  destroyed  1906),  Sutro  Forest,  his 
gift  of  a  site  to  the  Affiliated  Colleges  of  the  University  of  Cali- 
fornia— all  betoken  a  big  man,  a  man  of  great  imagination  and  force 
of  character.      Legion   is   the  number  of  Jews   who   have   served   on 


WESTERN   JEWRY  13 

local  boards  of  supervisors,  in  both  houses  of  the  State  Legislature, 
State  commissions  and  in  minor  official  positions.  Generally  speak- 
ing, we  may  say  that  Jews  in  public  office  have  discharged  their  duties 
faithfully.  And  where  they  have  proven  themselves  faithless  to  their 
trust,  the  best  Jewish  sentiment  has  doubly  condemned  them. 

Honorable  Harris  Weinstock,  formerly  of  Sacramento,  now  of 
San  Francisco,  has  won  for  himself  a  unique  place  in  the  life  of  the 
State.  He  began  life  as  a  humble  merchant,  helped  in  developing 
his  firm,  Weinstock  &  Lubin,  to  a  position  of  commanding  importance 
and  brought  particular  attention  to  himself  by  his  splendid  record 
in  handling  the  labor  problems  of  so  large  an  institution.  He  has 
retired  from  active  participation  in  his  business,  as  has  also  his  part- 
ner, David  Lubin.  Air.  Lubin  is  the  author  of  a  volume  of  economic 
and  philosophic  studies  entitled.  "Let  There  Be  Light."  and  is  now 
the  first  president  of  the  International  Agricultural  Institute  at  Rome, 
of  which  he  was  the  founder.  Mr.  Weinstock's  Hterary  efforts  con- 
sists first  of  all  of  his  volume.  "Jesus  the  Jew  and  Other  Essays." 
and  a  large  number  of  well-conceived  and  well-written  papers  on 
economic  and  sociological  subjects.  He  was  sent  by  former  Governor 
Gillett  around  the  world  as  a  special  representative  of  the  Governor 
to  investigate  and  report  on  the  labor  question  and  remedies  for  its 
solution  in  all  civilized  lands.  Under  Governor  Hiram  W.  Johnson 
he  has  acted  as  a  member  of  the  Industrial  xA.ccident  Commission  and 
is  now  doing  pioneer  work  as  State  Market  Commissioner.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Federal  Commission  on  Industrial  Relations,  to 
which  he  was  appointed  by  President  Wilson.  As  a  force  for  right- 
eousness in  public  life,  there  are  few  men  in  the  .State  who  equal 
the  modest  Mr.  Weinstock  in  power  and  in  influence. 

In  the  philanthropic  life  of  our  various  communities,  the  Jew 
has  shown  himself  generous  not  only  in  supporting  his  own  charities, 
but  also  liberal  in  his  contributions  to  non-sectarian  and  public  causes. 
Jews  are  numerous  in  the  ranks  of  social  workers;  and  probably  no 
one  stands  out  so  prominently  as  a  leader  in  this  field  as  does  Miss 
Jessica  B.  Peixotto  of  the  Department  of  Economics  of  the  State 
University.  As  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and  Cor- 
rections, of  which  Rabbi  Martin  A.  Meyer  is  the  present  chairman, 
she  has  done  remarkable  constructive  work,  particularly  in  the  field 
of  child  caring.  The  work  of  Sidney  Peixotto  and  his  famous  Colum- 
bia Park  Boys'  Club  and  that  of  the  late  Miss  Ray  Wolfsohn  as 
head  of  the  Girls'  Club  is  worthy  of  more  than  this  passing  mention. 
The  fame  of  their  activities  is  Nation-wide  and  it  can  be  well  said 
that  they  have  set  new  standards  in  their  particular  lines  of  social 
effort  and  activity.  S.  W.  Levy  (died  1916)  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Associated   Charities  of  San    Francisco  and  also  of  the   first 


14  WESTERN   JEWRY 

Free  Kindergarten  established  in  this  city,  in  which  work  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  the  Honorable  Julius  Jacobs,  at  one  time  head  of  the  local 
United   States   Sub-Treasury. 

In  the  cultural  life  of  the  State  the  Jew  has  been  active  and 
helpful  as  a  patron  and  as  a  producer.  Probably  the  teacher  longest 
in  service  in  the  San  Francisco  public  schools  is  Mrs.  Mary  Prag,  one 
of  the  distinguished  Goldsmith  family,  which  arrived  in  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1854.  Mrs.  Prag  has  been  a  veritable  tower  of  strength  in 
the  educational  work  of  the  city  and  was  the  first  one  to  propose  a 
system  of  pensions  for  the  teachers  of  the  State.  The  list  of  men 
and  women  who  have  served  faithfully  in  our  public  schools  would 
rise  to  the  proportions  of  a  huge  roster.  In  our  State  University 
Jacob  Bert  Reinstein  (died  1912),  I.  \V.  Hellman,  Sr.  (rank- 
ing by  length  of  service)  and  Rudolph  Taussig  have  acted  as 
regents.  I.  W.  Hellman,  Jr.,  has  been  treasurer  of  this  Board 
of  Regents  and  recently  resigned  (1916),  to  be  succeeded  by 
Mortimer  Fleishhacker.  Quite  a  number  of  Jews  have  been  mem- 
bers of  the  faculty.  Besides  Miss  Peixotto,  mentioned  above.  Professor 
Myer  Jafifa,  Professor  Jacques  Loeb,  Dr.  Max  L.  Margolis,  Dr.  Will- 
iam Popper,  Rev.  Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger,  Rev.  Dr.  Martin  A.  Meyer 
(these  last  four  all  of  the  Department  of  Semitics,  founded  by  the 
late  Dr.  Voorsanger),  Professor  Ernest  Wilcinzyski  and  a  host  of 
others,  both  in  the  academic  and  the  professional  schools,  have  ren- 
dered excellent  service  to  the  cause  of  higher  education  in  the  State. 
The  University  of  California  has  been  the  object  of  generous  bene- 
factions by  Michael  Reese,  Levi  Straus,  Albert  Bonnheim,  Harris 
Weinstock,  M.  Nathan  and  the  members  of  Temple  Emanu-El  of 
San  Francisco,  who  purchased  most  of  the  valuable  collections 
found  in  the  Semitic  library.  Leon  Sloss  is  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  Leland  Stanford,  Junior,  University,  located  at  Palo 
Alto.  The  growth  in  the  number  of  Jewish  students  and  graduates 
of  these  two  universities  is  sending  an  ever-increasing  number  of 
our  people  into  professional  life  and  raising  the  general  tone  of 
the   community. 

Nor  have  we  been  inactive  in  the  literary  world.  Mrs.  Isador 
(Betty)  Lowenberg  is  the  author  of  two  well-written  and  thought- 
fully conceived  novels.  Miss  Emma  Wolf,  a  saintly  and  inspired 
invalid,  is  known  to  a  large  public  through  her  charming  romances. 
Miss  Miriam  Michelson  has  won  good  report  through  her  romantic 
writing.  Messrs.  Frank  Mandel  and  Maurice  Samuels  have  both  con- 
tributed to  the  literature  of  the  theater.  David  Warfield  and  David 
Belasco,  both  Californians,  have  done  much  for  the  American  stage 
as  actor  and  producer.  Local  dramatics  have  been  promoted  by 
Messrs.  Alf.  Hayman,  S.  H.  Friedlander,  Davis  &  Belasco,  Gottlob 
&  Marx  and  Morris  Meyerfield,  Jr.,  Will  Greenebaum— impresario 
— has    for   many    years    been    responsible    for    the    coming     to     San 


WESTERN   JEWRY  15 

Francisco  of  many  of  the  world's  greatest  artists.  In  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  San  Francisco  Symphony  the  names  of  Messrs.  E.  S.  Heller, 
John  Rothschild,  I.  W.  Hellman,  Jr.,  Leon  Sloss,  Sig  Stern  and  J.  B. 
Levison  are  noted  as  founders  and  directors  of  this  association.  The 
names  of  many  Jews  are  fotmd  on  the  list  of  guarantors  of  this  society. 
The  Pacific  Musical  Society  was  organized  some  seven  years  ago, 
when  discrimination  was  exercised  against  Jewish  candidates  for  mem- 
bership in  the  then  existing  San  Francisco  Musical  Society.  While 
not  a  Jewish  organization,  the  career  of  the  Pacific  Musical  Society 
is  of  particular  significance  to  the  Jewish  community  of  San  Francisco. 
The  late  Madame  Julie  Rosewald,  the  late  Samuel  Fleishman,  Sig- 
mund  Beel,  Nathan  Landsberger,  Allan  Bier,  the  recently  deceased 
Enid  Brandt,  Mabel  Riegelman  of  grand  opera  fame,  and  Sir  Henry 
Heyman  (knighted  by  the  late  King  of  Hawaii),  are  among  those 
who  have  distinguished  themselves  as  performers  in  local  musical 
circles.  Cantor  E.  J.  Stark  of  Temple  Emanu-El,  Albert  Elkus,  Fred 
Jacobi,  P.  I.  Jacoby  and  Rosalie  Hausman  may  be  mentioned  as  local 
composers,  whose  work,  no  doubt,  will  some  day  engage  the  interest 
of  a  larger  public. 

In  the  world  of  art,  Toby  Rosenthal  has  achieved  international 
fame.  Messrs.  Joseph  Greenebaum,  Joseph  Raphael,  Miss  Anne 
Bremer  and  the  late  Mrs.  Sig  (Olga)  Ackerman,  have  a  wider  reputa- 
tion than  the  passing  fame  of  local  recognition.  Edgar  Walter 
is  a  sculptor  of  large  attainments  from  whom  we  can  expect  to  see 
more  work  within  the  next  few  years,  during  which  time  his  talent 
should  be  most  mature  ;  Ernest  Peixotto  combines  charm  of  pen 
and  brush,  as  evidenced  in  many  volumes  of  travel  and  appreciation. 
Messrs.  Reuben  Goldberg  and  Herbert  Roth,  both  San  Francisco  boys, 
have  won  considerable  recognition  as  cartoonists. 

For  their  services  rendered  French  literature  and  French  culture 
M.  Daniel  Levy  (died  1910)  and  Mile.  Rebecca  Godchaux,  were  deco- 
rated by  the  French  Government  with  the  ribbon  of  the  "Palmes 
Academiques." 

The  local  Jewish  community  has  even  supplied  three  prizefighters 
for  the  ring — an  achievement  in  which  there  can  be  some  degree  of 
satisfaction  in  view  of  the  oft-repeated  slander  that  the  Jew  lacks  in 
physical  courage — Joe  Choyinski,  Abe  Attel  and  Sam  Berger. 

In  journalism,  outside  of  purely  Jewish  effort,  the  Jew  in  Cali- 
fornia has  not  done  much  in  marked  contradistinction  to  his  efforts 
along  this  line  elsewhere.  The  de  Young  family  is  associated  with 
the  founding  and  the  publishing  of  the  San  Francisco  "Chronicle," 
one  of  the  leading  papers  of  the  State.  There  have  been  numerous 
Jewish  names  associated  with  the  local  press,  but  none  of  them  of 
outstanding  distinction. 

So  far  we  have  dealt  entirely  with  the  relation  of  the  Jew  to  the 
general  community.     \Ve  have  endeavored  in  this  mere  sketch  to  in- 


16  WESTERN   JEWRY 

dicate  his  close  relationship  with  all  phases  of  California  life.  Time 
and  space  permitting,  we  might  relate  many  interesting  incidents  in 
which  the  Jews  participated,  such  historic  events  as  the  Vigilance  Com- 
mittee, the  establishment  of  the  Stock  Exchange,  the  introduction  of 
fraternal  organizations,  such  as  the  Masons,  the  exciting  political  de- 
bates preceding  and  during  the  early  years  of  the  Civil  War,  the 
intricate  and  thrilling  working  out  of  the  race  question  and  of  the 
allied  labor  problems,  the  trying  problems  of  relief  and  rehabilitation 
in  the  year  of  the  great  fire.  The  struggle  against  sectarianism  in 
public  life  began  early  in  the  corporate  history  of  California.  As  early 
as  1855  the  Jews  were  compelled  to  unite  with  other  liberal  religionists 
to  protest  against  the  zealous  but  mistaken  efforts  of  sectarians  to 
foist  their  peculiar  religious  views  upon  the  State.  Up  to  the  time 
of  the  present  writing  these  protests  have  succeeded  in  staying  the 
menace  of  such  un-American  activities.  It  would  be  mere  idle  chauvin- 
ism to  assert  that  our  record  has  been  long  and  honorable.  If  justifi- 
cation be  necessary,  the  Jew  has  fully  justified  his  residence  in  this 
State.  Whatever  may  have  been  his  own  problems — and  they  have 
been  many — he  has  not  failed  in  his  duty  to  the  community  in  which 
he  lived. 

We  now  turn  our  attention  to  the  story  of  the  inner  life  and 
activities  of  the  Jews  in  California.  Naturally  each  locality  has  its 
own  story  to  tell  of  settlement  and  organization.  On  some  other  occa- 
sion it  is  our  hope  to  tell  the  detailed  story  of  each  Jewish  settlement 
in  California.  Organized  Jewish  communities  which  call  for  such  dis- 
cussion were  found  or  are  still  to  be  found  in  Placerville,  Grass  \'alley, 
Sacramento,  Oakland,  Berkeley,  Alameda,  Santa  Rosa,  San  Jose, 
Stockton,  Fresno,  Bakersfield,  Sonora,  San  Bernardino,  Los  Angeles, 
San  Diego,  Santa  Cruz  and  San  Francisco.  At  present  we  must  con- 
tent ourselves  with  the  account  of  what  the  Jews  did  for  themselves 
in  the  largest  city  of  the  State  and  of  the  Coast.  In  very  large  measure 
this  story  is  typical  of  Jewish  life  elsewhere. 

By  the  time  of  the  holy  days  in  the  fall  of  1849,  the  number  of 
Jews  in  San  Franci.sco  had  grown  to  considerable  proportions.  As 
is  but  natural  at  this  season  of  the  year,  the  heart  of  the  Jew  turns 
to  the  thought  of  his  God  and  to  the  practice  of  his  religion.  Ac- 
cordingly, arrangements  were  made  for  divine  services.  Following 
the  rather  meager  and  conflicting  accounts  of  contemporary  newspa- 
pers and  of  participants  we  note  that  two  minyanim  were  held.  They 
were  patronized  by  two  diflferent  groups  of  Jews,  the  Germans  and 
the  Poles,  and  out  of  these  modest  beginnings  developed  congregations 
Emanu-El  and  Sherith  Israel.  There  has  been  considerable  debate 
as  to  the  priority  of  the  organization  of  these  synagogues,  but  no  sat- 
isfactory conclusion  can  be  reached.  Certain  it  is  from  documentary 
evidence  that  Congregation  Emanu-El  was  already  in  existence  before 
September,   1850,  though  not   incorporated  until   the  following  year. 


WESTERN   JEWRY  17 

Sherith  Israel  came  into  existence  about  the  same  time,  so  close  as 
to  give  rise  to  this  debate. 

In   1850  Emanuel  Hart  presented  ground  for  a  burial  place  to 
the    Tews  of   San   Francisco,  located  near  what  is  now  Vallejo   and 
Gough  streets.     The  first  to  be  interred  was  a  man  named  Johnson, 
a  scion  of  a  distinguished  Cincinnati  family.     Till  1860  these  grounds 
sufficed  for  the  needs  of  the  community.    As  they  became  overcrowded 
and   inadequate,   ground   was  bought   by   Congregation    Emanu-El   at 
Eighteenth   and   Dolores  streets   and   named   "The    Home  of    Peace" 
cemetery.      Congregation   Sherith    Israel   bought   the   adjoining   block 
about  the  same  time.     As  early  as  1886  it  was  realized  that  new  and 
more  spacious  as  well  as  more  suitable  accommodations  must  be  found 
for  the  City  of  the  Dead.     Action  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  de- 
manded the  closing  of  these  cemeteries  by  January  1.  1889.     A  con- 
siderable tract  of  land  was  purchased  in  San  Mateo  county,  some  ten 
miles  from  the  city,  and  was  jointly  dedicated  by  the  two  congregations 
on  Thanksgiving   Day,    1888.      Since   then    Congregation   Beth    Israel 
and  Congregation  Ohabai  Shalome  have  acquired  land  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  for  similar  purposes.     The  old  cemetery  in  what  is  now  Lin- 
coln Park  (Thirty-third  avenue),  was  acquired  by  the  more  orthodox 
portion   of   the   community   in   the   early   sixties.     It   was   closed    and 
abandoned  at  the  same  time  as  the  other  cemeteries  situated  within 
the  city  limits. 

Originally  both  of  the  above-mentioned  synagogues  were  ortho- 
dox in  ritual  and  in  observance  :  but  very  early  in  its  history,  Congre- 
gation Emanu-El  began  to  evidence  a  progressive  spirit,  whereas 
Sherith  Israel  until  comparatively  recent  times  remained  an  exponent 
of  orthodoxy.  By  1854  Emanu-El  had  moved  out  of  its  temporary 
rented  quarters  and  occupied  a  modest  but  dignified  building  on 
Broadway  above  Powell  street.  About  the  same  time  Sherith  Israel 
established  itself  in  a  substantial  structure  on  Stockton  street  near 
Broadway.  Rev.  Dr.  Julius  Eckman  became  the  first  rabbi  of  Emanu- 
El  in  1854  and  officiated  at  the  dedication  of  both  of  these  synagogue 
structures.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  organized  a  mixed  choir  of 
men  and  women  and  established  a  religious  school  for  Emanu-El. 
After  a  brief  incumbency,  dififerences  arose  between  Dr.  Eckman  and 
the  board  of  directors,  which  ended  in  his  withdrawing  from  their 
service.  The  Rev.  H.  M.  Bien  acted  as  lecturer  for  the  congregation 
for  one  year,  1856.  It  was  not  until  1860  that  a  regular  incumbent 
for  the  pulpit  was  found  in  the  person  of  the  beloved  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn, 
who  ministered  to  his  congregation  until  his  death,  1889.  In  the 
meantime  Congregation  Sherith  Israel  led  a  no  less  checkered  life 
course.  It  was  not  until  the  coming  of  the  learned  and  loved  Rabbi 
H.  A.  Henry  that  peace  settled  on  its  troubled  waters.  Dr.  Henry 
'vas  succeeded  by  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Vidaver,  and  since  1893  the  Rev. 
Jacob   Nieto   has   ministered  to   this   congregation.      In    1905    Sherith 


18  WESTERN   JEWRY 

Israel  moved  into  its  present  beautiful  temple  on  Webster  and  Cali- 
fornia streets,  from  its  location  on  Taylor  and  Post  streets,  which 
corner  it  had  occupied  after  disposing  of  its  Stockton  street  property. 

With  the  coming  of  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  reform  tendencies  began 
to  assert  themselves  more  and  more  in  Emanu-El,  many  of  whose 
members  had  already  evidenced  considerable  sympathy  with  progressive 
ideas  and  usages.  This  friction  gradually  developed  till  in  1864,  there 
was  a  secession  of  a  large  part  of  the  membership  and  an  orthodox 
congregation,  Ohabai  Shalome,  was  organized.  This  secession  came 
at  a  particularly  critical  time  in  the  life  of  the  congregation,  as  Emanu- 
El  had  just  undertaken  the  building  of  a  new  synagogue — still  its 
home — which  was  dedicated  March  23,  1866  The  best  known  and 
most  distinguished  leader  of  Ohabai  Shalome  was  the  late  Dr.  A. 
Bettelheim.  The  present  incumbent  of  this  pulpit  is  Rabbi  Herman 
Rosenwasser,  who  in  1914  sticceeded  Rabbi  B.  M.  Kaplan.  The  con- 
gregation has  preserved  its  orthodox  attitude  towards  Jewish  relig- 
ious life  during  the  half  century  of  its  existence,  despite  many  attempts 
to  divert  it  from  its  original  loyalty. 

After  the  secession  of  the  orthodox  group,  the  reform  element 
in  Emanu-El  had  a  free  hand  and  proceeded  to  institute  various  inno- 
vations in  the  liturgy.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  a  conservative 
spirit  has  always  animated  San  Francisco  Jewry,  even  in  its  most 
advanced  and  liberal  group,  so  that  none  of  the  excesses  of  radicalism 
has  ever  been  visited  upon  this  community.  In  1887  Jacob  V^oor- 
sanger  was  elected  associate  to  the  aging  Rabbi  Elkan  Cohn,  and 
assumed  the  full  responsibility  of  the  congregation  upon  the  latter's 
death  in  1889.  Dr.  Voorsanger  was  a  man  of  great  power  and  of 
remarkable  personality.  He  made  himself  a  leader  in  the  community 
in  every  sense  of  the  word  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  lamentable  death 
in  1908  his  name  and  fame  grew.  His  good  works  had  made  the  whole 
city,  not  only  the  Jewish  citizens,  his  debtor. 

In  1860  Congregation  Beth  Israel  was  organized  on  conservative 
lines.  Today  it  occupies  a  large  and  commodious  structure  on  Geary 
street  above  Fillmore  and  is  the  leading  factor  in  the  life  of  the  ortho- 
dox portion  of  our  community.  There  have  been  numerous  smaller 
congregations,  in  the  city  and  since  the  coming  of  the  Russian  immi- 
grant their  number  has  grown  apace.  We  mention  the  Nevah  Zedek, 
formerly  situated  on  California  and  Stockton  streets ;  the  Beth  Alena- 
hem  Streisand,  on  Minna  street  near  Fifth;  the  Keneseth  Israel  (be- 
fore the  fire  on  Russ  street,  later  amalgamated  with  the  William  Wolf 
Congregation  on  Geary  street  near  Octavia,  and  but  recently  re-estab- 
lished on  Webster  street  near  Golden  Gate  avenue)  ;  the  Bnai  David, 
on  Nineteenth  street  near  Valencia ;  the  Anshe  Sfard,  on  Golden  Gate 
avenue  near  Webster ;  the  Chevrah  Tillim,  on  Russ  street,  and  a 
number  of  smaller  associations  in  various  parts  of  the  city.     In  pro- 


WESTERN   JEWRY  19 

portion  to  the  size  of  the  Jewish  community  (about  35,000)   the  city 
is  well  provided  with  synagogues,  religious  schools  and  the  like. 

At  this  point  we  must  mention  a  fact  of  considerable  importance 
and  significance  when  the  religious  life  of  the  local  Jewish  community 
is  considered.  In  the  last  twenty-five  years  a  number  of  young  men, 
native  born,  have  been  prepared  by  the  local  rabbis  for  the  rabbinate, 
and  a  number  of  them  already  occupy  pulpits  of  importance  in  Amer- 
ican Israel.  The  tragic  death  of  the  promiseful  Armand  Lazarus  at  the 
very  portal  of  a  brilliant  career  is  only  the  sadder  because  of  the  success 
of  several  of  the  younger  men  whom  his  teacher,  the  late  Dr.  Voor- 
sanger,  prepared  for  their  life  careers.  Judah  Leon  Magnes,  Martin 
A.  Meyer,  Elkan  C.  Voorsanger,  Rudolph  I.  Coffee  and  Edgar  F. 
Magnin  may  be  mentioned  as  the  young  men  whom  San  Francisco  and 
Oakland  have  sent  out  into  the  Jewish  world  for  Jewish  service  and 
leadership.  At  the  present  time  there  are  three  students  at  the  Hebrew 
Union  College  in  Cincinnati.  A  community  can  not  be  said  to  be 
religiously  decadent  so  long  as  it  continues  to  give  inspiration  to  young 
men  for  such  careers. 

In  addition  to  the  religious  schools  maintained  by  the  various 
congregations  as  well  as  a  number  of  private  chedarim,  the  Jewish 
Educational  Society  maintains  free  schools  for  instruction  in  Hebrew, 
Jewish  history  and  religion  in  various  sections  of  the  city  where  the 
number  of  Jewish  residents  requires  such  work.  The  Educational 
Society  was  originally  a  B'nai  B'rith  activity,  but  this  organization 
found  it  difficult  to  continue  the  support  of  the  schools.  The  society 
was  organized  in  1897  and  was  maintained  largely  by  the  untiring  ef- 
forts of  Rabbis  Nieto  and  Voorsanger  and  the  late  Jacob  Greenebaum. 

True  to  Jewish  tradition  that  "Gemiluth  Chasodim,"  doing  kindly 
acts,  is  one  of  the  pillars  of  the  social  order  and  a  peculiar  charac- 
teristic of  the  sons  of  Israel,  the  pioneer  Jews  organized  relief  so- 
cieties almost  immediately  after  they  realized  that  their  residence  was 
to  be  permanent  in  this  western  land.  Moved  by  that  Jewish  pride 
to  care  for  their  own  poor  and  by  the  experience  of  an  increasing 
number  of  needy  co-religionists  for  whom  the  Argonaut  journey  had 
not  wrought  fortune,  the  Jews  of  the  new  city  organized  two  benevo- 
lent societies  the  same  year,  1851.  Unfortunately  geographical  dis- 
tinctions were  again  observed,  sowing  the  seeds  of  a  regrettable  split 
in  the  community  and  creating  difficulties  for  the  future.  In  1855  the 
Ladies'  Lmited  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society  was  organized  and  in  1876 
the  Jewish  Ladies'  Relief  Society.  So  many  organizations  with  similar 
objects  were  not  calculated  to  work  out  the  community's  problems  of 
relief  satisfactorily.  Recognizing  the  need  of  closer  co-operation,  for 
the  prevention  of  fraud  and  the  duplication  of  effort,  the  Hebrew  Board 
of  Relief  was  organized  in  1900,  the  above-mentioned  societies  con- 
stituting its  membership.     The  bulk  of  the  relief  work  of  the  Jewish 


20  WESTERN   JEWRY 

community  is  handled  through  this  central  organization,  which  acts  as 
a  clearing  house  for  the  Jewish  poor. 

Numerous  other  Jewish  organizations  have  sprung  into  existence, 
some  to  languish  and  pass  away,  others  to  flourish  and  accomplish  their 
mission  in  part  at  any  rate.  The  Hebrew  Ladies'  Sewing  Society 
(1869),  the  Helpers  (1889),  the  Free  Burial  Society  (1888)  and  the 
Free  Loan  Association  (1897)  have  all  their  happy  share  in  the  altru- 
istic work  of  the  Jewish  community.  Of  a  more  educational  nature  are 
the  Emanu-El  Sisterhood  (incorporated  1902,  though  organized  several 
years  earlier)  and  the  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association,  which  has 
survived  many  vicissitudes  of  organization  and  reorganization.  Latest 
comer  in  the  field  is  the  Pacific  Coast  Branch  of  the  Hebrew  Immi- 
grant Aid  Society  (established  1915),  whose  general  functions  are  too 
well  known  to  call  for  elaboration. 

In  1871  the  Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  and  Home  Society 
was  organized  for  the  care  of  dependent  children  and  the  aged  poor; 
in  1887  Mount  Zion  Hospital  was  incorporated  for  the  care  of  the  sick 
poor,  and  in  1889  a  rival  Old  Folks'  Home  was  called  into  existence. 
Its  policy  has  been  more  in  accord  with  the  practices  of  orthodox 
Jewish  life  and  the  aged  sick  and  semi-invalided  have  been  admitted. 
In  this  way  San  Francisco  Jewry  has  endeavored  to  meet  the  de- 
mands made  on  its  good  heart  and  its  resources  on  behalf  of  its  de- 
pendent classes.  We  have  not  tried  to  elaborate  the  story  of  the 
work  of  these  various  societies  nor  discuss  their  policies.  Mere 
enumeration  must  suffice. 

In  1910,  after  several  years  of  unceasing  effort,  a  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities  of  San  Francisco  was  finally  organized.  All  of 
the  above-mentioned  societies  with  the  exception  of  the  Young  Men's 
Hebrew  Association  became  constituents  of  the  federation.  The  in- 
crease in  support  was  notable  from  the  start.  The  first  year,  1910, 
about  $120,000  was  collected,  and  this  has  increased  from  year  to 
year  so  that  $148,000  represented  the  community's  contribution  for 
Jewish  relief  work  in  1915.  This  co-operative  movement  has  proven 
itself  a  marked  success  and  has  advanced  far  beyond  the  experi- 
mental stage.  San  Francisco  points  with  pride  and  satisfaction  to 
its  move  in  this  direction.  The  first  president  of  the  federation  was 
the  Hon.  Max  C.  Sloss  ;  the  president  incumbent  is  I.  W.  Hellman,  Jr. 

In  the  Russian  Jewish  community  there  exists  a  large  number  of 
small  organizations  whose  object  is  the  immediate  relief  of  appli- 
cants for  aid.  So  far  none  of  the  minimum  requirements  of  scientific 
relief  have  been  applied  to  their  work.  But  like  their  older  brothers  of 
the  Americanized  group,  if  they  live  they  will  learn  to  do  their  good 
work  in  an  increasingly  efficient  manner. 

The  social  life  of  the  community  has  been  well  looked  after.  The 
Argonaut,  Concordia  and  Alta  Clubs  are  what  we  may  call  Jewish 
city  clubs,  and  the  recently  organized  Beresford  Club  meets  the  de- 


WESTERN    JEWRY  21 

mands  of  those  who  enjoy  country  sports.  Our  ladies  have  a  culture 
club,  the  Philomath,  now  in  the  twenty-second  year  of  its  existence; 
and  the  local  section  of  the  Council  of  Jewish  Women,  almost  one 
thousand  strong,  is  now  completing  its  fifteenth  year.  The  Independent 
Order  of  B'nai  B'rith  was  introduced  into  the  city  by  Louis  Abrahams, 
afterwards  of  Washington,  D.  C.  in  1855 ;  the  first  Grand  Lodge  was 
organized  in  1863  by  Baruch  Rothschild  and  Jacob  Greenebaum,  then 
of  Sacramento.  Numerous  Chevras  attest  the  fraternal  spirit  among 
our  people  and  in  particular  to  their  readiness  to  co-operate  for  altru- 
istic ends.  The  oldest  of  these  Chevras,  "Bikkur  Cholim,"  was  or- 
ganized in  1857  and  continues  its  activity  down  to  the  present  day. 
The  Orders  of  Brith  Abraham  are  well  represented  and  the  Kesher 
Shel  Barzel  still  drags  on  a  dwindling  existence. 

Jewish  journalism  has  flourished  in  this  city.  As  early  as  1855 
Dr.  Eckman  founded  the  first  Jewish  paper  on  the  Coast.  "The 
Gleaner."  This  was  followed  by  the  "Voice  of  Israel."  which  was 
jointly  edited  and  published  by  H.  IM.  Bien  and  L.  L.  Dennery.  Sub- 
sequently (1860-61)  H.  M.  Bien  made  another  journalistic  ven- 
ture under  the  title  of  the  "Jewish  Messenger  of  the  Pacific."  Philo 
Jacoby  has  published  "The  Hebrew"  continuously  since  1863.  The 
"Hebrew  Observer,"  established  in  1856  by  William  Saalsburg  was 
later  amalgamated  with  the  "Jewish  Times,"  which  had  been  estab- 
Hshed  in  1855.  The  Rev.  M.  S.  Levy  has  been  the  editor  of  this  joint 
publication  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  The  "Jewish 
Progress"  continued  its  life  for  full  twenty-five  years  from  the  date 
of  its  establishment  in  1876.  At  one  time  Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger  was 
its  editor.  In  1895  he  established  with  his  brother,  A.  W.  \'oorsanger. 
"Emanu-El,"  with  which  he  was  associated  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
For  a  few  years  (1900)  Rabbi  Jacob  Nieto  published  the  "New  Occi- 
dent," a  monthly  journal  of  news  and  views.  Though  not  strictly  a 
Jewish  journal,  mention  must  be  made  of  the  "Public  Opinion."  edited 
and  published  by  the  eccentric  but  brilliant  I.  Choyinski.  For  many 
years  Mr.  Choyinski  contributed  a  weekly  column  of  biting  comment  to 
the  "American  Israelite"  of  Cincinnati,  under  the  pen  name  of  Maftir. 
It  can  hardly  be  claimed  that  many  of  these  journals  reached  a  high 
standard  of  excellence.  The  editorials  and  occasional  articles  from 
the  pen  of  Dr.  \'oorsanger  were  at  all  times  brilliant  and  forceful. 
These  journals  have  served  a  useful  purpose  in  preserving  the  details 
of  local  Jewish  efi'orts,  in  cementing  the  community,  in  forming  Jewish 
public  opinion,  and  in  carrying  a  Jewish  message  to  the  Jews  in  out- 
lying country  districts. 

It  is  a  goodly  story,  we  take  it,  that  of  the  Jews  of  this  State. 
It  deserves  full  and  detailed  treatment  to  do  it  justice  and  to  pay  the 
merited  tribute  to  those  men  who  helped  build  its  foundations  lasting 
and  strong.  The  pioneer  days  are  growing  remote.  Few  of  the  pio- 
neers themselves  are  left  in  the  land.     There  are  now  many  gray- 


W■^»>■M?■T«'  t 


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D      D      C 


WESTERN    JEWRY  23 

haired  men  and  women  who  spent  their  childhood  here  in  the  first 
decades  of  the  city's  hfe.  Many  precious  records  have  been  lost. 
Memory  is  growing  dim  and  confused.  It  is  time  that  every  effort 
be  made  to  preserve  even  the  minutest  record  of  those  brave  days. 

It  is  ever  pleasanter  to  prophesy  than  to  record,  for  prophecy 
knows  no  control  as  does  sober  history.  We,  too,  would  fain  exer- 
cise the  prophetic  privilege  and  predict  great  things  for  the  Jews  of 
this  community,  of  this  State  and  of  the  Coast.  Without  doubt,  with 
the  opening  of  the  new  era  of  history  that  1915  inaugurated,  great 
achievements,  both  economic  and  spiritual,  will  mark  the  life  of  the 
peoples  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Let  the  Tew  do  his  duty  and  contribute  his  best,  as  he  has  in  the 
past,  to  the  realization  of  our  hope  and  our  prophecy,  so  that  the 
ancient  word  may  be  worthily  fulfilled — "From  the  rising  of  the  sun 
till  its  going  down,  let  the  name  of  the  Lord  be  praised." 

April,  1916. 

The  Pacific  Hebrew  Asylum  and 
Home  Society 

"Ah!  What  would  the  world  be  to  us 
If  the  children  were  no  more? 
We    should    dread    the    desert    behind    us 
Worse    than    the   dark   before." 

— Longfellow. 

THE  object  of  these  lines  should  in  no  way  be  construed  as 
an  attempt  to  present  a  detailed  and  complete  history  of  the 
Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  and  Home  Society.  The 
forty-four  reports  published  by  the  society  will  afiford  the  inquirer 
ample  opportunity  to  learn  what  this  splendid  institution  has  ac- 
complished during  the  many  years  of  its  existence.  But  even  a 
casual  reference  to  it  requires  that  mention  be  made  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  B'nai  B'rith,  which  organization  was  instrumental 
in  its  establishment. 

The  records  in  the  office  of  the  grand  secretary  of  the  B'nai 
B'rith ;  the  original  investigations  of  Grand  Secretary  Aschheim 
as  embodied  in  the  forty-first  annual  report  of  the  order ;  the  lucid 
references  relative  to  the  origin  and  establishment  of  a  Jewish 
orphan  home  as  contained  in  the  historical  sketch  of  the  order  by 
Edmund  Tauszky  —  all  established  the  fact  beyond  peradventure 
that  such  sturdy  Jewish  pioneers  as  Jacob  Greenebaum  of  beloved 
memory,  Louis  Kaplan,  Seixas  Solomons  and  other  leaders  in  the 
B'nai  B'rith  were  the  prime  movers  among  those  who  conceived 
the  establishment  of  a  home  for  Jewish  orphans  on  the  Pacific 
Coast. 

District  No.  4,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  will  ever  remain  the  loving  parent 
of  our  orphan  asylum.     True,  the  first  committee  under  the  chair- 


WESTERN   JEWRY  25 

manship  of  Rev.  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  at  its  meeting  (March  28,  1871) 
unanimously  decided  to  recommend  that  a  Jewish  orphan  home 
in  San  Francisco  be  established  and  maintained  "by  individual 
contributions  and  subscriptions."  Yet,  that  the  B'nai  B'rith  had 
taken  the  initiative  in  this  noble  enterprise  and  that  its  members, 
with  money  and  personal  service  gave  birth  to  its  organization,  must 
ever  remain  an  integral  part  of  the  home's  history. 

Four  months  after  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn's  committee  had  submitted 
its  report  a  general  meeting  was  held  on  July  25,  1871,  at  which 
p-atherine  fifteen   g-entlemen   were  elected  a  board  of  trustees  for 

O  c>  i^  ^ 

the  proposed  orphan  asylum  to  serve  for  ninety  days,  to-wit: 
Messrs.  I.  F.  Bloch,  P.  Berwin,  H.  Greenberg,  Isaac  Wormser, 
Alfred  P.  Elfert,  Joseph  Brandenstein,  Rev.  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  Wm. 
Steinhart,  S.  Sweet,  L.  Sachs,  S.  W.  Levy,  E.  Wertheimer,  C. 
Meyer,  A.  Bloch  and  M.  Morgenthau. 

The  first  meeting  of  this  board  resulted  in  the  election  of  the 
following  officers:  President,  Isaac  Wormser;  vice-president,  C. 
Meyer;  treasurer,  Lipman  Sachs.  Later  Jacob  Greenebaum,  hav- 
ing ofifered  his  services  gratuitously,  was  elected  secretary.  The 
following  year  Leo  Eloesser  was  elected  secretary,  solicitor  and 
collector  for  the  society.  At  that  time  the  chairman  of  the  board 
of  governors  reported  that  the  society  had  seven  children  under 
its  guardianship,  which,  pending  the  erection  of  a  permanent  home, 
were  being  boarded  out  at  dififerent  places. 

Shortly  afterwards  the  doors  of  a  well-furnished  house,  with 
ample  playgrounds  and  gardens,  were  opened  for  the  reception  of 
sixteen  orphan  children.  This  gratifying  result,  which  could 
scarcely  have  been  expected  in  so  short  a  space  of  time,  can  only 
be  ascribed  to  the  alacrity  and  cheerfulness  with  which  a  large 
number  of  our  co-religionists  had  responded  to  the  appeal  to  their 
generosity,  and  which  it  is  earnestly  hoped  will  be  gratefully  re- 
corded by  the  future  historian  of  the  society. 

From  this  modest  beginning  the  Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum  and  Home  Society  grew  and  prospered  under  the  fostering 
care  of  that  noble  band  of  Jews,  whose  big  hearts  had  not  ceased 
to  throb  with  loving  sympathy  for  the  orphan  until  the  Angel  of 
Death  had  laid  her  soft  hands  upon  their  brows  and  Mother  Earth 
received  their  precious  remains. 

It  continued  to  grow  from  year  to  year,  until,  according  to  last 
year's  report,  the  orphans  under  the  care  of  the  society  now  num- 
ber one  hundred  and  eighty-seven,  of  which  eighty-nine  are  boys 
and  ninety-eight  are  girls.  This  report  also  shows  that  the  society 
cares  for  thirty  old  people  in  its  home  on  Silver  avenue. 

Yet  when  it  is  remembered  that  the  present  Jewish  popula- 
tion is  nearly  six  times  as  large  as  it  was  in  1872  and  1873,  one 
can  not  but  conclude  that  the  support  given  the   orphan  asylum 


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WESTERN    JEWRY  27 

(either  through  direct  membership  or  through  membership  in  the 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  of  which  the  home  is  now  a  con- 
stituent part)  has  not  grown  in  proportion  to  the  growth  of  the 
Jewish  communities  of  San  Francisco  and  elsewhere. 

The  Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  and  Home  Society,  above 
all  the  other  splendid  Jewish  charitable  institutions,  is  a  sacred 
trust  to  which  every  man  that  subscribes  himself  by  the  name  of 
Jew  owes  allegiance. 

Mount  Zion  Hospital 

OVER  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  elapsed  since  Mount  Zion 
Hospital  was  founded  or,  to  be  exact,  on  November  3, 
1887,  at  the  residence  of  Frederick  L.  Castle,  corner  of  Van 
Ness  avenue  and  Sutter  street.  The  first  meeting  was  attended  by 
upwards  of  forty  prominent  Jewish  citizens.  Considerable  en- 
thusiasm, as  well  as  energy,  appears  to  have  been  displayed  as  a 
committee  was  immediately  appointed  to  arrange  for  the  incor- 
poration, which  took  place  two  days  later.  This  was  promptly 
followed  by  another  meeting  on  November  7th  of  that  year,  at 
which  permanent  officers  were  elected  and  a  committee  appointed 
to  canvass  for  subscriptions.  This  committee  labored  for  over  a 
year  and  on  December  18,  1888,  a  general  meeting  was  held  in  the 
vestry-room  of  Temple  Emanu-El,  when  subscriptions  were  an- 
nounced aggregating  $32,000  and  a  constitution  and  by-laws 
adopted.  The  committee  continued  its  efforts  for  another  year  with 
moderate  success,  and  in  April,  1890,  a  large  piece  of  land  was 
acquired  on  Point  Lobos  avenue  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,  the  remaining 
funds  being  invested  in  bonds  until  such  time  as  the  institution 
would  be  in  a  position  to  build  its  own  hospital.  For  the  si.x  years 
following  no  progress  seems  to  have  been  made,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  in  October,  1894,  a  committee  on  hospital  building  was 
appointed,  when  in  September,  1896,  new  blood  was  infused  into 
the  institution  and  fresh  enthusiasm  aroused  by  a  donation  obtained 
through  the  efiforts  of  Walter  M.  Castle  of  $5000  from  Baroness  de 
Hirsch,  widow  of  the  great  Jewish  philanthropist. 

While  the  question  of  hospital  quarters  was  being  considered 
Dr.  Julius  Rosenstirn  made  an  offer,  which  was  accepted,  of  his 
building  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Sutter  and  Hyde  streets,  rent 
free,  until  such  time  as  a  proper  building  could  be  secured,  so  that 
in  January,  1897,  Mount  Zion  became  a  hospital  in  fact  as  well  as 
in  name.  A  medical  staff  was  appointed,  the  building  suitably  fur- 
nished, twelve  beds  installed  and  practical  work  commenced.  It 
became  apparent  almost  at  once  that  the  building  was  entirely 
inadequate  to  meet  the  demands,  and  the  following  year  the  com- 


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WESTERN    JEWRY  29 

mittee  was  instructed  to  find  larger  and  permanent  quarters.  They 
finally  decided  on  the  property  on  Sutter  street,  between  Scott  and 
Divisadero,  on  which  stood  a  residence.  The  building  was  en- 
larged to  suit  the  purposes  of  the  hospital,  formally  dedicated  and 
opened  on  May,  1899.  Thus  for  the  first  time  was  it  brought  home 
to  the  Jewish  community  that  Mount  Zion  Hospital  had  come  to 
stay  and  intended  to  demonstrate  beyond  question  that  its  efforts 
and  work  were  deserving  of  support. 

For  the  succeeding  seven  years  the  growth  was  even  and 
steady,  the  building  enlarged,  the  number  of  beds  increased,  the 
membership  added  to  and  the  donations  and  bequests  all  that  could 
be  expected  when  in  April,  1906,  the  great  disaster  occurred  over- 
whelming Mount  Zion  as  it  did  every  institution  of  its  kind  in  San 
Francisco.  The  situation  during  the  following  summer  became  so 
serious  as  to  make  its  friends  tremble  for  its  very  existence.  The 
membership  fell  away  badly,  which,  of  course,  meant  a  material 
reduction  in  income.  The  number  of  patients  applying  for  treat- 
ment increased  considerably,  which  meant  greater  expense,  and  it 
was  simply  out  of  the  question  to  as  much  as  think  of  soliciting 
any  donations  or  obtaining  any  assistance  whatever  at  that  time. 

By  carefully  husbanding  resources,  by  the  practice  of  extreme 
economy  and  with  the  generous  assistance  of  the  Red  Cross  So- 
ciety, the  board  in  1908  commenced  to  discuss  the  possibility  of 
raising:  funds  for  the  construction  of  a  new  building,  the  necessity 
of  which  was  becoming  more  and  more  pronounced.  It  w^as  no 
small  matter  to  go  out  into  a  community  that  had  been  stricken 
as  San  Francisco  had  been  and  raise  so  large  a  sum  as  a  quarter  of 
a  million  dollars,  which  was  required  to  carry  on  the  work.  It  was 
through  the  munificent  offer  of  I.  W.  Hellman,  who  donated  the 
sum  of  $100,000  for  the  erection  of  a  building  in  memory  of  his 
beloved  wife,  Esther  Hellman,  one  who  in  her  lifetime  had  been 
interested  in  the  hospital  and  its  work  and  had  herself  been  one  of 
its  staunchest  supporters,  that  the  building  was  made  possible. 
Although  with  this  handsome  donation  as  a  nucleus,  the  directors 
did  not  feel  that  the  time  had  arrived  to  endeavor  to  obtain  the 
additional  amount  required.  In  fact  tentative  plans  were  drawn 
for  the  construction  of  such  a  building  as  Mr.  Hellman's  donation 
alone  would  give,  on  the  Point  Lobos  lot,  but  the  board  responding 
finally  to  the  arguments  of  the  optimistic  members,  abandoned  this 
idea  and  resolved  in  November,  1909,  to  dispose  of  the  Point  Lobos 
avenue  property  and  purchase  a  lot  more  central  and  accessible. 

The  following  spring  the  fifty-vara  lot  upon  which  Mount  Zion 
Hospital  now  stands  was  acquired  and  the  Point  Lobos  property 
was  sold.  No  headway  had  been  made  in  the  direction  of  a  new 
building  until  October,  1910,  when  the  board  decided  to  sell  bonds 
for  the  hospital  outright  instead  of  asking  for  subscriptions,  with 


30  WESTERN   JEWRY 

the  result  that  the  entire  amount  required,  viz.,  $150,000  was  sub- 
scribed by  June,  1911.  During  the  time  the  architects  were  at 
work  with  the  plans,  and  preparations  were  being  made,  a  donation 
of  $20,000  was  received  from  Mrs.  M.  S.  Grinbaum  in  memory  of 
her  husband,  so  that  $270,000  was  in  the  treasury,  which  sum  was 
sufficient  to  carry  the  building  on  to  completion. 

The  laying  of  the  cornerstone  of  the  new  Mount  Zion  Hospital 
was  an  historic  event  in  San  Francisco  and  marked  an  epoch 
in  Jewish  history  in  the  West.  Many  of  those  who  participated  in 
the  ceremonies,  August  14,  1912,  were  present  when  Mount  Zion 
Hospital   first  opened  its  doors. 

In  the  Mount  Zion  Hospital  there  are  114  beds,  twenty-eight 
private  rooms  for  pay  patients,  six  pay  wards  with  four  beds  each, 
two  male  and  two  female  free  wards  of  ten  beds  each  ;  a  children's 
free  ward  with  ten  beds,  two  free  maternity  wards  with  four  private 
rooms  for  pay  patients  in  the  maternity  service  in  addition.  A  very 
important  feature  of  the  hospital  is  its  training  school  for  nurses, 
which  stands  second  to  none  in  San  Francisco. 

The  doors  of  Mount  Zion  Hospital  are  open  to  all  who  need 
medical  or  surgical  treatment,  regardless  of  race  or  creed,  notwith- 
standing that  it  is  being  maintained  exclusively  by  Jews. 


San   Francisco  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities 

THIS  organization  was  the  pet  child  of  the  late  and  lamented 
Rev.  Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger.  It  was  his  theory  that  a  com- 
bination of  the  different  charitable  organizations  would 
work  for  the  good  of  the  communitv  and  promote  greater  efficiency 
at  a  minimum  cost  in  philanthropic  service.  It  has  since  been 
thoroughly  realized  that  where  relief  and  charity  are  extended, 
either  by  the  individual  or  by  charity  organizations  having  no 
common  purposes,  the  results  are  negligible.  Imposition  and  non- 
systematized  relief  have  caused  the  loss  of  a  great  deal  of  money 
contributed  for  charitable  purposes  in  San  Francisco  as  well  as  in 
other  large  cities  throughout  the  country. 

Under  the  Federation,  the  whole  subject  of  Jewish  relief  cen- 
ters in  a  business-like  administration  whose  work  is  systematic 
and  thorough,  whose  employes  understand  its  methods,  thus  dimin- 
ishing imposition  and  giving  help  and  providing  means  for  self- 
support  with  that  degree  of  efficiency  heretofore  unknown  under 
the  old  plan  of  relief  work. 

It  was  just  a  short  time  before  the  great  catastrophe  of  April 
18,  1906,  that  the  philanthropic  leaders  of  the  San  Francisco  Jew- 


WESTERN   JEWRY  31 

ish  community  were  advocating — impressed  by  the  pleadings  of 
Dr.  V'oorsanger  for  organization — the  grand  system  of  the  federating 
of  various  benevolent  and  charitable  societies  into  one  great  con- 
stitution. 

The  consolidation  of  the  various  communal,  philanthropic 
societies  into  one  central  system  was  shown  to  be  not  an  experi- 
ment, it  had  been  tried  and  tested  in  a  number  of  large  cities  such 
as  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  St.  Louis,  Cleveland, 
Kansas  City,  Detroit,  Milwaukee  and  other  communities.  It  was 
the  consensus  of  opinion  as  expressed  by  the  seasoned  and  experi- 
enced charity  workers  in  those  communities  that  the  federation  of 
charitable  societies  had  become  an  imperative  necessity  in  the 
science  of  philanthropy. 

To  quote  from  the  preamble  of  the  plan  which  finally  brought 
about  after  many  years  of  well-meaning  opposition  on  the  part  of 
some  of  the  leaders :  "The  experience  of  Jewish  eleemosynary,  edu- 
cational and  philanthropical  organizations  in  other  cities  had  demon- 
strated that  regular  contributions  towards  their  maintenance  had 
been  increased  and  greater  etificiency  and  economy  attained  in  pro- 
curing and  collecting  subscriptions  by  a  union  of  these  organiza- 
tions for  these  purposes,  thus  enabling  them  to  enlarge  their  use- 
fulness, more  effectively  administer  their  internal  affairs  and  ac- 
complish greater  good,  and  it  having  thus  been  made  evident  that 
a  similar  union  of  kindred  institutions  will  produce  right  results, 
and  it  is  proposed  to  form  a  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities  at  San 
Francisco." 

It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  since  its  formation  the  federation 
has  justified  its  organization  by  greater  efficiency,  greater  income 
for  charitable  purposes  and  better  results  in  the  promotion  of  well- 
being  among  the  poor  and  the  needy.  The  constituent  societies 
of  the  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities  of  San  Francisco  are:  Emanu- 
El  Sisterhood,  Eureka  Benevolent  Society,  First  Hebrew  Benevo- 
lent Society,  Free  Burial  Society  (Chevra  Kedusha),  Free  Loan 
Association  (Chevra  Gemilus  Chasodim),  Hebrew  Home  for  Aged 
Disabled,  Hebrew  Ladies'  Sewing  Society,  Jewish  Educational  So- 
ciety, Jewish  Ladies'  Relief  Society,  Ladies'  United  Hebrew  Be- 
nevolent Society,  Blount  Zion  Hospital,  Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum  and  Home  Society,  The  Helpers. 


San   Francisco  Section  Council 
Jewish  Women 

Under  date  of  April  9,  1916,  Mrs.  Henry  Sahlein,  one  of  the 
leaders  in  the  Council  of  Jewish  Women  in  California,  writes  as  fol- 
lows : 

Mr.  A.  W.  Voor Sanger, 

Editor  of  the  '  Emonu-El." 

Dear  Sir: 

Enclosed  you  will  find  an  article  on  the  San  Francisco  Section 
of  the  Council  of  Jewish  Women,  written  by  Mrs.  Mark  Neumann, 
a  past  president  and  the  woman  above  all  others  who  should  contribute 
the  same  to  "Western  Jewry,"  as  she  has  held  her  finger  upon  the 
pulse  of  this  organization  since  its  inception  and  has  kept  strict  ac- 
count of  its  heart  beats.  At  the  time  of  the  great  disaster  of  1906, 
when  disintegration  had  well-nigh  taken  place,  when  for  a  time  people 
were  scattered  in  their  interests  as  well  as  their  residences,  she  fanned 
with  her  indomitable  zeal  the  dwindling  enthusiasm  and  directed  the 
activities  of  the  small  group  she  was  able  to  hold  into  channels  that 
carried  the  influence  of  the  council  into  hitherto  unreached  quarters; 
and  so,  in  this  way,  she  was  able  to  reorganize,  and  her  successors, 
among  whom  are  Mrs.  Myer  Friedman,  Mrs.  L.  C.  Levy.  ]Mrs.  Louis 
Hertz,  Mrs.  David  Hirschberg  and  Miss  Ada  Goldsmith,  have  builded 
w-ell  upon  her  foundation. 

Through  these  succeeding  administrations  her  interest  has  never 
flagged  and  her  kindly  counsel  has  been  welcomed  by  all  those  for 
whom  she  preserved  this  organization  that  from  its  founding  fulfilled 
a  long-needed  but  by  the  many  unrecognized  want,  antedating  as  it 
did  the  Temple  Sisterhoods,  serving  as  an  outlet  for  the  growing  rest- 
lessness— the  pent-up  energies  of  those  among  us  who  for  their  leisure 
hours  needed  a  new  field  of  activity. 

And  so,  Mr.  Editor,  herein  is  the  reason  that  I  delegated  to  an- 
other the  piece  of  work  you  honored  me  by  conferring. 

Very  truly. 

C.\RnLINE   S.\HLEIN. 

August  28,  1900,  a  triumphant  call  was  sounded  for  all  the  inter- 
ested Jewish  women  to  assemble  in  the  Sabbath  school  rooms  of  the 
old  Temple  Emanu-El  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  Council  of 
Jewish  Women.  The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Rev.  Dr.  Jacob 
Voorsanger,  who  introduced  Mrs.  M.  C.  Sloss,  pro  tem,  who.  in  turn, 
presented  Chairman  Miss  Sadie  American,  general  secretary  of  the 
National  Council  of  Jewish  Women.  Then,  in  an  address  of  forty-five 
minutes,  in  which  Miss  American  explained  the  aims,  work  and  hopes 
of  the  Council,  was  the  San  Francisco  Section  of  the  Council  of  Jewish 
Women  organized.  After  several  preliminary  meetings  in  which  the 
ofiicers  were  chosen,  an  outline  of  the  work  of  the  ensuing  year  ar- 
ranged, the  first  regular  meeting  was  held  November  28,  1900.     Dr. 


WESTERN    JEWRY  33 

Voorsanger   was   always   ready   to   co-operate   and   advise    with     tlie 
Council  and  organized  a  Bible  class  with  about  one  hundred  members, 
who  attended  regularly  for  years;  he  also  organized  a  current  topic 
section  which  had  a  large  following.    Today — 1916 — we  are  an  organi- 
zation of  nearly  one  thousand  women,  which  has  brought  and  kept 
together  Jewish  women,  irrespective  of  congregational  or  social  affilia- 
tions.    Today  we  work  hand  in  hand  with  sectarian  and  non-sectarian 
bodies  in  the  advancement  of  the  public  welfare.    The  Council  has  con- 
tributed its  share  in  developing  Jewish  home  life ;  has  stimulated  mental 
activity  and  has  been  the  means  of  inspiring  women  with  a  greater 
and  deeper  interest  and  an  insight  into  the  beauties  of  Jewish   life, 
learning  and  literature.     It  has  aroused  among  women  hitherto  indif- 
ferent a  deeper  interest  in  civic  affairs.     It  has  taught  our  women  the 
meaning  of  personal  service;  to  bring  a  spiritual  ray  of  light  to  the 
blind  ;  to  send  a  word  of  cheer  to  the  unfortunates  in  our  penal  institu- 
tions;  to  take  an  active  interest  in  juvenile  delinquents.     We  hold  out 
the  beacon  light  of  hope  and  courage  to  the  immigrant  who,  landing 
in  a  strange  country,  amid  strange  conditions,  is  taught  to  become  a 
self-reliant,  self-supporting  member  of  the  community. 

Today  our  philanthropic  section  boasts  of  a  neighborhood  house  in 
an  outlying  district  of  our  city,  with  mothers'  clubs,  girls'  clubs,  sewing 
and  embroidery  classes,  English  classes,  domestic  science,  facilities  for 
baths  and  a  large  circulating  library  (a  paid  worker).  In  a  word,  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  children  and  fifty  mothers  are  being  taught  edu- 
cation, uplift  and  a  righteous  way  of  life.  The  late  Dr.  Blaustein  was 
here  a  few  years  ago  and  said :  "The  greatest  settlement  houses  have 
sprung  from  just  such  a  little  nucleus  as  this.  You  are  doing  good 
work."  This  section  is  entirely  supported  by  voluntary  subscribers 
within  our  ranks. 

We  also  are  pioneers  in  the  matter  of  a  home  teacher,  a  social 
worker  who  tries  to  uplift  the  homes  of  our  people  in  the  thickly  popu- 
lated districts.  She  co-operates  with  the  public  school  in  that  locality 
and  forms  a  link  between  the  school  and  the  home.  We  are  a  big  or- 
ganization and  we  have  grown  in  strength,  power  and  influence.  We 
have  earned  the  right  to  inscribe  "Forward  Movement"  on  our  banner. 
May  we  grow  to  a  greater  and  greater  influence  for  good;  thus  may 
we  strengthen  and  emphasize  the  significance  of  our  motto  for  "Faith 
and  Humanity."  Hattie  M.  Neumann. 


Emanu-El  Sisterhood  for  Personal  Service 

IN  tracing  the  history  of  the  Emanu-El  Sisterhood  for  Personal 
Service,  certain  high  lights  of  aims  and  accomplishments  shine 
out  encouragingly,  illuminating  paths  already  traversed  and 
serving  as  beacon  guides  for  undertakings  and  explorations  of  the 
future.  Among  these,  none  stands  out  more  prominently  than  the 
Boarding  Home  for  Jewish  Working  Girls  which  the  Sisterhood 
maintains  and  has  maintained  for  many  years,  evolving  from  very 
small  beginnings  to  the  present  dwelling  place  on  the  corner  of 
Golden  Gate  avenue  and  Steiner  street,  within  walking  distance 
of  the  downtown  district.  Here  in  quarters  which  seemed  spacious 
and  attractive  a  few  years  ago,  a  veritable  haven  after  the  holo- 
caust of  1906,  the  work  and  scope  of  the  Sisterhood  activities  have 
grown  to  such  proportions  that  larger  and  adequate  housing  facili- 
ties are  now  imperative. 

The  Emanu-El  Sisterhood  was  organized  to  exercise  an  edu- 
cational, social  and  humanitarian  influence  on  all  those  that  come 
within  its  confines.  It  has  established  a  neighborhood  house  where 
young  and  old  can  daily  gather  and  find  a  cheerful  guide,  ready  to 
greet  and  advise  them. 

Since  1894  this  organization  has  been  in  existence.  It  was 
founded  by  the  late  Rabbi  Jacob  Voorsanger,  who  was  a  great  in- 
spiration to  the  officers  and  encouraged  them  to  continue  with  the 
work  of  caring  for  the  education  and  training  of  the  children, 
and  also  providing  homes  for  the  orphan  and  friendless  and  hos- 
pitals for  the  sick  and  crippled. 

The  first  board  of  directors  was  composed  of  Mrs.  Bella  Lil- 
lienthal,  Mrs.  Wm.  Haas,  Mrs.  Matilda  Esberg  and  Mrs.  Ignatz 
Steinhart.  The  work  under  the  board  of  managers  at  that  time 
was  unceasing,  and  the  steady  growth  in  membership  and  the  dif- 
ferent industrial  branches  and  domestic  sciences  has  been  a  source 
of  satisfaction  to  all  who  are  interested  in  this  work. 

The  present  quarters  of  the  Emanu-El  Sisterhood  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Steiner  street  and  Golden  Gate  avenue  is  the  only 
boarding  house  of  its  kind  in  San  Francisco.  It  is  for  Jewish 
working  girls  who,  self-supporting  and  self-respecting,  need  the 
vitalizing,  humanizing  influence  of  home  surroundings  and  family 
affection.  Girls  graduating  from  the  orphanage,  others  temporarily 
or  permanently  separated  from  their  families  in  other  cities,  still 
others  seeking  employment  or  health  in  California,  and  having  no 
near-relatives  to  whom  to  go,  constitute  the  majority  of  the  resident 
girls  at  present. 

This  is  in  no  sense  a  house  of  refuge  for  wayward,  willful  girls, 
or  for  parents  or  relatives  desiring  to  shift  their  responsibilities.  It 
is  a  home  in  its  highest  sense,  for  the  homeless  Jewish  working 


WESTERN   JEWRY  3':^ 

girl,  be  she  dependent  or  independent  so  far  as  funds  or  watchful 
guidance  are  concerned.  This  is  emphasized  because  of  questions 
emanating  from  both  workers  and  applicants,  and  because  a  certain 
vital  something  will  be  lost  if  the  idea  becomes  prevalent  that  it  is 
an  institution  of  either  charitable  or  correctional  aspect. 

For  two  in  a  room,  breakfast  and  dinner  at  home,  and  lunches 
carried  to  work,  the  girls  pay  $3,  $3.50  and  $4  per  week,  dependent 
upon  their  earning  capacity.  For  single  rooms,  girls  earning  be- 
tween $40  and  $60  a  month  or  more,  pay  $5  per  week,  in  all  grada- 
tions of  which,  laundry  and  ironing. 

The    institution    maintains    also    classes    in    stenography    and 
typewriting,  and  through  the  diligent  efiforts  of  the  Sisterhood's  em- 
ployment   committee    many    girls    who    received    their    instruction 
under  the  guidance  of  the  Sisterhood  have  been  placed  in  remun- 
erative positions.     Sewing  and  dressmaking  classes  are  conducted 
by  the  Sisterhood  and  the  results  thus  far  have  been  most  grati- 
fying.     The    organization's    attitude    towards    the    young    women 
under   its   care   has   always   been   one   of   warm-hearted   solicitude. 
The  plans  that  were  started  in  1915  for  the  erection  of  a  building 
in  keeping  with  the  organization's  growing  importance  have  been 
temporarily   postponed    until    economic    conditions   shall    have    im- 
proved.    The   Emanu-El  Sisterhood  is  a  lasting  monument  to  its 
founders  and  is  recognized  in  the  community  of  San  Francisco  and 
elsewhere   for   intelligent  and   efificient  work   for  the   uplift  of  hu- 
manity.    The  officers  and  directors  for  1916  are : 
Miss  Ethel  R.  Feineman,  resident  director. 
Council  of  Administration — Mrs.   M.   Esberg,  president;   Mrs. 
A.  L.  Lengfeld,  first  vice-president ;  Mrs.  Rosalie  Kaufman,  second 
vice-president;    Mrs.    Jesse    Steinhart,    third    vice-president;    Mrs. 
Joseph  Ehrman,  treasurer;  Mrs.  M.  C.  Sloss,  corresponding  secre- 
tary ;  Miss  Jeanette  Pauson,  recording  secretary ;  Mrs.  I.  S.  Acker- 
man,  auditor. 

Honorary  Vice-Presidents — Mrs.  Clara  Baum,  Mrs.  Lewis 
Gerstle,  Mrs.  I.  Lowenberg,  Mrs.  J.  Voorsanger,  Mrs.  L.  P.  Wiel. 
Directors — Mrs.  H.  U.  Brandenstein,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Brown,  Mrs. 
J.  R.  Davidson,  Morgan  Gunst,  Mrs.  F.  A.  Haber,  ]Mrs.  Helen 
Hecht,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Heller,  Mrs.  S.  W.  Heller,  Mrs.  S.  S.  Kahn,  Mrs. 
M.  S.  Koshland,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Levison,  Mrs.  Milton  Levi,  Mrs.  J.  W. 
Lilienthal,  Mrs.  Martin  A.  Meyer,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Neustadter,  Mrs.  Her- 
bert Rothschild,  Mrs.  M.  Salz,  Mrs.  Chas.  Schlessinger,  Mrs. 
Ernest  Sultan,  Mrs.  Joseph  Sloss,  Mrs.  Sigmund  Stern,  Mrs.  L  N. 
Walter,  Mrs.  S.  L  Wormser. 

Advisory  Board — Isaiah  Choynski,  Milton  H.  Esberg,  J.  S. 
Friedlander,  E.  R.  Lilienthal,  J.  M.  Rothchild,  Leon  Sloss,  L  W. 
Hellman,  Jr.,  Dr.  Martin  A.  Meyer. 


INDEPENDENT  ORDER  B'NAI  B'RITH 

An  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Order  Written  by  Edmund 

Tauszky,  Esq.,  for  the  Golden  Jubilee  in  1905 

Condensed  and  Brought  Up  to  Date 

By    I.    J.    ASCHHEIM 

THE  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith  had  its  beginning  in 
the  city  of  New  York  some  sixty  years  (now  seventy)   ago. 
The  then  existing  Jewish  colony  in  New  York  City  naturally 
contained  many  diversified  elements,  and  harmony  of  thought  and 
sentiment  was  by  no  means  prevalent  in  its  midst.     Actuated  by 
a  desire  to  be  of  service  to  their  brethren,  a  number  of  the  broader 
and   more   far-sighted   among   them    inaugurated    a    movement    for 
the  formation   of  an  organization  of   Israelites   that   was   to   unite 
them  yet  closer  in  the  bond  of  brotherhood  and  that  was  to  enter 
upon  the  work  of  promoting  their  highest  interests  by  developing 
their  mental  capacities,  elevating  their  moral  character  and  incul- 
cating in  them  rectitude  of  intention  and  conduct ;  defending  the 
race  against  unjust   attack,   coming  to   the   rescue   of  persecution, 
alleviating  the  wants  of  the  poor  and  needy,  protecting  and  assist- 
ing the  widow  and  the  orphan  and  bringing  to  fruition,  wherever 
practicable,  humanitarian  and  philanthropic  impulses  of  our  people. 
It  was  but  natural  that  a  lodge  with   such  avowed   purposes 
should  attract  many  members  and  should  be  followed  by  the  forma- 
tion of  sister  lodges  until  the  necessity  for  uniformity  of  legisla- 
tion on  matters  of  common  concern  should  demand  the  creation  of 
a  representative  body  with  full  power  in  such   matters,  and  so  a 
District   Grand    Lodge   was   soon   created   in    New   York,   followed 
eventually  by  other  District  Grand  Lodges  as  the  order  continued 
to  spread,  until,  finally  there  was  created  what  is  now  known  as 
the   Constitution    Grand    Lodge,   which   is   the   supreme   legislative 
authority  in  the  order. 

FORMATION    OF    DISTRICT   No.   4 
(Pacific  Coast  District) 

Brother  Jacob  Mayer,  a  California  pioneer,  though  in  later 
years  long  a  resident  of  the  city  of  Portland,  Ore.,  where  he  flour- 
ished as  one  of  its  merchant  princes,  in  the  year  1855,  suggested 
to  his  co-religionists,  with  whom  he  was  then  fraternizing  as  a 
Mason,  the  formation  of  a  B'nai  B'rith  lodge,  of  which  he  had 
read  something  in  the  Jewish  journals  of  the  day.  The  proposi- 
tion met  with  favor  and  a  call  was  issued  for  a  meeting  of  Israelites 
to  be  held  in  San  Francisco  on  June  12,  1855,  for  the  purpose 
of  petitioning  District  Grand  Lodge  No.  1  (New  York)  for  a  char- 


WESTERN   JEWRY  37 

ter.  Such  a  charter  was  granted  on  August  13,  1855,  and  was 
presented  to  the  petitioners  at  their  third  meeting  on  October  24, 
1855.  The  first  lodge  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  Ophir  No.  21,  was  in- 
stalled on  November  18,  1855,  with  William  Steinhart  as  the  first 
president  and  Seixas  Solomons  as  first  secretary.  The  lodges  began 
to  increase  so  that  in  1863  a  convention  of  past  presidents  was 
held  for  the  purpose  of  taking  preliminary  steps  towards  the  forma- 
tion of  a  District  Grand  Lodge.  Brother  David  Stern  of  Modin 
Lodge  42,  who  died  as  auditor  of  the  city  and  county  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, presided.  The  petition  was  sent  East  and  after  an  extended 
correspondence,  the  secretary  of  the  Constitution  Grand  Lodge, 
Brother  Baruch  Rothschild,  arrived  in  the  city  of  San  Francisco 
in  the  fall  of  1863,  bringing  with  him  the  charter  for  District  Grand 
Lodge  No.  4.  The  Grand  Lodge  was  instituted  by  Brother  Roths- 
child on  October  7,  1863,  amidst  great  rejoicing  and  with  Brother 
Jacob  Greenebaum  as  its  first  president.  Brother  Rothschild  made 
his  home  in  San  Francisco  and  became  one  of  the  honored  mem- 
bers of  District  No.  4.  At  the  end  of  1915,  lodges  were  distributed 
as  follows:  California,  20;  Washington  7;  Oregon,  2;  Montana, 
2;  British  Columbia,  2;  L'tah,  Nevada,  Idaho,  Arizona,  each  1.  mak- 
ing a  total  of  2)7.  All  the  old  lodges  that  flourished  in  the  "sixties 
and  'seventies  of  the  last  century  had  to  relinquish  their  charters  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  they  were  located  in  mining  towns  whose 
glories   faded   away   at   the   close   of   the   century. 

BENEFACTIONS 

Ever  since  the  organization  of  the  first  lodge  the  members 
showed  their  readiness  to  respond  to  the  call  of  the  unfortunate 
wherever  they  may  have  been.  Frequently  the  cry  came  from  the 
Orient  and  then  again  from  towns  and  cities  near  home.  Perse- 
cutions, pogroms,  inundations,  fires  and  earthquakes  caused  the 
cry  for  help  to  go  forth,  and  in  no  instance  did  the  order  refuse  a 
hearty  response.  Even  in  the  present  world's  catastrophe,  where 
no  class  or  race  refuses  its  share  to  soothe  the  sufferings  of  the 
unfortunates  whose  fate  brought  them  into  the  war  zone,  or  rather 
brought  the  war  to  them,  the  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith  was  among 
the  first  in  the  L'nited  States  to  issue  a  call  for  help.  The  B'nai 
B'rith  of  this  city  have  been  beneficiaries  of  its  bounty  in  1906  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  recollection  of  it  still  awakens  feelings  of 
afratitude  in  their  hearts.  Not  onlv  were  the  immediate  wants 
of  many  of  them  supplied,  but  hundreds  of  noii-members  of  the 
order,  late  immigrants,  were  kept,  so  to  say,  in  luxury  during  the 
long  weeks,  even  months,  of  discomfort  and  deprivation  suffered  by 
the  average  inhabitant.  On  the  high  holy  days,  following  the 
great  conflagration,  the  order  provided  religious  services  among 
the  refugees  in  Golden  Gate  Park  and  assisted  in  the  continuation 


38  WESTERN   JEWRY 

of  free  religious  training  under  the  auspices  of  the  Jewish  Edu- 
cational Society. 

The  Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  of  San  Francisco  and 
the  Jewish  Orphans'  Home  of  Southern  California,  located  in  Los 
Angeles,  were  both  born  within  the  walls  of  the  B'nai  B'rith  lodge. 
That  both  institutions  subsequently  assumed  importance  and  dimen- 
sions which  surpassed  the  strength  of  the  order  and  caused  them 
to  be  absorbed  by  the  Jewish  communities  at  large  is  something 
for  which  the  order  is  not  to  be  blamed.  The  credit  for  their  crea- 
tion  is  still  its   own. 

Throughout  the  United  States  and  Europe  other  eleemosynary 
institutions  are  supported  in  toto  or  in  part  by  the  order  and 
they  are  monuments  of  humane  work,  such  as  the  National  Jew- 
ish Hospital  for  Consumptives  at  Denver,  the  Leo  N.  Levi  Memo- 
rial Hospital  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  the  famous  orphan  asylums  at 
Cleveland  and  Atlanta,  the  Yonkers  Home  for  Aged  at  New  York, 
and  others. 

Ever  since  their  inception  the  lodges  established  funds  for  the 
purpose  of  "alleviating  the  wants  of  the  sick  and  needy,"  defray- 
ing funeral  expenses  of  deceased  brethren  and  assisting  their 
widows  and  orphans.  Their  zeal  for  the  latter  caused  them  in  the 
early  'seventies  to  embark  in  an  ill-digested  and  crude  life  insurance 
scheme  known  throughout  fraternal  organizations  as  a  so-called 
endowment  system.  That  scheme  flourished  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
(District  No.  4)  for  a  round  forty  years  when,  in  order  to  save 
the  good  name  and  integrity  of  the  district,  the  Grand  Lodge 
turned  all  its  assets  in  the  shape  of  B'nai  B'rith  hall  stock  over 
to  the  remaining  four  hundred  and  some  odd  endowment  members, 
they  on  the  other  hand  acquiescing  in  the  liquidation  of  the  sys- 
tem by  voluntarily  surrendering  their  beneficiary  certificates  in 
exchange  for  their  allotted  hall  stock. 

NEW  DEPARTURES 

The  new  generation  which  has  lately  made  itself  felt  in  the 
councils  of  the  order  in  District  No.  4,  as  well  as  in  other  dis- 
tricts, has  been  impatient  with  the  old  methods  of  fraternal  activity 
and  anxious  to  enlarge  its  field  of  usefulness.  It  has  been  rest- 
less ever  since  the  payment  of  sick  benefits  and  endowment  insur- 
ance ceased  to  have  their  talismanic  virtues.  It  wanted  to  do 
something  more  and  wanted  to  do  it  for  the  whole  house  of  Israel, 
for  all  "B'nai  B'rith,"  whether  initiated  as  such  or  not.  This  de- 
termination resulted  for  one  in  the  establishment  of  what  may  be 
termed  a  branch  organization,  namely  the  Hebrew  Immigrant  Aid 
Society.  What  this  organization  is  accomplishing  in  assisting  the 
hundreds  of  Russian-Polish  immigrants  to  their  rights  under  the 


WESTERN   JEWRY  39 

existing  immigration  laws  of  the  United  States  would  fill  a  chap- 
ter by  itself. 

Next  in  importance  was  the  relentless  war  that  was  declared 
by  the  supreme  authorities  in  the  order  and  successfully  carried 
out  against  the  white  slave  traffic.  Though  not  entirely  extirpated, 
it  has  been  reduced  to  a  minimum  and  compelled  to  carry  on  its 
nefarious  work  in  the  dark  alleys. 

The  Anti-Defamation  League,  a  bureau  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  order,  has  established  a  magnificent  record  for  itself 
during  the  few  short  years  of  its  existence.  It  is  here  "to  combat 
injurious  animadversions  against  the  race  and  the  results  of  its 
intelligent   and   tactful   work   have   been   highly   beneficial." 

Another  bureau  is  the  recently  organized  social  service  de- 
partment, headed  by  Dr.  Rudolph  I.  Cofifee.  Local  bureaus  have 
been  organized  in  the  various  districts  throughout  the  United 
States  under  local  management.  District  No.  4  has  a  perfect  or- 
ganization, under  the  leadership  of  Harry  K.  Wolfif,  Esq.,  ably  as- 
sisted with  zeal  and  energy  by  Dr.  A.  E.  Cerf.  Its  program,  if 
carried  out,  will  be  far-reaching  and  will  embrace  every  feature  of 
social    service   work   among   our   people. 

AUXILIARIES   AND    INSTITUTIONS 

The  establishment  of  women  auxiliaries  has  become  a  very 
popular  notion  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  so  that  at  present  writing 
nearly  all  the  important  B'nai  B'rith  centers  in  District  No.  4  have 
women  auxiliary  lodges.  The  Grand  Lodge  at  its  last  session 
placed  the  official  stamp  of  recognition  on  them  and  henceforth 
they  will  be  considered  an  integral  part  of  the  district  machinery. 
There  is  also  a  youth's  auxiliary  flourishing  in  San  Francisco, 
made  up  of  boys  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  years  of  age. 

A  very  active  and  "live-wire"  branch,  though  not  official,  is 
the  Committee  of  Fifty  in  San  Francisco.  The  committee  has  as- 
sumed the  duties  of  the  "Intellectual  Advancement  Committee" 
and  also  provides  means  for  the  maintenance  of  the  gymnasium, 
in  addition  to  the  regular  contributions  by  the  San  Francisco  lodges. 
Whatever  outside  sports  we  read  about  take  place  under  the  com- 
mittee's auspices. 

B'nai  B'rith  buildings  in  this  district  exist  in  San  Francisco, 
Portland,  Ore.,  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  Oak- 
land, Cal. 

The  San  Francisco  building  contains  a  library  of  about  a  thou- 
sand volumes  of  Jewish  literature  in  German  as  well  as  English, 
which  in  quality  would  rank  with  any  Jewish  library  in  the  United 
States.     It  is  for  reference  purposes  only  and  is  frequently  pat- 


40  WESTERN    JEWRY 

ronized  by  scholars  and  students  of  Jewish  historiology  and  com- 
parative religion. 

Some  time  ago  the  library  committee  supplied  the  library  at 
San  Quentin  with  a  large  number  of  books  on  Jewish  literature 
the  receipt  of  which  was  deeply  appreciated  by  the  librarian. 

Quite  a  number  of  lodges  have  their  regular  monthly  publi- 
cations, diminutive  in  size,  it  is  true  and  sometimes  rather  flufify 
in  quality,  nevertheless  it  betokens  life  and  activity.  The  B'nai 
B'rith  "News,"  the  recognized  official  monthly  of  the  order,  reaches 
thousands  of  homes  and  is  read  with  avidity. 

EVENTS 

District  No.  4  was  honored  in  1915  by  having  the  general  con- 
vention of  the  order  meet  within  its  jurisdiction.  We  believe  that 
the  visit  to  this  Coast  impressed  itself  on  the  delegates  and  that 
thenceforth  the  importance  of  District  No.  4  became  a  fixture  in 
their  minds. 

In  the  year  1905  the  order  celebrated  the  fiftieth  anniversary 
of  its  birth  on  the  Coast.  It  was  on  August  13,  1855,  that  Ophir 
Lodge  No.  21  was  organized  in  San  Francisco  through  the  efforts 
of  Brother  Jacob  Mayer,  already  mentioned  in  the  beginning  of 
this  sketch. 

In  1913  the  District  Grand  Lodge  held  its  golden  jubilee  amidst 
banqueting  and  great  rejoicing.  Brother  Jacob  Greenebaum,  of 
revered  memory,  the  first  president  of  the  district,  under  the  title 
of  Grand  Nasi  Abh,  was  still  alive  and  in  full  health. 

The  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association 

THE  great  catastrophe  that  befell  the  community  of  San 
Francisco  in  April,  1906,  can  hardly  be  mentioned  without 
making  reference  to  the  importance  that  the  Young  Men's 
Hebrew  Association  at  its  then  headquarters  on  Page  street,  near 
the  Golden  Gate  Park,  played  in  the  general  relief  work. 

When  the  people  were  visited  by  the  sudden  disaster  the  name  of 
the  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association  was  on  the  lips  of  everyone 
of  those  who,  driven  from  their  burning  homes,  sought  refuge  in 
the  park  and  its  vicinity.  The  doors  of  the  association  building 
were  thrown  open  to  all,  without  distinction  of  race  or  creed  and 
several  thousand  people  found  shelter  in  its  spacious  halls.  All 
the  available  furniture  was  carried  to  the  park  by  the  members  of 
the  association  in  order  to  provide  comfort  for  those  who  could 
not  find  room  inside  of  the  building.  The  whole  structure  was 
turned  over  to  the  relief  committee  the  day  following  the  disaster 
and  thus  it  is  historically  correct  to  assert  that  the  first  relief  station 
established   for  the   benefit   of  the   sorely   stricken   people   of   San 


WESTERN   JEWRY  41 

Francisco  was  housed  under  the  roof  of  the  Young  Men's  Hebrew 
Association.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  history  of  the  organiza- 
tion is  not  necessarily  a  recital  of  social  affairs  and  diversions. 

The  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association  was  organized  in  1901 
by  a  handful  of  young  men  imbued  with  the  true  spirit  of  Judaism. 
Prior  to  that  year  many  attempts  had  been  made  to  organize  a 
Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association,  but  with  indifferent  success. 
The  membership  role  contained  but  fifteen  names  and  with  that 
number  Messrs.  Harry  M.  Lichtenstein,  Gabriel  Goldberg  and  the 
late  Joseph  Meyer  started  the  organization.  It  had  the  full  sym- 
pathy of  the  Jewish  community,  which  in  large  numbers  attended 
the  dedication  ceremony  which  took  place  in  the  old  Court  building 
at  the  corner  of  Larkin  and  McAllister  streets ;  simultaneously  the 
Ladies'  Auxiliary  commenced  its  good  work  under  able  and  effi- 
cient leadership.  The  membership  of  the  association  increased 
rapidly  and  in  a  short  period  of  time  it  was  necessary  to  secure 
larger  quarters.  The  association  then  moved  to  the  building  lo- 
cated at  1976  Page  street,  where  it  made  notable  headway  in  all 
branches  of  its  activity.  The  public  calamity,  already  mentioned, 
retarded  the  progress  of  the  association  to  a  degree.  The  laudable 
readiness  of  the  institution  to  be  of  use  to  the  community  in  time 
of  need  brought  about  serious  financial  loss,  not  to  speak  of  the 
decrease  of  membership  in  consequence  of  the  disaster. 

The  intense  and  earnest  desire  of  the  Young  Men's  Hebrew 
Association,  now  housed  in  modest  quarters  on  Ellis  street  near 
Fillmore  street,  to  provide  for  the  intellectual  and  social  betterment 
of  its  members,  speaks  well  for  the  future  of  that  association.  It 
is  safe  to  say  that  the  time  is  not  far  off  when  the  importance  of 
the  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association,  as  a  moral  factor  in  the 
life  of  the  Jewish  community,  will  be  recognized  and  better  under- 
stood to  the  end  that  it  may  receive  the  financial  support  necessary 
for  the  pursuit  of  its  meritorious  work. 


Hebrew  Home  for  Aged  Disabled 

THE  HEBREW  HOME  FOR  AGED  DISABLED  of  San 
Francisco  was  the  first  among  the  Jewish  eleemosynary  institu- 
tions on  the  Pacific  Coast  to  provide  a  home  for  indigent  and 
helpless  Jews  and  to  provide  them  with  food  prepared  in  strict  accord- 
ance with  the  traditions  of  orthodox  Judaism.  The  home  was  organ- 
ized October  8,  1889.  Its  establishment  was  first  conceived  by  a  resolu- 
tion introduced  by  the  late  Mrs.  Sophie  Deborah  Jacobson  in  Sarah 
Lodge  K.  S.  B.  The  lady  mentioned  subsequently  became  the  first 
matron  of  the  institution. 

The  first  home  was  a  rented  house  on  Lyon  street,  which  was  occu- 
pied for  one  year,  taking  care  of  twelve  inmates.  The  revenue  neces- 
sary for  their  inaintenance  was  derived  from  donations  and  benefit 
performances.  Afterwards  the  quarters  at  507  Lombard  street  became 
the  home  of  the  institution.  Subsequently  when  the  Pacific  Hebrew 
Orphan  Asylum  and  Home  Society  was  established,  efforts  were  made 
to  combine  the  two  institutions,  but  nothing  came  of  it.  The  first 
bequest  to  the  home  was  the  sum  of  $10,000  from  Mrs.  Jane  Leland 
Stanford.  It  is  estimated  that  there  will  ultimately  be  over  $300,000 
in  the  control  of  the  home  through  the  bequest  of  the  late  Captain  Julius 
Friedman,  when  the  litigation  in  consequence  of  the  claims  of  many 
alleged  relatives  of  the  dead  philanthropist  shall  have  been  finally  dis- 
posed of  by  the  courts. 

In  1906  the  fire  destroyed  the  Lombard  street  home,  but  a  few 
months  later  temporary  quarters  were  secured  on  Franklin  street  until 
the  following  year  when  the  home  moved  to  Howard  street  adjoining 
its  present  location  at  2504  Howard  street.  On  the  latter  location  a 
structure  was  erected  in  1909.  The  venerable  Samuel  Polack  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  home  is  still  active  as  its  able  and  efficient  president 
in  which  capacity  he  has  served  since  1890.  The  home  now  provides 
for  twenty-seven  inmates. 

Its  maintenance  is  one  of  earnest  solicitude  on  the  part  of  its 
directors  who  feel  that  it  is  entitled  to  a  larger  measure  of  support  on 
the  part  of  the  Jewish  community. 

The  home  has  never  paid  a  salary  to  the  secretary  nor  expended 
any  money  for  medical  attendance.  The  late  Dr.  W.  R.  Samuels  was 
its  first  physician  and  gave  his  services  free.  When  he  passed  away  he 
was  succeeded  by  Dr.  E.  M.  Weiss  who  still  faithfully  attends  to  the 
physical  health  of  the  inmates. 

The  officers  and  directors  are  as  follows :  Samuel  Polack,  presi- 
dent;  Joseph  Hyman,  vice-president;  I.  Moss,  treasurer;  Miss  A. 
Levy,  secretary;  E.  E.  Kahn,  Albert  M.  Bender,  L.  A.  Schwabacher, 
Emile  Levy,  Mrs.  B.  Shapiro. 


Congregation   Emanu-El 

FROAI  "Chronicles  of  Emanu-El,"  written  by  the  late  Rev. 
Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger  in  honor  of  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
the  founding  of  the  congregation,  we  learn  tliat  not  an  incon- 
siderable number  of  Israelites  were  among  the  Forty-niners  that 
crowded    the    newly    discovered    goldfields    of    California.      "The 


TEMPLE    EM.A.NU-EL 

restless  spirit  of  the  Jewish  wanderer."  writes  Dr.  Voorsanger, 
"had  driven  many  young  men  of  the  race  of  Israel  to  the  mining 
camps  of  the  new  El  Dorado."  It  is  still  a  mooted  question  as  to 
whether  there  were  any  Jews  in  California  prior  to  the  "days  of 
gold."  But  there  is  ample  evidence  that  a  large  number  of  them 
who  had  emigrated  to  the  United   States   during  the   years    1840- 


44  WESTERN   JEWRY 

1850,    in    consequence    of    the    oppressive    laws    enacted    in    many 
European  countries,  had  joined  the  rush  to  the  goldfields. 

They  were  among  the  passengers  of  the  first  Pacific  Mail 
steamer  that  arrived  at  San  Francisco  February  29.  1849,  and 
during  the  fall  of  that  year  the  first  religious  services  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Jewish  pioneers  were  held. 

One  year  later  (1850).  the  approaching  holidays  prompted  a 
number  of  Jewish  settlers  to  organize  a  congregation,  under  the 
leadership  of  Emanuel  M.  Berg,  who  became  its  first  president,  and 
after  whom  it  was  named.  Its  membership  was  small,  not  ex- 
ceeding forty.  But  they  were  an  intelligent,  pious  set  of  young 
men,  fully  determined  to  perpetuate  the  religion  of  Israel  in  their 
new  home. 

The  first  regular  services  of  the  congregation  were  held  in 
a  hall  on  Bush  street,  between  Montgomery  and  Sansome.  and 
among  the  women  who  are  known  to  tave  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  the  young  institution  and  make  the  modest  place  of  worship  as 
home-like  as  possible  were  Mrs.  E.  M.  Berg,  Mrs.  Morgenthau, 
Mrs.  U.  Simon  and  Mrs.  Barnett  Keesing. 

The  records  of  the  congregation  bear  out  the  statement  that 
the  first  Rosh  Hashanah  services  on  the  shores  of  the  San  Fran- 
cisco bay  were  held  September  17,  1850,  by  the  men  who  subse- 
quently organized  Congregation  Emanu-El. 

Among  the  charter  members  who  signed  the  constitution  and 
by-laws,  filed  with  the  county  clerk  of  San  Francisco,  appear  the 
names  of  Philip  Runkel,  A.  Watters,  Abraham  C.  Labatt,  Samuel 
Marx,  Moritz  Schwartz,  S.  Heiter,  L.  A.  Levy,  Jr.,  Joseph  Shan- 
non, Rudolph  Wyman,  I.  E.  Woolf,  A.  H.  Harris,  J.  J.  Joseph,  Jr., 
S.  Fleischhacker,  J.  Honisberger,  Louis  Cohn  and  William  Seligman. 

In  1854  the  Broadway  synagogue  was  erected  and  dedicated 
September  14th  of  that  year,  Dr.  Julius  Eckman  officiating.  The 
later  ministrations  of  Rabbis  Elkan  Cohn  and  Jacob  Voorsanger, 
who  preceded  the  present  Rabbi  Martin  A.  Meyer,  are  sufficiently 
familiar  to  many  now  living.  Dr.  Voorsanger,  in  the  "Chronicles," 
before  quoted,  devoted  ample  space  to  the  history  of  the  congre- 
gation and  fully  shows  the  extent  of  its  remarkable  growth  and 
commanding  position  in  the  household  of  American  Israel. 

The  historic  temple  on  Sutter  street,  above  Stockton  street, 
which  was  pronounced  by  competent  architects  the  seventh  most 
beautiful  synagogal  structure  in  the  world,  was  greatly  injured 
by  the  memorable  San  Francisco  disaster  of  1906.  Fortunately, 
however,  the  walls  had  been  left  standing,  so  that  the  temple  was 
in  a  condition  to  be  reconstructed.  As  thus  restored,  it  was  re- 
dedicated  on  September  1,  1907.  The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  its 
dedication  took  place  Thursday,  March  3,  1916. 

"If,"  concludes  Dr.  Voorsanger,   in  his   "Chronicles,"   "If,   per- 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


45 


chance,  they  (the  pioneers)  builded  better  than  they  knew,  that 
detracts  not  an  iota  from  their  honor.  For  we  are  the  reapers, 
God  helped  them  to  sow.  The  least  we  can  do  is  to  remain  wide 
awake  to  leave  so  fair  a  bequeathment  as  our  Emanu-El  to  the 
next  generation.  For  we,  in  turn  shall  grow  old,  and  some  day  we, 
too,  will  need  the  testimony  of  history.  Happy  he,  of  whom  it  will 
be  said,  he  spent  neither  his  young  days  nor  his  old  age  in  cul- 
pable idleness.  Happy  he,  who  shall  be  permitted  to  witness  God's 
faithfulness  that  endureth  'from  generation  to  generation.'  " 

Henry  Wangenheim,  the  president  of  the  congregation,  has 
served  the  institution  for  a  number  of  years  and  has  contributed  ma- 
terially to  its  present  influential  position. 

Congregation  Sherith   Israel 

THE  inception  of  the  Congregation  Sherith  Israel  was.  after 
all,  in  the  realms  of  romance,  for  in  1849,  in  August  of  that 
year,  when  three  of  our  co-religionists,  all  young  men,  de- 
termined to  hold  services  on  the  New  Year  and  Day  of  Atone- 
ment, there  was  very  little  of  that  which   we  might  call  the  evi- 


ipr".' ' 


fl 


TEMPLE  ISR.\EL 


dences  of  civilized  life  to  be  found  in  San  Francisco.  It  could  be 
compared  only  to  our  ancestors  in  the  wilderness  halting  their 
march  to  observe  some  ceremonial  connected  with  the  newly  incul- 
cated faith.  Their  enthusiasm  must  have  been  great,  and  their 
hopes  of  ultimate  success  in  founding  a  permanent  religious  insti- 
tution  unbounded,   for   they   spent   no   less   than   $1000  to   erect   a 


46  WESTERN   JEWRY 

temporary  shed  on  the  gore  of  Kearny  and  New  Montgomery 
streets,  the  site  upon  which  the  Commercial  hotel  was  subse- 
quently erected,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  their  cherished 
idea  of  holding  religious  services.  Three  men  are  prominent  in 
connection  with  this  venture,  and  these  three  men  also  officiated 
on  the  occasion  mentioned.  They  were  I.  Franklin  of  Manchester, 
England  ;  Mr.  Dyer  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  Lewis  Lewis,  a  native 
of  England,  who  only  recently  died  in  Victoria,  B.  C.  It  is  said, 
too,  that  after  the  holding  of  these  services  in  the  Jewish  year 
of  5610  that  a  couple  of  days  after,  the  steamer  arrived  and  brought 
the  news  that  they  had  observed  Yom  Kippur  on  the  wrong  day. 
But  what  mattered  the  day — the  sentiment  was  still  there  and 
the  religious  intensity  had  expressed  itself  with  as  great  fervor  on 
the  wrong  day  as  it  would  have  done  on  the  right  day.  The  end 
of  their  striving  was  achieved,  and  the  possibility  of  the  contin- 
uance of  their  activity  was  assured  to  them  through  the  arousing 
of  a  spirit  of  true  religion  amongst  the  then  Jewish  residents  of 
San   Francisco. 

As  is  usual  after  the  Yom  Kippur  services,  so  we  are  credibly 
informed,  every  one  wanted  to  pledge  himself  to  membership  in  a 
congregation  which  every  one  conceded  and  consented  should  be 
at  once  formed.  In  the  moment  of  victory,  we  are  also  predicting 
deeds  of  daring,  but  the  spirit  weakens  as  we  prolong  the  action. 
Nothing  seems  to  have  been  done  in  the  matter  of  forming  a  con- 
gregation till  about  April,  1850,  when,  at  a  Passover  celebration 
held  at  the  Albion  hotel  a  meeting  was  hastily  held  and  a  decision 
made  that  the  congregation  should  be  formed,  called  Sherith  Israel, 
and  Joseph  Joseph  was  appointed  chairman  of  that  committee 
Again  a  relaxation,  till  the  month  of  June,  when  the  "Alta  Cali- 
fornia" of  June  18,  1850,  records  that  after  an  interesting  ceremony, 
to-wit,  the  naming  of  a  boy  baby  in  the  family  of  a  Mr.  Kelseay, 
Dr.  Zachariah  presiding  (also  held  at  the  Albion  hotel),  it  was 
determined,  probably  by  the  committee  already  appointed,  to  pro- 
ceed with  the  erection  of  a  synagogue. 

The  members  of  the  faith  who  arrived  in  San  Francisco  about 
this  time,  came  for  the  most  part  from  England  via  Australia  or 
Panama,  and  consisted  of  Englishmen  and  Jews  from  the  north 
of  Germany,  and  Province  Posen  ;  but  quite  a  considerable  minority 
were  from  the  southern  part  of  Germany  or  were  descendants  of 
southern  Germans,  born  in  America.  A  conflict  arose  in  their  meet- 
ings as  to  the  adoption  of  a  ritual,  the  majority  favoring  that  used 
in  England,  and  the  minority  insisting  upon  the  adoption  of  Minhag 
Ashkanaz.  So  serious  was  the  conflict  that  it  resulted  in  a  spHt, 
which  seems  to  have  taken  definite  form  when  Sherith  Israel  per- 
manently organized,  August  20,  18.50,  the  following  committee: 
Joseph  Joseph,  chairman;  Samuel  H.  Cohen,  secretary;  H.   Hart, 


WESTERN   JEWRY  47 

Hon.  A.  \\'eiss,  'M.  Hart,  S.  Blankenstein,  Israel  Solomon  and  Isaac 
Nathan.  Immediately  afterwards  the  dissenters  organized  under 
the  name  of  the  Emanu-El,  and  within  a  month  of  their  organi- 
zation, about  September,  1850,  they  incorporated — that  is,  Emanu- 
El  incorporated,  Sherith  Israel  incorporating  a  month  or  so  later. 

The  first  place  of  worship  they  seem  to  have  gotten  after 
the  temporary  structure  of  1849  was  situated  in  Merchant's  Court, 
on  Washington  street  between  Montgomery  and  Sansome,  when 
they  were  forced  by  the  fire  of  June  22,  1851,  to  move  again  to 
Kearny  street,  between  W'ashington  and  Jackson  streets.  In  this 
fire  there  perished  one  Joseph  Bach,  a  native  of  Posen,  Prussia, 
whose  remains  were  interred  in  a  plot  of  the  Congregation  Sherith 
Israel  set  aside  for  noted  men.  During  the  year  1851  the  two  con- 
gregations, Sherith  Israel  and  Emanu-El,  purchased  the  westerly 
half  of  the  block  now  known  as  Western  Addition,  block  119,  be- 
tween Broadway  and  Vallejo,  Franklin  and  Gough  streets,  as  a 
Jewish  cemetery.  This  cemetery  was  known  as  the  Presidio  cem- 
etery. 

On  July  26,  1852,  the  Congregation  Sherith  Israel  acquired 
possession  of  a  piece  of  land  on  the  east  side  of  Stockton  street, 
between  Broadway  and  \"allejo,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
obtain  plans  for  the  erection  of  a  permanent  synagogue,  "to  be 
built  of  either  wood  or  brick,  thirty  feet  wide,  fifty  feet  deep  and 
twenty  feet  high."  No  further  action  seems  to  have  been  taken  till 
November,  1853,  when  Robert  Josephi  at  a  meeting  of  the  congre- 
gation moved  that  shares  be  issued  to  members  at  $50  each,  to  be 
repaid  hereafter  by  ballot,  as  funds  accrued. 

On  June  27,  1854,  plans  for  a  synagogue  drawn  by  Architect 
Butler  were  adopted,  and  the  contract  let  for  $10,258.  The  corner- 
stone of  this  structure  was  laid  August  6,  1854,  and  the  synagogue 
completed  and  dedicated  on  Friday,  the  8th  day  of  September,  1854. 

Early  in  the  60"s  the  North  Beach  section  of  the  city,  which  had 
been  the  main  residence  portion,  had  become  deserted  by  reason 
of  the  removal  to  the  Western  Addition,  and  in  1867  the  Sabbath 
school  conducted  by  this  congregation  had  to  be  abandoned  on 
account  of  the  inconvenience  to  the  children  to  attend.  In  May, 
1868,  a  new  synagogue  site  was  purchased  on  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  Post  and  Taylor  streets,  for  the  sum  of  $18,000.  To  raise 
this  sum  the  members  voluntarily  taxed  themselves,  thus  raising 
nearly  the  entire  amount  of  the  purchase  price  of  the  lot.  A  few 
months  after  the  congregation  sold  forty  feet  on  the  northerly 
end  of  this  lot  for  $8000,  thus  obtaining  the  nucleus  of  a  building 
fund.  From  time  to  time  during  the  early  part  of  1869  plans  for 
the  building  of  a  new  synagogue  were  at  various  times  procured 
and  as  often  abandoned.  The  members  had  contributed  liberally 
towards  the  purchase  of  the  site.     So  far,  no  provision  seems  to 


48  WESTERN    JEWRY 

have  been  made  for  the  expenses  that  would  be  entailed  by  the 
erection  of  a  suitable  synagogue.  On  October  11,  186^,  three 
members  of  the  congregation — Mrs.  C.  Meyer,  president ;  Fabian 
Toplitz,  vice-president,  and  Julius  Funkenstein,  treasurer — in  a 
meeting  of  the  board  of  trustees,  assumed  the  entire  responsibility 
of  building  a  new  synagogue  upon  plans  prepared  by  Messrs.  Eisen 
and  Schmidt,  architects,  and  on  February  17,  1870,  they  reported 
having  entered  into  contracts  for  the  erection  of  a  building,  and 
announced  the  laying  of  the  cornerstone,  to  take  place  on  Friday 
afternoon,  March  11,  1870,  at  2:00  o'clock.  On  Friday,  the  26th 
of  August,  following,  the  synagogue,  now  completed,  was  dedi- 
cated with  imposing  ceremonies.  The  cost  of  this  structure  was 
$70,000. 

On  the  following  Sunday,  the  28th  of  August,  1870,  at  a  meet- 
ing held  in  the  synagogue,  the  congregation  subscribed  the  sum 
of  $48,500  towards  expunging  the  indebtedness  of  the  synagogue 
and  received  in  return  ownership  of  the  selected  seats  in  the  syna- 
gogue. Immediately  following  the  dedication  of  this  synagogue, 
the  Sabbath  schools  reorganized  under  the  immediate  superintend- 
ence and  patronage  of  George  Aronson.  So  great  success  marked 
the  launching  again  of  this  project,  that  all  the  available  rooms, 
outside  even  of  those  set  aside  for  Sabbath  school  purposes,  were 
taxed  to  their  utmost  capacity.  The  school  maintained  its  healthy 
growth  throughout  an  administration  of  a  number  of  years,  but 
Mr.  Aronson's  advancing  age  compelled  him  to  retire  in  1885,  when 
the  superintendence  of  the  school  was  assumed  by  Bahr  Scheide- 
man,  who  served  for  many  years  as  chairman  of  the  school  com- 
mittee ;  that  is,  until  the  arrival  of  the  present  occupant  of  the 
pulpit  of  the  congregation. 

The  congregation  remained  in  occupancy  of  this  building  at 
the  corner  of  Post  and  Taylor  for  thirty-four  years,  during  which 
time  it  passed  through  most  or  all  of  the  processes  of  evolution 
that  mold  Jewish  religious  thought  in  the  United  States. 

From  1893  the  affairs  of  the  congregation  began  to  take  quite 
a  turn,  and  it  became  evident  that  the  capacity  of  the  synagogue 
was  not  sufficient  to  accommodate  the  congregants,  for,  in  1896, 
applicants  for  seats  had  to  be  refused.  On  the  advice  of  the  then 
president,  Lewis  Brown,  a  site  for  a  larger  synagogue  was  se- 
cured, but  for  good  and  sufficient  reasons  was  abandoned.  On 
September  8,  1902,  the  present  site  at  the  corner  of  California  and 
Webster  streets  was  purchased,  and  on  the  fifteenth  of  the  same 
month  the  late  Albert  Pissis  was  selected  as  architect.  On  July 
20,  1903,  the  plans  were  submitted  and  adopted  and  a  contract 
entered  into  October  7,  1903,  and  on  October  8.  1903,  at  9:30  a.  m. 
ground  was  broken  by  the  rabbi  and  officers  of  the  congregation. 
The  cornerstone  of  this  new  temple  was  placed  in  position  on 


WESTERN    JEWRY  49 

February  22.  1904,  on  which  occasion  the  principal  address  was 
delivered  by  the  late  lamented  Jacob  Voorsanger.  The  synagogue 
was  consecrated  on  September  24,  1905.  The  congregation's  activi- 
ties, like  those  of  all  pioneer  congregations,  were  employed  not  only 
in  the  disseminating  of  religious  ideas  and  in  furthering  instruction 
in  the  Sabbath  school,  but  also  in  supporting,  maintaining  and  encour- 
aging the  benevolent  institutions,  ^^'hile  Emanu-El  had  attached 
to  it  the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society,  Sherith  Israel  had  as  its  at- 
tendant institution  the  first  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society,  and  between 
them  both  they  took  charge  of  the  sacred  duty  of  providing  resting- 
places  for  the  Jewish  dead,  as  well  as  caring  for  their  people  dur- 
ing their  hours  of  want  or  illness. 

The  cemetery  held  by  the  two  congregations  before  referred 
to  was  abandoned  in  1860  and  the  lot  in  the  Alission,  block  87,  between 
Dolores  and  Church,  Nineteenth  and  Twentieth  streets,  was  opened 
for  burials  on  February  26.  1861,  under  the  name  of  Hills  of  Eternity 
cemetery.  Owing  to  the  large  increase  of  population  in  this  section 
of  the  city,  the  State  Legislature  in  1887  passed  an  act  prohibiting 
any  burials  in  this  Mission  section  after  December  31,  1888.  To  meet 
this  emergency,  twenty  acres  of  ground  were  purchased  in  San  Mateo 
county  and  the  first  burial  in  this  new  Hills  of  Eternity  cemetery  took 
place  December  24,  1888.  This  cemetery  in  itself  stands  as  a  monu- 
ment to  two  men,  Lewis  Brown  and  ^lichael  Goldwater,  through 
whose  energies  it  was  turned  into  the  beautiful  park  spot  that  it  is. 
Amongst  the  first  rabbis  to  occupy  the  pulpit  of  Sherith  Israel 
was  Dr.  Julius  Eckman,  whose  remains  are  interred  in  the  Hills  of 
Eternity  cemetery,  in  the  plat  set  aside  for  noted  men.  On  the  first 
of  September,  1857,  the  Rev.  H.  A.  Henry  of  London,  England,  was 
elected  minister.  He  was  retired  on  full  pension  on  October  3.  1869, 
and  was  succeeded  on  April  13,  1870,  by  Dr.  Aaron  J.  Messing.  Dr. 
Messing  retired  on  June  1,  1873,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  then  emi- 
nent preacher.  Dr.  Henry  ^'idaver,  who  died  September  14,  1882, 
on  the  first  day  of  the  New  Year,  5642.  He  was  succeeded  on  De- 
cember 31,  1882,  by  his  brother.  Dr.  Falk  \"idaver,  who  served  the 
congregation  until  April  30,  1912,  when  he  resigned,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  present  incumbent.  Dr.  Jacob  Nieto. 

Through  Rabbi  Nieto's  suggestion  a  ladies'  auxiliary  was  formed 
by  the  congregation  and  its  friends,  with  a  view  to  their  taking  an  active 
interest  in  the  development  of  the  social  and  religious  activities  of  the 
congregation,  in  encouraging  the  Sabbath  rule,  and  in  developing  an 
ability  on  the  part  of  the  women  to  become  social  workers  in  the  com- 
munity at  large.  This  organization  has  now  over  seven  hundred  mem- 
bers, and  has  had  a  decidedly  upbuilding  influence  upon  the  membership 
of  the  congregation  and  the  enrollment  in  the  Sabbath  school.  It  has 
instituted  under  its  patronage  a  child  study  circle,  a  dramatic  circle, 


50  WESTERN   JEWRY 

a  glee  club  and  an  orchestra,  and  a  fellowship  circle  in  which  women 
receive  instruction  fitting  them  for  the  work  of  district  visiting  and 
bringing  about  better  understanding  between  foreign-born  parents  and 
American-born  children.  In  all  its  departments  it  has  achieved  phe- 
nomenal success,  because  of  the  earnestness  of  the  officers  of  the  auxil- 
iary and  those  who  voluntarily  serve  under  them. 

The  presidents  so  far  have  been  Mrs.  Mark  Neumann,  Miss  Re- 
becca Jacobs  and  Mrs.  Abraham  Levin. 


Congregation  Ohabai  Shalome 
''Bush  Street  Temple" 

THE  history  of  this  congregation,  one  of  the  oldest  in  this  city 
and  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  dates  back  to  the  early  sixties.  We 
must,  therefore,  delve  into  the  dusty  tomes  of  more  than  a  half 
century  in  order  to  ascertain  the  facts  regarding  the  formation 
of  this  congregation.  In  the  year  1863  a  band  of  Jewish  pioneers 
formed  a  portion  of  what  was  then  known  as  the  Congregation  Emanu- 
El.  These  patriarchs,  determined  in  purpose,  courageous  in  upholding 
the  principles  of  their  sacred  religion,  deemed  it  advisable  to  withdraw 
from  this  congregation  and  independently  form  one  according  to  their 
ideas  of  Judaism  and  erect  a  synagogue  where  they  would  be  free  to 
worship  in  their  own  manner.  With  steps  unfaltering,  and  with  firm 
resolution,  they  set  about  to  obtain  a  place  of  worship,  and  after  much 
labor  and  many  difficulties  secured  the  site  where  the  Native  Sons'  hall 
is  now  located  on  Mason  street,  and  the  year  1864  saw  the  reward  of 
their  aspirations,  it  being  this  year  that  the  Congregation  Ohabai 
Shalome  was  organized  and  incorporated.  Still  they  could  not  rest  on 
their  laurels ;  a  synagogue  remained  to  be  erected  ;  and  after  much 
effort  and  a  great  deal  of  generosity  on  their  part,  sufficient  funds  were 
raised  to  build  it,  and  the  year  1865  saw  the  completion  of  what  was 
known  as  the  Mason  Street  Synagogue.  Rabbi  Bettelheim,  a  noted 
and  erudite  scholar  and  divine,  was  then  chosen  the  first  leader  of  the 
congregation.  Over  fifty  years  have  passed  and  the  band  of  pioneers 
who  so  heroically  banded  together  and  formed  this  congregation  have 
nearly  all  been  summoned  to  their  eternal  rest.  One  still  remains  who 
is  actively  engaged  in  the  afifairs  of  the  congregation  and  continues 
to  assist,  giving  them  the  benefit  of  his  long  years  of  experience — the 
present  vice-president  of  the  congregation,  Philip  Stern. 

The  congregation  grew  steadily  and  prospered  and  remained  for 
thirty-three  years  on  the  Mason  street  site.  In  the  year  1898  in  re- 
sponse to  a  request  from  their  members  and  friends,  and  in  consequence 
of  a  growing  need  for  a  synagogue  to  be  located  in  the  thickly  popu- 
lated western  portion  of  the  city,  the  present  place  of  worship  was 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


51 


erected  on  Bush  street,  near  Laguna,  and  is  well  known  as  the  Bush 
Street  Temple,  continuing  in  its  prosperity  in  the  eighteen  years  that 
it  has  occupied  this  location.  The  home  of  the  Congregation  Ohabai 
Shalome  is  a  substantial  frame  structure  of  Moorish  architecture  with 
two  massive  domes  gracing  its  front.  The  interior  is  plain,  yet  it  in- 
spires the  worshiper  with  sacred  awe  and  solemnity.     The  auditorium 


BUSH    STREET   TEMPLE 

and  commodious  balcony  combined  accommodates  1000  people.  For 
the  benefit  of  mourners  and  to  foster  devotion,  daily  services  are  held 
in  a  beautifully  equipped  memorial  hall  adjoining  the  main  auditorium. 
The  Bush  Street  Temple  recently  completed  its  new  school  build- 
ing adjacent  to  the  synagogue.  This  institution  now  offers  excellent 
opportunities  for  the  religious  education  of  the  young.  The  school 
rooms  are  splendidly  equipped  and  modern  in  every  respect  and  the 


S2  WESTERN   JEWRY 

teaching  is  under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  rabbi,  Rev.  Dr.  Herman 
Rosenwasser.  Particular  attention  is  given  to  the  musical  program  at 
every  service,  inasmuch  as  the  beautiful  traditional  Hebrew  melodies 
have  ever  been  a  source  of  great  inspiration  to  our  people,  the  music 
being  in  the  hands  of  an  efficient  cantor  and  a  well-trained  choir. 

The  Willing  Workers  of  the  Bush  Street  Temple  was  organized 
August  7,  1901,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  financially  the  Congregation 
Ohabai  Shalome,  its  Sabbath  school  and  cemetery.  The  society  made 
rapid  progress,  increasing  its  membership  until  it  now  numbers  over 
five  hundred.  During  the  past  fifteen  years  this  society  through  its 
tireless  efforts,  has  assisted  the  temple  to  a  very  appreciable  extent. 
Another  organization  affiliated  with  this  congregation  is  the 
Ladies'  Council,  organized  in  March,  1896,  with  a  membership  of 
seventy.  Its  purpose  is  to  help  the  poor  and  to  assist  in  the  maintenance 
of  the  Sabbath  school  of  the  synagogue.  At  its  meetings,  which  are 
held  semi-monthly,  a  faithful  band  of  workers  meet  to  sew  for  the 
poor  and  no  less  than  one  hundred  families  are  supplied  with  garments 
twice  a  year,  all  of  which  are  supplied  from  the  payment  of  the  dues 
of  its  members,  which  now  number  over  three  hundred.  After  the 
catastrophe  of  1906  the  Ladies'  Council  was  one  of  the  first  sewing 
societies  to  render  assistance,  and  sewed  for  many  weeks  at  the  Hearst 
School  for  the  benefit  of  the  needy.  The  Assembly  of  the  Bush 
Street  Temple  is  strictly  a  representative  Jewish  Young  People's 
Society,  its  purpose  being  to  rally  the  Jewish  young  men  and 
women  around  the  synagogue  and  to  direct  tendencies  toward  self- 
improvement.  The  membership  increases  with  each  meeting  and 
now  numbers  over  one  hundred. 

The  tendencies  of  the  Congregation  Ohabai  Shalome  from  its  in- 
ception have  been  conservative  and  still  continue  to  be  so.  The  mem- 
bership is  increasing  steadily  and  its  members  represent  the  very  best 
portion  of  the  Jewish  population  of  this  city.  The  minister  delivers  a 
sermon,  as  a  rule  limiting  himself  to  the  expounding  of  scriptures  in 
a  modern  way.  The  pulpit  of  the  Bush  Street  Temple  endeavors  to 
keep  pace  with  the  demands  of  the  times,  directing  its  efforts  in  no 
small  degree  to  awaken  the  rising  generation  to  religious  responsibility. 
Heeding  the  demands  of  the  members  and  friends  of  the  congre- 
gation and  realizing  the  great  need  of  obtaining  a  cemetery,  a  tract  of 
land  was  secured  in  San  Mateo  county  for  this  purpose.  The  Eternal 
Home  cemetery,  as  it  is  designated,  is  owned  and  controlled  by  this 
congregation.  It  comprises  an  area  of  ten  acres  and  is  improved  with 
concrete  walks  and  macadamized  roads  and  is  laid  out  in  beautiful 
lawns  and  flower  beds.  Many  stately  mausoleums  and  magnificent 
monuments  adorn  the  consecrated  acreage. 

The  Congregation  Ohabai  Shalome  one  year  ago  fittingly  cele- 
brated the  completion  of  a  half  century  of  sacred  work  in  the  city  of 
San  Francisco,  and  is  worthy  of  the  good  will  and  support  of  the  Jewish 


WESTERN   JEWRY  53 

people  and  the  public  at  large.  While  the  Bush  Street  Temple  is  pri- 
marily a  religious  organization,  the  minister  of  this  institution  readily 
assumes  the  sacred  duty  of  serving  the  public  and  will  be  pleased  to 
devote  his  time,  knowledge  and  energy  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. 

The  following  are  the  officers  of  the  congregation :  M.  Friedman, 
president ;  Philip  Stern,  vice-president :  Samuel  Weisskopf,  secretary, 
The  spiritual  leader  of  the  congregation  is  Rabbi  Herman  Rosenwasser, 
A.  M.,  graduate  of  the  Hebrew  Union  College  of  Cincinnati.  The 
sexton,  I.  Coleman  Levy. 

Congregation   Beth   Israel 

THE  history  ot  Congregation  Beth  Israel  is  the  history  of  ortho- 
dox Judaism  in  San  Francisco.  Organized  in  the  infancy  of 
the  city,  it  has  kept  pace  with  the  advancement  and  progress 
of  the  community  and  in  all  the  years  of  its  existence  has  remained 
steadfast  and  true  to  the  spirit  of  orthodoxy,  permitting  no  change 
or  alteration  from  the  ancient  ritual  form  of  worship.  Although  it 
has  accepted  the  organ  and  adopted  the  system  of  family  pews,  yet 
this  seems  but  to  emphasize  the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  ancient 
ritual. 

In  the  year  1860  a  handful  of  earnest  Jews,  enthusiastic  for  the 
retention  of  the  ancient  form  of  worship,  banded  together  and  formed 
"The  Congregation  Beth  Israel."  They  leased  a  small  building  on 
the  south  side  of  Sutter  street,  between  Dupont  and  Stockton  streets, 
and  there  held  their  services  until  the  year  1874,  when  a  larger  edifice 
was  required  and  they  leased  a  building  on  Mission  street,  between 
Fifth  and  Sixth  streets,  which  was  occupied  for  four  years. 

The  attendance  at  the  services  was  so  large  tliat  in  the  year  1878 
it  again  became  necessary  for  the  congregation  to  seek  new  quarters 
and  a  lot  50x137.6  feet  was  purchased  on  Turk  street,  on  which  a 
splendid  synagogue  was  erected,  being  dedicated  in  August,  1879,  and 
was  occupied  by  the  congregation  for  eleven  years,  up  to  1890.  In 
the  last-named  year  they  were  again,  by  reason  of  the  great  demand 
madd  upon  them  for  accommodations,  compelled  to  seek  larger  quar- 
ters, whereupon  the  site  on  Geary  street  near  Octavia  was  purchased. 
Here  a  beautiful  synagogue  was  erected  and  was  dedicated  on  July 
19,  1891,  Reverend  Doctors  Jacob  Voorsanger,  Falk  Vidaver,  M.  S. 
Levy,  A.  Blum  of  Los  Angeles,  A.  R.  Levy  of  Chicago  and  Emanuel 
Schreiber  of  Little  Rock,  participating  in  the  ceremonies.  The  build- 
ino-  was  large,  imposing  and  commodious  and  capable  of  accommo- 
dating over  eleven  hundred  persons,  yet  so  great  was  the  popularity 
of  the  synagogue  under  the  administrations  of  its  rabbi.  Rev.  M.  S. 
Levy,  that  in  1905  it  was  deemed  necessary  in  order  to  comply  with 
the   increased   demands   for   religious   accommodations   to  again    seek 


54 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


more  commodious  quarters.  Thereupon  the  building  was  sold  and  a 
larger  and  more  centrally  located  site  at  Geary  street  between  Fillmore 
and  Steiner  streets  was  purchased.  On  the  lot,  which  had  a  frontage 
of  87^2  feet  by  a  depth  of  137^^  feet,  a  magnificent  brick  and  steel 
edifice  was  erected,  the  cornerstone  being  laid  on  Thanksgiving  Day 
of  1905.  The  building  was  rapidly  nearing  completion,  when,  on  that 
memorable  18th  day  of  April,  1906,  in  a  few  moments  it  was  demol- 
ished by  the  terrible  earthquake  that  visited  this  city. 

The   membership   of   the   congregation,   composed   of   a   body   of 
loyal,  earnest  and  faithful  Jews  having  an  intense  love  for  their  syna- 


■/.v- 


^'\   fl 


GEARY    STREET   TEMPLE 

gogue,  were  well  nigh  driven  to  despair  by  the  terrible  calamity. 
They  were  practically  without  a  home,  being  at  the  time  merely  rent- 
ing their  old  synagogue  from  month  to  month,  and  were  without 
means  or  prospects  of  rebuilding  on  the  site  of  the  demolished  struc- 
ture. However,  with  undaunted  nerve  they  set  about  with  renewed 
energy,  and  in  a  few  months  the  work  of  rehabilitation  was  com- 
menced, and  on  September  20,  1908,  the  beautiful  new  temple  of 
class  A  construction  on  the  south  side  of  Geary  street,  between  Fill- 
more and  Steiner  streets,  was  dedicated  to  the  honor  and  glory  of 
God.  The  building  is  thoroughly  modern  in  every  detail,  has  a  seat- 
ing capacity  of  over  fifteen  hundred  and  is  one  of  the  most  imposing 
edifices  of  its   kind   on   the    Pacific   Coast. 

The  success  of  the  institution  has  been   most   remarkable   and  a 


WESTERN   JEWRY  55 

great  deal  may  be  attributed  to  its  zealous  and  energetic  board  of  offi- 
cers, whose  harmonious  activity  and  indefatigable  efforts  in  behalf 
of  their  beloved  institution  have  been  unceasing  and  untiring.  Aided 
at  all  times  by  a  faithful  band  of  members,  steadfast  and  true,  they 
have  builded  for  Judaism  and  posterity  a  lasting  memorial  of  the  faith 
that  is  in  them. 

The  first  minister  to  preside  over  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  con- 
gregation was  Rev.  M.  Wolf,  who  occupied  the  position  only  for  a 
short  time.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rabbi  N.  Streisand,  of  blessed 
memory.  In  1878  Rev.  Dr.  A.  J.  Messing  was  elected  and  occupied 
the  pulpit  of  the  congregation  until  1890,  when  he  resigned  in  response 
to  a  call  from  Chicago.  In  1891  Rev.  Dr.  M.  S.  Levy,  who  was  min- 
istering in  Oakland,  was  elected.  He  is  still  the  beloved  and  ven- 
erated rabbi  of  the  congregation,  and  to  his  zeal,  piety,  eloquence 
and  intense  interest  in  every  phase  of  congregational  life,  much  of  the 
success  and  popularity  of  the  synagogue  must  be  ascribed. 

In  this  connection  we  can  not  pass  over  without  mention  of  the 
beloved  cantor,  who  has  served  the  congregation  for  over  twenty- 
five  years.  Rev.  J.  Rabinowitz,  whose  sweet  voice  adds  dignity  and 
beauty  to  the  ritual  as  chanted  by  him  and  whose  quiet,  kindly  man- 
ner endears  him  to  all  the  congregants. 

The  services  are  well  attended,  the  Sabbath  attendance  being 
from  seven  to  eight  hundred,  and  on  festivals  and  holidays  the  build- 
ing is  filled  to  its  capacity.  The  congregation  fills  a  distinct  want  in 
the  Jewish  economy  of  the  community.  There  is  a  large  class  of 
people  to  whom  the  reformed  synagogue  does  not  appeal,  and  yet 
have  lost  their  liking  or  desire  for  the  old-fashioned  Old  World  syna- 
gogue. Congregation  Beth  Israel  is  the  happy  medium  between  the 
two  extremes,  having  the  orthodox  ritual,  beautified  by  the  organ,  and 
the  family  pew.  For  this  large  class  of  people  the  congregation  is 
an  absolute  necessity. 

This  brief  sketch  can  not  be  closed  without  reference  to  the  Sab- 
bath and  Hebrew  school  maintained  by  the  congregation,  in  which 
are  being  instructed  over  nine  hundred  children  in  the  faith  of  their 
fathers.  The  Ladies'  Endeavor  Society,  an  auxiliary  of  the  congre- 
gation, is  composed  of  a  band  of  noble  Jewish  women  engaged  in 
the  work  of  supporting  the  Sabbath  and  Hebrew  schools  of  the  con- 
gregation. It  has  been  of  material  assistance  to  the  synagogue. 
Holding  aloft  the  banner  of  conservative  Judaism  in  San 
Francisco  for  half  a  century,  on  August  21,  1910,  the  sister  con- 
gregations about  the  bay  united  with  Beth  Israel  in  the  glorious  cele- 
bration of  its  golden  jubilee — fifty  years  of  continuous  religious  zeal 
and  labor,  in  teaching  and  unfolding  the  tenets  and  doctrines  of  Abra- 
ham, Isaac  and  Moses.  May  it  continue,  with  strong  heart  and  perfect 
confidence,  to  do  so,  and  with  the  blessing  of  God  advance  "Mechiel 
El  Chiel"  from  strength  to  strength  to  His  great  glory. 


Concordia  Club 


THE  Concordia  Club  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  important 
social  organizations  among  the  Jewish  people  in  the  West. 
Its  home  at  the  corner  of  Van  Ness  avenue  and  Post  street, 
San  Francisco,  has  been  recently  enlarged,  and  is  as  fine  and  im- 
posing a  structure  devoted  to  social  purposes  as  any  city  can 
boast  of. 

The  club  house  is  three  stories  in  height  and  contains  besides 
the   features  usually   found   in   first-class  social   institutions,  a  plunge 


:-i*^ 


.^-is^SSS^i" 


.^. 


■'5=. 


rm-  \ 


,f^^Sr 


CONCORDI.\  CLUB 


and  baths,  a  library  of  carefully  selected  authors,  a  gymnasium 
and  similar  attractions. 

The  history  of  the  Concordia  dates  back  to  the  "60s  and  to  the 
days  of  the  Alemannian  Club.  The  oldest  surviving  members  recall 
that  among  the  Alemannians  who  on  June  10,  1865,  organized  the 
Concordia,  were  William  SchoUe,  David  Stern,  Levi  Strauss,  Israel 
Steinhart,  Martin  Heller,  Sol  \\'angenheim,  Emil  VVangenheim, 
^^'illiam  Herman,  Felix  Steiner,  David  Bachman,  J.  Rosenbaum 
and  M.  Kahn. 

The  aim  uf  the  club  from  its  earliest  period  has  ever  been  to 
provide  a  social  home  for  its  members  and  their  families.     That  it 


WESTERN   JEWRY  57 

has  been  eminently  successful  in  this  respect  is  evidenced  by  the 
use  women  and  children  are  making  of  the  gymnasium  and  numer- 
ous other  attractions  provided  for  them  by  a  generous  member- 
ship. The  club  is  primarily  a  family  institution,  and  is  often  re- 
ferred to  as  the  "House  of  Concord." 

The  present  ofificers  of  the  Concordia  Club  are:  Charles  Hirsch, 
president;  Julius  I.  Cahn,  vice-president;  Henry  Schussler,  secretary; 
John  E  Madocks,  assistant  secretary;  Frederick  Seller,  treasurer. 
Directors:  Chas.  H.  Brown.  Felix  Kahn,  Melville  Marx.  Henry 
Mayer,  Louis  J.  Newman.  Walter  J.  Samson.  Louis  J.  Newman  and 
Sidney  L.  Schwartz. 


The  Philomath  Club 

A  Review  by  Mrs.  L  Lowenberg 

BEFORE  going  to  the  Columbian  Exposition  in  1893.  I  was 
imbued  with  the  idea  that  there  were  many  intellectual  and 
brilliant  Jewish  women  in  San  Francisco  who  lacked  the  op- 
portunity of  development  by  organization,  which  is  a  potent  factor 
in  commercial  and  educational  as  well  as  club  life. 

So  when  I  returned  from  the  Columbian  Exposition  held  in 
Chicago,  with  the  White  City  photographed  on  my  mind  and  my 
impressions  intensified,  I  asked  Mrs.  A.  S.  Bettelheim  to  assist 
in  naming  some  women  who  would  form  and  foster  an  organi- 
zation to  be  conservative,  but  progressive,  to  prom.ote  the  general 
culture  of  its  members  by  the  discussion  of  educational,  moral  and 
social  topics  and  lectures  by  eminent  men  and  women  of  the  day. 
Mrs.  William  Haas  became  deeply  interested  in  such  an  organiza- 
tion and  worked  zealously  for  its  success  with  the  result  that  the 
Philomath  Club  was  launched  with  the  following  charter  members : 
Mrs.  L  Lowenberg,  Mrs.  Helen  Hecht,  Mrs.  A.  S.  Bettelheim.  Mrs. 
William  Haas,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Neustadter,  Mrs.  Charles  L.  Ackerman, 
Mrs.    Moses    Heller,    Mrs.    S.    Nickelsburg,    Mrs.    H.    Ansbacher 

Meyers. 

A  call  was  issued  by  the  charter  members  and  some  seventy  or 
eighty  ladies  responded  and  became  members.  The  records  were 
lost  in  the  calamity  of  1906,  and  each  and  every  member  contributed 
by  earnest  endeavor  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the  associa- 
tion and  make  it  a  peer  of  its  sister  clubs. 

The  Mesdames  Neustadter  very  generously  allowed  Philomath 
the  use  of  their  dance  hall  in  their  home  in  Van  Ness  avenue,  where 
for  some  months  meetings  were  held  in  very  happy  surroundings. 
And  the  club  flourished  and  grew  in  numbers  and  in  wisdom. 

Clubs  are  the  result  of  evolution  and  exercise  and  influence 
and  all  kinds  of  advancement.  They  effect  concentration  of  thought 
and    unity   of   purpose.      Club    life    when    not   based   too   much    on 


58  WESTERN   JEWRY 

social  lines,  taking  up  vital  questions,  extracts  what  is  highest  and 
best  in  us.  By  association  with  the  world,  its  joys  and  responsi- 
bilities, its  sympathies  and  prejudices,  its  hate  and  love,  we  come 
to  a  larger,  deeper,  broader  meaning  of  the  words,  "Love  one 
another." 

Philomath  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  club  composed 
of  Jewish  women  with  a  regularly  adopted  constitution  in  the 
world.  Philomath  has  now  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  members  ; 
it  is  limited,  has  a  waiting  list  and  is  assigned  the  position,  side 
by  side,  with  the  brilliant  literary  associations  of  the  da}'. 

Some  members  of  scintillating  wit  and  deep  thought  have  gone 
to  their  eternal  home,  but  they  have  left  their  impress  on  the  club. 
In  March,  1914,  Philomath  celebrated  its  twentieth  anniversary  by 
a  dinner,  with  toasts  and  song  and  drama  and  dance — all  club 
talent — giving  genuine  pleasure  to  its  members  and  friends. 

And  the  star  which  burst  upon  the  literary  horizon  in  1894, 
which  some  thought  a  meteor  flashing  in  the  sky,  has  now  become 
a  fixed  star  and  will  remain  "conspicuous  and  sublime  in  the  spa- 
cious firmament  of  time." 


Federation  of  Jewish  Charities 
of  Los  Angeles 

THIS  organization  was  incorporated  in  March,  1912,  with  the 
object  of  establishing  and  providing  an  efficient  and  prac- 
tical mode  of  collecting  contributions  and  donations  and  dis- 
tributing the  same  or  proceeds  thereof  to  those  Jewish  organiza- 
tions which  are  constituent  members  and  to  such  other  deserving 
charities  as  the  Board  of  Governors  may  designate,  for  the  purpose 
of  enabling  the  constituent  members  to  more  effectively  carry  on 
their  work  by  relieving  them  of  the  necessity  of  making  separate 
appeals. 

The  constituent  members  of  the  Federation  at  the  present  time 
number  six — the  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society.  Ladies'  Hebrew  Be- 


KASPARE    COHX    HOSPITAL 

nevolent  Society,  Hebrew  Consumptive  Relief  Association,  Jewish 
Orphans'  Home  of  Southern  California,  Kaspare  Cohn  Hospital 
and  Temple  Sewing  Circle.  In  the  management  and  control  of 
these  organizations  the  Federation  has  no  voice,  each  having  its 
own  officers  and  conducting  its  work  along  what  seems  to  them  the 
most  efficient  lines. 

The  Federation  is  supported  by  voluntary  subscriptions  and 
contributions.  It  is  managed  and  controlled  by  a  Board  of  Gov- 
ernors comprised  of  representatives  of  the  constituent  members. 
Its  officers  are :  Geo.  Mosbacher,  president ;  J.  Y.  Baruh,  first  vice- 
president  ;  AI.  X.  Xewmark,  second  vice-president ;  Louis  S.  Xord- 
linger,  treasurer;  Henry  L.  Klein,  secretary;  Esther  Sher,  assistant 
secretary;  Isaac  Xorton,  S.  G.  Marshutz  and  Dr.  D.  W.  Edelman, 
together  with  the  officers,  act  as  Executive  Committee. 

Of  the  constituent  members  the  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society, 


60  WESTERN   JEWRY 

which  is  the  oldest  Jewish  relief  organization  in  Los  Angeles,  deals 
directly  with  every  class  of  Jewish  poor,  with  the  exception  of 
cases  pertaining  particularly  to  women  and  children,  these  being 
left  for  disposition  in  the  hands  of  the  Ladies'  Hebrew  Benevolent 
Society,  the  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society  relieving  the  women  of 
any  responsibility  in  the  care  of  the  homeless  man.  Officers  are : 
Isaac  Norton,  president;  A.  J.  Shapiro,  vice-president;  M.  N.  New- 
mark,  treasurer;  Victor  Harris,  assistant  secretary.  Directors: 
Rev.  Dr.  S.  Hecht,  Philip  Stein  and  D.  Bonoft. 

The  Ladies'  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society  is  doing  practically 
the  same  work  as  the  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society,  co-operating 
with  it  in  the  care  of  needy  Jewish  families  and  dealing  alone  with 
problems  pertaining  to  women  and  children.  Its  officers  are  Mrs. 
W.  T.  Barnett,  president:  ]\Irs.  H.  W.  Frank,  vice-president;  Mrs. 
P.  Lazerus,  treasurer:  Airs.  V.  Katze,  secretary. 

The  Hebrew  Consumptive  Relief  Association,  like  the  other 
constituent  members  of  the  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  de- 
pends upon  the  latter's  organization  for  maintenance.  This  asso- 
ciation has  no  tubercular  hospital  of  its  own,  but  has  erected  two 
cottages  at  the  Barlow  Sanitarium  and  is  responsible  for  the  main- 
tenance of  four  beds,  wdiich  are  at  all  times  occupied  by  Jewish 
consumptives.  Other  patients  are  being  cared  for  at  the  La  Vina 
Sanitarium  at  the  association's  expense. 

Temple  Sewing  Circle  numbers  many  Jewish  women  who  meet 
every  Tuesday  afternoon  in  the  vestry  rooms  of  the  B'nai  B'rith 
Temple  for  the  purpose  of  sewing  garments  which  are  distributed 
among  the  Jewish  institutions  and  to  such  worthy  families  who 
come  under  its  notice.  It  is  almost  to  be  wondered  at  the  great 
amount  of  work  accomplished  by  this  band  of  women  under  the 
able  leadership  of  its  president,  Airs.  A.  Prenzlauer.  The  other 
officers  of  this  society  are:  Mrs.  J.  Baruch,  vice-president;  Mrs. 
Isaac  Norton,  second  vice-president;  Mrs.  Eugene  Willard,  treas- 
urer, and  Mrs.  J.  Y.  Baruh,  secretary. 

The  Kaspare  Cohn  Hospital,  located  at  4932  Stephenson  ave- 
nue, is  indeed  doing  great  good  along  the  lines  of  practical  charity. 
It  has  room  for  forty-three  patients.  This  includes  the  tubercular 
cottage,  which  accommodates  thirteen  and  which  at  all  times  is 
full  to  its  capacity.  The  medical  staff  is  composed  of  the  very  fore- 
most Jewish  physicians  in  Los  Angeles,  who  give  their  services 
without  charge,  and  who  take  even  more  than  a  personal  interest  in 
every  patient.  With  the  exception  of  contagious  diseases,  this  hospi- 
tal admits  patients  for  treatment  of  every  kind,  and  is  equipped  for 
every  emergency.  There  is  no  strict  rule  in  regard  to  admission 
of  patients  ;  any  poor  Jewish  person  needing  treatment  is  eligible 
for  care.  It  depends  entirely  upon  the  Federation  for  support  and 
maintenance.     The  officers  of  the  hospital  are :   M.  N.  Newmark, 


Wfe STERN   JEWRY  61 

president;  Ben  R.  Meyer,  vice-president;  Henry  L.  Klein,  secretary. 
Directors:  Alexander  Brick,  Berthold  Barucli,  Sam  Behrendt,  Isi- 
dore Eisner,  L.  Goldberg,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Hecht,  J.  L.  Jonas  and  Joseph 
Miller. 

The  Jewish  Orphans"  Home  of  Southern  California  was  in- 
corporated in  1908,  and  was  opened  with  five  children  in  1909. 
Within  the  first  year  fifty-one  children  were  admitted.  The  build- 
ing occupied  was  soon  outgrown  and  larger  quarters  secured  in  the 
second  year  of  its  existence.  Even  at  this  time  the  organization  was 
taking  definite  steps  towards  erecting  its  own  permanent  buildings. 
On  May  30,  1912,  the  home  moved  into  its  new  quarters  located 
upon  a  ten-acre  tract  in  Huntington  Park.  The  institution  is  built 
upon  the  cottage  plan,  having  its  own  hospital,  a  separate  Sloyd 
building,  its  own  w^ater  plant,  dairy  and  poultry  houses,  raising  its 
own  vegetables  and  fruits,  having  its  own  laundry — on  a  whole 
being  quite  complete.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  home  to  remove  as 
far  as  possible  the  restrictions  that  are  prevalent  in  institutions  and 
to  approach  in  every  way  the  individual  home  life.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
S.  Frey  are  the  superintendents  of  the  home  and  are  no  less  than 
father  and  mother  to  the  children.  This  institution  also  depends 
upon  the  Federation  for  its  main  support. 

The  officers  of  the  Orphans'  Home  are:  John  Kahn,  president; 
George  Mosbacher,  first  vice-president;  Mrs.  J.  W.  Hellman,  sec- 
ond vice-president ;  Alexander  ]Meyer,  third  vice-president ;  Marco 
H.  Hellman,  treasurer;  Marco  R.  Newmark,  secretary,  H.  L.  Klein, 
financial  secretary.  Directors:  Mrs.  Edmund  Bastheim.  Mrs.  Ben- 
jamin Goldman,  Mrs.  H.  Baruch,  SoUie  Aronson,  Julius  Conrad, 
Isidore  Eisner,  M.  J.  Finkenstein,  Joseph  Loeb,  S.  G.  Marshutz 
and  R.  H.  Raphael. 


Congregation  B'nai  B'rith,  Los  Angeles 

THE  Congregation  B'nai  B'rith  of  the  Southern  CaUfornia  beau- 
tiful metropolis  is  one  of  the  oldest  Jewish  communities  in  the 
West.  It  had  its  inception  some  sixty  years  ago,  first  as  a  benev- 
olent society,  and  later  for  the  purpose  of  holding  religious  services  on 
the  high  holidays  and  to  provide  for  a  cemetery. 

The  first  officiant  was  a  pious  layman,  Mr.  Newmark,  father  of 
the  late  J.  M.  Newmark,  Mrs.  Harris  Newmark,  Mrs.  M.  Kremer, 
Mrs.  S.  Lazard  and  Mrs.  Eugene  Meyer.     The  first  regular  min- 


TEMPLE  P.  NAI   P.  RITH,  LOS  ANGELES 


ister  of  the  congregation  was  Rabbi  Wolf  Edelman,  who  served 
in  that  capacity  faithfully  and  well  for  many  years,  until  the 
reform  movement  in  the  congregation  prompted  his  withdrawal 
from  its  ministrations.  Dr.  Emanuel  Schreiber  was  called  as  the 
first  reform  rabbi  of  Temple  B'nai  B'rith  about  1870.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rabbis  Blum  and  Solomon.  Rev.  Dr.  Sigmund 
Hecht  was  called  to  the  congregation  in  1899  and  has  been  its  able 
and  beloved  rabbi  ever  since.  When  Dr.  Hecht  came  to  California 
from  Milwaukee  its  membership  did  not  exceed  ninety.  During  the 
seventeen  years  of  his  leadership  of  the  congregation,  it  has  grown  to 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  members. 

At  the  beginning  of  1916,  the  congregation  called  Rabbi  Edgar 
F.  Magnin  from  Stockton  to  serve  as  junior  rabbi. 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


63 


Its  activities  are  varied,  including  not  only  the  Sisterhood  and 
cognate  organizations,  but  several  young  folks'  societies. 

The  president  of  the  congregation  at  present  and  for  the  past 
five  years  is  Dr.  D.  W.  Edelman,  son  of  the  late  Rabbi  Edelman,  who 
succeeded  to  that  office  Kaspare  Cohn.  The  presidents  who  preceded 
were  the  late  Herman  W.  Hellman  and  the  late  Harris  Newmark. 


Sinai  Congregation,  Los  Angeles 

SIXAI  Congregation  was  organized  October,  1906.  The  first 
meeting  was  held  at  the  home  of  Joseph  L.  Jonas,  225  W.  Pico 
street ;  later  religious  services  were  held  every  Friday  evening 
and  Saturday  morning  at  B'nai  B'rith  hall,  located  on  Pico  street  be- 
tween Flower  and  Hope  streets.  The  synagogue  was  incorporated  De- 
cember 29.   1908.     In  1909  the  lot  was  purchased  on  Valencia  street 


-  -•.  A^^-'SftSSiSiv:.. 


COXr.REGATIOX   SIXAI.   LOS  AX'GELES 


and  the  cornerstone  for  the  sanctuary  was  laid.  The  dedication  of  the 
synagogue  was  held  on  September  15th  of  the  same  year.  The  officers 
present  at  the  dedicatory  ceremony  were :  President,  Joseph  L.  Jonas ; 
vice-president.  M.  S.  Kornblum ;  treasurer,  Dave  Hirsch ;  secretary, 
David  Goldberg ;  financial  secretary,  Max  Marks ;  trustees,  Alex  Brick, 
Max  Cohn,  M.  Goldstein,  Felix  HaliT,  J.  Laventhal.  J.  Rosenberg  and 
Karl  Stern.  Too  much  praise  can  not  be  bestowed  upon  Joseph  L. 
Jonas  who  has  devoted  much  time  and  money  to  that  religious  insti- 
tution. He  has  since  its  beginning  been  a  potent  factor  in  developing 
religious  and  social  reforms  in  that  congregation.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  well-known  Jonas  familv  of  California  whose  devotion  to  Juda- 


64  WESTERN   JEWRY 

ism  in  all  its  phases  has  been  an  inspiration,  and  has  influenced  the 
lives  of  the  Jews  along  right-thinking  and  acting. 

Those  who  have  served  as  rabbis  of  Congregation  Sinai  are : 
Isidore  Myers  and  Rudolph  Farber.  Rabbi  David  L.  Liknaitz  is  its 
present  minister.  The  religious  school  has  a  growing  enrollment  and 
is  well  organized.  It  has  215  pupils.  The  school  meets  three  times  a 
week,  Sundays,  Tuesdays  and  Thursdays. 

The  officers  of  Congregation  Sinai  are:  President,  Peter  Haber ; 
vice-president,  Charles  Greenberg ;  secretary,  J.  Perluszky ;  treas- 
urer, A.  Sieretty. 

The  Willing  Workers  Society  affiliated  with  the  congregation  has 
accomplished  splendid  work.  The  officers  are  :  President,  Mrs.  J. 
Perluszky ;  vice-presidents.  Miss  Bertha  Brown  and  Mrs.  Blumberg ; 
secretary,  Mrs.  M.  Cohn,  and  treasurer,  Mrs.  M.  Stern.  Sinai  social 
and  literary  societies  and  the  Junior  League  contribute  their  share 
towards  making  the  life  of  the  Jew  and  Jewess  an  interesting  one 
and  adding  to  the  spiritual  and  social  uplift  of  the  community.  The 
officers  of  Sinai's  Young  People's  Society  are  :  President,  Charles 
Isenstein  ;  vice-president,  Ida  Kasner ;  secretary,  Lucile  Stern.  The 
Junior  League  president  is  Sylvia  Bloomberg. 


Temple  Sinai,  Oakland 

IN  1873  a  body  of  men  banded  together  for  the  purpose  of  organ- 
izing a  synagogue.  A  small  building  was  purchased  on  Four- 
teenth and  Franklin  streets,  which  served  for  many  years  as  a 
meeting  place  for  a  small  congregation.  The  building  burned.  A  new 
house  of  worship  was  the  thought  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  the  mem- 
bers. Immediately  they  purchased  the  property  at  Thirteenth  and  Clay 
streets.  After  a  time  the  congregation  grew  until  the  building  could 
not  accommodate  its  members.  The  property  was  then  sold  and  a  new 
building  was  bought  at  Castro  and  Twelfth  streets,  which  sanctuary 
was  subsequently  disposed  of  owing  to  the  increase  in  its  membership 
and  a  new  piece  of  property,  located  at  Twenty-eighth  and  Webster 
streets,  was  purchased  where  stands  the  present  synagogue. 

The  First  Hebrew  Congregation  of  Oakland  was  founded  in  1875. 
Three  years  later  the  first  temple  was  erected  at  Fourteenth  and 
Franklin  streets.  Since  that  time  the  synagogue  has  continued  to  grow 
in  membership  and  power,  until  today  it  is  classed  as  one  of  the  leading 
religious  institutions  in  the  West.  Jacob  Letter  was  its  first  president. 
Rabbi  M.  S.  Levy  was  first  rabbi  of  that  congregation,  which  position 
he  occupied  for  eleven  years.  In  1893  Rabbi  Morris  Friedlander  was 
called  to  the  First  Hebrew  Congregation  from  Temple  Beth  Jacob  of 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.     Under  his  ministrations  the  policy  of  the  First  He- 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


65 


brew  Congregation  was  changed  in  line  with  progressive  Judaism. 
With  the  approval  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  rabbinical  con- 
ference Dr.  Friedlander  revised  the  Hebrew  Union  prayer  book  prior 
to  its  adoption  by  his  congregation.  For  twenty-two  years  Rabbi 
Friedlander  occupied  the  pulpit  and  until  his  resignation  in  1915,  when 
he  was  called  to  accept  a  position  elsewhere,  he  had  served  the  con- 
gregation faithfully  and  efficiently  and  was  a  factor  in  molding  the 
lives  of  the  Jewish  youth. 

In  1896  Rabbi  Friedlander,  foreseeing  the  growth  and  spiritual 
needs  of  Oakland's  Jewry,  pleaded  to  his  people  for  a  new  temple.  Not 
a  moment  did  he  relax  his  efforts,  and  with  Abraham  Jonas,  the  pious 


TEMPLE    SINAI,    O.XKLAND 

and  energetic  president,  as  well  as  with  many  others  prominent  in  the 
affairs  of  the  congregation,  he  labored  in  season  and  out  of  season 
until  their  efforts  were  successful.  Abraham  Jonas,  in  his  annual  re- 
port of  October  28,  1909,  urged  that  the  First  Hebrew  Congregation 
( Temple  Sinai )  be  erected  and  that  the  old  site  be  sold.  At  that  time 
the  suggestion  was  referred  to  the  board  of  directors  and  they  were 
given  full  power  to  act.  In  January,  1910,  the  congregation  held  a 
special  meeting,  when  the  committee  on  site  presented  its  report,  rec- 
ommending the  purchase  of  a  piece  of  property  at  the  .southwest  corner 
of  Telegraph  avenue  and  Sycamore  street;  the  report  was  accepted 
and  adopted.  Subsequently  the  property  was  purchased  for  $28,000, 
which  sum  was  obtained  by  subscription.  The  old  site  at  Twelfth 
and  Castro  streets  was  sold  for  $28,000.  It  was  deemed  inadvisable  to 
build  on  the   site  at  Telegraph  avenue  and   Sycamore   street,  and   at 


66  WESTERN   JEWRY 

another  special  session  of  the  members  of  the  congregation  in  1912 
the  board  of  directors  were  authorized  to  purchase  the  site  at  Twenty- 
eighth  and  Webster  streets  for  $12,050. 

On  August  14,  1913,  President  Abraham  Jonas,  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  synagogue  and  for  the  past  ten  years  its  president,  turned  the 
first  spade  of  earth  and  on  October  26,  1913,  the  cornerstone  was  laid 
with  impressive  ceremonies.  The  structure  as  it  stands  today  cost  $100,- 
000,  which  was  pledged  by  subscription.  September  13,  1914,  the  mag- 
nificent temple  was  dedicated.  About  900  people,  representing  the  various 
Jewish  organizations,  as  well  as  the  rabbis  of  San  Francisco,  Oakland, 
Sacramento  and  Stockton,  participated  in  the  dedication  services.  Since 
the  erection  of  the  new  synagogue,  with  its  social  hall  (Covenant  hall), 
which  is  separated  from  the  main  auditorium,  all  the  Jewish  auxiliary 
fraternities  and  societies  conduct  their  meetings  there,  and  hold  social 
functions.  The  Jewish  societies  which  meet  in  Covenant  hall  are  the 
Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  the  First  Hebrew  Congregation  (Temple  Sinai), 
the  Fruit  and  Flower  Mission,  the  Daughters  of  Israel  Relief  Society 
and  the  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith,  No.  252. 

Soon  after  the  P'irst  Hebrew  Congregation  was  organized  a  coterie 
of  young  women,  realizing  the  needs  of  the  sick  and  poor  in  a  large 
community,  established  a  society  known  as  the  Daughters  of  Israel 
Relief  Society.  The  Daughters  of  Israel  Relief  Society  was  organized 
in  1877  and  has  a  membership  of  250.  Its  mission  is  to  provide  clothing 
for  the  poor  and  alleviate  the  indigent  sick.  Under  the  regime  of  Mrs. 
M.  H.  Coffee,  who  acted  as  president  of  that  body  for  fourteen  years, 
the  society  grew  in  membership.  A  men's  league  was  later  organized 
to  co-operate  with  the  society  and  to  act  as  an  advisory  board. 

The  Ladies'  Auxiliary  (Temple  Sisterhood),  a  constituent  society 
of  the  First  Hebrew  Congregation  (Temple  Sinai)  organized  in  1891 
for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in  the  Sunday  school  work  of  the  syna- 
gogue and  increasing  its  membership.  It  was  through  the  efforts  of  this 
society  that  the  sum  of  $-14,000  was  raised  and  placed  in  the  synagogue 
treasury  to  be  used  as  the  first  payment  on  the  lot  upon  which  the 
present  sanctuary  stands.  The  organ,  which  cost  $5000,  is  the  gift  of 
the  auxiliary  (Temple  Sisterhood).  Money  was  raised  by  entertain- 
ments and  other  functions. 

Early  in  1912  the  Fruit  and  Flower  Mission  was  organized  by  a 
company  of  young  women  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  sick  and  poor 
and   is  continuing  with  its  good  work. 

The  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  I'.'rith,  No.  252,  has  done  ef- 
fective and  uplifting  work  among  its  members. 

The  Judaens,  the  Hadassah  Club  and  other  societies  assist  in 
making  the  social  and  religious  life  of  the  community  a  success. 


WESTERN    JEWRY  67 

The  Jewish  Community  of  Stockton 

TEMPLE  Israel,  the  present  reform  congregation  of  Stockton, 
has  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  oldest  three  congrega- 
tions in  California.     It  is  said  that  wood  which  went  into  the 
making  of  the  first  temple  came  around  the  Horn.     Organized  in 
1850,  in  the  early  pioneer  days  immediately  following  the  first  rush 
for  gold  in  the  neighborhood  in  1849,  Congregation  Ryhim  Ahoovim 
was  incorporated  as  early  as  1854.     Since  then  the  congregation  has 
continued   its   existence   without   interruption,   constantly   growing 
in  size  and  increasing  in  efficiency,  until  today  its  influence  is  felt 
in  ever-wider  circles  even  beyond  the  limits  of  San  Joaquin  county. 
The  early  Jewish  settlers  who  founded  thus  early  a  religious  center 
were  sturdy,  energetic  congregational  and  communal  workers,  who 
took   a   keen   local    pride   in    their   Judaism    and    temple   and    were 
deeply  loyal  to  both.     During  more  than  half  a  century  many  rabbis 
have  served  Temple  Israel  for  terms  of  varying  length.     Among 
them  may  be  mentioned  the  names  of  Rabbis  Shapiro,  Schwartz, 
Weinstein,   Lowenthal,   Treichenberg  and   Davidson,  all  of  whom 
were  identified  with  Stockton  Jewry  prior  to  the  introduction  of 
the  first  reform.     Perhaps  one  of  the  most  generally  beloved  names 
is  that  of  H.   Davidson,  rabbi  and  chasan,  who  ministered  to  the 
religious  needs  of  Jewish  Stockton  for  almost  twenty  years.     With 
the  introduction  of  progressive  religious  thought,  however,  there 
followed  a  parting  of  the  ways  for  many,  as  the  result  of  which 
there    exist    today    two    smaller    orthodox    congregations    besides 
Temple   Israel,  for  many  years  now  the  enthusiastic  exponent  of 
reform    Judaism.     The    former    are    Congregation    Ahavath    Achim 
and    Congregation   Adath   Yeshurum,   both   with   memberships   below 
twenty-five.      Since   the   introduction   of   reform   in   about   1903,   in 
Temple  Israel,  Rabbis  Farber,  Margolis,  Raisin,  Kopalt  and  EUinger 
have  served.     In  1906  a  new  synagogue  was  erected  and — because 
of  its  simple  harmonious  beauty — creates  a  most  restful  and  wor- 
shipful atmosphere  and  is  looked  upon  by  travelers  as  one  of  the 
most  beautiful,  in  interior,  of  the  smaller  synagogues  of  the  country. 
Temple    Israel   now   numbers   over    100   members   and   is   con- 
stantly increasing  in  its  membership.     It  is  the  organized  and  or- 
ganizing center  of  Jewish   life  between   Sacramento   and   the   South. 
Many  new   phases   of   congregational   life   have   recently  been    de- 
veloped.    The  practical  exterior  aim  has  been  to  identify  the  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  of  all  ages  with  at  least  one  congregational 
organization   outside   of  religious   services.     There   are,   therefore, 
today    a    Bible    circle    for    adults,    a    mothers'    club,    a    temple    club 
for  the  young  unmarried  people,  of  which  the  temple  club  reading 
circle  is  a  part,  the  history  club  for  boys  and  girls  between  sixteen 
and  eighteen,  the  post-confirmation  class,  and  the  special  children's 
services  for  the  children  of  the  Sabbath  school.  During  each  season, 


68  WESTERN    JEWRY 

under  the  auspices  of  the  congregation,  on  week-day  evenings,  a 
monthly  lecture  course  is  held,  through  which  the  general  public 
without  charge  is  enabled  to  hear  addresses  on  social  and  civic 
problems  of  vital  public  interest  delivered  by  eminent  specialists  on  the 
Coast.  The  Sabbath  school  figures  a  large  number  of  children  and 
is  constantly  increasing  in  usefulness. 

Temple  Israel  has  always  owned  its  cemetery  and  from  the 
very  earliest  has  done  social  service  work  in  connection  with  the 
local  State  hospital  for  the  insane.  There  is  also  in  conjunction 
with  the  temple  a  Ladies'  Auxiliary  and  a  Hebrew  Ladies"  Benevo- 
lent Society. 

Sacramento,  California 

THE  city  of  Sacramento  is  today  one  of  the  most  important 
cities  of  California.     It  has  numerous  and  extensive  resources 
and  these,  combined  with  the  spirit  of  civic  pride  and  prog- 
ress, developed  it  into  a  busy  and  humming  city. 

The  Jewish  citizens  of  Sacramento  are  considered  among  its 
best  citizens,  for  the)'  constitute  the  bulwark  of  good  government, 
law  and  order.  Very  little,  if  any,  prejudice  exists  in  this  city 
against  Jews,  for  many  of  them  are  among  the  best  and  most  active 
meml:)ers  in  civic  and  communal  work. 

There  are  approximately  about  150  Jewish  families  in  Sacra- 
mento, all  of  whom  are  fairly  well  situated  in  material  prosperity. 

Sacramento  Jewry  is  very  proud  of  its  beautiful  Temple  B'nai 
Israel,  where,  during  ten  months  of  the  year  the  Jewish  members 
of  the  community  are  busy  in  many  religious  activities.  The  pres- 
ent officers  of  the  congregation  are:  Rabbi  Michael  Fried,  minister; 
Sam  Stone,  president ;  Leo  Garfinkle,  vice-president ;  Leon  Solo- 
mon, secretary,  and  Isidor  Cohn,  treasurer. 

The  religious  school  of  the  congregation  provides  instruction 
for  the  children.  The  ladies  of  the  congregation  are  organized  into 
a  women's  auxiliary,  and  are  very  helpful  to  the  rabbi  and  congre- 
gation in  many  ways.  They  always  endeavor  to  make  the  temple 
appear  at  its  best  by  providing  flowers  for  the  pulpit,  looking  after 
the  general  appearance  of  the  temple,  visiting  the  Sunday  school, 
providing  supplies  for  the  school  and  in  many  other  activities  are 
doing  excellent  work.  The  officers  are  :  Mrs.  L.  Garfinkle,  presi- 
dent; Mrs.  M.  S.  Wahrhaftig,  vice-president;  Mrs.  U.  Ahronheim, 
secretary;  Mrs.  A.  Elkus,  treasurer.  The  congregation  also  has 
a  Temple  Circle,  which  is  a  social  and  literary  society  and  meets 
twice  monthly,  on  the  second  and  fourth  Sunday  evenings.  Some 
of  the  most  prominent  men  of  the  State  have  at  different  tuues 
addressed  the  members  of  this  society,  which  address  is  usually 
followed  by  an  enthusiastic  discussion.  Music  and  dancing  also 
form  an  important  feature  of  the  meetings.     The  present  officers 


WESTERN    JEWRY  69 

of  the  Temple  Circle  are:  Rabbi  Michael  Fried,  president;  D. 
Singer,  vice-president;  William  Abramowitz,  secretary;  Miss  Rae 
Goldstein,  treasurer. 

Congregation  B'nai  Israel  of  Sacramento,  Cal.,  was  organized 
in  1857.  Like  most  congregations  of  the  United  States,  it  was 
originally  organized  as  an  orthodox  congregation.  The  first  con- 
stitution states  the  mode  of  worship  shall  be  in  conformity  with 
the  Minhag  Ashkenass  (Custom  of  the  German  Israelites). 

This  congregation,  like  many  others,  passed  through  three 
stages  of  development.  During  the  first  and  early  stage  the  con- 
gregation elected  for  its  spiritual  leader  one  who  was  to  act  in  the 
capacity  of  Chasan,  Shochet  and  teacher  of  children. 

Several  years  later  the  congregation  laid  stress  in  the  election 
of  their  spiritual  leader  to  act  in  the  capacity  of  rabbi  and  cantor, 
and  then  finally  the  congregation  required  a  spiritual  leader  who 
was  to  act  in  the  capacity  of  a  rabbi. 

On  June  22,  1879,  the  congregation  adopted  new  by-laws,  and 
so  changed  the  original  rules  and  regulations,  that  the  congregation 
adopted  the  Alinhag  America,  and  became  a  reform  congregation. 

The  new  constitution  states:  "The  religious  service  of  this 
conereeation  shall  be  in  conformitv  with  the  Minhag  America  and 
be  conducted  with  the  assistance  of  a  choir  and  organ."" 

Today  Congregation  B'nai  Israel  is  a  progressive,  reformed 
congregation  and  one  of  the  leading  Jewish  institutions  on  the  Pa- 
cific Coast.  In  1895  the  congregation  joined  the  Union  of  American 
Hebrew  Congregations. 

In  the  year  1880  the  congregation  elected  Rabbi  Jacob  Bloch 
for  its  spiritual  leader,  and  since  then  the  congregation  had  many 
prominent  rabbis  occupying  the  pulpit  and  served  as  follows: 
Rabbi  Jacob  Bloch,  1880-1884;  Rabbi  G.  Tauhenhause,  1885-1889; 
Rabbi  j.  Leonard  Levy,  1889-1893;  Rabbi  Barnett  A.  Elzas,  1893- 
1894;  Rabbi  Abraham  Simon,  1894-1899;  Rabbi  William  H.  Green- 
berg,  1901-1902;  Rabbi  B.  M.  Kaplan,  1902-1904;  Rabbi  M.  X.  A. 
Cohen,  1904-1907;  Rabbi  Michael  Fried,  1907. 

The  present  incumbent  is  Rabbi  Michael  Fried,  who  has  been 
rabbi  of  the  congregation  since  1907,  and  the  institution  is  in  a 
prosperous  and  healthy  condition. 

The  poor,  destitute  and  strangers  of  the  Jewish  faith  are  looked 
after  bv  the  two  benevolent  societies  of  the  community.  The 
Ladies'  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society  looks  after  the  women  and 
families,  and  the  Men's  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society  looks  after  the 
men  who  may  need  assistance.  Both  of  these  societies  are  doing 
excellent  and  eflficient  work  in  ameliorating  the  condition  of  the 
poor  and  needy.  The  officers  of  the  Ladies'  Benevolent  Society 
are:  Mrs.  Michael  Fried,  president;  Mrs.  Sam  Stone,  vice-presi- 
dent; Mrs.  M.  Simon,  secretary;  Mrs.  A.  Elkus,  treasurer.  The 
officers  of  the  Men's  Benevolent  Society  are:  L.  Garfinkle,  presi- 


70  WESTERN   JEWRY 

dent;  Dr.  L.  G.  Reynolds,  vice-president;  Rabbi  Michael  Fried, 
secretary  and  treasurer.  Another  busy  and  important  Jewish  or- 
ganization of  Sacramento  is  Etham  Lodge,  No.  Z7 ,  I.  O.  B.  B.  This 
lodge  is  the  second  oldest  lodge  in  the  district,  and  one  of  the 
strongest,  both  in  regard  to  the  number  of  members  and  in  respect 
to  its  activities  and  usefulness.  Meetings  are  held  on  the  second 
and  fourth  Tuesday  of  each  month,  and  as  a  rule  are  well  attended. 
Important  Jewish  topics  are  discussed  at  these  meetings  in  which 
the  members  are  greatly  interested  and  show  great  enthusiasm. 
The  present  officers  of  Etham  Lodge  are :  D.  Singer,  president ; 
William  Abramovitz,  vice-president ;  Leon  Solomon,  secretary,  and 
J.  Ginsberg,  treasurer. 


Congregation  Beth  Israel,  San  Diego 

JEWS  have  been  residents  of  San  Diego  for  upwards  of  half  a 
century  and  their  early  history  is  shrouded  in  mystery.  Tra- 
ditions differ  somewhat  but  not  so  very  much  as  to  prevent 
an  intelligent  recital  thereof  in  brief.  These  Jewish  pioneers  lived 
in  Old  Town,  which  was  more  or  less  of  a  Mexican  village.  The  Marcus 
Schiller  and  Joseph  Manas.se  families  were  established  in  business 
more  than  half  a  century  ago  and  were  very  prominent.  Services 
were  held  on  the  high  holy  days  in  the  Schiller  home,  where  wan- 
dering co-religionists  were  billeted  so  that  Minyan  was  assured. 
There  possibly  were  some  contemporary  Jewish  residents,  at  any 
rate  they  arrived  about  the  same  period,  among  whom  were  Rose, 
who  donated  the  old  cemetery  and  who  gave  name  to  Roseville 
and  Rose  Canyon,  A.  Klauber,  Simon  Levi,  Rudolph  Schiller, 
Adolph  Levi,  Steiner,  Abram  Blochman,  Mendelsohn  and  others. 
A  congregation  was  organized,  worship  conducted  on  festivals  and 
a  religious  school  met  in  the  Masonic  hall  under  the  direction 
of  Mrs.  A.  Blochman.  By  this  time  New  Town,  or  the  beginning 
of  present  San  Diego,  was  the  center  of  population,  and  the  grad- 
ually growing  Jewish  population  kept  together  and  labored  to- 
gether in  the  cause  of  Judaism.  By  this  time  Isaac  Kuhn,  Samuel 
I.  Fox,  Simon  Goldbaum  and  others  in  course  of  time  made  their 
home  here,  including  Julius  Naumann,  Maurice  E.  Meyer,  etc.,  and 
each  and  all  took  an  interest  in  the  progress  of  the  congregation. 
About  twenty-seven  years  ago  property  was  purchased  at  the 
corner  of  Second  and  Beech  streets  and  a  house  of  worship  erected. 
Marcus  Schiller  was  succeeded  as  president  of  Bet-h  Israel  by 
Abram  Blochman.  Among  the  rabbis  who  served  the  congrega- 
tion during  this  period  were  Rabbis  Moses,  Freuder,  etc.  The  Jew- 
ish population  decreased  by  both  death  and  removal  from  the  city, 
and  for  many  years  no  rabbi  was  retained.     In  1909  the  city  began 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


71 


to  grow  out  of  all  proportion  and  the  arrival  of  Rabbi  E.  Ellinger 
stimulated  the  desire  to  hold  regular  worship.  Simon  Levi  ac- 
cepted the  presidency,  the  temple  was  renovated  and  re-dedicated 
on  Friday  evening,  September  10,  1909.  Mr.  Levi  was  succeeded 
by  Samuel  L  Fox  and  Mr.  Fox  by  Adolph  Levi.  Rabbi  Ellinger 
was  succeeded  by  Rabbi  Montague  N.  A.  Cohen  who  came  from 
Butte,  Mont.,  in  the  summer  of  1912. 

In  connection  with  the  congregation  a  mothers'  club  was  in- 


TEMPLE    BETH     ISR.VEL,    S.\N    DIEGO 

stituted  many  years  ago  by  the  mothers  of  children  who  attended 
the  religious  school.  The  school  for  many  years  was  managed  by 
Mesdames  A.  Blochman  and  S.  Brust,  and  by  Misses  Celita  Ma- 
nasse  and  Celia  Schiller.  The  latter  is  still  an  invaluable  assistant 
to  the  rabbi.  The  Mothers'  Club  has  become  an  auxiliary  to  the 
congregation. 

The  Ladies'  Hebrew  Aid  Society  has  for  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century  attended  to  the  wants  of  the  poor  and  the  needy.  Today 
the  congregation  numbers  more  than  sixty  members.  Great  hopes 
are  held  out  that  the  community  will  grow  to  vast  proportions  and 
that  it  will  be  an  invaluable  asset  in  the  community  of  Jewish  con- 
gregational life  of  California  and  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Officers  of  the  societies  are : 
Directors  of  Congregation  Beth  Israel — Adolph  Levi,  president; 
S.   I.    Fox,   vice-president;   M.   L.    Davidson,   treasurer;   Lucien   A. 
Blochman,  Simon  Levi,  Mark  Schoenbrun  and  L.  A.  Unger.      Samuel 
Schiller  is  the  secretary. 

Mothers'  Club — Miss  Laura  Schiller,  president ;  Mrs.  A.  Blum- 
berg,  treasurer;  Mrs.  Ben  Lubin,  corresponding  secretary;  Mrs.  A. 
Weinstock,  recording  secretary. 


Biographies 


CHARLES  LOUIS  ACKERMAN 

CHARLES  LOUIS  ACKERMAN, 
son  of  Louis  and  Caroline  (  Fleish- 
man )  Ackerman,  was  born  October  1st, 
1850,  in  New  Orleans.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  San  Fran- 


Charles  Louis  Ackerman 

cisco  and  received  a  degree  of  LL.B.  in 
1871  from  Harvard  University  Law 
School.  He  commenced  to  practice 
law  in  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1871.  In  1872 
he  returned  to  San  Francisco  and  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
He  was  married  in  1878  to  Miss  Carrie 
Meyer.  In  1879,  ?vlr.  Ackerman  formed 
a  partnership  with  Joseph  Naphtaly  and 
David  Freidenrich.  which  continued  for 
twenty-six  years,  until  he  retired  in 
1905.  This  law  firm  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  in  the  State,  and  represented 
among  others  the  Southern  Pacific 
Company,  Market  Street  Railway  Com- 
pany and  numerous  other  large  con- 
cerns including  the  San  Francisco 
Board  of  Trade.  Mr.  Ackerman  was  a 
Democrat  and  helped  to  nominate  most 
of  the  municipal  Democratic  tickets  for 
twenty  years.  He  was  appointed  judge- 


advocate  general  and  colonel  by  Gov. 
Bartlett.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  speakers  and  had  the  repu- 
tation of  being  the  best  after-dinner 
speaker  in  California,  and  one  of  the 
best  and  cleverest  impromptu  speakers. 
His  greatest  strength  as  an  attorney 
was  as  a  trial  lawyer.  He  was  one  of 
the  best  pleaders  before  a  jury  and  in 
all  the  time  that  his  firm  represented 
the  Market  Street  Railway,  they  never 
lost  an  important  case  in  fifteen  years. 
He  was  attorney  for  Florence  Blythe, 
in  which  case  was  involved  one  of  the 
largest  fees  at  that  time.  His  firm  won 
the  case  for  her.  He  had  a  large  li- 
brary ;  in  fact,  one  of  the  largest  pri- 
vate libraries  in  the  West.  He  was  a 
great  lover  of  art  and  literature. 

Charles  Louis  Ackerman  was  very 
charitable.  First  and  foremost  a  Jew, 
a  member  of  the  Congregation  Temple 
Emanu-El,  and  practically  of  all  the 
Jewish  charitable  organizations  in  San 
Francisco.  He  was  several  times 
president  of  the  Concordia  Club  and  a 
member  of  the  San  Francisco  Bar  As- 
sociation. His  demise  occurred  Janu- 
ary 25,  1909.  His  wife  and  one  son, 
Irving  Charles  Ackerman,  an  attorney 
of  San  Francisco,  survive. 


ABRAM  ANSPACHER 

IT  has  been  said  that  one  must  be 
beloved  to  win  a  sobriquet.  Abram 
Anspacher,  the  dear  "Old  Man  Be- 
nevolent" was  more  than  beloved,  he 
was  held  in  mingled  love  and  honor 
and  with  something  of  sacred  fear  he 
was  revered.  The  beauty  of  his  life 
brightened  and  blessed,  not  only  his 
own  pathway,  but  the  pathway  of  the 
many  who  trod  the  rugged  road.  The 
poor  and  suffering  he  wrapped  in  the 
folds  of  infinite  compassion,  for  when 
love  for  humanity  takes  possession  of 


WESTERN    TEWRY 


71 


the  heart,  it  dominates  every  other  af- 
fection and  desire.  This  love  which  he 
bore  for  his  fellows  manifested  itself 
in  a  constant  effort  to  benefit  man- 
kind, and  it  was  reflected — it  was  borne 
back  to  him  in  the  form  which  be- 
stowed upon  him  this  loving  cognomen, 
"Old   Man    Benevolent." 

Let  us  go  back  and  follow  from  the 
beginning  the  life  of  Abram  Anspacher, 
and  perhaps  we  may  learn  in  a  small 
measure  of  the  great  love  he  radiated 
everywhere  he  went.  He  had  the  whole 
path  to  walk  the  same  as  the  rest  of 
us,  the  wdiole  race  to  run,  temptation 


Abram  Anspacher 

to  overcome ;  the  wilderness,  the  fire 
to  go  through,  his  fears  to  face,  even 
as  you  or  I ;  but  he  found  peace,  the 
true  peace  that  passeth  understanding 
— but  why?  He  found  Emanu-El; 
"God   with   us." 

Abram  Anspacher  was  of  German 
parentage — of  the  good  German  stock 
that  has  made  the  backbone  of  Amer- 
ican Judaism.  He  was  born  August 
13,  1818,  in  the  small  town  of  Weimar, 
Schmiedau,  in  Bavaria.  At  that  time 
fifteen  Jewish  families  composed  the 
small  congregation  which  flourished 
there.  For  many  reasons  (the  restric- 
tive laws  against  the  Jews,  modified 
onlv  since  1848,  were  in  full  force)  the 


chief  one  being  the  compulsory  mili- 
tary service  which  did  not  appeal  to 
him  and  which  would  prevent  him 
from  being  the  support  of  his  parents. 
So  he  left  his  home  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one. 

When  he  first  arrived  in  America  in 
1839,  he  located  at  Cincinnati,  later 
moving  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  after- 
wards to  Evansville,  Ind.,  where  he 
permanently  resided.  From  the  time 
of  his  arrival  we  begin  to  hear  the 
name  of  A.  Anspacher  mentioned  with 
the  utmost  respect.  He  was  among  the 
earliest  of  the  membership  of  K.  K. 
Bene  Yeshurun  in  Cincinnati ;  then  as 
a  member  and  presiding  officer  of  the 
Louisville  congregation ;  later  on  we 
meet  him  in  the  same  capacity  in  the 
congregation  of  Evansville,  Ind. ;  al- 
ways in  front  of  the  workers,  and  then 
since  1868  in  San  Francisco,  a  member 
and  ofScer  of  the  Emanu-El  Congre- 
gation ;  a  leading  man  in  all  charities 
and  enterprises.  In  the  records  of  these 
four  congregations,  many  charities,  and 
in  the  records  of  the  Lnion  of  Amer- 
ican Hebrew  Congregations  and  its 
college,  the  name  of  A.  Anspacher  is 
indelibly  inscribed  as  that  of  an 
Israelite,   worthy  and   distinguished. 

His  commercial  life  is  of  interest. 
Ten  years  after  his  arrival  in  this  coun- 
try he  was  one  of  the  leading  mer- 
chants of  Indiana.  From  the  foot  of 
the  ladder  he  climbed  surely  and 
steadily,  helping  build  up  the  commer- 
cial and  industrial  power  of  the  coun- 
try of  his  adoption.  Among  his  com- 
petitors he  was  well  known  for  his 
high  conceptions  of  business  integrity. 

The  following  letter  sent  to  Mr.  An- 
spacher after  he  left  for  California 
speaks  for  itself : 

"I  regret  I  had  not  the  extreme 
pleasure  of  seeing  you  before  you  left, 
as  in  this  degenerate  age  of  deception 
and  deceit  it  does  one  good  to  take  an 
honest  man  by  the  hand.  Such,  my 
friend.  I  have  always  found  you,  prompt, 
straightforward,   strict  in  all  vour  busi- 


74 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


ness  engagements.  Seldom  I  found 
your  equal,  never  your  superior — for 
fair  dealing  and  integrity.  I  hope  and 
I  know  you  will  be  successful  in  your 
new  venture,  and  in  a  new  country.  It 
will  always  afiford  me  pleasure  to  serve 
you.  Command  me  whenever  you 
need  me." 

Eloquent,  indeed,  are  such  letters. 

Upon  his  arrival  in  California,  in 
1868,  he  founded  the  firm  of  An- 
spacher  Brothers,  and  later  composed 
of  his  sons  and  son-in-law,  it  became 
an  extensive,  widely-known  firm  in  the 
Livermore  Valley.  With  the  success 
and  prosperity  of  the  concern  assured, 
Mr.  Anspacher  retired  in  order  that  he 
might  devote  the  remaining  years  of 
his  life  to  the  interests  so  dear  to  him. 

Connected  with  every  religious  and 
charitable  organization  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, he  devoted  all  his  time  to  the 
comfort  and  well-being  of  the  poor.  It 
was  not  Mr.  Anspacher's  way  to  dis- 
pense charity  with  a  lavish  hand,  ac- 
companied by  the  blare  of  trumpets ; 
his  way  was  to  bestow  his  blessings 
quietly.  He  would  not  mar  the  beauty 
of  his  kind  acts,  and  his  charities  were 
princely.  His  tenderness  towards  the 
young,  the  feeble  and  the  needy  were 
beautiful.  On  the  death  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Henry  he  secured  that  gentleman's 
valuable  library  and  gave  it  to  the 
Hebrew  Union  college.  On  the  found- 
ing of  the  Chair  of  History  in  that  col- 
lege he  telegraphed  the  first  thousand 
dollars  to  the  convention  at  Baltimore. 
Another  noble  gift  was  $10,000  to  the 
Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum,  and 
equipped  the  musically  inclined  boys 
of  the  home  with  instruments  and  uni- 
forms, and  the  Anspacher  Band,  as  it 
was  lovingly  called  during  his  lifetime, 
rendered  splendid  service  in  providing 
music  for  young  and  old  in  conse- 
quence of  Mr.  Anspacher's  munificence. 
He  was  president  of  the  Eureka  Be- 
nevolent Society  and  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five     he     became     president     of 


Temple  Emanu-El,  a  position  he  held 
with  dignity. 

Here  is  an  incident  which  it  is  well 
to  relate  of  him,  as  being  character- 
istic of  the  man:  On  August  1,  1860, 
the  Congregation  B'nai  Israel  of 
Evansville,  Ind.,  being  considerably 
involved,  financially,  he  uttered  twenty- 
four  notes  of  $500  each  for  their  bene- 
fit. A  poor  man  at  the  time,  with  an 
invalid  wife  and  six  children,  he  found 
it  impossible  to  pay  so  large  a  sum  in 
cash  at  one  time.  However,  in  1862, 
in  just  two  years,  through  his  own  in- 
dividual efiforts  he  collected  sufficient 
money  to  cover  these  notes. 

Mr.  Anspacher  was  a  life  member  of 
the  Jewish  Publication  Society  and  a 
life  member  of  the  Buford  Free  Kin- 
dergarten Society,  and  vice-president 
of  the  Jewish  Alliance  of  California, 
which  was  organized  in  1891.  Among 
his  donations  was  a  substantial  gift  to 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  When  he  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Evansville  he  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  Thisbe  Lodge  No.  24,  I.  O. 
B.  B.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order  in  Evansville  and  held  all 
the  oflfices  in  his  lodge  until  he  became 
worshipful  master,  and  it  is  saying  vol- 
umes for  this  good  man's  personality 
when  it  is  remembered  that  the  mem- 
bership of  that  lodge  was  composed  of 
ninety  per  cent  Gentiles. 

He  was  very  methodical.  A  scrap- 
book  kept  by  him  was  indexed  to  the 
smallest  detail.  During  his  spare  mo- 
ments he  composed  beautiful  poems 
and  dedicated  them  to  his  family. 

Far  more  noteworthy  than  all  his 
good  deeds  and  achievements  was 
Abram  Anspacher's  personal  goodness, 
his  piety  and  religious  fervor.  He  was 
pre-eminently  the  type  of  the  noble 
Jew  in  whose  presence  all  religious 
dissent  is  silenced.  He  served  his  God 
and  his  people.  And  now  that  he 
walks  no  longer  in  our  midst  we  feel 
richer  and  better  for  having  known 
him,    and   the   example    he    set    by   his 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


/:> 


kindly,  sympathetic  way  in  this 
noblest  story  of  sacrifice  and  devotion 
will  long  be  the  guiding  star  to  those 
that   are  left   behind. 

A    witty    letter   from    Dr.    Isaac    M. 
Wise: 

Cincinnati,  September  25,  1899. 
My  Dear  Friend  Anspacher : 

It  seems  that  you  and  I  are  becom- 
ing more  foolish  as  we  become  older; 
I,  because  I  am  now  at  work  sixteen 
hours  a  day,  mealtime  excepted,  which 
is    rank    folly,    and    you    because    you 
imagine  yourself  too  old  to  do  much  of 
anything.      It    does    not    appear    from 
your    letter    that    you    are    much    en- 
feebled.    Still,  I  think  we  have  a  right 
now  to  get   somewhat  foolish.     I   be- 
cause I  was  wise  for  eighty  years,  and 
you   because   you   have   done   so   much 
good  in  eighty-two  years  to  this  world 
that  you  may  now  inflict  a  little  folly 
npon    the    world.      But   I    must   advise 
you    not    to    afiflict    yourself    with    the 
imagined  frailty  and  feebleness  of  old 
age.     Keep  sweet  your  humor  as  your 
heart   is   benevolent ;   turn   the   eighty- 
two  into  twenty-eight,  and  live  accord- 
in^lv  with  thanks  to  the  Lord  who  has 
gifted  yon  with  special  kindness  to  be 
vet    A.     Anspacher    as    always    hereto- 
fore,   and    expect    of    Him    to    prolong 
the  lease  up  to  100,  as  he  can  hardly  af- 
ford to  let  you  go  below  par.     If  you 
want  me  to  do  it  I  will  assist  you  ne- 
gotiating that  lease. 
Yours  as  ever. 

(Signed)    Is.\.\c  M.  Wise. 

An  appreciatory  letter : 
San  Francisco,  January  29,  1885. 
A.   Anspacher,   Esq. : 

Dear  Sir — At  a  meeting  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  Pacific  Hebrew 
Orphan  Asylum  &  Home  Society, 
held  on  the  20th  inst.,  the  undersigned 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  convey 
to  you  the  sincere  and  heartfelt  thanks 
of  the  board  for  the  generous  and  lib- 
eral gift  of  the  sum  of  $10,000  donated 


by  you  to  the  society,  for  the  purpose 
of  perpetuating  the  "Brass  Band," 
which  you  have  at  your  own  cost 
created  and  maintained  until  now. 

We  take  pride  and  pleasure  in  car- 
rying out  the  mission  of  thanks  en- 
trusted to  us  and  prefer  to  speak  to 
you  in  the  plain  and  simple  language 
which  one  friend  will  use  in  speaking 
to  another,  rather  than  in  the  stereo- 
typed form  of  resolution. 

We  thank  you  from  the  bottom  of 
our  hearts  for  your  kind  and  noble  act 
and  in  giving  expression  to  our  feel- 
ing and  those  of  all  the  members  of  the 
board,  we  speak  for  the  orphans  whose 
welfare  and  happiness  evidently  forms 
one  of  the  main  objects  of  your 
thoughts  and  wishes. 

The  thoughtfulness  with  which  you 
have  established  this  permanent  or- 
chestral union  amongst  the  orphans  in 
our  charge  deserves  the  highest  praise. 
Besides  offering  innocent  enjoyment 
to  our  wards,  having  an  intellectual 
and  refining  influence  upon  the  char- 
acter of  our  boys  and  promoting 
friendship  amongst  them,  the  knowl- 
edge and  proficiency  which  they  are 
enabled  to  acquire  by  your  munificence 
will  probably  in  many  cases  be  a  source 
of  income  to  them,  when  their  ordi- 
nary calling  in  life  proves  insufificient 
for   their   support. 

We  feel  particularly  grateful  for 
your  magnificent  donation  because  in 
your  eagerness  to  accomplish  a  good 
act,  you  do  not  content  yourself  with 
the  usual  way  of  giving  by  bequest, 
but  carry  out  your  good  intention  at 
once    and    without    delay. 

We  thank  you  for  the  noble  example 
which  you  thereby  give  to  others  and  as 
the  only  recompense  which  we  can  ofifer 
you,  we  express  the  fervent  hope  and 
prayer  that  kind  Providence  may  keep 
and  preserve  you  in  health  and  con- 
tentment for  many  years  to  come. 

May  you  enjoy  in  the  midst  of  your 
family  and  your  many  friends  the  re- 


76 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


spect,  love  and  affection,  which  form 
the  highest  and  sweetest  reward  for  a 
Hfe  spent  in  iisefuhiess,  purity  and 
charity. 

Very  respectfully, 

S.   W.    Levy,    President. 
Leo  Eloesser,  Secretary. 

H.  L.  Simon, 
SiG  Greenebaum, 

S.   W.   ROSENSTOCK. 

Committee. 

A  poetical  tribute  to  Abram  Anspacher 

by  C.  A.  : 

ABEAM  ANSPACHER 

When  God  sent  forth  thy  soul  to  earth's  abode 
He  asked:     Wlierewith  shall   I  send  thee  forth, 
And  tell  what  vesture  shall  adorn  thy  frame? 
Wilt  thou  be  clothed  on  with  Wisdom's  garb? 
Shall  Knowledge  hoar  from  that  high  brow  shine 
To   penetrate   like   Moses's  flame,   each  nook 
And  cranny  of  the  Ages'  ignorance? 
Wilt  thou  have  the  Poet's  gift  of  song, 
Inspired  breath  sent  down  from  Heaven's  heights, 
With  every  dallying  breeze  thy  senses  steep 
In  languors  born  of  Nature's  beauteous  breath? 
Shall  Gold,  Pactolean  stream,  begin  anew 
To  strive  with  thy  nature's  higher  powers. 
Bring  down  that  bright  aerial  visitant. 
Thy  soul,  into  the  dust,  sullying  its  wings 
Till  it  can  rise  no  more,  into  that  blue 
Thou    eallst    till    now    thy    Heavenly    Father's 

home  ? 
Shall  Power  be  thine?    When   at   thy  chariot's 

wheel 
Shall  bend  and  cringe  the  wondering  multitude. 
Fearing  thy  haughty  smile,  glassing  Authority, 
Pride's  subject  sole  until  thy   fearsome  crest 
Is  brought  again  to  lowly  earth's  abode? 
Say!  What  wilt  thou  choose  of  Heavenly  blessing? 
And   Abram   spake:     In  thy   far  Heaven,  Lord, 
I  feel  Thee  near,  though  the  most  distant  star 
Knows  not  or  guesses  that  most  secret  abode; 
Thy  love  is  everywhere.  The  Monad  knows 
Its  force  and  suns  shine  forth  resplendent  beams 
Whose  tires  mirror  forth  ineffable,  transcending 
All  that  Imagination's  dreams  can  body  forth; 
Yet  all  it  means,  and  is,  but  Love!   Love! 
And  I,  the  airy  bubble  of  a  day. 
Breathed  with  Thy  Breath.  Oh,  all  I  ask  of  Thee 
To  but  shadow  forth  in  mild  degree 
That  love.     So  when  Mankind  call 
My  name,  then  let  it  be  with  such  love 
That  every  tender  heart  will  be  astir. 
And  I  go  forth  with  blessings.     Rich  and  poor 
My  brethren  be.     Mercy,  Kindness,  Peace 
May  all  share  alike  with  me.    And  God 
Said,  "So  let  it  be  in  Heaven  and  Earth." 


SIMON  BACHMAN 

THE  traits  which  distinguished 
Simon  Bachman  as  a  man  among 
men  were  his  fairness  and  his  impar- 
tiality in  all  his  dealings.  Equal  jus- 
tice manifested  itself  in  his  every  act, 
word  and  thought  and  it  was  for  this 
that  he  was  held  in  high  esteem.  Blunt 
of  speech  but  carrying  no  sting  of  sar- 
casm or  criticism,  his  frankness  was 
always  well  meant.  His  loyal  interest 
in  his  friends,  his  liberality  in  alms- 
eivine  and  his  kindliness  toward  all 
with   whom   he   came   in   contact   were 


Simon  Bacliman 

characteristics  which  endeared  him  to 
many. 

Simon  Bachman  was  born  March  17, 
1834,  in  Bavaria,  Germany.  The  edu- 
cation he  received  was  the  best  that 
could  be  obtained  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  land.  When  he  was  a  young 
man  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
arriving  in  California  in  the  early 
fifties.  His  first  place  of  residence  was 
at  Mission  San  Jose.  Here  he  em- 
barked in  the  mercantile  business.  At 
that  time  San  Francisco  was  an  invit- 
ing place  for  the  young  and  ambitious 
and  Mr.  Bachman  decided  to  remove 
to  that  city. 

In     1865    he    married    Miss    Sophie 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


77 


Goldman.  A  longing-  to  see  the  old 
home  and  familiar  scenes  of  his  boy- 
hood caused  him  to  return  to  Europe 
for  a  time,  but  in  1869,  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  Franco- Prussian  war,  he  came 
back  to  San  Francisco. 

Joining  Mendel  Esberg,  a  company 
was  formed  in  wholesale  cigars  and 
tobacco,  the  firm  name  being  Esberg, 
Bachman  &  Co.  This  business  in- 
creased to  a  large  degree  and  continued 
until  the  death  of  Mr.  Esberg  in  1896, 
when  the  firm  was  changed  to  Simon 
Bachman  &  Co.  In  1906  the  firm  was 
incorporated,  withdrawing  from  the 
tobacco  business  ^and  dealing  ■exclu- 
sively in  the  wholesale  cigar  trade. 
This  was  the  year  Mr.  Bachman  re- 
tired from  the  active  management  of 
the  firm.  This  and  other  interests 
kept  him  an  active  man  until  his  death 
October  28,   1912. 

Simon  Bachman  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neer members  of  Temple  Emanu-El 
and  earnestly  interested  in  the  various 
Jewish  organizations  of  charity  in  the 
city.  He  is  survived  by  one  son,  Ar- 
thur Bachman,  and  two  daughters, 
Mrs.  Samuel  Dinkelspiel  and  ]\Irs. 
Louis  A.  Schwabacher. 


JULIUS    BAUM 

JULIUS  BAUM  was  born  in  1833  in 
Diespeck,  near  Nuremberg,  Ger- 
many. His  education  was  received  in 
the  village  schools  of  his  native  city. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  found  employment 
in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  remained 
for  about  three  years. 

To  the  young  man,  the  call  of  the 
West  was  so  persistent  that  he  settled 
his  afifairs  in  the  inland  city  and  made 
the  journey  to  California  in  1852, 
choosing  San  Francisco  as  his  place 
of  abode.  The  general  merchandising 
and  the  wholesale  clothing  business  in 
which  he  engaged  were  his  own,  but  in 
1869  he  formed  a  partnership  under  the 
name    of    Baum    &    Schrier,    in    which 


he  continued  with  prosperity  until 
1886.  In  1886  he  became  a  grain  broker 
and  was  also  a  member  of  the  Produce 
Exchange. 

He  was  the  founder  and  president 
of  the  Vulcan  Powder  Works,  vice- 
president  and  stockholder  in  the  Sutter 
Street  Railway  Company,  director  of 
the  Union  Insurance  Company,  and 
actively  interested  in  other  corpora- 
tions of  high  standing.  At  that  time 
he  was  rated  as  one  of  the  wealthiest 
of    San    Francisco's    rich    men. 

April  12,  1864,  Julius  Baum  married 


Julius  Baum 

Miss  Clara  Waller  of  New  York  City. 
Six  children  were  born  to  them — ]\Irs. 
Sam  Bauer,  Mrs.  Charles  Schlessinger, 
Helen  Baum,  Benjamin  J.  Baum  and 
Arthur  W.  Baum.  Two  nephews  were 
also  adopted  by  them  and  reared 
as  their  own — Edward  and  Samuel 
Louisson. 

Mr.  Baum  was  one  of  the  first  mem- 
bers of  the  Temple  Emanu-El  and  one 
of  the  founders  and  the  treasurer  of 
the  Alason  Street  Congregation.  His 
religion  was  very  dear  to  him  and  he 
was  present  at  the  services  every 
week. 

His  charities  were  not  confined  to 
the     Eureka    Benevolent    Society    and 


78 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


other  philanthropic  institutions  of 
which  he  was  an  active  member,  but 
were  given  wherever  needed. 

When  Julius  Baum's  death  took 
place  on  the  seventeenth  of  March, 
1897,  he  left  behind  a  host  of  friends 
who  will  long  mourn  the  good,  true, 
happy-hearted  man  he  was.  San  Fran- 
cisco never  had  a  more  staunch  be- 
liever in  her  future  than  he.  His  fore- 
sight in  her  prosperity  and  growth  and 
courage  has  since  been  proven. 


ISAAC  F.  BLOCH 

AMONG  the  rugged  pioneers,  whose 
will  power  and  intelligence  did  so 
much  towards  the  building  up  of  the 
Golden  West,  there  were  quite  a  few 
who  were  men  of  superior  education 
and  unusual  culture.  Isaac  F.  Bloch 
was  one  of  them.  He  was  a  great  stu- 
dent of  English,  German  and  Hebrew, 
and  ihough  a  practical  business  man, 
he  devoted  his  leisure  hours  to  chari- 
table and  religious  work. 

Isaac  Bloch  was  born  in  Floss, 
Bavaria,  Germany,  in  1822.  Coming  to 
the  United  States  at  an  early  age,  he 
settled  in  Alabama,  where  he  clerked 
and  merchandised  until  the  early  '50's, 
when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco. 
With  Aaron  and  Leopold  Cahn  he 
established  mercantile  institutions  in 
Portland,  The  Dalles  and  Walla  Walla, 
and  became  known  in  the  Northwest 
as  a  high-minded,  progressive  man  of 
affairs.  In  1886  the  firm  dissolved. 
Later  in  San  Francisco  he  established 
a  tannery,  which  was  the  first  of  its 
kind  in  the  L'nited  States,  for  the 
manufacture  of  high-grade  leathers, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Bloch  &  David- 
son, in  which  firm  he  retained  an  active 
interest  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

Isaac  Bloch,  during  a  long  and  hon- 
orable career,  was  greatly  admired  by 
reason  of  his  piety,  his  broad-minded- 
ness, his  scholarly  attainments  and  his 
abiding    faith    in    human    nature.     He 


was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order 
and  gave  liberally  of  his  substance  to 
the  poor  and  needy.  He  was  very  ac- 
tive in  Jewish  affairs  of  every  descrip- 
tion. He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  Congregation  Emanu-El  and  for 
many  years  its  vice-president  and  direc- 
tor, and  was  chairman  of  the  building 
committee    and    a   very   active    worker 


Isaac  F.   Bloch 

in  the  congregation.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  first  board  of  directors 
of  the  Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum. 
The  Eureka  Benevolent  Society,  as 
well  as  numerous  other  similar  organi- 
zations, found  in  Isaac  Bloch  a  staunch 
supporter.  He  married  Celine  Cahn, 
who,  with  the  following  children,  sur- 
vive him  :  Henry  M.,  A.  I.,  Arthur,  Dr. 
Herbert  I.,  Sarah,  Estelle  and  Louis. 
He  died  in  1883. 


JOSHUA  HARRY  BLOOM 

JOSHUA  HARRY  BLOOM  was  a 
native  son  of  California,  having 
been  born  in  San  Francisco  March  7, 
1864;  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Pauline 
(Alpern)  Bloom.  His  education  was 
obtained  in  the  city  of  his  birth  in  the 
public  schools  and  later  in  the  high 
schools,  augmented  by  a  commercial 
course  at  Heald's  Business  College  and  a 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


79 


course  in  chemistry  at  the  Vander  Naillen 
Engineering  College.  This  last  course 
was  in  preparation  for  the  business 
career  he  eventually  pursued.  During 
his  school  life  he  was  an  athlete  of  no 
mean  ability.  The  fact  that  he  was 
rated  as  an  extraordinarily  good  singer 
made  him  very  popular  in  whatever 
company  he  found  himself.     Before  Mr. 


Joshua  Harry  Bloom 

Bloom  left  school  he  entered  into  the 
tannery  business  of  his  father's  firm, 
which  became  known  as  the  Samuel 
Bloom  &  Sons  Company. 

His  efficiency  and  good  judgment 
soon  proved  to  his  father  that  his  stal- 
wart young  son  was  fully  capable  of  as- 
suming control  of  the  business  which 
had  come  to  him  from  his  grandfather 
through  his  own  father.  Thus  Joshua 
Harry  Bloom  was  the  fourth  genera- 
tion to  carry  on  the  tannery  business 
that  was  known  by  the  Bloom  name. 
It  was  the  rule  of  his  life  to  never  shirk 
the  least  detail  in  anything.  This  was 
the  reason  of  his  success  and  one  well 
worthy  of  emulation. 

In  February  of  1889  Mr.  Bloom  was 
married  to  Miss  Mollie  Zemansky  of  San 
Francisco.  To  them  were  born  two 
daughters,  Rietta  and  Florine.  Mr. 
Bloom's  devotion  to  his  family,  his  loy- 


alty to  his  friends,  and  his  charity  to 
all  who  were  needy  caused  a  great 
many  people  to  mourn  his  loss  when  he 
was  taken  away  by  death  the  nine- 
teenth of  December,  1914. 

His  great  interest,  outside  of  busi- 
ness, was  in  the  Masonic  order,  in  which 
he  was  one  of  the  most  earnest  work- 
ers. He  was  a  member  of  Fidelity 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  Scottish  Rite, 
Thirty-second  Degree,  and  was  a 
Shriner.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
Temple  Emanuel  and  of  the  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities. 


SAMUEL   BLOOM 

A  DETAILED  history  of  manufac- 
turing in  California  would  hardly 
be  complete  without  mentioning  the 
man  who  occupied  a  conspicuous  posi- 
tion in  its  development  for  over  half  a 
century. 

The  Samuel  Bloom  &  Sons  Company 


Samuel   Bloom 

is  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  tan- 
neries in  the  West. 

Its  founder,  Samuel  Bloom,  son  of 
Meyer  Bloom,  was  born  in  Poland  in 
1833.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  came 
to  the  United  States,  one  year  before 
the  gold  discoveries  in  California  ex- 
cited the  interests  of  the  world.    Young 


80 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


Bloom  moved  westward  several  years 
later,  arriving  in  San  Francisco  via 
Nicaragua.  He  opened  a  merchandise 
store  in  Georgetown  and  being  thor- 
oughly trained  in  the  tanning  business, 
as  were  his  father  and  grandfather  before 
him,  he  availed  himself  of  the  oppor- 
tunity that  soon  offered  itself  to  estab- 
lish a  tannery  in  San  Francisco.  This 
business  is  still  in  existence  and  has  be- 
come known  all  over  the  world  for  the 
excellence  of  its  manufacture.  Samuel 
Bloom  was  a  man  of  education  in  the 
broadest  sense  of  the  term.  His  chari- 
ties were  numerous,  while  the  principal 
Jewish  organizations  of  San  Francisco 
counted  him  among  their  most  valued 
supporters.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Congregation  Beth  Israel  (Geary 
street  synagogue)  and  was  a  member  of 
the  building  committee  of  the  old  house 
of  worship.  He  was  past  master  of  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.  and  past  president  of  the 
Montefiore  Lodge,  I.  O.  B.  B.  He  was 
a  man  of  great  personal  charm,  highly 
esteemed  for  his  piety  and  simplicity. 

He  married  Pauline  Alpern  of  San 
Francisco  and  the  following  children 
were  born  to  them:  Joshua  H.  (de- 
ceased), Solomon  Bloom,  the  well- 
known  attorney,  and  D.  C.  Bloom,  who 
conducts  the  business  of  his  father. 

Samuel  Bloom  died  April  8,  1910. 


JOSEPH  BRANDENSTEIN 

WHEN  Joseph  Brandenstein,  who 
was  born  September  27 ,  1826,  ar- 
rived in  California  in  1850  and  pro- 
ceeded to  establish  himself  in  business 
in  the  country  of  his  adoption,  he  had 
the  advantage  of  a  good  education.  His 
father  was  a  well-to-do  merchant  in  the 
town  of  his  birth,  Hume,  near  Cassel, 
Germany,  and  was  able  to  give  his  son 
a  good  common  school  training.  (The 
senior  Brandenstein  was  a  Napoleonic 
war  veteran).  When  Joseph  Bran- 
denstein was  a  young  man  it  was  his 
intention  to  become  a  physician,  but 
after  a  short  pursual  of  the  studies  re- 


quired gave  up  the  idea  as  he  took  a 
dislike  to  the  profession.  As  his  means 
permitted  he  gradually  perfected  his 
education  with  the  assistance  of  pri- 
vate tutors.  His  love  for  culture  led 
him  into  a  study  of  literature.  He  was 
a  Shakespearean  student  of  no  mean 
standing  and  possessed  a  historical 
knowledge  of  great  scope.  Versifica- 
tion appealed  to  him  and  many  poems 
of  genuine  merit  were  written  bv  him 
in  both  the   English  and  German  lan- 


Joseph  Brandenstein 

guages  and  are  now  cherished  by 
friends,  proud  in  their  possession  of 
them. 

Prior  to  his  arrival  in  the  United 
States  he  was  engaged  in  commercial 
occupations  in  his  native  city  and. there- 
fore, was  not  a  novice  when  he  under- 
took to  build  up  a  mercantile  business. 
He  met  with  experiences  similar  to 
those  encountered  by  other  California 
pioneers.  At  times  he  engaged  in  min- 
ing operations.  In  1854  he  formed  a 
co-partnership  with  Albert  S.  and 
Moses  Rosenbaum  in  San  Francisco, 
in  the  wholesale  business  of  leaf  to- 
bacco and  cigars. 

In  1855  he  married  ^liss  Jane  Rosen- 
baum, sister  of  his  partners,  in  San 
Francisco.   The  wedding  ceremony  was 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


81 


performed  by  Dr.  Eckman,  the  imme- 
diate predecessor  of  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn. 
Mr.  Brandenstein  remained  in  active 
business  until  1880,  when  the  co-part- 
nership was  dissolved.  After  that  time 
he  devoted  himself  almost  exclusively 
to  philanthropic  work,  while  some 
of  his  time  was  engaged  in  looking 
after  his  many  private  interests. 

Joseph  Brandenstein  was  promi- 
nently connected  with  the  German 
colony.  In  1876,  at  the  time  of  the  de- 
struction by  fire  of  its  hospital,  he  was 
president  of  the  German  Benevolent 
Society.  He  selected  the  site  of  the 
present  location  of  the  German  Hos- 
pital and  when  there  was  hesitation 
about  its  purchase,  he,  himself,  bought 
it,  assuring  the  directors  that  they 
would  want  it  ultimately.  As  he 
predicted,  they  did  want  it,  and  he 
turned  it  over  to  them  at  the  price 
he  paid  for  it.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  German  Altenheim,  was  presi- 
dent for  many  successive  terms,  finally 
retiring-  at  his  own  solicitation.  He 
was  also  deeply  interested  in  many 
Jewish  charities.  He  served  on  the  di- 
rectorate of  the  Pacific  Hebrew 
Orphan  Asylum,  and  served  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Mount  Zion  Hospital  Asso- 
ciation. 

Jane  Brandenstein,  the  beloved  wife 
of  Joseph  Brandenstein,  died  on  the 
26th  day  of  August,  1904,  while  he 
passed  away  March  23,  1910,  leaving 
a  family  of  ten  children,  many  grand- 
children and  great-grandchildren.  His 
sons  and  daughters  are  as  follows : 
Max  J.,  Alfred  J.,  Manfred,  Henry  U., 
Edward  and  Charles  Brandenstein ; 
Flora  Jacobi  (deceased),  Edith  Jacobi, 
Tillie  Greenebaum  and  Agnes  Silver- 
berg. 

Joseph  Brandenstein's  chief  char- 
acteristics were  quickness  nf  percep- 
tion, directness  of  action,  great  vitality 
and  nervous  energy.  He  was  warm- 
hearted and  generous  to  a  degree  and, 
despite  his  long  years  of  practical  ex- 
perience  in   life,   was  an   idealist.      He 


was  in  a  measure  the  natural  product 
of  his  birth  and  ancestry.  In  all  the 
domestic  virtues — charitableness  and 
goodness  of  heart — he  was  a  Jew.  In 
poetic  temperament  and  idealism  there 
was  much  of  the  Germanic  in  him.  He 
was  in  all  splendidly  representative,  in 
integrity,  ability  and  education,  of  the 
highest  type  of  the  European  Jew  of 
the  past  generation. 


LEOPOLD  BRENNER 

WHILE  little  is  known  of  the  early 
part  of  Leopold  Brenner's  life  be- 
yond the  fact  that  he  was  born  in  Ger- 
many and  his  education  began  there, 
one  feels  that  the  real  history  of  his  life 


Leopold   Brenner 

is  that  part  of  it  which  he  gave  to  the 
upbuilding  of  the  State  and  city  he 
chose  for  his  home.  His  reputation  for 
honesty,  kindliness  and  charity  will 
live  on  among  those  who  once  knew 
him  well. 

For  many  years  Leopold  Brenner 
conducted  a  very  successful  whole- 
sale men's  furnishing  goods  business 
in  San  Francisco  and  his  business  pros- 
pered because  of  his  courtesy,  affability 
and  rugged  honesty. 

For  some  time  he  was  the  vice-presi- 
dent  of  the   Sherith    Israel    Congrega- 


82 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


tion  and  filled  his  duties  with  dignity 
and  efficiency.  The  Eureka  Benevo- 
lent Society,  the  First  Hebrew  Benevo- 
lent Society,  the  Orphans'  Home  and 
the  Home  for  the  Aged  numbered  Mr. 
Brenner  among  their  valued  members. 
Mr.  Brenner  died  January  19,  1902  and 
left  one  son,  Gustave  B.  Brenner,  to 
mourn  his  loss. 


HYMAN  PHILIP  BUSH 

HYMAN  PHILIP  BUSH  was  born 
in  Xew  York  on  the  24th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1848,  and  died  the  30th  of  De- 
cember, 1907.  Miss  Caroline  Abraham  be- 
came his  wife  May  24,  1874.    Two  chil- 


Hynian    Philip    Bush 

dren  were  the  fruit  of  this  marriage, 
Philip  Lee  Bush  and  Arthur  Cleveland 
Bush. 

During  the  Civil  War  he  was  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States  Sanitary 
Commission.  Later  he  became  an  of- 
ficer in  the  Eighth  Regiment,  National 
Guard,  N.  Y.  Shortly  after  coming  to 
California  in  1871  he  became  identified 
with  the  National  Guard  of  the  State 
and  was  elected  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Hewston  Rifles,  which  later  became  a 
part  of  the  first  infantry  regiment, 
known  as  Company  H.  He  was 
elected    captain    of    this    company    in 


1872,  and  served  as  such  for  many 
years, later  becoming  lieutenant-colonel 
and  colonel  of  this  regiment,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  until  the  consolida- 
tion of  the  three  San  Francisco  militia 
regiments,  after  which  time  he  was  re- 
tired at  his  own  request. 

In  1901  the  Governor  of  the  State 
directed  that  he  return  to  the  active 
list  and  organize  a  Coast  Artillery  Bat- 
talion, which  he  successfully  com- 
manded for  four  years.  When  this 
work  was  completed,  and  it  was 
a  success,  he  asked  to  be  retired  and 
returned  to  the  retired  list.  In  appre- 
ciation for  his  long  services.  Governor 
Pardee  in  1905  appointed  him  brigadier- 
general  of  the  Second  Brigade,  N.  G. 
C,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for  a 
short  period. 

General  Bush  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  being  a  prominent  participant 
in  the  early  activities  of  that  party  in 
the  State.  He  was  appointed  to  the 
position  of  chief  accountant  of  the 
United  States  Mint  during  the  first  ad- 
ministration of  President  Cleveland, 
and  held  that  position  until  the  time 
of  his  death.  He  was  a  prominent  and 
charter  member  of  many  charitable  or- 
ganizations. He  was  a  member  of  the 
California  Society  of  New  Yorkers,  a 
member  of  Mount  Moriah  Lodge, 
Masonic  order,  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  past  grand  president  of  District 
No.  4,  I.  O.  O.  B.,  and  a  member  of  a 
number  of  Jewish  organizations. 


AARON  CAHN 

TWO  years  after  the  California 
gold  discoverers  Aaron  Cahn  ar- 
rived in  San  Francisco  via  the  Isthmus 
and  two  years  later  moved  to  Mon- 
terey, where  he  engaged  in  the  gen- 
eral merchandise  business.  Later  he 
moved  to  Portland  and  established  a 
wholesale  grocery  business  with  stores 
in  various  cities  in  the  Northwest, 
maintaining  his  residence  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


83 


In  the  early  seventies  Aaron  Cahn 
retired  from  active  business  and  de- 
voted his  time  to  his  private  interests 
and  charitable  endeavors. 

He  was  one  of  the  early  directors  of 
Temple  Emanu-EI  and  served  as  chair- 
man of  the  committee  under  whose  su- 


Aaron  Cahn 

pervision  the  present  Sutter  Street 
Temple  was  erected. 

Few  men  gave  more  personal  ser- 
vice in  the  cause  of  charity  than  he. 
For  over  forty  years  he  contributed 
generously  time  and  money  to  the 
Eureka  Benevolent  Society,  servmg  on 
its  directorate  from  1872  to  1903,  tr  ;as- 
urer  from  1872  to  1883,  vice-pre.sidv-nt 
from  1891  to  1897  and  honorary  di- 
rector until  his  demise  in  1903. 

Aaron  Cahn's  work  in  conneedon 
with  charitable  institutions  was  no 
perfunctory  service.  No  .sacrifice  of 
time  or  energy  was  too  great ;  no  un- 
dertaking for  the  benefit  of  his  fellow- 
men  was  too  burdensome  to  be  borne 
by  him.  He  shirked  no  duty  or  re- 
sponsibility. 

He  was  born  in  Alsace,  France,  Feb- 
ruary, 1820,  and  was  the  son  of  Rabbi 
Meyer   Cahn. 

Miss  tLstelle  Reiss,  who  died  in  1870, 
became  his  wife.  His  eldest  son,  Maier 
A.  Cahn,  is  the  present  much-esteemed 


and  efficient  sexton  of  Temple  Emt.i.u- 
El.  In  1880  Aaron  Cahn  remarried  to 
Miss  Babette  Willard,  of  which  mar- 
riage there  are  three  children,  Nathan 
and  Leonide  Cahn  and  Mrs.  B.  C. 
Brown.  When  he  passed  away  August 
19,  1912,  sincerely  mourned  by  a  large 
circle  of  relatives  and  friends,  it  was 
felt  that  the  Jewish  community  of  San 
Francisco  had  lost  one  of  its  best  and 
staunchest  supporters. 


FREDERICK  LEVY  CASTLE 

t4T7RED"  CASTLE,  as  he  was  af- 
-T^  fectionately  called  by  his  as- 
sociates, was  a  true  type  of  the  cul- 
tured English  Jewish  gentleman.  Born 
in  London,  England,  in  1830,  he  moved 
to  Montreal,  Canada,  when  quite  a 
voung    man,    and    began    his    business 


Frederick  Levy  Castle 

career  clerking  for  his  uncles,  the  Ben- 
jamin Bros.,  who  conducted  a  large 
dry  goods  concern  in  that  city.  Four 
years  later  the  lure  of  the  Golden  West 
afifected  young  Castle.  In  1849  he  left 
for  San  Francisco  on  a  sailing  vessel 
bound  for  that  port.  Speculators  had 
chartered  the  boat  and  insured  her  to 
sink,  which  looked  probable,  due  to 
the  bad  condition  of  the  ship,  but  ow- 
ing   to    the    strenuous    efforts    of   pas- 


84 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


senders    and    crew,    who    labored    con- 
stantly   during    the    tedious    trip,    al- 
though  delayed,  she  reached  the  port 
of    San    Francisco    during    January    of 
1830.    There  was  great  disappointment 
among     the     immigrants     who     were 
aboard  the  vessel,  for  they  had  planned 
to  be  among  the  Forty-niners.  With  his 
two  brothers,  Michael  and  Goodman,  the 
wholesale  grocery  firm  of  Castle  Bros, 
was  established  with  a  capital  of  $6000, 
which   represented   the   savings  of   die 
brothers.     Up  to  the  time  of  the  San 
Francisco   fire   of    1854,   their  business 
had  prospered  to  such  an  extent  that 
their     capital     increased     to     $20,000. 
Without   insurance,   owing   to  the   ex- 
orbitant rates  demanded  at  that  time, 
their  entire   stock   was   burned   during 
the  conflagration,  and  the  only  salvage 
consisted    of   approximately    200   cases 
of     Swedish     safety     matches,     which 
were    stored    in    the    cellar    "in    adobe 
soil."      After    the    fire,     matches     were 
scarce,  being  valued  at  $100  per  case. 
Thus  was  tile  firm  reimbursed  for  the 
total    amount    of    their    loss.      In    189.^ 
the  wholesale  grocery  business  was  dis- 
posed of  and  iiis  sons,  Walter  M.,  Al- 
bert E.  and  Arthur  H.,  entered  into  the 
business    of   packers   and   exporters    of 
California  dried  fruits,  nuts  and  raisins. 
The  firm  of  Castle  Bros,  has  been  con- 
tinuously   conducted    under    the    same 
style  up  to  the  present  time. 

Frederick  Castle  was  a  religious 
man.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
Temple  Emanu-El  and  first  president 
of  Mount  Zion  Hospital.  It  was  his 
idea  to  establish  a  non-sectarian  hos- 
pital under  Jewish  auspices,  and  the 
first  meeting  was  held  at  his  home, 
northeast  corner  of  Van  Ness  avenue 
and  Sutter  street,  where  the  Scottish 
Rite  Temple  now  stands.  He  served  as 
vice-president  of  the  San  Francisco 
Chamber  of  Commerce  for  some  time 
and  was  president  of  the  Union  Club 
(which  is  now  merged  into  the  Pacific- 
Union  Club).     He  was  also  a  member 


of  Bohemian  Club  and  vice-president 
of  the  Traffic  Association  of  California. 
He  was  one  of  the  best  beloved  men 
in  San  Francisco  and  highly  esteemed 
by  his  competitors. 

In  1854  Mr.  Castle  married  Miss 
Charlotte  Levy  of  Bristol,  England. 
He  died  in  1893.  Of  nine  children,  the 
following  survive:  Walter  M.,  Albert 
E.,  Arthur  H.,  Mrs.  A.  P.  S.  Macquis- 
ten,  ]\Irs.  Charles  Farquharson  (both 
the  latter  of  Glasgow,  Scotland),  and 
Mrs.  Thomas  Cunningham  of  England. 


REV.  DR.  ELKAN  COHN 

WHEREVER  and  whenever  ref- 
erence is  made  to  the  beloved 
rabbi  of  Emanu-El,  the  name  is  men- 
tioned of  a  man  who,  in  the  spiritual 
struggles  of  the  last  half  century,  took 


Rev.   Dr.   Elkan  Colin 

a  prominent  part ;  who  contributed  a 
large  share  towards  the  upbuilding  of 
liberal  Judaism  in  the  United  States; 
who  braved  contempt,  despised  danger, 
risked  rank  and  fortune,  and  the  good 
opinion  of  his  brethren,  in  the  attempt 
to  liberate  Judaism  from  the  deathly 
stupor  in  which  it  had  fallen.  Years 
before  his  death  he  knew  that  the  cause 
so  dear  to  his  heart  had  succeeded. 
Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  was  born  February 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


85 


22,  1820.  The  town  of  Kosten,  Posen, 
where  his  parents  lived,  had  experi- 
enced little  of  the  European  upheaval 
of  a  few  years  before.  The  nascent 
Jewish  reform  party,  which  had  been 
favored  by  the  Napoleonic  princes,  de- 
spite the  anathemas  of  the  rabbis, 
spoke  with  but  a  timid  voice.  He  was 
born  amid  orthodox  surroundings.  His 
father  was  a  learned  and  intelligent 
man,  who.  on  account  of  the  early  death 
of  his  wife,  was  compelled  to  send  his 
son  to  Shempin,  where  his  grand- 
parents lived.  There  he  was  raised 
in  an  atmosphere  purely  Talmudical. 
Traveling  rabbis  were  the  guests  of 
his  relatives,  learned  discussions  were 
the  topics  at  family  meals.  In  these 
surroundings  he  imbibed  that  great  de- 
sire for  knowledge  that  clung  to  him 
through  life. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  commenced 
his  studies  in  Breslau,  later  he  was  sent 
to  Braunschweig,  the  cradle  of  poets 
and  scholars,  where  he  was  exception- 
ally fortunate  in  the  selection  of  his 
teachers.  Amongst  Dr.  Cohn's  papers 
there  was  a  certificate  in  Dr.  Herzfeld's 
handwriting,  to  the  eiTect  that  the 
young  student  had  been  for  three  years 
a  pupil  of  Rabbi  Isaac  Eger,  a  son  of 
the  great  Rabbi  Akiba  Eger,  and  that 
after  the  death  of  the  scholarly  Tal- 
mudist  the  famous  historian  himself 
had  instructed  him.  Elkan  Cohn  im- 
bibed his  faculty  for  industrious  and 
painstaking  research  from  this  great 
man.  Meanwhile  he  attended  the 
gymnasium,  where  he  received  a  thor- 
ough, modern  education.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  Dr.  Herzfeld  sent  him  to 
Berlin,  where  he  matriculated  as  a  stu- 
dent of  the  Humaniora  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Berlin  and  pursued  his 
theological  and  rabbinical  studies  un- 
der the  famous  J.  J.  Ettinger.  then 
chief  rabbi  of  the  Berlin  community. 
His  ten  years  residence  in  Berlin  form, 
a  tale  of  patient  toil.  In  no  haste  to 
seek  a  professional  position,  he  main- 
tained himself  as  a  private  tutor.     He 


remained  long  enough  in  Berlin  to  wit- 
ness the  exciting  scenes  of  the  revolu- 
tion of  '48,  and  being  a  member  of  the 
students'  corps,  he  became  a  soldier 
for  the  nonce.  In  Berlin  also  the 
romance  of  his  life  was  enacted  and 
when  he  left  Berlin  in  1850.  having  be- 
come rabbi  of  Brandenburg,  he  brought 
his  young  wife  with  him,  and  she  ever 
remained  the  proudest  and  most  cher- 
ished treasure  of  the  gentle  scholar. 
He  remained  in  Brandenburg  for  four 
years,  when  in  1854  he  received  a  call 
from  the  Jewish  community  of  Albany. 
N.  Y.  He  arrived  there  with  his  wife 
and  child  in  the  closing  months  of  that 
year,  was  received  with  honors,  and 
immediately  went  to  work. 

In  an  endeavor  to  establish  reform 
Judaism  in  America  a  convention  of 
rabbis  and  delegates  was  called  m 
Cleveland  in  1855,  and  the  new-comer 
was  honored  as  befitted  his  station,  and 
he  was  chosen  vice-president  and 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  text  and 
prayer  books. 

In  January,  1860,  he  was  elected 
rabbi  and  minister  of  Congregation 
Emanu-El.  San  Francisco,  assuming 
charge  of  his  office  the  year  following. 
For  twenty-nine  years  Elkan  Cohn 
was  the  leader  of  liberal  Judaism  on  the 
Pacific  Coast.  His  distinguished  ser- 
vices to  the  Congregation  Emanu-El 
constitute  the  largest  part  of  its  hi.s- 
tory  for  nearly  five  decades.  He  was  a 
remarkable  man.  He  was  as  fine  a  type 
of  the  German  rabbi  of  a  few  genera- 
tions ago  as  could  be  found  anywhere. 
Dr.  Cohn  was  a  preacher  par  excel- 
lence and  his  sermons,  especially  those 
he  delivered  in  the  German  language, 
were  considered  by  Jew  and  Gentile 
masterpieces  of  elegance  and  diction. 
When  he  died  in  1889  the  San  Fran- 
cisco community,  as  well  as  other  com- 
munities of  the  Pacific  Coast,  were  in 
mourning,  while  the  cause  of  liberal 
Judaism  in  America  sustained  the 
severest  blow  it  had  received  in  many 
vears. 


86 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


LAZARUS    DINKELSPIEL 

THE  high  standard  of  moraHty 
and  personal  rectitude  by  which 
the  life  of  Lazarus  Dinkelspiel  was 
characterized  furnished  a  wholesome 
and  sustaining  example  to  those  that 


Lazarus  Dinkelspiel 

followed  him.  Born  in  Baden,  Ger- 
many, in  1824  he  came  to  the  United 
States  at  the  age  of  nine.  His  school 
years  were  spent  in  New  York  and 
New  Hampshire,  where  also  his  early 
business  training  was  obtained.  Ar- 
riving in  California  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  Dinkelspiel  joined  the 
throngs  at  the  southern  mines,  where 
he  gained  success  as  a  retail  merchant. 
In  1853  he  located  permanently  in  San 
Francisco,  establishing  the  wholesale 
dry  goods  house  of  L.  Dinkelspiel  & 
Co.,  which  firm  has  since  become  one 
of  the  largest  institutions  of  its  kind 
in  California.  He  retired  from  busi- 
ness in  1893.  Lazarus  Dinkelspiel  took 
a  deep  and  intelligent  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  Judaism  and  the  Jew.  As 
vice-president  of  Temple  Emanu-El  he 
rendered  that  institution  valuable  ser- 
vice. He  was  an  ardent  advocate  of 
progress,  yet  opposed  to  the  destruc- 
tive character  of  many  measures  that 
would  pass  as  liberal.     He  was  a  care- 


ful student  of  Judaism,  an  ardent  and 
faithful  reader  of  its  literature,  and  a 
liberal  supporter  of  its  institutions.  He 
believed  in  the  integrity  of  Judaism, 
not  as  a  mere  officialism  but  as  the  fun- 
damental rule  of  conduct.  He  was  one 
of  the  remaining  types  of  the  line  old 
Ba'al  Hab'bayith,  with  whom  the  re- 
sponsibility of  conduct  was  a  part  of 
his  faith,  and  who  introduced  religion 
m  his  home  as  the  competent  guide  of 
his  children.  His  library  was  stocked 
with  the  best  contemporaneous  litera- 
ture, and  he  often  regretted  that  no 
more  active  measures  were  suggested 
for  the  revival  of  the  spirit  of  learn- 
ing amongst  the  people.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Pauline  Hess  in  May, 
1861.  Eight  children  survive,  Henry, 
Samuel,  Joseph,  Leon,  Melville,  Edgar, 
Theresa  and  Frieda.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  L  O.  B.  B.,  L  O.  O.  F.  and  all 
the  Jewish  charitable  organizations  His 
demise  occurred  in  June,   1900. 


MOSES  DINKELSPIEL 

MOSES  DLNKELSPIEL  was  born 
October  1,  1826,  in  Gemmingen, 
Baden,  Germany.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  King's  Guards  at  Karlsruhe, 
but  with  the  spirit  of  freedom  per- 
vading him  became  a  rebel  in  1848, 
and  was  compelled  to  leave  the  coun- 
try, crossing  the  border  into  France, 
where  he  remained  for  a  short  time. 
It  was  at  this  time  the  idea  of  emigrat- 
ing to  the  LTnited  States  occurred  to 
him,  with  the  result  that  on  the  4th 
day  of  July,  1848,  he  landed  in  New 
York.  With  the  enthusiasm  of  cele- 
brating the  freedom  of  man  in  the  air, 
Moses  Dinkelspiel  felt  that  he  had 
gravitated  to  the  right  place  and  re- 
solved to  throw  his  heart  and  fortunes 
into  the  upbuilding  of  his  adopted 
country. 

LIntil  1852  he  engaged  in  business  in 
and  around  New  York  City,  when  the 
California  fever  seized  him,  and  he  im- 
mediately   set    out    for    San    Francisco 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


87 


via  the  Isthmus.  In  partnership  with 
Ferdinand  Walter,  Jacob  Schweitzer 
and  Bernard  Schweitzer,  all  pioneers, 
he  established  a  business  in  Campo 
Seco,  Tuolumne  county.  He  continued 
in  this  until  1856,  when  he  married 
Miss  Lena  Manger  and  moved  to  Suisun 
City,  to  engage  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  continued  until  the 
time  of  his  death,  May  17,  1897. 

Moses     Dinkelspiel     was     a     public- 


Moses  Dinkelspiel 

spirited  man  and  was  honored  by  his 
fellow  citizens  in  many  instances.  He 
held  the  office  of  supervisor  for  sixteen 
years,  acting  as  chairman  of  the  board 
nearly  all  of  that  time.  In  politics  he 
was  a  Republican  and  attended  nearly 
every  State  convention  from  1860  to 
1890.  He  was  an  Odd  Fellow  for  over 
forty  years,  and  served  as  master  of 
Suisun  Lodge  No.  55,  F.  &  A.  M.,  in 
1867. 

In  1895  Governor  Budd  appointed 
Mr.  Dinkelspiel  trustee  of  the  San  Jose 
State  Normal  School.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  For  twenty-five  years  he  was 
vice-president  and  director  of  the  Bank 
of  Suisun,  president  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  and  secretary  and  treasurer 
of   the    Stewart    Fruit    Company.      He 


was  also  a  charter  member  of  the 
Temple  Emanu-El.  He  was  known  for 
his  works  of  charity  and  his  sterling 
character.     His  word  was  his  bond. 

The  following  children  were  born  to 
this  exemplary  man  and  his  estimable 
w^ife :  Mrs.  David  Eisner  of  San  Fran- 
cisco; Edward  Dinkelspiel,  Suisun; 
Meyer  Dinkelspiel,  Los  Angeles ;  Miss 
Carrie  M.  Dinkelspiel,  San  Francisco, 
and  Henry  G.  W.  Dinkelspiel  of  San 
Francisco. 


RABBI  ABRAHAM  WOLFF 
EDELMAN 

RABBI  ABRAHAM  WOLFF 
EDELMAN  was  born  in  the 
vicinity  of  \\'arsaw,  Poland,  in  1832. 
His  father.  David  Edelman,  was  a  pros- 
perous merchant.  His  education  was 
received  at  the  schools  of  Warsaw  and 
at  the  rabbinical  school  of  that  city. 
In  1852  he  married  Miss  Hannah  Cohn, 
daughter  of  Rabbi  Benjamin  Cohn,  and 


Rabbi   Abraham  Wolff  Edelman 

immediately  after  this  marriage  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  his  trip 
by  sailing  vessel  taking  eleven  weeks. 
Remaining  but  a  short  time  in  New 
York,  he  went  to  Patterson.  N.  J.,  but 
seeing  no  opening  to  his  liking  there, 
moved  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  subsequently 


88 


^^^E STERN'   JEWRY 


moving  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  was 
a  private  teacher  of  Hebrew.  Rabbi 
Henry  of  Emanu-El  congregation  took 
a  great  interest  in  this  young  man, 
who  was  an  industrious  student  under 
his  tutelage.  In  1862  he  came  to  Los 
Angeles,  where  there  was  a  large  set- 
tlement of  Jews,  and  organized  the 
B'nai  B'rith  congregation,  which  was 
orthodox  in  all  its  forms  and  ritual. 
The  Jewish  community  needed  the  in- 
flexible purpose  of  ambitious  youth  and 
the  teachings  of  this  scholarly  man  to 
develop  its  resources.  The  wave  of 
reform  which  was  sweeping  the  Jewry 
of  the  American  Continent  touched  this 
man  not  at  all.  His  Judaism  was  that 
of  his  fathers,  and  though  in  several 
very  minor  degrees,  reform  touched  his 
congregation,  it  speaks  volumes  for 
this  good  man's  character  that  after 
twenty-five  years  of  faithful  service  at 
the  helm  of  the  congregation,  he  re- 
signed rather  than  surrender  his  ideals 
and  beliefs.  Many  sermons  could  be 
preached  and  epics  written  upon  this 
momentous  sacrifice,  this  giving  up  of 
one's  life  work  at  an  advanced  age. 
Nothing  can  give  one  a  clearer  insight 
into  Rabbi  Edelman's  soul.  He  re- 
tained his  membership  in  the  congre- 
gation, though  the  one  which  he  at- 
tended was  Beth  Israel,  whose  services 
were  conducted  according  to  his  be- 
liefs. 

After  his  retirement  from  the  B'nai 
B'rith  congregation,  he  devoted  his 
whole  time  to  charitable  work.  He 
was  universally  respected,  and  was  a 
handsome,  kind,  affable  and  lovable 
man.  His  home  life  was  ideal,  the  wife 
of  his  bosom  the  ideal  Jewish  wife,  a 
great  inspiration  and  loving  helpmate. 
Their  evenings  would  find  them  to- 
gether over  a  book,  and  her  loss  to  him 
in  1896  was  a  heavy  blow.  His  six 
children  were  carefully  reared  and 
splendidly  educated.  They  are  Mrs. 
Matilda  Jacoby,   Mrs.   W.  T.   Barnett, 


B.  W.  Edelman,  A.  ^I.  Edelman,  H.  W. 
Edelman,  residing  in  Brooklyn,  and 
Dr.  D.  \\'.  Edelman. 

On  Yom  Kippur  and  other  holidays, 
after  his  retirement  from  the  congre- 
gation of  B'nai  B'rith,  he  would  hold 
services  in  some  public  hall,  accepting 
nothing,  for  himself,  and  devoting 
whatever  proceeds  followed  to  some 
worthy  charity.  He  was  known  as  one  of 
the  best  Talmudic  scholars  in  the  West. 
He  was  a  fine  public  speaker,  his  Eng- 
lish pure,  almost  without  an  accent. 
Though  he  never  took  an  active  interest 
in  politics,  he  always  represented  the 
Jews  at  all  public  gatherings.  The 
subjects  for  discussion  which  he 
selected  were  always  on  religious  topics. 
He  was  a  great  student,  and  his  fine 
library,  well-selected  and  voluminous, 
was  donated  by  him  some  time  before 
his  death  to  the  Los  Angeles  Public 
Library,  and  it  is  now  known  as  the 
A.  W.  Edelman  Library. 

Rabbi  Edelman  took  an  active  in- 
terest in  fraternal  matters.  He  was 
past  president  of  Los  Angeles  Lodge, 
I.  ().  B.  B. ;  he  was  a  past  master  of 
Lodge  No.  42,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  upon 
retiring  from  the  office  of  master  of 
that  lodge  was  presented  with  a  silver 
service  ;  he  also  was  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  and  A.  O.  U.  W.  Amongst 
the  old  Spanish  and  Mexican  residents 
he  was  known  as  "Padre,"  and  many 
the  kindnesses  and  much  the  goodness 
they  received  from  this  "gentle  Jewish 
Padre."  He  spoke  Spanish  well,  hav- 
ing mastered  that  language  on  his  ar- 
rival in  Los  Angeles.  He  was  ex- 
tremely charitable,  and  though  not  by 
any  means  a  rich  man,  he  proved  his 
great  philanthropy  by  his  will  (and  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death  there  had 
never  been  a  will  made  by  a  Jew  in 
the  Southwest  which  gave  so  much  to 
charity).  His  will  carried  out  by  his 
children,  remembered  liberally  not  only 
all   the    lewish   charitable   institutions. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


89 


but  held  bequests  for  the  CathoHc  and 
Protestant  orphans'  homes,  and  otlier 
non-Jewish  institutions. 

Rabbi  Edehnan  died  in  1907,  enjoy- 
ing vigorous  health  almost  to  the  last. 


MENDEL  ESBERG 

MENDEL  ESBERG  was  born 
March,  1834,  at  Hanover.  Ger- 
many, where  his  parents,  who  were 
well-to-do  people,  had  lived  for  many 
generations.  When  young  Esberg  was 
but  a  lad  of  thirteen  his  father  met 
with  reverses  which  compelled  the  boy 
to  seek  his  fortune  away  from  the 
parental  homestead.  He  left  for  a 
distant  village  where  he  was  appren- 
ticed    in     the     cigar     trade.      Within 


Mendel   Esberg 

five  years  the  youth  of  eighteen  be- 
came foreman  of  the  factory  in  which 
he  had  been  an  apprentice,  and  gave 
indications  of  that  fine  business  ca- 
pacity that  afterward  distinguished  his 
career.  About  this  time  he  decided 
that  America  presented  a  larger  field 
for  his  budding  energies.  Accordingly, 
he  gave  up  his  position,  went  home  to 
bid  farewell  to  his  aged  parents,  then 
took  a  ship  and  in  1852  arrived  in  New 
York  City.  In  1854  Mr.  Esberg  came 
to    San    Francisco,    then    boiling    over 


with  the  Frazier  River  excitement.  He 
went  with  the  rest  to  seek  his  fortune, 
but  eventually  established  himself  in 
business  in  Marysville — later  he  re- 
turned to  San  Francisco  and  opened  a 
cigar  store  on  Kearny  street.  Gradually 
his  business  enlarged,  and  he  began  to 
manufacture,  and  soon  took  rank  with 
the  substantial  firms  of  San  Francisco. 
In  1868  he  married  Miss  Matilda  Hirsch- 
feld,  the  lady  who  brought  his  name 
amongst  the  poor  and  the  sick,  and  caused 
benedictions  to  be  showered  on  it.  In  1870 
he  entered  into  partnership  with  Simon 
Bachman  and  the  new  firm  succeeded  the 
house  of  A.  S.  Rosenbaum  &  Co.  In 
1876  they  were  joined  by  Julius  Ehr- 
man,  which  made  the  firm  of  Esberg, 
Bachman  &  Co.  The  firm  branched 
out  in  every  line  of  the  tobacco  indus- 
try, establishing  houses  in  New  York, 
Portland,  Havana  and  in  the  manufac- 
turing centers  of  Pennsylvania. 

Mendel  Esberg  was  a  large-hearted, 
benevolent  and  highly  intelligent  man. 
He  was  one  of  the  earliest  Past  Masters 
of  Fidelity  Lodge  No.  120,  F.  &  A.  M. 
and  for  years  was  chairman  of  its 
board  of  trustees  of  the  Widows'  and 
Orphans'  Fund.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  new  Masonic  Temple 
Association,  and  the  dissolution  of  that 
concern  was  the  residt  of  Mr.  Esberg's 
business  sagacity,  he  foreseeing  the  dif- 
ficulties that  stood  in  the  way.  He  was 
a  director  of  banks  and  loan  associa- 
tions. His  sagacity  and  quick  sym- 
pathy made  him  an  adviser  whose 
counsel  was  eagerly  sought,  and 
promptly  followed.  Whatever  office  he 
held  sought  him.  He  was  honored 
among  his  fellow-citizens  as  few 
are  honored,  because  of  the  dis- 
tinguishing traits  of  his  fine  character, 
his  keen  mind  and  loyal  heart.  He  was 
a  man  of  fine  education,  well  read,  ver- 
satile and  communicative,  fond  of  his 
friends  and  ready  to  help  every  strug- 
gler  who  gave  him  a  good  reason  for 
his     action.        His     sympathies     were 


90 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


broad.  Giving  was  a  delight  to  him, 
and  no  one  who  knew  him  will  forget 
the  smile  of  Mr.  Esberg's  face  when 
he  believed  he  had  done  a  good  deed. 
It  was  the  smile  of  content,  coming 
from  a  heart  that  felt  happiness  in  re- 
lieving the  need  of  others.  Therefore, 
the  tears  of  regret  at  his  departure 
were  many  and  unfeigned. 

Mr.  Esberg  died  after  a  short  illness 
on  February  14,  1896.  He  is  survived 
by  his  widow  and  five  children.  Alfred 
L,  Henry,  Milton  H.,  Edith  and 
Justin   W.      

PHILIP  FABIAN 

A  STORY  told  of  -'Phil"  Fabian's 
thrift  as  a  boy  is  that  when  he 
came  to  California  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen and  worked  for  his  uncles.  Levin- 
sky  Brothers,  in  their  store  in  Jackson, 
Amador  county,  the  salary  he  received 
was  $20  a  month  and  board  and  lodg- 
ing. The  first  year  he  worked  he  sent 
home  to  his  mother  $120.  It  not  only 
proved  his  thrift,  but  showed  his  devo- 
tion to  his  mother  in  the  far-away 
home. 

Philip  Fabian  was  born  in  Zempel- 
berg,  Germany,  February  17,  1843. 
The  education  he  received  was  a 
meager  one,  and  from  the  time  he  was 
ten  years  old  he  shifted  for  himself. 
His  father  was  a  teacher  of  Hebrew 
and  through  this  source  he  received  some 
coaching. 

After  remaining  in  Jackson  for  sev- 
eral years  he  opened  a  store  for  a  firm 
at  Woodbridge,  and  remained  there  un- 
til 1869,  when,  as  a  partner  of  Louis 
Levinsky,  he  opened  a  store  at  Ellis, 
Gal.,  under  the  name  of  P.  Fabian  & 
Co.,  he  being  the  junior  member  and 
resident  partner.  When  the  town  of 
Tracy  was  established  in  1877  he 
moved  to  that  place.  His  business 
grew  and  prospered  and  when  ]\Ir. 
Levinsky  died  the  firm  name  was 
changed  to  Fabian-Grunauer  Company 
and  Philip  Fabian  became  the  president 


of  the  new  concern,  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  the  old  firm  and  doing  a 
general  merchandise  business  and 
maintaining^  hay  and  grain  warehouses. 

Although  never  seeking  office,  Mr. 
Fabian  was  an  ardent  Republican  and 
always  interested  in  local  politics.  He 
was  treasurer  of  the  Hebrew  Home  for 
the  Aged  and  Disabled  for  twenty 
years,  and  treasurer  of  the  Temple 
Beth  Israel  for  the  same  length  of 
time. 

He  was  married  to  Miss  Annie 
Schwartz  in  1889.  When  his  death  oc- 
curred, January  16,  1909,  he  was 
mourned  by  many  friends,  for  he  was 
beloved  by  all  who  knew  him.  Chil- 
dren who  survive  him  are :  Lawrence, 
Bessie,  Neil  and  Dorothy. 


BENEDICT  FEIGENBAUM 

THE  founder  of  the  well-known 
California  Feigenbaum  family  was 
born  in  1834,  in  Binswangen,  Bavaria, 
Germany.  After  an  ample  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  city  and 


Benedict  Feigenbaum 

afterwards  in  the  high  school  of  Augs- 
berg,  Benedict  Feigenbaum  came  to  the 
United  States,  landing  in  New  York 
in  1853.  He  became  a  bookkeeper  for 
a   wholesale   shoe  firm  and  afterwards 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


91 


was  employed  in  the  wholesale  cloth- 
ing business  of  D.  H.  Goodman  &  Co. 
In  1855  young  Feigenbaum  came  to 
San  Francisco.  A  few  days  later  he  se- 
cured employment  with  Frank  Wolzer, 
a  merchant  of  Eureka,  Cal.,  and  one 
year  later,  when  only  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Henry  Rohner  in  a  town  called 
Eel  River,  near  Rohnerville.  He  also 
operated  stores  in  Fortuna  and  Eureka, 
Cal.,  and  three  other  stores  in  that 
county  until  1865. 

The  first  wedding  held  in  Temple 
Emanu-El  on  Sutter  street  was  when, 
in  1866,  Mr.  Feigenbaum  married  Han- 
nah Lowenthal  of  Frankfort  a/m  Main, 
Rev.  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn  officiating.  In 
1869  he  moved  to  San  Francisco  and 
formed  a  co-partnership  with  his  brother, 
Joseph  Feigenbaum,  and  Louis  Schwartz- 
child.  This  firm  is  now  conducted 
by  his  two  sons,  Lionel  B.  Feig- 
enbaum, who  married  Gertrude 
Napthaly,  daughter  of  the  late  Joseph 
Napthaly,  and  Julius  Feigenbaum,  who 
married  Rose  Stettheimer  of  New 
York  City.  The  firm,  known  as  the 
California  Notion  &  Toy  Company,  is 
one  of  the  largest  institutions  of  its 
kind  in  the  West.  Mr.  Feigenbaum 
was  a  very  charitable  man  and  a  valued 
member  of  Temple  Emanu-El  of  San 
Francisco.  He  was  a  Mason  in  high 
standing  and  at  one  time  served  as 
treasurer  of  the  Republican  party  in 
California.  Benedict  Feigenbaum  died 
January  15,  1896,  in  his  sixty-second 
year.  __^_ 


AARON  FLEISHHACKER 

DURING  his  residence  among  the 
various  characters  in  the  mining 
camps  of  Nevada,  Aaron  Fleishhacker, 
father  of  the  Fleishhacker  boys,  the 
well-known  San  Francisco  bankers, 
was  known  as  "Honest  Fleishhacker." 
The  name  was  well  earned  and  was 
given   him    through    his    reputation    of 


always  keeping  his  word.  He  was 
closely  associated  with  the  leading 
characters  that  developed  fortunes  and 
reputations  in  the  Comstock  district 
and  retained  in  after  years  many  of 
his  old  friendships. 

Aaron     Fleishhacker     was     born     in 
Bavaria,    Germany,   February  4,    1820, 
and  received  his  elementary  education 
in  that  country.     At  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  he  moved  to  the  United  States  and 
settled  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness.    A  few  years  later  he  moved  to 
New    York,    and    subsequently    joined 
the    rush    westward,    locating    in    San 
Francisco  in  1853.    He  engaged  in  gen- 
eral    merchandising     in     Sacramento, 
Grass  Valley,  Virginia  City  and  Car- 
son   City.       Later    returning    to    San 
Francisco,    he    established   a   manufac- 
turing plant  for  the  making  of  paper 
boxes    and    the    conduct   of   a   general 
wholesale  paper  business.     The  enter- 
prise grew  to  large  proportions.     Mr. 
Fleishhacker  continued  an  active  mem- 
ber of  his  firm  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.     He  was  a  very  charitable  man, 
simple  in  his  habits,  and  devoted  to  his 
family.     He  was  one  of  that  galaxy  of 
good    and    pious    men    that    founded 
Temple    Emanu-El   of   San    Francisco, 
and  nearly  every  Jewish  organization 
devoted  to  philanthropy  found  in  him  an 
active  and  liberal  supporter.    Mr.  Fleish- 
hacker   married    Miss    Deliah    Stern    of 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  August  9,  1857.   He  died 
February  19,  1898.     Of  eight  children, 
six     survive,     namely,     Mrs.     Ludwig 
Schwabacher,  Mrs.  S.  D.  Rosenbaum, 
Mortimer  Fleishhacker,  Herbert  Fleish- 
hacker, Mrs.  S.  C.  Scheeline  and  Mrs. 
Frank     Wolf     of     New     York.      Mrs. 
Fleishhacker,     despite     her     advanced 
aee,  retains  the  keenness  of  mind  for 
which  she  is  noted,  and  is  known  as  an 
extremelv  charitable  woman. 


92 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


ADOLPH  GARTENLAUB 

ADOLPH  GARTENLAUB  was 
a  remarkable  man,  and  the  his- 
tory of  his  life  reads  like  a  romance. 
He  was  an  Austrian  by  birth,  having 
first  seen  the  light  of  day  in  Kolomea 
on  February  15,  1854. 

When  he  was  just  a  lad  of  thirteen 
he  evinced  great  organizing  ability  by 
persuading  200  men  and  women  to  go 
with  him  into  Roumania  on  a  harvest- 
ing expedition,  he  being  employed  by 
the  harvester.  This  was  a  remarkable 
accomplishment  in  one  so  young. 


Adolph   Gartenlaub 

From  that  time  on  his  life  was  spent 
traveling  in  many  lands.  At  the  age 
of  seventeen  he  went  to  Constanti- 
nople, Turkey,  and  engaged  in  the 
merchandise  business.  In  1876  he 
made  the  long  voyage  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  also  followed  mercantile  pur- 
suits. He  remained  in  that  city 
throughout  the  Centennial.  His  next 
venture  took  him  to  Australia,  where 
he  conducted  a  mercantile  business, 
locating  in  Sydney  for  several  years. 
He  had  business  interests  in  South 
America,  which  took  him  to  that  coun- 
trv.     In    1882  he  came  to   P.oston   and 


settled  there  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  it  was  in  Boston  he  wooed  and 
won  for  his  bride  Miss  Alice  Gertrude 
Belcher,  a  daughter  of  an  old  New 
England  family. 

Retiring  from  business  in  1886,  he 
went  to  San  Antonio,  Texas,  and  in- 
vested his  money  in  cattle.  Getting 
restless  for  something  to  do  after 
thirteen  months'  residence  there,  he 
came  to  California  and  purchased  a 
ranch  in  Fresno.  He  knew  nothing  of 
ranching,  but  he  made  a  huge  success 
of  ranch,  orchard  and  vineyard. 

In  1895  he  organized  the  Phoenix 
Packing  Company  in  Fresno  and  be- 
came its  president.  He  was  also  presi- 
dent for  many  years  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  Seeded  Raisin  Company,  and  in 
1904  he  formed  the  United  States  Con- 
solidated Seeded  Raisin  Company,  of 
which  he  was  president.  In  1900  he 
moved  to  San  Francisco  and  estab- 
lished his  residence,  as  he  had  numer- 
ous interests  there.  He  will  be  best 
remembered  as  one  of  the  big  fruit 
packers  of  the  State.  He  was  recog- 
nized as  a  leader,  and  was  often  re- 
ferred to  as  the  "Dean  of  Raisin  Row." 

Adolph  Gartenlaub  was  regarded  by 
his  associates  as  a  business  man  of  won- 
derful ability.  His  judgment  was  ex- 
cellent, his  integrity  of  the  highest, 
and  he  was  just  and  honest  in  all  of 
his  dealings.  ( )ne  proof  of  his  pop- 
ularity was  that  he  was  loved  by  his 
competitors.  His  benevolences  were 
in  keeping  with  his  fortune,  and  he 
took  interest  in  his  retiring  way  in  all 
Jewish  matters.  Adolph  Gartenlaub 
was  a  master  of  seven  languages.  He 
died  June  1,  1914. 


LEWIS   GERSTLE 

IN  the  galaxy  of  men  who  have  made 
the  foundations  of  the  San  Francisco 
community  strong  and  enduring,  the 
name  of  Lewis  Gerstle  occupies  a  fore- 
most place.    He  was  content,  however,  to 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


93 


remain  in  the  background  of  all  strong 
and  decisive  movements.  Yet  were 
the  history  of  such  movements  traced 
carefully  it  would  be  discovered  that 
the  initiative  belonged  to  Lewis 
Gerstle,  whose  fine  mind,  solid  reason- 
ing and  strong  sympathies  gave  the 
first  impulse. 

A  fine  story  in  illustration  is  the  fol- 
lowing: Many  years  ago  the  Emanu- 
El  Sisterhood,  being  in  need  of  funds, 
a  meeting  was  called  to  devise  ways 
and  means  to  replenish  its  empty 
treasury.  Various  methods  were  sug- 
gested but  none  seemed  feasible. 
I^ewis  Gerstle  was  present.     After  all 


Lewis    Gerstle 

the  arguments  were  exhausted  ht 
quietly  asked  how  much  money  was 
needed  to  put  the  sisterhood  on  its 
feet.  When  told  that  $2500  would  do, 
he  said :  "Then  leave  the  matter  to 
me."  A  day  or  two  afterwards  he  sent 
his  check  for  the  amount.  The  vice- 
president  of  the  Alaska  Commercial 
Company  had  found  time  from  his 
weighty  affairs  to  visit  his  friends  on 
behalf  of  the  struggling  sisterhood. 
And  Lewis  Gerstle,  without  any  man- 
ner of  ostentation,  did  that  kind  of 
business  all  his  life. 


Lewis  Gerstle  was  born  December 
17,  1824,  at  Ichenhausen,  Bavaria.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one  he  came  to  the 
L'nited  States  and  settled  in  Louisville, 
Ky.,  where  a  branch  of  his  family  is 
still  flourishing.  Five  years  later  he 
came  to  California,  locating  in  Sacra- 
mento, thence  in  1860  he  removed  to 
San  Francisco.  Mr.  Gerstle  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  Alaska  Commer- 
cial Company,  and  its  vice-president. 
He  was  one  of  the  movers  in  that  great 
concern,  which  derived  much  strength 
from  his  methodical  habits  and  strong 
business  sense. 

\Miile  the  education  he  received  in 
Germany  was  much  as  that  of  other 
young  boys,  yet  when  he  came  to  this 
country  he  mastered  the  English  lan- 
guage in  a  thorough  way,  and  the  let- 
ters he  wrote  were  perfect  in  composi- 
tion and  rhetoric. 

His  first  business  in  America  was  in 
the  employ  of  his  brother  in  Louisville. 
In  1850,  when  on  his  way  to  California 
via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  he  con- 
tracted what  was  then  known  as  Pan- 
ama fever.  His  money  was  scarce  and 
he  was  compelled  to  work  as  a  cabin 
boy  to  pay  for  his  passage  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. It  was  some  time  before  the 
effects  of  the  fever  left  him.  In  the 
meanwhile  he  opened  a  fruit  stand. 
This  w^as  a  temporary  occupation,  how- 
ever, for  when  he  was  able  he  w'ent  to 
the  mines  and  worked.  Later  he  was 
in  Sacramento  and  conducted  a  grocery 
business  in  partnership  with  Louis  and 
Simon  Greenewald.  Floods  interfered 
with  their  business  several  times  and 
they  were  greatly  inconvenienced  by 
them.  In  1860  he  moved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  went  into  the  stock  broker- 
age business  with  Louis  Sloss.  Along 
about  1868  they  obtained  the  Alaska 
lease,  which  developed  rapidly  into  a 
very  large  business,  with  stores  at  vari- 
ous points,  under  the  name  of  the 
Alaska  Commercial  Company.  The 
history  of  this  immense  concern  is  well 


94 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


known  along  the  Pacific  Coast.  Air. 
Gerstle  was  identified  with  many  other 
business  activities  and  was  a  director 
of  the  Union  Trust  Company. 

Lewis  Gerstle  was  married  in  1858 
to  Miss  Hannah  Greenebaum  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  to  them  the  following 
children  were  born  :  Sophia  Lilienthal, 
Clara,  Bertha,  ]\Iark  L.,  William.  Alice 
and  Belle.  His  estimable  wife  is  the 
sister  of  Airs.  Louis  Sloss,  the  two 
worthy  daughters  of  the  fine  Greene- 
baum family,  which  is'  represented  in 
Jewish  history  by  so  elevated  a  char- 
acter as  Dr.  Elias  Greenebaum,  one 
of  the  figures  in  the  reform  movement. 

One  of  the  fine  traits  of  Lewis 
Gerstle  was  his  charity.  He  made  all 
of  his  less-fortunate  relatives  in  Ger- 
many comfortable  for  life,  and  out  of 
his  abundance  he  gave  freely  to  others 
who  needed  help,  too.  He  was  active 
in  the  affairs  of  the  Orphans'  and  Old 
People's  Home.  He  was  one  of  the 
earliest  members  of  Temple  Emanu-El. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Vigilance 
Committee. 

Lewis  Gerstle  was  a  family  man — a 
kind,  indulgent  father  and  a  devoted 
husband.  He  was  never  so  happy  as 
when  surrounded  by  his  children  and 
grandchildren  at  his  beautiful  country 
home  in  San  Rafael.  A  great  sadness 
was  felt  by  the  entire  community  when 
this  gentle,  lovable  man  passed  away  on 
the    19th    of    November,    1902,    in    San 

Francisco.      

ISAAC  GOLDSMITH 
tt/^F  the  Orthodox  Faith"— this 
v^  phrase  at  once  gives  one  a 
mental  picture  of  the  man,  Isaac  Gold- 
smith. "Sound  in  the  Faith,"  and  where 
could  one  have  found  a  man  more  sound 
in  the  Hebrew  faith  than  he?  His  heart 
was  full  of  love  and  charity  for  those 
less  fortunate  than  himself,  and  he  was 
ever  doing  deeds  of  kindness  to  those 
around  him. 

As   one   of   the    founders   of   Sherith 


Israel  congregation,  he  stood  for  all 
that  was  best  in  Israel.  He  was  a 
pious  son  of  the  covenant  and  a  splen- 
did example  for  all  to  follow. 

Isaac  Goldsmith  was  a  close  friend 
of  Rabbi  Eckman  and  Rev.  Dr.  Elkan 
Cohn. 


Isaac   Goldsmith 

Before  Mr.  Goldsmith  came  to  Cali- 
fornia he  lived  in  Victoria,  B.  C.  He 
was  born  in  Poland  in  1816  and  set- 
tled in  the  New  World  in  1850.  His 
marriage  took  place  in  his  native  land 
and  of  his  six  children  born  to  them 
five  survive,  namely,  Mrs.  Mary  Prag, 
Mrs.  Esther  G.  Henderson,  Miss  Rose 
Goldsmith,  Miss  Ida  Goldsmith  and 
Miss  Bertha  Goldsmith.  Mr.  Gold- 
smith's death  occurred  May  12,  1885. 


EMANUEL  LEWIS  GOLDSTEIN 

EMANUEL  LEWIS  GOLDSTEIN 
was  born  in  Himme,  Germany, 
December  22,  1821.  At  the  age  oi 
thirteen  he  came  to  New  York,  and 
until  he  left  the  East  for  California 
he  was  engaged  in  merchandising.  In 
1849  he  crossed  the  plains,  enduring 
many  hardships  while  en  route.  He 
established  the  wholesale  grocery  firm 
of    B.    Dreyfus    &    Co.,    and   was    very 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


95 


successful  in  this  as  well  as  in  other 
interests  he  acquired. 

Although  Mr.  Goldstein  did  not  have 
many  educational  advantages  when  he 
was  young,  he  gave  his  children  all 
possible  opportunities.  In  1854  he 
went  to  New  York  and  there  he  mar- 
ried ]\Iiss  Virginia  Waterman.  Eight 
children  were  born  to  them,  and  only 
two  survive,  Mrs.  I.  S.  Ackerman  and 
Sanford  L.  Goldstein. 

]\Irs.  Goldstein  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-six  on  the  21st  of  April,  1915. 
She  was  a  pious  woman  and  interested 
deeply    in    charitable    aflfairs.     It    was 


he  began  to  build  up  a  fortune  in  the 
new  country.  In  company  with  a  friend 
he  traveled  about  for  a  while  finally  open- 
ing in  conjunction  witli  others  a  small 
store  in  the  old  Quintana  Corner.  Busi- 
ness was  brisk  and  money  plentiful  and 


Emanuel  Lewis  Goldstein 

said  of  her  that  she  never  neglected  at- 
tending worship  at  Temple  Emanu-El. 
Mr.  Goldstein  was  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order,  a  member  of  the 
Eureka  Benevolent  Society,  and  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  Temple 
Emanu-El.  He  was  pious,  charitable, 
kindly  and  gentle,  and  a  great  lover  of 
animals.     He  passed  away  on  August 

4,  1892.  

NATHAN   GOLDTREE 

BORX  February  22,  1838,  Nathan 
Goldtree  moved  to  San  Francisco 
in  1856  and  the  following  year  located 
in  San  Luis  Obispo,  where  with  intel- 
ligence and  ambition  as  his  sole  capital 


Nathan    Goldtree 

the  firm  thrived.     Eight  years  later  the 
firm   dissolved,  and   his   brothers,    Isaac, 
]\Iarcus  and  ^Morris,  joined  him  in  busi- 
ness.    They    moved    from    the    original 
modest   store  into  the  brick  block  built 
by    themselves    on    the    most    prominent 
corner  in  San  Luis  Obispo,  where  they 
continued  in   business   until    1898,   when 
they  finally  disposed  of  their  mercantile 
interests.     As  a  man  of  afifairs   Nathan 
Goldtree   was   a  conspicuous  figure  and 
prominently    identified     with    the    early 
history  of  the  county.     He  was  first  vice- 
president  of  the  Narrow  Gauge  Railroad, 
which    later    became    the    Pacific    Coast 
Railway.     He  was  also  an  officer  in  the 
Pacific    Coast    Steamship    Company    and 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  old  bank- 
ing house  of  Jack  Goldtree  &  Co.  in  San 
Luis  Obispo.     He  established  the  firm  of 
Goldtree,    Liebes    &    Co.    in    Salvador, 
where  he  took  his  brothers  into  the  busi- 
ness.     His   interest  in  the   Jewish   com- 
munal  activities   of   San    Francisco   kept 
apace  with  his  growing  fortune.    He  ren- 


96 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


dered  fine  service  to  the  Congregation 
Sherith  Israel,  acting  as  its  trustee  for 
many  years.  His  great  experience, 
sound  judgment  and  kind  heart  were  a 
great  benefit  to  his  associates  on  the  di- 
rectorate of  the  Old  People's  Home  on 
Lombard  street.  Nathan  Goldtree  was 
interested  in  many  charities.  He  was  a 
member  of  King  David  Lodge,  No.  209, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  in  San  Luis  Obispo,  as  well 
as  a  member  of  Bay  City  Parlor,  L  O. 
O.  F.  Mr.  Goldtree  was  married  March 
5,  1878,  to  Miss  Augusta  Kaminski.  He 
passed  away  May  13,  1902,  at  his  home 
in  San  Francisco,  beloved  and  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him.  He  is  survived 
by  his  children,  ]\Irs.  L.  A.  Blochman 
of  San  Diego,  Morris  N.  Goldtree.  Sid- 
ney A.  Goldtree  and  Mrs.  Henry  Levy. 


JOSEPH    GOTTLOB 

WHILE  Joseph  Gottlob  was  loved 
and  admired  by  everybody  those 
who  suffered  most  by  his  demise  on 
May    19,    1911,    were   his   associates   in 


Joseph   Gottlob 

the  theatrical  business.  The  geniality 
of  his  make-up  pervaded  the  very  at- 
mosphere of  the  Columbia  theatre. 
Patrons  no  less  than  the  members  of 
the  various  companies  that  periodically 
produced    plays   at    this    popular   play- 


house felt  that  the  very  presence  of 
"Joe"  insured  the  success  of  a  per- 
formance. His  charm  of  manner  and 
courtly  dignity  marked  him  as  a  gen- 
tleman in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word. 
Joseph  Gottlob,  son  of  Julius  and 
Hannah  (Cohen)  Gottlob,  was  born  in 
Boston.  Mass.,  July  26,  1870,  and  came 
to  California  at  the  age  of  sixteen. 
Like  his  brother,  Jacob  J.,  he  de- 
veloped a  liking  for  the  theatrical  busi- 
ness and  up  to  the  time  of  his  death 
was  associated  with  him  and  others  in 
the  Columbia  and  Van  Ness  theatres 
and  other  similar  enterprises.  Joe 
Gottlob  never  married.  He  was  a  wel- 
come visitor  in  the  homes  of  thou- 
sands of  people  who  loved  and  ad- 
mired him.  He  was  a  meinber  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  gave  freely  and 
liberally  to  charities  of  every  descrip- 
tion.   

JACOB  GREENEBAUM 

HE  was  a  fine  type  of  the  cultured 
Jewish  gentleman,  and  was  one 
of  the  noble  pioneers  who  have  made 
history  in  California.  To  know  Jacob 
Greenebaum  was  to  love  and  admire 
him.  Representing  as  he  did  a  gen- 
eration of  Jewish  thought  and  activity, 
his  life  was  characterized  by  liberality 
in  thought,  generosity  in  action,  Jew- 
ishness  in  loyalty  and  hope. 

He  was  born  in  Rheinfals,  Bavaria, 
May  27.  1831,  and  came  to  the  L^nited 
States  when  quite  a  young  man.  From 
the  day  of  his  arrival  in  California  in 
1851,  until  the  day  of  his  death,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1914,  Jacob  Greenebaum 
never  allowed  a  day  to  pass  without 
some  intelligent  efifort  in  furtherance 
of  the  cause  of  Judaism  and  all  it 
stands  for. 

His  work  as  a  director  of  Temple 
Emanu-El,  from  1863  to  1905,  and  for 
some  years  as  its  president ;  his  labors 
in  behalf  of  District  No.  4,  I.  O.  B. 
B.,  whose  first  grand  president  he  was: 
his  intelligent  services  as  treasurer  of 
the    Eureka    Benevolent    Society;    his 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


97 


fine  record  as  director  of  the  Pacific 
Hebrew  Orphan  and  Home  Society 
and  the  Jewish  Educational  Society ; 
his  numerous  benefactions ;  his  wise 
and  sympathetic  council  to  thousands 
of  people  who  have  come  under  his 
benign  influence,  and  his  splendid  citi- 
zenship, has  placed  the  Jewish  com- 
munities of  San  Francisco  and  other 
cities  under  lasting  obligations  to  him. 
Moved  by  a  deep  sense  of  religious- 
ness,   he    ever    tried    in    his    kind    and 


Jacob  Greenebauni 

modest  way  to  be  of  service  to  his 
fellow  Jew.  When  some  eight  years 
before  his  death,  Mr.  Greenebaum  and 
his  dear  wife,  surrounded  by  their 
children  and  grandchildren,  celebrated 
their  golden  wedding  anniversary,  the 
late  Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger  dubbed  him 
Father  Jacob,  and  then  wrote  of  him  : 
"Jacob  Greenebaum,  at  seventy-six,  is 
still  insatiable  in  his  desire  to  serve 
his  fellow-men,  wherefor  we  pray  that 
God  may  give  our  dear  friend  and  his 
wife  long  life,  the  increase  of  peace, 
the  multiplicity  of  love  and  dear  af- 
fection, and  a  golden  evening  made 
beautiful  ■by  the  tender  veneration  of 
their  children  and  grandchildren,  and 
a  host  of  admiring  friends  and  rela- 
tives, who  are  all  rejoicing  with  them 


upon  the  consummation  of  this  golden 
feast." 

Jacob  Greenebaum  married  in  1856 
in  Philadelphia  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
]\Iayer  of  Savannah,  Ga.  Four  daugh- 
ters survive  them — Mrs.  Carrie  Dinkel- 
spiel,  Mrs.  Lillie  Hatch,  Mrs.  J.  L. 
Hirshberg  and  Mrs.  A.   L.  Weil. 


HENRY   GREENBERG 

HUTTENBACH,  Bavaria,  was 
the  birthplace  of  Henry  Green- 
berg,  and  the  event  of  his  birth  took 
place  February  26,  1819.  His  early 
schooling  was  received  in  his  native 
town.  As  a  young  lad  he  came  alone 
to  the  United  States.  From  New  York, 
where  he  remained  but  a  short  time, 
he  traveled  through  the  Southern 
States  merchandising. 

The  trend  of  travel  being  to  the 
West  at  that  time  (1854),  he  followed 
the  rest  and  made  the  long  journey  to 


Henry   Greenberg 

California  via  the  Isthmus.  Hang- 
town — Placerville,  as  it  is  now  named, 
was  his  first  place  of  residence.  The 
"Round  Tent  Store,"  which  building 
still  is  in  existence,  housed  his  mer- 
cantile business.  Later,  in  partnership 
with   Jonas   Adler,   he  engaged   in  the 


98 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


wholesale  clothing  business,  in  San 
Francisco,  and  when  he  retired  from 
the  firm  he  undertook  the  buying  and 
selling  of  real  estate. 

The  banking  firm  of  Greenberg, 
Erlenbach  &  Goldsmith,  with  their 
bank  and  assay  office  on  Sacramento 
and  Leidesdorff  streets,  and  a  branch 
bank  in  Yreka,  were  other  of  Mr. 
Greenberg's  business  ventures.  He  was 
one  of  the  original  directors  of  the  Pio- 
neer and  Mission  Woolen  Mills. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1850, 
Henry  Greenberg  married  Miss  Marie 
Bergtheil  of  New  York.  Unto  them 
were  born  five  children,  the  only  one 


congregation  and  for  some  time  was 
a  trustee.  He  resigned  from  this  con- 
gregation later  and  joined  the  Ohabai 
Shalome  congregation,  of  which  he 
was  the  first  treasurer.  The  vice- 
presidency  and  then  the  presidency  of 
that  congregation  were  bestowed  on 
him.  His  son,  Samuel,  was  the  last 
one  barmizvah  at  the  Broadway  Temple 
and  the  first  one  barmizvah  at  the  Mason 
Street  Temple. 

IMr.  Greenberg  was  a  charitable  man, 
ever  ready  to  give  of  his  substance. 
At  one  time,  desiring  to  celebrate  an 
anniversary,  he  and  his  estimable  wife 
eave  a  dinner  to  which  thev  invited 
all  the  orphans  of  the  Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum.  They  were  the  first  family  to 
institute  this  pleasant  form  of  generosity. 

Mr.  Greenberg  was  a  director  of  the 
Eureka  Benevolent  Society  and  con- 
nected with  the  Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum  and  Home  Society.  He  was 
generous  to  a  degree  and  an  idealist. 
Among  his  fellow  men  he  was  hon- 
ored because  of  his  fine  character,  his 
keen  mind,  and  was  beloved  for  his 
boyish  heart. 

In  all  the  virtues — charitableness, 
kindness  and  fairness — he  was  a  Jew. 
The  tears  of  regret  shed  at  his  de- 
parture were  many  and  unfeigned. 


Mrs.    Henry   Greenberg 

deceased  being  Samuel  Greenberg.  The 
remaining  are  Abraham  Greenberg, 
Max  Greenberg,  Mrs.  William  Kaiser 
and  Mrs.  Emma  Hilp. 

Henry  Greenberg  departed  from  this 
life  March  7.  1883,  in  San  Francisco, 
and  his  wife  survived  him  until  No- 
vember 21,  1894. 

Mrs.  Greenberg  was  a  brilliant 
woman  with  a  fine  intellect.  She  was 
known  for  her  charities  and  her  kind, 
loving  heart.  In  Israel  she  was  a  shin- 
ing light. 

Henry  Greenberg  early  affiliated 
himself    with    the    Temple    Emanu-El 


SIMON  GREENEWALD 

RHEINPFALZ,  Germany,  was 
the  birthplace  of  Simon  Greene- 
wakl,  and  the  event  of  his  birth  took 
place  in  1827.  His  education  was  re- 
ceived in  Germany,  prior  to  his  emi- 
gration to  America.  Brownsville, 
Tenn.,  was  his  home  for  a  short  time, 
and  in  1850,  he,  together  with  Dr. 
Ziele,  came  to  California,  taking  the 
voyage  around  the  Horn,  settling  in 
Sacramento. 

His  career  in  the  business  world  be- 
gan when  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Louis  Sloss  and  M.  Wasserman 
under  the  firm  name  of  M.  Wasserman 
&  Co.     In  1860  the  business  of  the  firm 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


99 


was  transferred  to  San  Francisco,  and 
upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Wasserman  the 
name  was  changed  to  Louis  Sloss  & 
Co.,  and  in  1865  the  Alaska  Commer- 
cial Company  was  founded.  This  en- 
terprise soon  developed  to  vast  pro- 
portions. Because  of  his  activity, 
his  keen  sense  of  values  and  his 
integrity  he  prospered,  and  soon  be- 
came one  of  the  great  financiers 
of  the  \\'est,  which  he  helped  to 
build  up.  In  all  his  deaHngs  he  stood 
out  for  the  principle  of  live  and  let 
live,  and  as  he  was  blessed  with  ma- 
terial success  he  gave  freely  to  all  who 
were  less  fortunate  and  who  had  less 
of  this  world's  goods  than  he. 


Mr.  Greenewald  was  a  member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El  and  of  the  Califor- 
nia Pioneer  Society.  His  deeply-re- 
gretted demise  occurred  in  1880. 


Simon    Greenewald 

When  Mr.  Greenewald  was  married  in 
1855  to  Miss  Louisa  Levi  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  she  assisted  him  whole-heartedly 
in  the  work  of  helping  others.  As  mem- 
bers of  the  Jewish  Charitable  Societv 
they  gave  a  helping  hand  wherever 
needed  and  all  in  a  quiet,  modest  wav. 
Only  the  death  of  this  good  man  re- 
vealed a  part  of  his  munificence. 

Four  children  were  born  to  them — 
]\Irs.  A.  Heilbroner,  Mrs.  Leon  Sloss, 
Mrs.  Louis  Greenbaum,  and  O.  H. 
Greenewald. 


ABRAHAM  GUNST 

ABRAHA^l  GL'XST  came  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1853,  but  two  years 
later  left  this  State  to  establish  a 
dry  goods  business  in  Atlanta,  Ga., 
which  in  time  became  one  of  the 
largest  of  its  kind  in  the  South. 
He  was  in  the  midst  of  the  Civil  War 
excitement  and  shared  with  his  fellow- 
citizens  of  Atlanta  all  the  responsibili- 
ties and  deprivations  attending  the 
bombardment  of  that  city. 

After  the  war  Gunst  went  to  Xew 
York,  but  in  1867  he  returned  to  San 
Francisco.  At  the  time  of  his  death, 
in  1896,  he  was  eighty-four  years  of 
age.  He  was  born  in  Hildesheim,  Ger- 
many, in  1812.  From  1867  to  1876 
Abraham  Gunst  conducted  a  merchan- 
dise establishment  on  the  site  on  which 
the  Phelan  building  now  stands.  Mr. 
Gunst  was  one  of  the  first  members  of 
Temple  Emanu-El  of  New  York  and 
was  known  for  his  piety  and  charitable 
disposition.  Mr.  Gunst  had  three  sons, 
Moses  A.,  Lee  and  Silas,  and  one 
dauehter,  ]Mrs.  Emanuel  Katz.  The 
last  three  named  reside  in  New  York. 


WILLIAM  HAAS 

IN  the  death  of  William  Haas  there 
has  been  created  a  void  in  the  ranks 
of  merchant  princes  and  philanthropists 
in  San  Francisco  not  easily  to  be  filled. 
He  came  from  that  clean,  healthy,  rugged 
stock  of  German  Jewry  that  has  pro- 
duced so  many  great  and  good  men  in 
the  life  of  the  American  Commonwealth. 

William  Haas  was  born  in  1849  in 
Reckendorf,  Bavaria.  Germany.  His 
education,  which  was  a  thorough  one, 
was   received  in   Bamberg. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  emigrated 
to   the    Lnited    States,    settling    in    ]Mis- 


100 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


souri.  A  year  or  so  later  he  moved  to 
San  Francisco,  soon  organizing  a  whole- 
sale grocery  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  Loup  &  Haas.  Later  the  firm 
name  was  changed  to  that  of  Haas 
Brothers,  his  brother  Kalman  joining 
him  in  the  enterprise. 

The  firm  of  Haas  Brothers,  with  which 
William  Haas  was  closely  connected  un- 
til the  time  of  his  death,  is  probably  one 
of  the  largest  institutions  of  its  kind  in 
the  United  States. 


He  served  as  treasurer  for  the  great 
German  Relief  Bazaar  held  in  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1916.  The  kindness  of  his  heart 
manifested  itself  on  many  occasions 
while  serving  as  a  director  for  the  Soci- 
ety for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Chil- 
dren. His  charities  were  manifold  and 
he  was  one  of  the  largest  contributors 
to  the  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities 
and  other  philanthropies. 

Like  most  big  men,  William  Haas  was 
kind,  generous  and  unassuming,  a  man 
in  whom  every  one  had  the  greatest  con- 
fidence and  who  was  universally  re- 
spected. 

In  1879  he  married  Bertha  Greene- 
baum,  who  survives  him,  as  well  as 
the  following  children :  Mrs.  Edward 
Brandenstein,  Mrs.  Samuel  Lilienthal 
and  Charles  W.  Haas.  William  Haas 
died  Mav  31,  1916. 


William   Haas 

William  Haas  was  not  only  a  great 
merchant,  but  he  had  a  thorough  under- 
standing of  other  men's  capabilities,  as 
evidenced  by  the  large  number  of  splen- 
did and  well-trained  men  with  whom 
he  surrounded  himself  in  his  various  en- 
terprises. He  was  a  director  in  the 
Wells-Fargo  Nevada  National  Bank, 
United  States  Fidelity  &  Trust  Com- 
pany of  Baltimore,  a  member  of  the 
board  of  arbitration  of  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  held 
other  positions  of  honor  and  responsi- 
bility. 

He  was  a  valued  and  much  beloved 
member  of  Congregation  Emanu-El  and 
for  some  time  president  and  director  of 
Mount  Zion  Hospital. 


SALOMON    HAAS 

THE  subject  of  this  sketch  occupied 
a  prominent  position  among  the 
sturdy  young  men  of  German-Jewish 
stock  who  helped  to  make  history  in 
the   West. 

Born  in  Bavaria  March  12,  1817,  Salo- 
n!on  Haas  after  reaching  manhood  de- 
termined that  his  environments  placed  a 
limitation  on  his  growing  energies. 
Hence  the  year  1844  finds  him  in  the 
United  States  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
seven  with  naught  else  but  a  good  edu- 
cation, a  healthy  body  and  mind  and  a 
will  to  succeed.  Young  Haas  first  mer- 
chandised through  Illinois  and  after- 
wards established  stores  in  Alabama  and 
^Mississippi.  The  California  gold  excite- 
ment penetrated  the  Southern  States,  in 
consequence  of  which  he  pulled  up  stakes 
arriving  in  this  State  in  the  spring  of 
1850,  locating  as  a  merchant  in  Sonora. 
Afterwards  Haas  moved  to  Stockton, 
but  in  1853  he  became  a  citizen  of  San 
Francisco  and  remained  here  until  he 
died.  Like  so  many  Bavarian  Jews  Salo- 
mon Haas  was  a  merchant  par  excel- 
lence.     He    established    a    store    in    the 


WESTERN    TEWRY 


101 


then  rich  mining  camp  of  Virginia  City, 
a  commission  business  in  Yokohama  and 
enjoyed  the  distinction  together  with  his 
brother-in-law,  JuHus  Rosenfeld,  of 
having  conducted  the  first  brewery  in 
Japan.  On  November  11,  1857.  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Julia  Rosenfeld,  daughter  of 
Feisel    and    Libesch    Rosenfeld.     Three 


Salomon  Haas 

children  were  born  to  them,  Louis  S. 
Haas,  Fred  R.  Haas  and  Mrs.  Nellie  Sal- 
berg.  Salomon  Haas  was  a  Jew  to  the 
core.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
Eureka  Benevolent  Society  and  its  first 
treasurer.  His  affiliation  with  Temple 
Emanu-El  was  much  valued  and  for  sev- 
eral years  he  acted  as  its  treasurer.  He 
was  a  kind  and  generous  man  and  his 
charities  were  only  limited  to  his  ca- 
pacity to  satisfy  the  desire  for  good 
deeds.  Salomon  Haas  died  March  11, 
1895,  survived  by  his  widow  and  chil- 
dren. He  was  beloved  and  respected 
because  his  life  was  clean,  honorable  and 

useful.  

JOSEPH  HABER 

BORN  August  23,  1842  in  Bavaria, 
equipped  with  only  a  very  limited 
education,  Joseph  Haber  left  home  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  for  New  York. 
Being  very  industrious,  he  worked  hard 


learning  the  jewelry  trade  and  study- 
ing in  his  spare  moments.  His  next 
move  was  to  Montreal,  Canada.  In 
1860  he  came  to  San  Francisco.  Hear- 
ing of  a  gold  rush  to  the  Caribou  mines 
in  the  Canadian  Northwest,  this  young 
man  proceeded  to  investigate  the  pros- 
pects at  that  place,  but  after  spending 
some  time  there  he  found  that  the 
boom  had  been  grossly  exaggerated 
and  returned  to  San  Francisco  with 
only  50  cents  in  cash,  but  with  his 
hopes  and  ambitions  of  the  highest 
character,  and  a  determination  to 
carve  out  his  destiny  and  make  his 
mark.  In  '63  he  went  again  to  Montreal. 
He  was  in  Ohio  during  the  Civil  War. 
In  1865  he  returned  to  San  Francisco 
and  though  he  had  friends  here,  he 
was  of  too  proud  a  nature  to  have  any 
one  assist  him,  so  he  got  employment 
in  the  jeweler's  business.  With  S.  B. 
Dinkelspiel    he   organized    the    firm    of 


Joseph  Haber 

S.  B.  Dinkelspiel  &  Co.,  wholesale  jew- 
elers, which  continued  until  he  retired 
in  1893. 

He  was  married  July  5,  1876,  to  Miss 
Fanny  Solomon,  daughter  of  Israel 
Solomon  ( who  arrived  in  San  Fran- 
cisco in    1849  and   who  was  president 


102 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


and  one  of  the  founders  of  Sherith 
Israel  congregation).  Five  children 
are  the  fruits  of  this  marriage — Dr. 
William  J.  Haber,  J.  Haber,  Jr.,  Samuel 
B.  Haber,  Walter  B.  Haber  and  Harold 
Haber. 

Although  retired  since  1893,  Mr. 
Haber  kept  himself  occupied  by  look- 
ing after  his  various  real  estate  and 
other  interests. 

In  all  the  domestic  virtues,  chari- 
tableness and  goodness  of  heart,  he  was 
a  Jew.  He  was  very  fond  of  music, 
a  natural  musician ;  and  though  his 
school  education  was  limited,  he  was 
an  ardent  student.  A  keen  business 
man,  endowed  with  high  ideals  of 
citizenship,  great  integrity  and  the  am- 
bition to  make  life  expressive  of  the 
virtues  that  should  adorn  the  Jew, 
placed  him  in  a  high  station  of  life. 
These  were  the  endowments  of  Joseph 
Haber,  who  died  in  San  Francisco 
November  20,  1910. 


ASHER   HAMBURGER 

ASHER  HAMBURGER  was  born 
in  the  small  village  of  Altschoen- 
back,  near  Wurzburg,  Bavaria,  in  1821. 
After  having  received  the  rudiments  of 
his  education  in  the  village  school,  he 
became  a  ropemaker's  apprentice.  As 
he  grew  up  his  sense  of  justice  and  his 
love  of  freedom  became  so  strong  that 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  resolved  to 
break  the  fetters  that  held  him  to  the 
land  of  his  birth  and  accordingly  he 
and  his  brother,  who  was  a  weaver, 
started  for  the  nearest  seaport  with 
only  a  few  coppers  in  their  pockets. 
They  were  bound  for  the  United  States. 
In  1839,  he,  with  his  brother,  arrived 
in  the  United  States  and  set  out  to  find 
employment.  Asher  immediately  ob- 
tained work  in  a  tassel  factory  in  New 
York.  After  he  had  saved  sufficient 
money  he  started  a  small  general  store 
in  Pennsylvania.  It  was  through  his 
fair  way  of  dealing  that  he  gained  the 
sobriquet  of  "the  honest  retailer." 


It  was  in  1843  that  he  was  joined 
by  his  other  brother  and  the  three  of 
them  went  to  Alabama  and  launched  out 
in  a  larger  way.  They  built  up  a  splen- 
did business  and  soon  owned  three 
stores  on  the  Tombigbee  river. 

When  the  news  of  the  great  gold  dis- 
covery in  California  reached  the  South, 
Asher  Hamburger  was  fired  with  en- 
thusiasm and  wished  to  start  at  once. 
His  brothers,  however,  demurred,  but 
Asher's  indomitable  will  won  the  day, 
and  in  1850  they  started  for  the  Golden 
West  via  the  Isthmus  to  seek  their  for- 
tune. 

Sacramento    was    their    destination. 


Asher  Hamburger 

but  it  did  not  prove  to  be  the  ideal  spot 
for  them,  and  in  1851  they  moved  to 
San  Francisco  and  there  started  a 
wholesale  house  under  the  name  of 
Hamburger  Brothers.  Asher  Hamburger 
was  left  in  charge  of  the  business  in 
Sacramento,  but  fire  and  flood  played 
havoc  several  times  and  destroyed  the 
labor  of  years.  His  undaunted  will 
stood  him  in  good  stead  in  these  dis- 
couraging times,  and  in  due  course  he 
was  again  on  the  road  to  the  top. 

In  1881  his  two  sons,  S.  A.  and  M. 
A.  Hamburger,  who  were  then  in  busi- 
ness   with    liim    in    Sacramento,    con- 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


103 


eluded  they  wanted  larger  fields  for 
Sfrowth,  so  thev  induced  their  father 
to  go  to  Los  Angeles.  In  November, 
1881,  the  splendid  business  that  is  now 
known  as  A.  Hamburger  &  Sons,  Inc., 
and  the  largest  in  Southern  California, 
was  inaugurated.  D.  A.  Hamburger, 
the  other  son,  joined  them  January  1, 
1883. 

Asher  Hamburger  took  an  active 
interest  in  business  afifairs  up  to  within 
a  year  of  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
the  2d  day  of  December,  1897,  he  being 
in  his  seventy-sixth  year.  Through  his 
liberality,  enterprise  and  energy  he  has 
contributed  towards  many  of  the  im- 
provements of  Southern  California.  He 
had  a  most  pleasing  disposition  and 
through  his  kindness  and  good-heart- 
edness  assisted  many  men  to  positions 
of  affluence  in  this  country. 

In  1855,  Asher  Hamburger  married 
Miss  Hannah  Bien  and  they  enjoyed 
fifty-two  years  of  wedded  life.  Mrs. 
Hamburger,  who  was  an  ardent,  active 
worker  in  Jewish  charitable  afifairs, 
passed  away  on  the  16th  day  of  May, 
1907.  Seven  children  were  born  to 
them,  six  of  whom  survive — David  A. 
Hamburger,  Closes  A.,  Belle  Ham- 
burger, Mrs.  Otto  Sweet,  Mrs.  Jennie 
H.  Marx  and  Aliss  Evelyn  Hamburger. 

Hard,  honest  labor,  upright  methods, 
and  taking  for  his  precept  the  teach- 
ings of  his  early  childhood,  "De  ye  unto 
others  as  ye  would  have  them  do  unto 
you,"  these  laid  the  foundation  upon 
which  his  children  build. 


veloped  into  an  exceedingly  well-in- 
formed man. 

He  left  his  European  home  a  boy  of 
sixteen  and  came  to  the  United  States. 
He  settled  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  his 
brother  resided.  His  destination,  how- 
ever, was  the  West,  and  from  San 
Francisco,  his  first  stopping  place,  he 
moved  to  San  Bernardino,  where  he 
conducted  a  store. 

In  the  early  '60's  he  decided  that  Los 
Angeles  ofifered  better  business  op- 
portunities, and,  consequently,  it  was 
not   long   before   the   latter   city   num- 


LEOPOLD  HARRIS 

LEOPOLD  HARRIS  was  born  in 
West  Prussia  in  1836,  and  his  death 
occurred  in  September,  1910.  He  had 
a  very  fair  education  with  which  to  be- 
gin life  in  the  business  world,  and  this 
he  received  prior  to  his  leaving  his 
native  land.  Being  a  great  believer  in 
the  power  of  education,  he  sought  to 
avail  himself  of  his  spare  time,  and 
with     much     reading    and     study     de- 


Leopold  Harris 

bered  Leopold  Harris  among  her  citi- 
zens. He  engaged  in  various  lines  of 
business  before  he  settled  into  the  one 
bearing  the  name  of  L.  Harris  &  Co., 
wholesale  and  retail  men's  wear.  This 
was  in  1880.  The  business  prospered 
and  later  the  firm  of  Harris  &  Frank 
was  formed,  which  continues  at  the 
present  time. 

Los  Angeles  owes  much  to  Mr.  Har- 
ris, because  of  the  fact  that  he  helped 
build  the  city,  in  actuality,  several 
business  blocks  being  erected  by  him. 
In  San  Bernardino,  also,  the  Harris 
block  was  built.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  men  in  Los  Angeles  to  erect  build- 


104 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


ings  on  leased  ground — that  was  as  far 
back  as  1880.  At  one  time  Mr.  Harris 
invested  in  land  and  sheep  to  a  great 
extent  and  it  proved  to  be  a  good  stroke 
of  business. 

In  1869  Leopold  Harris  returned  to 
Germany  and  became  wedded  to  the 
woman  of  his  choice,  Minna  Jastrowitz, 
and  brought  her  back  with  him  to  Los 
Angeles.  To  them  the  following  chil- 
dren were  born:  Mrs.  H.  W.  Frank, 
Mrs.  M.  C.  Adler,  Mrs.  Alfred  Stern 
and  Alfred  Harris. 

Mr.  Harris  was  an  oilficer  of  the 
B'nai  B'rith  congregation  and  an  ac- 
tive member  of  various  Jewish  charity 
organizations.  He  was  a  man  true  to 
his  word  and  always  met  his  obliga- 
tions, both  as  a  family  man  and  in  the 
world  of  business.  He  left  many 
staunch  friends,  and  the  community  in 
which  he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his 
useful  life  will  ever  bear  the  impress 
of  his  work  and  industry. 


SAMUEL  HART 

SAMUEL  HART  was  an  Austrian 
by  birth.  He  was  born  in  1837. 
Leaving  his  native  land  when  but  a 
young  boy  he  journeyed  to  California, 
.making  the  long  and  dangerous  voyage 
around  the  Horn  in  1855.  He  located 
first  in  Sacramento,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business. 
When  the  Civil  War  broke  out  he  went 
to  Mexico  and  for  several  years  was 
a   mine  superintendent. 

After  returning  to  San  Francisco  he 
established  a  wholesale  and  retail  pro- 
duce business,  although  retaining  his 
mining  interests  in  Nevada  and  Ari- 
zona. He  was  director  of  the  Eureka 
Consolidated  Mine  of  Eureka,  Nev., 
and  for  many  years  held  large  land  in- 
terests in  lone,  Cal.,  on  which  were 
valuable  coal  deposits.  Prosperity  in 
all  lines  of  his  business  enabled  him 
to  retire  from  active  life  in  1881. 

Mr.    Hart    was    married    in    1865    to 


Johanna  Kanitz,  who  was  born  in  Buda- 
pest. Their  children  are  Benno  Hart, 
Mrs.  Charles  Heymann  and  Julian 
Hart. 

He  had  many  friends  among  the 
pioneers  of  California.  Samuel  Hart 
was  regarded  as  a  man  of  sterling  char- 


Samuel   Hart 

acter.  His  religion  meant  much  to 
him,  and  as  a  member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El  he  was  very  faithful.  He 
was  charitable  to  a  great  degree.  In 
disposition  he  was  kindly,  always  jolly 
and  full  of  good  cheer  to  all  he  came  in 
contact  with.  He  was  greatly  beloved 
by  all  who  knew  him,  and  when  he 
passed  away  in  June,  1899,  he  was 
mourned  by  many  people. 


ABRAHAM  ELIAS  HECHT 

ABRAHAM  ELIAS  HECHT,  son 
of  Helene  and  Elias  Hecht,  was 
born  at  Hainstadt,  Grand  Duchy  of 
Baden,  Germany,  May  23,  1838.  At  the 
age  of  ten,  together  with  his  parents, 
brothers  and  sisters,  he  emigrated  by 
way  of  the  Rhine,  Rotterdam  and 
London  (the  Atlantic  voyage  sail- 
ing ship  taking  thirty-five  days)  to 
New  York  City.  Shortly  after  arrival 
there    the    family    proceeded    to    Baiti- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


105 


more,  Md.,  where  the  elder  brothers 
worked  hard  to  support  the  family  and 
to  enable  the  younger  brothers  to  go 
to  school. 

About  1859,  Mr.  Hecht,  securing  a 
good  position  with  a  highly-regarded 
firm  at  Norfolk,  Va.,  moved  to  that 
city,  where  he  remained  until  he  re- 
ceived word  from  his  eldest  brother, 
Isaac,  who  had  already  gone  out  to 
California,  to  join  him  and  his  brother, 
Jacob,  at  San  Francisco,  then  a  new 
city,  to  establish  a  business  for  all  five 
brothers    there.     Accordingly,   he   left 


Abraham  Elias  Hecht 

Norfolk,  A'a.,  via  New  York  City  and 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama  for  San  Fran- 
cisco,  where  he  arrived  in    1861. 

The  three  brothers,  Isaac,  Abraliam 
and  Jacob,  established  the  well-known 
pioneer  firm  of  Hecht  Bros.  &  Co.,  later 
taking  in  the  younger  brothers,  Louis 
Hecht,  Jr.,  and  M.  H.  Hecht,  as  part- 
ners. By  the  united  energies  of  these 
five  brothers  the  firm  prospered  splen- 
didly. A  few  years  later,  as  an  out- 
growth of  this  original  firm,  the 
Hecht  brothers  united  themselves  with 
Thomas  Buckingham,  and  together 
they  established  the  firm  of  Bucking- 
ham &  Hecht,  which  continues  actively 


in  the  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes, 
and  is  one  of  the  oldest  business  or- 
ganizations in  the  State  of  California. 

In  1874  he  married  Amelia  Kaufmann, 
a  native  of  Virginia,  who  in  her  girl- 
hood moved  to  Baltimore,  Md.  Five 
children  were  born  to  them,  of  whom 
three  are  living,  Miss  Edith  Hecht, 
Joel  K.  Hecht  and  Elias  M.  Hecht.  Mrs. 
Hecht  died  in  San  Francisco  May  16, 
1904. 

Abraham  Hecht  was  very  prominent 
in  civic  and  charitable  activities.  He 
was  president  for  several  terms  of  the 
Eureka  Benevolent  Society,  and  he  pre- 
sided in  splendid  fashion  at  several  of 
their  memorable  annual  banquets, 
which,  up  to  about  1890,  were  held 
every  year  as  the  best  means  of  rais- 
ing sufficient  funds  to  alleviate  the  dis- 
tress among  poor  Jewish  families.  Ow- 
ing to  his  indefatigable  efforts  these 
occasions  were  very  successful,  and 
they  yielded  large  returns  to  the  be- 
nevolent society.  He  was  for  many 
years  a  prominent  member  of  the  San 
Francisco  Chamber  of  Commerce,  a 
director  of  the  German  Savings  &  Loan 
Society,  and  at  the  National  Grand 
Army  encampment  in  San  Francisco  in 
1886  he  was  a  prominent  and  active 
member  of  the  honorary  finance  com- 
mittee, and  he  helped  to  make  that 
event  a  big  success.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order. 

Abraham  Hecht  passed  away  on 
January  9,  1898,  greatly  respected  and 
deeply  mourned  by  the  entire  commun- 
ity. Charitable  to  a  fault  during  his 
lifetime,  his  will  provided  considerable 
sums  for  charities  of  various  kinds. 


ISAAC  HECHT 

IN  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden,  Ger- 
many, in  the  village  of  Hainstadt, 
in  the  year  1832,  Isaac  Hecht  first  saw 
the  light  of  day.  Knowing  that  in 
America  the  chances  of  bettering  their 
condition  were  far  greater  than  in  the 


106 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


home  land,  he,  with  his  father,  mother, 
sisters  and  brothers,  emigrated  to  the 
United  States.  The  journey  was  a 
trying  one.  Down  the  Rhine,  on  to 
Rotterdam  and  London,  from  that 
point  to  New  York  by  sailing  vessel, 
the  time  consumed  on  the  water  being 
thirty-five  days. 

Shortly  after  their  arrival  they  pro- 
ceeded to  Baltimore,  where  Isaac,  the 
eldest,  immediately  obtained  work  in 
order  to  support  the  family.  By  dint 
of  hard  labor  he  managed  to  make 
sufficient  money  to  enable  the  younger 
boys  of  the  family  to  be  kept  in  school. 


Isaac  Hecht 

This  sacrifice  on  his  part  was  made 
willingly  and  generously.  He  was  am- 
bitious for  his  brothers  to  have  the 
proper  educational  foundation  with 
which  to  begin  life. 

From  Baltimore,  Mr.  Hecht  moved 
to  Dubuque,  Iowa,  but  he  remained 
there  only  a  short  time.  The  spirit  of 
the  West  called  him  as  it  did  others, 
and  he  came  to  California  and  settled 
in  San  Francisco.  His  brother  followed 
him  later,  and  together  they  estab- 
lished the  well-known  firm  of  Hecht 
Bros.  &  Co.  The  three  brothers,  Isaac. 
Abraham  and  Jacob,  started  the  busi- 


ness, but  later  the  younger  brothers, 
Louis,  Jr.,  and  AI.  H.  Hecht,  were 
taken  into  the  firm.  By  the  united  ef- 
forts of  these  five  energetic,  resource- 
ful brothers  the  business  prospered 
splendidly. 

Several  years  later  they  established 
the  firm  of  Buckingham  &  Hecht,  man- 
ufacturers of  boots  and  shoes,  which 
continues  to  the  present  time  as  one 
of  the  oldest  business  organizations  in 
the  State. 

In  1862  Mr.  Hecht  returned  to  Balti- 
more and  married  Miss  Blemma  Rose- 
wald  and  brought  her  back  to  San 
Francisco.  Five  children  were  born 
to  them,  Mrs.  Helen  H.  Hecht,  Bert 
R.  Hecht,  Mrs.  William  Fries,  Summit 
L.  Hecht  of  Boston  and  Mrs.  Irvin  J. 
Wiel. 

Mr.  Hecht  had  wide  interests  outside 
of  his  manufacturing  business.  At  one 
time  he  was  president  of  the  German 
Hospital  for  one  term.  He  was  one  of 
the  earliest  members  of  the  Temple 
Emanu-El.  He  was  a  man  of  high 
principles  and  great  sympathies.  As  a 
member  of  the  various  Jewish  organi- 
zations, although  of  a  very  retiring  na- 
ture, he  accomplished  much  real  good 
among  his  fellow  men.  Anything  along 
educational  lines  appealed  to  him,  and 
being  a  great  reader,  he  developed  un- 
usual intelligence.  His  death  occurred 
August  29,  1895. 


MARCUS  H.  HECHT 

MARCUS  H.  HECHT  was  born  in 
1844  in  Hainstadt.  Grand  Duchy 
of  Baden.  Germany.  He  with  his 
father,  mother,  sisters  and  brothers 
emigrated  to  New  York  City  by  way 
of  the  Rhine.  Rotterdam  and  Lon- 
don, the  voyage  on  the  Atlantic  in  a 
sailing  vessel  taking  thirty-five  days. 
From  New  York  they  went  to  Balti- 
more, and  it  was  here  that  Marcus  Hecht 
ofained  the  rudiments  of  an  education. 
Through    the   assistance   of   his    eldest 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


107 


brother,  Isaac,  who  worked  hard  in 
order  that  the  younger  boys  could  go 
to  school,  he  was  enabled  to  advance 
rapidly  in  his  studies.  He  was  a  great 
reader  and  had  the  faculty  of  retaining 
what  he  read.  But  he,  too,  put  his 
shoulder  to  the  wheel  and  helped  in  the 
support  of  the  family. 

Mr.  Hecht  first  went  into  the  shoe 
business  for  himself  in  Baltimore,  and 
later  he  moved  to  Boston  where  he  con- 
tinued in  the  same  line. 

His  brothers  had  by  this  time  set- 
tled in  San  Francisco,  and  at  their 
urgent  request  he  joined  them  in  the 


Marcus   H.    Hecht 


sixties  and  became  identified  with  the 
firm  of  Hecht  Bros.  &  Co.  For  three 
years  he  worked  for  them,  but  at  the 
expiration  of  that  time  he  became  a 
member  of  the  firm,  consisting  of 
Isaac,  Abraham,  Jacob,  Louis,  Jr.  and 
himself.  These  five  brothers  soon  de- 
veloped a  splendid  business  and  en- 
joyed prosperity.  They  established 
the  firm  of  Buckingham  &  Hecht,  man- 
ufacturers of  boots  and  shoes,  which 
continues  to  the  present  time  as  one 
of  the  oldest  business  organizations  in 
California. 

Mr.  Hecht  was  married  January  19, 
1871,  to  Miss  Alice  Arnold,  who  survives 


him.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Dr. 
Abraham  B.  Arnold  of  Baltimore,  a 
man  of  great  prominence.  The  follow- 
ing children  were  born  to  them:  Mrs. 
Mark  Gerstle,  Airs.  William  Gerstle, 
Airs.  John  Rothschild  and  Airs.  Julian 
S.    Stein   of   Baltimore. 

Alarcus  H.  Hecht  was  president  of 
The  Emporium  Company  of  San  Fran- 
cisco for  several  years,  and  at  one  time 
director  of  the  Alercantile  Trust  Com- 
pany. He  took  a  great  interest  in  poli- 
tics, but  was  dissuaded  by  his  mother 
from  taking  up  a  political  career,  as  she 
feared  he  would  be  required  to  leave 
his  domestic  hearth  too  frequently.  He 
was  a  presidential  elector  when  James 
G.  Blaine  ran  for  President,  and  was  a 
candidate  for  Congress  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket. 

Alarcus  Hecht  was  a  popular  man. 
He  made  friends  readily  by  his  jovial 
disposition.  He  was  colonel  on  the 
staff  of  General  Dimond  of  the  Califor- 
nia National  Guards  for  some  time,  and 
was  eenerallv  known  as  Colonel 
Hecht.  He  was  widely  known  as  a 
great  extemporaneous  speaker.  He 
was  a  charitable  man,  and  associated 
with  many  Jewish  organizations. 

He  died  'june  14,  1909. 


AUGUST  HELBING 

THE  present  excellent  condition  of 
manv  eleemosynary  Jewish  insti- 
tutions in  San  Francisco  is  due  to  an 
appreciable  degree  to  the  precept  and 
example  furnished  through  the  noble 
and  useful  life  of  August  Helbing. 
Human  nature  at  its  best  contains 
self-seeking  attributes  that  often  mar 
the  beauty  of  its  spiritual  make-up. 
The  career  of  August  Helbing.  how- 
ever, may  be  justly  said  to  furnish  a 
notable  exception.  His  public  spirited- 
ness  and  his  philanthropic  intuitions 
led  him  into  enterprises  for  the  public 
good.  In  this  his  splendid  education, 
literary  attainments  and  sterling  char- 
acter were  brought  into  play  with  re- 


108 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


markable  results,  as  evidenced  by  his 
work  in  the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society 
and  other  humanitarian   undertakings. 

August  Helbing  was  born  January 
13,  1824,  in  Munich,  Bavaria.  His 
father  was  court  jeweler  to  King  Lud- 
wig  I,  and  the  nobility  with  whom  the 
elder  Helbing  came  in  contact  in- 
fluenced him  to  give  his  fourteen  chil- 
dren a  liberal  education.  August 
graduated  from  the  industrial  school 
(Gewerbeschule)  with  high  honors 
and  was  apprenticed  to  a  mercantile 
house  in  which  he  acquired  a  fine 
knowledge  of  business. 

The  exciting  times  of  1848  found  him 
in  the  thick  of  the  movement  for  the 


August  Helbing 

liberation  of  the  German  states. 
Though  only  twenty-four  years  old  at 
that  time  he  was  already  known  as  a 
ready  debater  and  enthusiastic  Re- 
publican. The  failure  of  the  movement, 
however,  drove  him  from  his  paternal 
home,  and  in  1848,  together  with  his 
chum,  Moritz  Meyer,  who  remained  his 
life-long  partner,  he  came  to  America. 

After  a  short  time  in  New  Orleans, 
Helbing,  attracted  by  the  California 
gold  discoveries,  took  passage  for  San 
Francisco  via  Panama. 

The   first   insight  into  the  character 


of  the  man  who  subsequently  labored 
so  loyally  for  the  uplift  and  betterment 
of  his  fellows  was  revealed  on  this 
journey. 

He  had  paid  $450  in  gold  for  his 
passage  but  it  seems  that  an  unscrupu- 
lous steamship  company  had  sold 
duplicates  of  every  berth.  He  was 
compelled  to  defend  his  possessions  at 
the  point  of  a  pistol,  but  the  next  day, 
finding  a  poor  woman  and  her  baby 
quartered  on  deck  without  shelter,  he 
cheerfully  yielded  his  cabin  to  them 
for  the  rest  of  the  journey  without  any 
charge  whatsoever,  remaining  himself 
on  deck  for  twenty-one  days. 

In  company  with  Moritz  Meyer  and 
August  Wasserman  of  Alaska  Com- 
mercial Company  fame,  Helbing  ar- 
rived at  the  Golden  Gate  early  in  1850. 
He  founded  the  dry  goods  house  of 
Meyer,  Helbing,  Strauss  &  Co.  In 
1860  the  business  was  changed  to  the 
crockery  line  under  the  firm  name  of 
Helbing.  Strauss  &  Co.  It  was  his 
misfortune  to  be  burned  out  four  times, 
which  entailed  heavy  losses. 

Later  a  stock  brokerage  firm  was  or- 
ganized, the  late  Jacob  Greenebaum 
and  his  former  partner,  Strauss,  becom- 
ing his  associates.  He  subsequently 
established  a  general  insurance  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  enjoyed  a  large  and 
lucrative  clientele.  He  was  universally 
respected. 

His  intelligent  endeavors  in  behalf 
of  the  poor  and  needy  were  highly  ap- 
preciated. He  was  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  first  movement  to  estab- 
lish the  public  school  system  in  San 
Francisco,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
effective  leaders  in  the  upbuilding  of 
the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society. 

In  1860  August  Helbing  married  Miss 
Frances  Koenigsberger  and  the  foUov^f- 
ing  children  were  born  to  them  :  David 
Helbing.  J.  A.  Helbing,  Mrs.  I.  Blum 
and  Mrs.  R.  B.  Rothschild. 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


109 


Mr.  Helbing  passed  away  August 
17,  1896,  mourned  by  thousands  of 
people  in  every  walk  of  life.  His  wife 
preceded  him  into  the  rest  eternal  only 
bv  a  few  weeks. 


HERMAN  W.  HELLMAN 

THE  enterprises  sustained  by  the 
financial  aid  and  unerring  business 
ability  of  Herman  \\\  Hellman  have 
given  Los  Angeles  within  the  past  few 
years  a  decided  impetus  toward  a  phe- 
nomenal growth  and  development.  For- 
tunately wise  and  conservative,  he  held 
in  check  any  movement  which   might 


Herman    W.    Hellman 

have  tended  to  inflate  values,  attract 
speculators  and  thus  produce  a  condi- 
tion disastrous  to  permanent  develop- 
ment. Mr.  Hellman's  long  association 
with  the  banking  institutions  of  the 
Southern  metropolis  he  helped  to  build 
proved  his  peculiar  fitness  as  a  leader 
in  financial  circles. 

Nearlv  a  dozen  years  have  passed 
since  this  man  went  to  his  reward  and 
the  wonderful  results  of  his  unending 
toil,  his  calm  foresight  and  clear- 
headedness are  seen  on  every  hand  as 
one  makes  a  tour  of  the  South,  and  it 
is  hard,  indeed,  to  believe  this  man  who 


wrought  nothing  but  great  good  to  the 
city  of  his  adoption  is  not  among  us 
today,  so  vividly  does  he  live  in  our 
memories. 

Born  September  25,  1843,  in  Ba- 
varia, Germany,  his  early  education 
was  a  practical  training  in  the  common 
branches  of  study.  At  the  age  of  fif- 
teen he  decided  to  leave  the  shelter  of 
the  paternal  roof  and  seek  his  fortune 
in  a  new  country.  Accordingly  he  took 
passage  on  a  vessel  bound  for  Cali- 
fornia. Los  Angeles  and  its  vicinity 
attracted  him  from  the  first  and  his 
residence  there  was  practically  con- 
tinuous. Commercial  affairs  interested 
him.  and  in  the  month  of  June,  1859,  he 
took  a  position  as  freight  clerk  in  the 
forwarding  and  commission  business  at 
Wilmington  conducted  by  General 
Phineas  Banning.  He  held  the  position 
until  he  acquired  sufficient  means  to 
enable  him  to  return  to  Los  Angeles 
and  establish  himself  in  the  stationery 
business  in  partnership  with  a  cousin. 

After  conducting  a  successful  enter- 
prise for  several  years  he  withdrew 
from  the  company  to  take  up  the  work 
on  his  own  responsibility.  In  1870  he 
disposed  of  this  business  and  spent  the 
following  year  in  Europe  visiting  his 
boyhood  home.  In  November  of  1871 
he  entered  into  partnership  with  Jacob 
Haas,  an  old  schoolmate  of  his.  and 
established  a  wholesale  grocery  busi- 
ness known  as  Hellman,  Haas  &  Co. 
For  nineteen  years  this  firm  catered  to 
an  extensive  trade  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia. Arizona,  New  Mexico  and 
Texas,  the  strong,  forceful  manage- 
ment of  the  men  adding  materially  to 
the  commercial  supremacy  of  that  sec- 
tion of  the  State. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Hellman  had 
become  associated  with  the  Farmers' 
National  Bank  and  when,  in  1896,  he 
became  vice-president  and  local  mana- 
ger, he  retired  from  the  firm  of  Hell- 
man, Haas  &  Co.,  and  from  that  time 


110 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


he  became  one  of  the  most  widely- 
known  bankers  of  California. 

Shortly  after  assuming  his  duties  in 
the  bank  the  financial  panic  of  1893 
brought  disaster  to  many  of  the  mone- 
tary institutions  throughout  the  United 
States.  The  security  with  which  this 
bank  stood  out  among  others  whose 
doors  were  closed  either  temporarily  or 
permanently  and  the  long  era  of  pros- 
perity which  followed  that  crisis  was 
largely  due  to  the  conservative  and 
sagacious  judgment  of  Mr.  Hellman. 

Outside  of  his  associations  with  the 
Farmers'  and  Merchants'  Bank,  Mr. 
Hellman  was  extensively  identified 
with  other  financial  concerns  of  Los 
Angeles.  In  July,  1893,  he  accepted 
the  presidency  of  the  Merchants'  Na- 
tional Bank,  after  resigning  in  May  as 
vice-president  of  the  former  institu- 
tion. He  was  director  of  twelve  other 
banks  in  Los  Angeles  and  other  cities 
in  Southern  California.  In  the  busi- 
ness of  all  he  brought  to  bear  that 
energy  and  ambition  which  invariably 
spelled  success. 

On  the  26th  day  of  July,  1874,  Her- 
man W.  Hellman  was  married  to  Miss 
Ida  Heimann,  in  Italy,  and  to  them 
were  born  the  following  children:  Mrs. 
Freda  Cole,  Mrs.  Sollie  Aronson, 
Marco  and  Irving  Hellman. 

Mr.  Hellman  belonged  to  many  clubs 
and  fraternal  orders.  Under  his  ad- 
ministration as  president  of  the  B'nai 
B'rith  Congregation  the  new  temple 
was  erected.  Many  charitable  institu- 
tions were  given  support  by  him.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  California,  Jona- 
than and  Concordia  clubs ;  Masonic 
order.  Master  of  Pentalpha  Lodge  No. 
202,  Thirty-second  Degree,  Scottish 
Rite,  Shriner,  Al  Malaika  Temple. 

In  reviewing  the  life  of  Mr.  Hellman 
an  impression  is  gained  not  of  the  op- 
portunities which  presented  themselves 
throughout  his  career,  but  by  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  understood  and  grasped 
the      situation.         Practically     empty- 


handed  he  came  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  in  his  boyhood,  when  the  coun- 
try was  lawless,  when  the  survival  of 
the  fittest  was  the  unwritten  law  and 
where  it  was  far  easier  to  sink  into  in- 
significance with  the  multitude  than  to 
rise  to  the  heights  with  the  few. 

On  the  19th  of  October,  1906,  his 
death  occurred,  and  with  his  passing 
scores  of  men  mourned. 

"Herman  W.  Hellman  was  a  very 
rich  man,  but  not  an  aristocrat,"  said 
one  who  knew  him  well.  "He  helped 
those  in  need.  He  was  always  ap- 
proachable. He  was  loved  by  those 
who  knew  him.  He  was  regarded  by 
the  younger  members  of  his  family  as 
their  councilor  and  adviser.  Mr.  Hell- 
man was  respected  by  the  community. 
Those  who  knew  him  always  had  a 
kind  word  for  him." 

Mr.  Hellman's  interest  in  the  growth 
of  Los  Angeles,  the  Herman  W.  Hell- 
man building  at  Fourth  and  Spring 
streets,  stands  as  a  monument  to  his 
public  spirit  and  enterprise.  His  ever- 
ready  assistance  to  charitable  causes 
and  his  belief  and  interest  in  young 
men  all  go  to  show  that  this  man 
is  missed  not  only  by  the  members  of 
his  household  and  his  near  friends,  but 
bv   the   entire   community   as   well. 


DAVID  HENDERSON 

ONE  of  the  best  business  men  in 
the  country,  an  able  banker,  a 
man  of  public  spirit,  with  the  com- 
munity interests  at  heart — such  was 
David  Henderson,  well  known  in  Cali- 
fornia and  Arizona.  He  was  born  in 
Poland  in  1843.  At  the  age  of  three 
he  accompanied  his  parents  to  America. 
They  were  emigrating  to  the  West,  and 
chose  California  for  their  home,  set- 
tling in  Nevada  county. 

Although  his  father  was  a  well-to- 
do  man,  he  insisted  on  his  children 
earning  their  own  livelihood ;  conse- 
quently      David       was     self-educated. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


111 


While  at  work  on  the  ranch  he  began 
studying  the  common  branches  and 
later  took  up  the  study  of  law,  and  in 
due  time  was  admitted  to  practice. 
However,  he  did  not  practice  his  pro- 
fession generally,  but  applied  it  to  his 
own  needs  in  his  banking  and  mercan- 
tile business  which  he  followed. 
When    David    Henderson    branched 


David  Henderson 

out  for  himself,  he  went  to  live  in  Ari- 
zona, living  in  Prescott  and  later  in 
Globe.  In  these  towns  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business.  It 
was  in  Tucson  that  he  established  the 
D.  Henderson  Bank,  which  later  be- 
came the  Consolidated  National  Bank 
when  he  sold  out  his  interest  to  go  to 
San  Diego.  In  that  city  he  was  presi- 
dent of  a  national  bank  for  three  years. 
Returning  to  Tucson  he  re-purchased  the 
Consolidated  National  Bank  and  re- 
mained there  one  year.  He  then  moved 
to  Santa  Clara,  California,  establishing 
there  the  Santa  Clara  National  Bank, 
becoming  its  president.  He  was  treas- 
urer of  the  Santa  Clara  Building  and 
Loan  Association  for  many  years,  and 
also  president  of  the  Santa  Clara 
Board  of  Education.  He  retired  from 
active  business  just  a  few  months  be- 
fore  his   death,   which  occurred   in   San 


Francisco  November  12,  1902. 

Mr.  Henderson  was  a  member  of  the 
San  Jose  Congregation,  and  also  of 
Temple  Emanu-El,  and  connected 
actively  with  Jewish  charities  wher- 
ever he  lived.  He  was  a  staunch  Re- 
publican and  interested  in  politics. 
When  he  lived  in  Arizona  he  was  on 
the  Governor's  staflf,  and  was  known  as 
Colonel  Henderson.  He  was  a  member 
of  Bay  City  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

Esther  Goldsmith  of  San  Francisco, 
who  survives  him,  became  his  wife  in 
1889,  and  one  child  was  born  to  them, 
Sarita  B.  Henderson. 


HERMAN  HEYNEMAN 

HERAIAN  HEYNEMAN,  the  son 
of  Wolff  Heyneman,  a  merchant 
of  Hanover,  Germany,  was  born  April 
23,  1845.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he 
came   to   California   in   company   with 


Herman    Heyneman 

Sol  Wangenheim.  His  schooling  was 
obtained  partly  in  England,  where  he 
lived  for  a  short  time,  and  later  in  Gil- 
roy,  California. 

In  his  young  manhood  he  formed  the 
excellent  habit  of  reading  and  study, 
and  as  he  grew  older  he  was  rated  as  a 
highly  cultured  man. 


112 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


After  leaving  school  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  store  of  Sol  Wangen- 
heim,  but  his  business  career  began 
when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco  and 
began  the  manufacture  of  cigars  and 
the  selling  of  tobacco.  Later  he  ob- 
tained the  agency  for  the  well-known 
Bull  Durham  tobacco  for  the  Pacific 
Coast,  and  then  the  Western  Coast 
agency  for  the  American  Tobacco 
Company,  which  he  held  until  shortly 
before  his  death  in  August,  1915.  As 
a  business  man  Mr.  Heyneman  was 
held  in  high  esteem  by  all  he  had  deal- 
ings with,  and  he  became  prosperous 
through  his  strict  attention  to  detail, 
as  well  as  through  his  honesty  and  in- 
tegrity. 

Herman  Heyneman  was  married  to 
Rosalie  Robertson  in  New  York.  Their 
children  are  Mrs.  Clarence  Jacobson  of 
Portland,  Mrs.  Melville  Schweitzer  and 
Walter  Heyneman  of  San  Francisco. 
Mrs.  Heyneman,  who  took  a  great  in- 
terest in  Jewish  charities,  especially  in 
the  E'manu-El  Kindergarten  and  the 
Mount  Zion  Hospital,  passed  away  the 
11th  of  May,  1915,  shortly  before  the 
death  of  her  beloved  husband. 

Mr.  Heyneman  was  essentially  a  re- 
ligious man.  He  was  a  member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El  and  his  gifts  to 
charity  were  many.  He  lived  his  re- 
ligion. That  he  was  a  kind,  indulgent 
parent,  a  devoted  husband,  a  true  friend, 
a  good  neighbor  and  an  honest  citizen  is 
acknowledged  by  all  who  knew  him  in- 
timately. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  Concordia 
Club  and  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


HENRY  W.  HYMAN 

ON  the  26th  of  March,  1905,  there 
died  in  San  Francisco  a  man  of 
sterling  character,  Henry  W.  Hyman, 
with  a  host  of  friends  who  loved  him 
for  his  goodness,  and  his  great-hearted 
charity  which  was  always  given  in  a 
quiet  way.     Of  a  deeply  religious  na- 


ture, he  kept  much  to  himself,  but  it 
was  only  for  the  purpose  of  inward 
study  that  he  did  so. 

Prussia  was  the  land  of  his  birth,  in 
the  year  1842.  His  education  was  ob- 
tained in  his  native  land.  When  he  be- 
came a  young  man  the  spirit  of  pioneer- 
ing caused  him  to  journey  to  the 
United  States  and  for  a  time  he  lived 
in  Portland,  Ore.  Later  he  moved  to 
the  Hawaiian  Islands,  where  he  en- 
gaged   in    a    mercantile   business.     He 


Henry  W^.   Hyman 

never  really  established  a  residence  in 
the  islands,  but  called  San  Francisco 
his  home.  Here  he  maintained  offices 
connected  with  his  business.  Asso- 
ciated with  him  were  his  brothers  and 
with  their  united  efforts  and  shrewd- 
ness the  business  developed  to  huge 
proportions.  Four  years  before  his 
death  he  retired. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1867,  Miss  Julia 
Stodole  became  his  wife.  She  was  a 
woman  of  exceptional  qualities,  fine 
character  and  noble  spirit.  Her  dtath 
took  place  in  1915. 

Henry  Hyman  was  a  member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El  and  at  one  time  a 
director  of  Mount  Zion  Hospital.  He 
was   also   connected    with    the   various 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


113 


Jewish  charitable  organizations  and  the 
work  he  did  in  association  with  them 
will  be  long  felt  and  remembered. 
Seven  children  were  born  to  this 
worthy  man  and  his  wife.  Those  sur- 
viving are :  Mrs.  Theresa  Stone,  Wal- 
ter L.  Hyman,  Samuel  L.  Hyman,  Mrs. 
Fred  Baruch  and  Robert  H.  Hyman. 


HARRY  ISAACS 

IX  London,  England,  in  the  year  1816 
there  was  born  to  Israel  Isaacs  and 
his  wife  a  little  son  who  was  destined 
to  render  fine  service  to  the  United 
States.    Educated  in  London  and  living 


Harry    Isaacs 

there  until  early  manhood,  Harry 
Isaacs  was  conserving  his  strength  and 
vitality  which  he  so  freely  gave  later 
for  the  benefit  of  the  country  of  his 
adoption. 

When  he  came  to  this  country,  about 
1842,  his  destination  was  New  Orleans, 
and  it  was  while  residing  in  this  south- 
ern city  that  he  enlisted  and  served  in 
the  American  army  in  the  war  against 
Maxmilian.  After  the  war  had  ceased 
he  moved  to  California  in  1851,  and  set- 
tled first  in  Monterey  county.  In 
1852  he  moved  to  San  Francisco.  First 
he  became  a  wharfinger  on  Long  Wharf, 


which  is  now  Commercial  street.  Later 
he  went  into  the  drayage  business  and 
he  also  conducted  a  saloon  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Battery  and  Sacramento  streets, 
known  as  the  "Identical  Saloon."  He 
continued  in  this  business  until  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1862. 

Israel  Isaacs,  his  father,  was  a  Lon- 
don wholesale  butcher.  He  was  the 
king's  butcher  and  was  also  the  dis- 
penser of  alms  for  the  Montefiores  and 
paymaster  for  the  Rothschilds.  He  was 
also  the  only  Jew  to  hold  a  leasehold  of 
property  in  the  city  of  London  at  that 
time. 

Harry  Isaacs  was  a  liberal,  charita- 
ble man.  All  Jewish  affairs  interested 
him,  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
B.  B.  and  of  the  Masonic  order,  Scot- 
tish Rite. 

He  married  Miss  Kate  Davis  of  Lon- 
don, England.  Their  children  are  Mrs. 
Rachel  Morgenstern  of  East  Orange, 
N.  J.,  Josh  D.  Isaacs  of  San  Francisco, 
and  Mrs.  Max  Abrahams  of  San  Fran- 
cisco.   

ISAAC  N.  JACOBY 

ISAAC  N.  JACOBY,  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1836,  became  a  citizen  of 
San  Francisco  in  the  year  of  1882.  He 
was  educated  in  his  European  home, 
was  married  there  in  1866  to  Miss  Ma- 
thilda Cohn,  and  for  some  time  was  in 
business    there. 

In  1862  he  came  to  San  Francisco 
and  the  firm  of  Landis  &  Jacoby,  deal- 
ing in  wholesale  leather  findings,  was 
formed.  In  1884  he  sold  out  his  in- 
terest in  this  firm  and  became  a  mem- 
ber of  Jacoby  Brothers  in  Los  Angeles, 
representing  the  interests  of  his  as- 
sociates in  San  Francisco  in  the  whole- 
sale men's  goods  business.  Up  to  the 
time  of  his  death  on  the  13th  of  May, 
1902.  he  was  actively  engaged  in  the 
pursuit  of  his  business  affairs. 

Mr.  Jacoby  was  an  upright,  sincere 
man.  He  was  candid,  frank  and  talked 
straight    from    the    shoulder.      It    was 


114 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


said  of  him  that  whenever  he  was  con- 
scious of  the  truth  he  was  not  loth  to 
maintain  his  views  regardless  of  any- 
thing. He  was  a  member  of  Sherith 
Israel  Congregation  and  took  an  active 
interest  in  all  Jewish  charitable  organiza- 
tions.     Isaac    N.    Jacoby    is    mourned 


Isaac  N.   Jacoby 

and  missed  in  the  community  in  which 
he  lived. 

Three  children  were  born  to  him 
and  his  wife,  namely,  Philip  I.  Jacoby, 
Mrs.  Hugo  Abrahamson  and  the  late 
Samuel    Jacoby. 


w 


JULIUS  JACOBS 

ITH  but  little  money  in  his 
pockets,  with  scarcely  anv  school- 
ing, and  without  the  aid  of  friends,  a 
little  lad  made  his  way  to  America 
from  his  home  in  Prussia.  He  was 
barely  thirteen  when  he  reached  Cal- 
ifornia, coming  from  the  eastern  part 
of  the  country  across  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama.  The  year  he  arrived  was 
1853.  His  name  was  Julius  Jacobs, 
and  he  was  the  second  son  of  seven 
children  born  to  his  parents.  Decem- 
ber 21,  1840,  was  the  date  of  his  birth, 
and    .Samotschin,     Prussia,    his    birth- 


place. His  father  was  the  village 
schoolmaster. 

On  his  arrival  in  this  country  he 
systematically  set  out  to  educate  him- 
self by  night  study.  He  succeeded  to 
a  remarkable  degree.  He  read  exten- 
sively on  the  most  diverse  subjects, 
and  his  excellent  memory  enabled  him 
to  retain  a  vast  collection  of  facts  that 
quick  intelligence  co-ordinated.  He 
spoke  and  wrote  well.  His  taste  in 
literature  was  cosmopolitan,  and  in- 
cluded English  and  foreign  poets, 
scientific,  political  and  sociological 
writers,  from  whom  he  quoted  freely. 
His  taste  for  art  led  him  to  make  a  col- 
lection of  fine  paintings  and  prints, 
several  of  which  had  real  merit ;  and 
one,  "Sutter's  Mill,"  executed  by  the 
artist,  Charles  Nahl,  great  historical 
value. 

In  comparing  the  two  pictures,  Julius 


Julius  Jacobs 

Jacobs,  the  penniless  little  lad,  alone  in 
a  strange  land,  and  Julius  Jacobs,  the 
man  of  culture,  refinement  and  af- 
fluence, it  is  realized  that  but  one 
thing  could  have  made  the  transition 
— work.  In  looking  back  over  his 
life  one  can  trace  his  development ; 
and    all    he    gained    was    through    con- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


115 


tiniious  work  and  study.  He  was  born 
an  European,  but  was  an  American  in 
education,  sentiment  and  predilection. 

On  his  arrival  in  California  Mr.  Ja- 
cobs was  employed  by  the  firm  of  B. 
C.    &    T.    L.    Horn,    at    that    time    the 
largest    tobacco    house    in    California; 
subsequently    he     moved     to     Folsom, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  general  mer- 
chandise business.      It  was  there   that 
he  wrote  his  first  risk  in  1860  for  the 
North  British  &  Mercantile  Insurance 
Company,  which  fact  placed  him  among 
the  pioneer  fire  insurance  underwriters 
of  the   Pacific   Coast.     Before  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age  Mr.  Jacobs  was  at 
the   head   of   a   chain   of    stores   at    Fol- 
som, Georgetown  and  other  places,  all 
conducted    under    the    firm     name    of 
Julius  Jacobs  &  Co.     Later  on  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  firm  of  Gridley, 
Hobart  &  Jacobs  of  Austin,  Nev.     Mr. 
Hobart   was    State    Controller    of    Ne- 
vada.    It  was  Mr.  Gridley  of  this  firm 
who  carried  the  famous  sack  of  flour 
that  brought  some  $200,000  to  the  sani- 
tary fund  mentioned  in  Mark  Twain's 
"Roughing     It."     In     the     early     sixties 
Mr.  Jacobs  returned  to  San  Francisco, 
retired    from    the    mercantile    business 
and  entered  the  general  insurance  busi- 
ness.     The   firm    of    Potter,    Jacobs    & 
Easton   was   formed   in    1874  and   con- 
tinued until  1878,  when  Mr.  Potter  re- 
tired   from    the    firm,    which    then    be- 
came Jacobs  &  Easton.  and  continued 
in    the    insurance    business    until    his 
death,  June  22,  1907.     He  was  a  very 
public-spirited   citizen.      He   was   always 
ready    to    assist   any    enterprise    calcu- 
lated  to   develop  the  resources  of  the 
State.     His  reputation  was  very  much 
enhanced   by   his   connection   with   the 
free  kindergarten  system  of  education, 
which  he,  with  the  late  Judge  Heyden- 
feldt  and  Professor  Felix  Adler,  founded 
on    the    Coast.      He    was    director    and 
treasurer  of  the  Pioneer  Kindergarten 
Society  for  many  years.     In   1898  Mr. 
Jacobs  was  appointed  Assistant  United 


States  Treasurer  in  charge  of  the  San 
Francisco  Sub-Treasury,  by  President 
McKinley ;  this  office  he  held  until  his 
death.  In  June  18,  1869,  he  married 
Miss  Sarah  Adler.  Three  children  were 
the  fruit  of  this  marriage,  Lester  (de- 
ceased), Mrs.  Florence  Hofifman  and 
Alfred.  In  former  years  he  took  a 
lively  interest  in  the  afifairs  of  the  In- 
dependent Order  B'nai  B'rith,  at  one 
time  holding  the  office  of  first 
grand  president  of  that  order.  He 
was  a  prominent  member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El,  having  served  as  its  vice- 
president  for  several  years,  and  having 
been  one  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  Fidelity  Lodge  of 
the  Masonic  order.  Bay  City  Lodge  of 
Odd  Fellows,  and  Montefiore  Lodge 
of  B'nai  B'rith. 

Julius  Jacobs  stood  for  the  highest 
ideals  in  Judaism,  and  his  sterling 
qualities  and  fine  character  won  him 
the  respect  and  honor  of  all  those 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  His 
highest  ideal  was  to  serve  his  fellow- 
man.  He  gave  freely  of  his  money 
and  used  every  effort  to  relieve  distress 
regardless  of  creed  or  race.  He  was 
tender-hearted  as  a  child,  and  fre- 
quently carried  his  charities  to  a  de- 
gree that  caused  him  to  undergo  con- 
siderable personal  sacrifice.  Ex- 
tremely democratic,  he  was  partic- 
ularly at  pains  to  be  courteous  to  those 
inferior  to  him  in  wealth  and  station. 


GABRIEL  M.  KUTZ 

WHEN  Gabriel  M.  Kutz  came  to 
the  United  States  he  was  first  at- 
tracted to  Idaho,  settled  in  that  State 
and  engaged  in  merchandising.  A  few 
years  later,  however,  he  moved  to  Cal- 
ifornia, choosing  San  Francisco  for  his 
home  and  established  himself  in  the 
jewelry  business,  and  afterward  be- 
came a  tobacconist.  Success  was  as- 
sured  when   he   made   another  change 


116 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


and  became  a  shoe  manufacturer,  at 
the  head  of  the  firm  of  Kutz  &  Moore. 
Being:  a  keen,  shrewd  man  of  afTairs 
the  business  developed  rapidly  and  he 
was  actively  engaged  in  it  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death. 

Miss  CaroHne  Goldman  of  San  Fran- 
cisco became  his  wife  januarv  2,  1872. 


Gabriel  M.   Kutz 

Mrs.  Kutz  and  their  children  survive 
him.  Their  children  are:  Mrs.  Simon 
Kohn,  Milton,  Jesse,  ^Irs.  Meyer 
Cahn  and  William  J.  Mr.  Kutz  was  a 
devoted  family  man  and  being  a  stu- 
dent and  a  great  reader  their  home  was 
one  of  culture  and  refinement. 

He  was  an  ardent  Republican  al- 
though never  actively  interested  in 
politics.  He  was  a  member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El,  the  I.  O.  P..  B.  and  other 
organizations,  and  genuinely  concerned 
in  all  works  of  charity.  Mr.  Kutz  was 
a  citizen  of  whom  the  community 
looked  upon  with  pride.  He  was  born 
in  Bavaria,  Germany,  in  1840,  and  died 
September  20,  1895. 


can-Jewish  gentleman.  It  is  difficult 
to  describe  in  limited  space  the  char- 
acter of  this  wonderfully  good  man.  His 
well-formed,  well-regulated  mind, 
fixed  principles  and  profound  religious 
sentiment  marked  him  a  God-fearing 
man,  and  a  patriotic  citizen.  Ardent 
both  in  religious  belief  and  civic  opin- 
ions, he  won  the  respect  and  admiration 
of  Jew  and  Christian  alike.  His  friends 
were  numbered  among  all  people.  In 
his  home  life  he  was  a  tenderly  devoted 
husband  and  father,  exemplar  of  that 
sweet,  old-fashioned  Ba'al  Hab'bayith, 
whose  home  is  his  palace  and  whose 
rule  therein  is  with  love,  kindness, 
tenderness  and  sagacity. 

Simon  Koshland  was  born  in  Ichen- 
hausen,  Bavaria,  July  4,  1825.  He  came 
to  America  at  a  comparatively  early 
age,  and  like  most  of  his  countrymen, 
started  on  next  to  nothing.  His  cap- 
ital   was    a   good    education,     a     moral 


SIMON  KOSHLAND 

WHEN  Simon  Koshland  passed 
away  on  the  31st  day  of  August, 
1896,  there  was  taken  from  our  midst 
one  of  the  finest  types  of  the  Ameri- 


Simon  Koshland 


character  and  a  sturdy  self-reliance. 
His  success  was  gained  through  these. 
\\4ien  he  came  to  California  in  1850, 
settlina:  first  in  Sacramento,  he  bat- 
tied  with  fortitude  and  gained  far  be- 
yond his  dreams.  Patience,  persever- 
ance and  industry  counted  in  this  new 
land.     He  was  burned  out  and  flooded 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


117 


out  of  his  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness, and  in  1862  he  removed  to  San 
Francisco,  where  he  remained  until  his 
death  on  August  31.  1896. 

In  San  Francisco  he  founded  the 
house  of  Koshland  Brothers,  composed 
of  himself  and  his  elder  brother  who 
accompanied  him  across  the  Isthmus, 
mule-back  on  their  perilous  journey  to 
the  Golden  West.  It  was  the  wool  and 
hide  business,  and  it  succeeded  so  ad- 
mirably that  the  firm  of  S.  Koshland 
&  Sons,  as  it  is  now  called,  became  one 
of  the  leading  wool  houses  of  Amer- 
ica, with  ramifications  throughout  the 
country,  the  main  office  being  located 
in   Boston. 

On  Mr.  Koshland's  retirement  sev- 
eral years  prior  to  his  death,  his  sons 
and  son-in-law.  Henry  Sinsheimer, 
took  charge  of  the  business,  although 
he  remained  their  guide  and  counsellor 
until   the   last. 

Mr.  Koshland  married  Miss  Rosina 
Frauenthal  of  Philadelphia,  and  the 
children  born  to  them  are  as  follows: 
Marcus  S.  Koshland.  Mrs.  H.  Sins- 
heimer, Mrs.  E.  Greenebaum,  Mrs.  A. 
Haas,  Montefiore  Koshland  (de- 
ceased), Abraham  Koshland  and  Jesse 
Koshland  of  Boston. 

For  years  Mr.  Koshland  was  one  of 
the  leading  members  of  the  Ohabai 
Shalome  Congregation,  but  of  later 
years  affiliated  with  the  Temple 
Emanu-El,  where  he  was  a  devoted 
attendant.  His  charities  were  many 
and  as  might  be  expected  he  gave  un- 
ostentatiously and  with  a  sense  of 
deep  gratitude  to  his  Creator. 


years  due  him  we  find  it  difficult,  in- 
deed, to  become  reconciled  to  it.  Such 
was  the  case  when  on  July  10,  1915, 
Henry  Lachman  died.  Yet  at  fifty-five 
years  he  had  accomplished  many  things 
and  more  wonderful  things  than  most 
men  do  who  live  far  beyond  three- 
score years  and  ten. 

Henry  Lachman.  the  son  of  Samuel, 
familiarly  and  lovingly  called  "Sam."  and 
Henrietta  Lachman  was  born  in 
W'eaverville,  Trinity  county,  Cal.,  on 
February  7,  1860.  Early  in  his  youth, 
to  be  exact,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  fol- 
lowed  eagerly   in   the   footsteps  of  his 


44 


THREE 
That    is 


HENRY  LACHMAN 

score  years  and  ten." 
the  allotted  time  for 
each  of  us  and  when  a  man  passes 
away  at  seventy,  although  there  is  deep 
regret  on  the  part  of  all  who  know 
and  love  him,  we  are  resigned  and 
say,  "He  lived  his  life."  But  when  he 
is  called  away  and  there  are  vet  many 


Henry    Lachman 

father  and  with  untiring  labor  built  up 
what  is  typically  Californian,  a  great 
wine   industry. 

At  first  a  winetaster,  and  then  a 
blender  he  was  afterwards  put  in 
charge  of  the  purchasing  of  wine 
throughout  the  State.  The  commer- 
cializing of  the  finished  product  opened 
further  avenues  and  it  was  through  his 
efforts  that  an  amalgamation  of  the 
various  wine  interests  was  effected 
resulting  in  the  formation  of  the 
California  Wine  Association.  This  he 
accomplished  in  1904.  It  was  fitting 
that  he  should  have  the  honor  of  being 


118 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


the  organizer  of  this  immense  concern 
for  the  thirty-six  years  spent  by  his 
father,  brother  and  himself  in  perfect- 
ing it  gave  him  that  right. 

His  early  education  was  obtained  in 
the  public  schools  of  San  Francisco 
and  at  McClure's  Academy  in  Oak- 
land. When  he  had  attained  pros- 
perity he  traveled  much  in  England  and 
on  the  continent  of  Europe,  studying 
always  to  learn  further  secrets  which 
would  bring  to  the  highest  point  of 
perfection  California's  great  wine  m- 
dustry.  He  often  expressed  himself  in 
favor  of  such  reforms  as  were  needed 
to  bring  the  California  vineyards  and 
the  art  of  wine-making  up  to  the  stand- 
ards of  those  of  Europe.  He  was  a 
help  and  an  inspiration  to  all  who  were 
interested   in   this   wonderful   industry. 

He  was  known  as  one  of  the  best 
wine  judges  in  the  United  States  and 
at  the  time  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition  was  nominated  by  Gov- 
ernor Pardee  to  go  to  St.  Louis  and  rep- 
resent the  California  wine  men.  While 
there  he  was  made  chairman  of  the  Wine 
Exhibit  of  the  World.  For  his  services 
and  in  recognition  of  his  ability  in  that 
line  he  was  decorated  by  the  French 
Government  with  the  medal  of  the  Che- 
valier of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  It  was 
said  of  Henry  Lachman  that  although 
he  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  wine 
industry  of  the  State  and  deeply  con- 
cerned in  it  all  his  life  and  one  of  the 
best  judges  of  wine  in  the  country,  yet 
he  never  swallowed  a  drop  of  wine  or 
other  intoxicating  liquors. 

About  ten  years  ago  Henry  Lachman 
acquired  the  Gallegos  property  at  Mis- 
sion San  Jose.  The  same  energy  witli 
-which  he  built  up  the  wine  business 
he  put  into  the  development  of  this  es- 
tate. His  naturally  artistic  bent  and 
aptitude  for  landscape  gardening  found 
ample  scope.  Gently  elevated  above  the 
southern  end  of  the  Ray  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, alongside  the  historic  Mission  of 
San    Jose    and    just    under    the    Mission 


Peak,  Old  World  gardens,  in  which  a 
hundred  varieties  of  flowers  bloomed, 
spacious  lawns,  orchards  of  orange,  fig, 
and  olive,  prolific  grape  vines,  foun- 
tains and  stately  avenues  of  trees,  all  of 
these  made  Palmdale — Palmdale,  the 
magnificent  show  place  of  California. 
Genuine  hospitality  and  royal  entertain- 
ment were  always  to  be  found  here  by 
the  multitude  of  friends  Henry  Lachman 
possessed. 

His  retirement  to  private  life  with  an 
honestly  earned  fortune  was  only  the 
beginning  of  another  career  in  a  broader 
field  in  which  his  influence  was  being  felt 
and  respected  as  it  had  in  the  past.  He 
added  to  our  country  life  the  simple  but 
esthetic  ideas  of  the  clean-living  country 
gentleman. 

While  Mr.  Lachman  took  no  part  in 
political  affairs,  he  was  active  in  public 
life.  He  was  president  of  the  United 
Chambers  of  Commerce  of  Washington 
Township,  a  director  of  the  Alameda 
County  Farm  Bureau,  a  member  of  the 
Oakland  Chamber  of  Commerce-Com- 
mercial Club,  Consolidated,  an  officer  of 
the  California-Tourist  Association  and  a 
member  of  several  fraternal  organiza- 
tions, including  the  Masonic. 

Mr.  Lachman  never  married.  With 
him  lived  his  venerable  mother,  Hen- 
rietta Lachman,  and  his  brother,  Albert. 
His  untimely  death  called  forth  genuine 
regret  by  many  thousands  of  fellow- 
citizens  who  honor  his  memory.  His 
place  in  the  life  of  our  State  will  be  dif- 
ficult to  fill. 


SAMUEL  LACHMAN 

IF  it  had  not  been  for  Samuel  Lach- 
man and  his  keen  foresight  it  might 
have  been  many  years  before  the  excel- 
lent wines  of  California  received  the 
recognition  they  now  have  throughout 
the  world.  California  owes  much  to  the 
man  who  realized  the  great  future  and 
possibilities  of  this  industry  and  invested 
all    his    money   and   sent    representatives 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


119 


to  the  East  to  build  up  the  market  for 
her  wines.  He  was  the  first  man  to  do 
this,  and  it  was  through  his  untiring 
efforts  and  unending  labor  that  the 
California  wine  industry  grew.  It  was  a 
hard  battle  wherein  labor,  capital  and 
brain  won.  Mr.  Lachman  was  an  au- 
thority on  wine-making  and  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death  the  best  judge  of  wine 
in  the  United  States.  The  fimi  name  at 
first  was  Eberhardt  &  Lachman,  but  in 
1872,  it  became  S.  Lachman  Company, 
being  augmented  by  his  son  Albert, 
and  later  by  his  son,  Henry. 


Samuel  Lachman 

Samuel  Lachman  was  born  in  Prus- 
sia January  21,  1824.  He  left  home 
when  he  was  a  young  boy,  and  in  1850 
arrived  in  San  Francisco,  having  come 
from  the  East  via  the  Isthmus.  He 
was  employed  in  various  occupations, 
until  the  mining  fever  broke  out  when 
he  went  to  Weaverville,  Cal.  Here  he 
established  a  general  merchandise 
store. 

After  living  there  a  few  years  he 
went  to  New  York  and  married  Miss  Hen- 
rietta Guenther,  his  affianced  bride,  in 
1856,  and  immediately  returned  to 
Weaverville,  remaining  there  until 
1864.     In  that  year  Mr.  Lachman  sold 


his  business  and  returned  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

Some  time  was  spent  in  looking  for 
a  profitable  investment.  In  January, 
1867,  with  Adolph  Eberhardt  he  first 
went  into  the  wine  business,  which 
was  at  that  time  purely  a  local  proposi- 
tion with  no  markets  in  the  East.  After 
six  months  he  put  all  of  his  available 
capital  into  it  with  the  result  that  he 
became  the  greatest  developer  of  Cali>- 
fornia  wines. 

So  engrossed  in  business  was  he  that 
in  all  his  career  he  took  but  one  va- 
cation to  Europe.  After  remaining 
away  for  a  year  he  returned  and 
worked  harder  than  ever.  He  was 
always  the  first  to  arrive  and  the 
last  to  leave,  and  it  was  entirely 
through  his  own  efforts  and  far-sighted- 
ness that  he  was  so  successful. 

In  his  home  life  he  was  kind,  simple- 
hearted  and  considerate,  jovial  and  hos- 
pitable. To  him  and  his  estimable  wife 
were  born  three  children,  namely :  Al- 
bert Lachman,  Mrs.  Leo  Metzger  and 
Henry  Lachman,  deceased  1915.  Mrs. 
Lachman  survives  and  is  a  very  char- 
itable  woman. 


DANIEL  LEVY 

DANIEL  LEVY,  the  distinguished 
teacher  and  journalist,  was  born  in 
Luxheim,  Lorraine,  France,  in  1826.  He 
passed  away  in  San  Francisco  in  1910. 
Educated  in  his  native  country  in  the 
Paris  University  he  became  a  teacher  in 
the  government  employ.  After  receiv- 
ing his  diploma  as  a  professor  of  lan- 
guages the  French  government  sent  him 
to  Oran,  Algeria.  During  the  Commune 
he  was  editor  of  the  paper  "La  Lune." 
It  was  confiscated  by  the  government 
and  he  was  put  in  prison  for  a  few  days 
because  of  a  cartoon  of  Napoleon  the 
Third.  After  his  release  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  in  San  Fran- 
cisco February  4,  1855.  For  several 
vears  he  was  an  efficient  teacher  of  Ian- 


120 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


guages  in  the  Boys'  High  School.  Imme- 
diately after  his  arrival  in  San  Francisco 
he  taught  in  the  school  conducted  by  Dr. 
Elkan  Cohn.  For  a  short  period  he  acted 
as  reader  pro  tern  in  Temple  Emanu-El. 
When  Daniel  Levy  emigrated  from  his 
native  land  three  brothers  and  three 
sisters  accompanied  him.  During  the 
Franco-Prussian     war     he     returned     to 


way.  He  never  married.  He  was  a 
handsome  man — very  distinguished  in 
appearance.  He  was,  above  all,  a  Jew 
and  a  Frenchman.  He  was  thoroughly 
versed  in  Jewish  lore  and  hoped  to  write 
a  great  deal  on  that  suljject,  but  owing 
to  ill  health  was  unable  to  do  so.  He 
had  many  friends  and  his  one  thought 
was  to  give  offense  to  no  one.  He  was 
very  charitable  and  liberal  to  every  one. 
He  was  a  valued  member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El.  He  was  the  author  of  the 
following  books :  "Les  Francais  en  Cali- 
fornie,"  "History  of  Austria  and  Hun- 
gary," the  latter  a  political  book. 


Daniel  Levy 

France,  where  he  rendered  such  distin- 
guished public  service  that  the  French 
Government  conferred  on  him  the  Cross 
of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  Ambassador 
Jusserand  made  the  presentation  in  De- 
cember, 1909.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  French  Hospital  and  president  of 
that  institution.  He  was  also  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Alliance  Francaise  and 
benefited  the  community  greatly  by  start- 
ing a  French  library.  In  the  last  years  of 
his  life  Daniel  Levy  devoted  his  entire 
time  to  work  in  the  charitable  organiza- 
tions. He  became  dean  of  the  French 
Colony  and  no  man  in  that  society  did 
more  for  his  fellow-men  nor  added  more 
toward  culture  and  education  than  he. 
He  was  a  ^Master  Mason  and  a  member 
of  the  Cercle  Francais  and  president  of 
the  Ligue  Xationale  for  many  years.  His 
family  regarded  him  as  perfect  in  every 


FRED  H.  LEVY 


t4T7VERYBODY'S    friend"    passed 


E 


away  on  the  29th  of  February, 
1916.  Brimful  of  humanity  and  a  firm 
believer  in  his  fellow-men,  he  rightly 
won  the  distinction.     To  the  world  at 


Fred    H.    Levy 

large  he  was  known  as  Fred  H.  Levy. 
He  was  a  native  son  of  California, 
having  been  born  in  San  Jose  in  18n9. 
His  early  education  was  received  in  the 
pul)lic  schools  of  San  Jose.  Early  in 
his  life  he  manifested  musical  talent 
and  by  diligent  application  became  a 
skillful     pianist.      In     later     years     his 


WESTERN    TEWRY 


121 


leisure  hours  were  devoted  to  com- 
posing music.  One  meritorious  com- 
position of  Mr.  Levy's  was  the  beau- 
tiful "Concordia  Waltz,"  which  was 
dedicated  to  the  well-known  club  of 
that  name  of  which  he  was  a  beloved 
member.  Mr.  Levy  organized  the 
present  orchestra  of  the  Concordia 
Club,  the  members  of  which  for  many 
years  gathered  at  his  home  for  re- 
hearsals. 

His  business  career  was  a  notable 
success,  and  those  with  whom  he  had 
business  relations  held  him  in  highest 
regard.  He  was  a  self-made  man.  He 
left  San  Jose  to  live  in  San  Francisco. 
Here  he  was  engaged  as  bookkeeper 
for  M.  Hyman  until  1883,  when  the 
death  of  his  father  occurred.  At  this 
time  he  became  a  member  of  the  whole- 
sale jewelry  firm  of  M.  Schussler  & 
Co.  The  firm  was  incorporated  in 
1889  and  Mr.  Levy  was  elected  presi- 
dent. He  held  this  position  until  the 
time  of  his  death. 

Fred  H.  Levy  was  married  in  1888  to 
Miss  Belle  Roth.  To  them  were  born 
the  following  children:  Anita,  Harry 
J.,  Dorothy  and  Mrs.  Edna  Frank.  Mr. 
Levy  was  devoted  to  his  family,  and 
his  tender  care  of  his  widowed  mother 
was  beautiful.  In  all  matters  pertain- 
ing to  Jewish  charities  he  was  deeply 
interested.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities  and  of 
the  Temple  Emanu-El.  He  was  vice- 
president  of  the  Concordia  Club  and 
took  much  pleasure  in  fulfilling  his 
duties. 


H.  M.  LEVY 

THE  last  day  of  the  year  1849 
marked  the  arrival  in  San  Fran- 
cisco of  H.  M.  Levy.  He  came  here 
direct  from  Germany  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  having  been  born  in  1830, 
near  Berlin.  His  route  from  the  East 
lay  through  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 

Merchandising  was  his  business. 
^\'hen  he  became  interested  in  mining 
and  associated  with   lim  Keane  in  the 


Comstock  mines  he  began  to  know 
prosperity.  His  big  fortune  was  made 
in  the  Sierra  Nevada  boom.  His  thor- 
ough technical  knowledge  of  mining 
stood  him  in  good  stead,  and  because 
of  this  fact  he  was  able  to  accomplish 
much.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
San  Francisco  Stock  Exchange  and 
lived  an  active  and  useful  life.  His 
property  interests  were  numerous  and 
he  died  a  rich  man.  In  1856  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Schewa  Haas.  Mr.  Levy  was. 
numbered  among  the  first  members  of 
the    Temple    Emanu-El    Congregation 


H.   M.    Levy 

and  was  also  actively  interested  in 
many  of  the  Jewish  charitable  organ- 
izations to  which  he  gave  much  of  his 
valuable  time  and  money.  Mr.  Levy 
was  a  Mason  and  in  politics  was  a  Re- 
publican, although  he  took  but  a 
passive   interest   in   public   matters. 

When  H.  M.  Levy  died,  "in  1908,  the 
real  cause  of  his  death  was  the  loss  of 
his  beloved  wife,  who  died  eight  years 
before,  and  to  whom  he  was  very  de- 
voted. He  seemed  to  droop  and  die 
like  a  flower  when  the  sun  which  is 
its  life  was  gone.  Mr.  Levy  was  an 
idealist  possessed  of  a  rare  and  beau- 
tiful character.  Of  his  two  children 
but  one  survives,  Mrs.  Dahlia  Loeb. 


122 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


SAMUEL   WOLF    LEVY 

SAMUEL  WOLF  LEVY  was  the 
son  of  Wolf  Levy  and  Dina  Matz 
Levy.  The  place  and  date  of  his  birth 
v^as  Haegen,  Alsace,  France,  Novem- 
ber 2,  1830.  The  first  years  of  his 
schooling  w^ere  received  in  his  native 
home  and  in  college  at  Phalsbourg. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  left  home 
for  the  United  States  and  landed  in 
New  York  in  March,  1848.  He  was  a 
sponge  vendor  in  and  about  New  York 
and  on  a  trip  to  New  Orleans  for  a 
new   supply  of  sponges  he  contracted 


Samuel  Wolf  Levy 


cholera  and  yellow  fever  and  was  very 
ill  for  some  time.  He  was  forced  to 
make  a  trip  North  as  far  as  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  in  order  to  recover  his  shat- 
tered health. 

When  he  made  the  return  journey 
to  New  Orleans  the  fancy  took  him  to 
embark  on  a  schooner  for  Chagres,  now 
known  as  Aspinwall.  From  that  point 
he  crossed  the  Isthmus  on  foot,  mer- 
chandising as  he  proceeded.  In  Pan- 
ama he  resided  for  a  short  time,  but 
California  was  his  ultimate  destina- 
tion and  time  soon  found  him  on  the 
steamer  "Tennessee"  headed  for  San 
Francisco.      When     he     arrived     here, 


December  31,  1851,  the  bells  of  the  city 
were  ringing  out  the  old  year. 

In  1852  Mr.  Levy  translated  the  old 
Spanish  laws  into  English  for  the 
United  States  courts.  After  a  short 
stay  in  the  mining  district  of  Grass 
Valley  he  came  back  to  East  Oakland, 
at  that  time  called  San  Antonio,  re- 
maining there  until  1863.  During  his 
sojourn  there  Mr.  Levy  held  the  of- 
fice of  notary  public,  under  Governors 
John  B.  Weller,  John  W.  Downey  and 
Leland  Stanford.  When  he  removed 
to  San  Francisco  he  built  up  one  of 
the  largest  insurance  brokerage  con- 
cerns on  the  Pacific  Coast.  He  also 
had  a  string  of  stores  in  partnership 
with  Dr.  Lengfeld's  father,  and  later 
with  Dan  Block,  which  covered  five 
towns  in  close  proximity  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

Mr.  Levy  held  many  positions  of 
honor  and  trust  during  his  lifetime. 
He  was  president  of  the  Eureka  Benev- 
olent Society,  president  and  executive 
officer  of  the  Pacific-Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum  for  over  forty  years,  taking 
personal  care  of  hundreds  of  orphans. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Council  of 
Fifteen  of  the  Associated  Charities  of 
San  Francisco.  Because  of  his  ad- 
vancing years  Mr.  Levy  was  unani- 
mously elected  honorary  president  of 
the  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  and 
Home  Society  for  life. 

The  work,  however,  which  pleased 
him  most,  and  with  which  his  name 
stands  foremost,  was  the  Pioneer  Kin- 
dergarten. In  June,  1878,  Dr.  Felix 
Adler  of  New  York  broached  the  sub- 
ject to  Mr.  Levy  with  the  result  that 
through  his  efforts  130  members  were 
enlisted,  each  promising  to  pay  $1  a 
month  to  help  establish  the  enterprise. 
From  that  small  beginning  rose  the 
immense  structure  of  the  hundreds  of 
kindergartens  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  of 
which  due  honor  and  credit  is  given  to 
"Brother  Samuel  Wolf  Levy,  the   Pa- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


123 


cific  Coast  pioneer  and  founder  of  the 
kindergarten  system."  Thousands  have 
risen  up  and  blessed  his  name. 

Mr.  Levy  was  a  Mason,  having  risen 
to  the  honorary  rank  of  knight  com- 
mander of  the  Court  of  Honor  to  the 
Supreme  Council  of  the  Thirty-third 
Degree  of  the  A.  &  A.  S.  Rite  of  Free- 
masonry for  the  southern  jurisdiction 
of  the  United  States  at  Washington, 
D.  C.  in  October.  1888.  He  was  elected 
by  that  Supreme  Council  to  the  Thirty- 
third  Degree  October,  1890,  and  on 
January  29,  1891,  he  was  coroneted  an 
honorary  grand  inspector-general  of 
the  Supreme  Council.  Fourteen  of  his 
fraternity  jewels  were  burned  in  the 
fire  of  1906.  He  was  elected  an  active 
member  of  the  Masonic  Veteran  As- 
sociation of  the  Pacific  Coast  April  9, 
1891.  He  was  also  a  member  of  exec- 
utive committee  and  treasurer  of  the 
Sloat  Monument  Association  of  Cali- 
fornia, composed  chiefly  of  officers  and 
members  of  the  Masonic  Veteran  As- 
sociation. He  was  the  only  Jew  on  the 
committee.  His  picture  appeared  in  the 
"Life  of  Rear-Admiral  John  Drake 
Sloat,"  written  by  Major  Edwin  A. 
Sherman. 

In  politics  Mr.  Levy  was  a  Democrat 
for  manv  vears — afterwards  he  became 
a  Republican.  In  1856  he  was  sent  as 
a  delegate  to  the  State  convention  at 
Sacramento  from  Alameda  county. 

On  the  6th  of  December,  1856.  he  mar- 
ried ^liss  Babbette  Bloch,  and  to  them 
were  born  the  following  children:  Mrs. 
William  Lewis,  Mrs.  S.  Blum,  Mrs. 
Alfred  Greenbaum,  Mrs.  Liebenthal 
and  Melville   S.   Levy. 

In  his  home  life  Mr.  Levy  was  a  de- 
voted husband  and  a  kind,  loving  and 
indulgent  father.  He  was  a  remark- 
able man  in  every  way.  He  was  sweet- 
spirited  and  gentle,  and  his  loving 
kindness  toward  young  and  old  knew 
no  bounds. 

Mr.  Levy  died  January  27,  1916. 


PHILIP  N.  LILIENTHAL 

THOUGH  nearly  eight  years  have 
passed  since  "Phil"  Lilienthal 
came  to  an  untimely  end,  the  result  of 
an  automobile  accident,  there  are  still 
a  host  of  people  in  every  walk  of  life 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
land  whose  eyes  grow  moist  when 
speaking  of  him. 

A  handsome  man  he  was.     Tall  and 
imposing,  of  courtly  manner  and   dis- 


Philip   X,  •  Mlial 

tinguished  bearing,  possessed  of  a 
charm  that  few  could  withstand,  he  at- 
tracted attention  wherever  he  went. 
Yet,  petted  though  he  was  by  Nature, 
brilliant  though  his  success,  he  was 
neither  pompous,  proud  nor  lordly.  He 
was  a  man  in  the  noblest  sense  of  the 
term.  Jew  to  the  core,  his  heart 
throbbed  in  loving  sympathy  for  the 
unfortunate  of  every  creed.  Phil 
Lilienthal  was  not  known  to  be  a  rich 
man  in  the  sense  in  which  that  term  is 
usually  understood.  Great  wealth  did 
not  give  him  that  remarkable  promi- 
nence in  the  civic,  business  and  social 
life  of  this  State  and  the  Nation.  It 
was  rather  his  sterling  qualities  as  a 
man  and  a  citizen  ;  his  splendid  ability 


124 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


as  a   man  of  affairs,  his  fine  sense  of 
honor,    his    civic    virtues,    his    love    of 
mankind,    his     innumerable     deeds     of 
loving    kindness — all    that    and    much 
more  gave  him  such  a  wonderful  hold 
upon  the  people  that  knew  him.     De- 
spite    his     great     responsibilities     and 
arduous  duties,  he  was  intensely  demo- 
cratic.    Whether  it  was  the  seeker  of 
advice  or  assistance,  or  the   merchant 
prince — everybody  was   welcome.     No 
announcement  was  necessary.     His  of- 
fice was  no  sanctum  sanctorum  of  the 
latter-day  man  of  importance.     All  one 
had  to  do  was  to  approach  his  desk — 
in     the     Anglo-California      Bank — the 
simplest  piece  of  furniture  in  the  estab- 
lishment— and     state     one's     business. 
One  was  ever  sure  of  a  hearty  greet- 
ing,  a   kind   word.      He   loved   to   give 
and    do   good   and   the   number   of   his 
benefactions    probably    will    never    be 
known.     Had  he  possessed  the  neces- 
sary ambition  he  could  have  had  any 
office  in  the  gift  of  the  people  of  Cali- 
fornia, for  he  enjoyed  the  respect  and 
affection  of   all   men,   and   the    Repub- 
lican  party   of  this   State,   through   its 
leaders,  had  approached  him  time  and 
again   with   a   view  of   becoming   their 
standard    bearer.      But    the   pomp    and 
glitter  of  political  office  had  no  charm 
for  him.     He  was  a  banker  par  excel- 
lence   and    tlie    beau    ideal    of    a    man. 
When  in  1890  persecutions  drove  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  Russian  Jews  to 
this   country    Phil    Lilienthal   with    Dr. 
Jacob  Voorsanger  and  others  founded 
the    Russian   Jewish   Alliance,   and   as- 
sisted   thousands   of   people.     At   tliat 
time  he  was  director  in  the  Union  Iron 
Works,   and   it   is   common   knowledge 
that  he  procured  work  for  hundreds  of 
Russian  Jews  in  that  institution.  Space 
does  not  i)ermit  the  mention  of  his  in- 
numerable deeds.     He  was  ever  ready 
to  help.     God  had  given  him  a  commis- 
sion and  his  task  was  well  performed. 
He  was  born  in  New  York  City  No- 
vember  4,    18.^0,    and    was    the    son    of 


Rev.  Dr.  and  Pepi  (Nettre)  Lilienthal. 
Dr.  Lilienthal  was  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished members  of  the  American 
Rabbinate  and  was  foremost  in  the  re- 
form   movement. 

Phil  Lilienthal  was  educated  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  until  the  age  of  fourteen, 
when     he     was      employed     by     Stix 
Krause  &  Co.  of  that  city  and  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  went  to   New  York, 
where   he   entered   the   office  of  J.    W. 
Seligman    &    Co.,    the    famous    firm    of 
bankers.     Mr.  Lilienthal  proved  an  apt 
pupil  in  the  financial  school.     He  rose 
quickly  through  the  different  stages  of 
clerk,    cashier     and     manager     and     in 
1869    came    to    San    Francisco   to    take 
charge  of  a  Seligman  bank,  which  had 
been  founded  in  San  Francisco  during 
the    Civil    War.      Seeing   the   opportuni- 
ties here  he  made  an  independent  move 
for   his   firm   and   in    1873   founded   the 
Anglo-Californian    Bank,     Limited,    of 
London,' the  institution  with  which  he 
had    been    associated    until    his    death. 
For  thirty  years  he  devoted  his  splen- 
did powers  to  the  strengthening  of  that 
])ank,  sharing  his  labor  for  part  of  that 
time    with    Ignatz    Steinhart,    the    co- 
manager  of  the  institution.     To  a  man 
as  generously  endowed  as  Mr.   Lilien- 
thal, the  work  of  the  bank  became  only 
a  part  of  his  activities.     He  interested 
himself  in  the  development  of  banking 
in  this  city  and  throughout  the  State. 
He    founded    the    Porterville    Bank    of 
Porterville,  Cal.,  and  became  its  presi- 
dent.    He  also  assisted  in  establishing 
many  other  interior  banks  in  most  of 
which  he  held  important  official  positions. 
He  was  director  of  the  California  Title 
Insurance  &  Trust  Coiupany  of  this  city. 
Despite  the  many  claims  on  his  time  and 
strength,    he     found     opportunities     to 
demonstrate  in  a  practical  way  his  sym- 
pathies   as    a    citizen.      No    important 
public  or  semi-public  movement  in  the 
city  was  ever  considered  well  managed 
unless  it  had  behind  it  in  some  capacity 
this     resourceful     and     energetic     man. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


125 


He  was  one  of  the  men  who  made  the 
Midwinter  Fair  a  success.  He  was  for 
some  time  director  of  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Free  Library.  He  was  president 
of  the  Pliilharmonic  Society.  Member 
of  Temple  Emanu-El  and  of  all  the 
charitable  institutions.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Bohemian, 
Family,  Pacific  Union,  Union  League, 
Commonwealth  and  Argonaut  clubs 
and  his  membership  in  each  meant 
something.  In  each  organization  he 
left  his  mark.  Mr.  Lilienthal  was  mar- 
ried December  10,  1879,  to  Miss  Isa- 
bella Seligman,  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Joseph  Seligman  of  New  York. 
There  were  four  children:  Joseph  L. 
Lilienthal ;  Elsie,  wife  of  Dr.  Edwin 
Beer  of  New  York ;  Philip  N.  Lilien- 
thal, Jr.,  and  Theodore  Max  Lilienthal. 


SOL  LOEB 

SOL  LOEB  came  to  the  United 
States  when  he  was  a  young  boy 
of  thirteen  and  settled  in  the  Southern 
States.      He    was    born    in    Alsace    in 


Sol   Loeb 

1859.  When  he  lived  in  New  Orleans 
he  was  associated  in  business  with  his 
brother.  Subsequently  he  moved  to 
San  Francisco.  His  popularity,  due  to 
his     jovial     disposition,     his     goodness 


of  heart,  his  justness  and  charity  made 
him  many  friends.  He  took  an  in- 
terest in  club  life  and  it  was  his  pleas- 
ure to  see  his  friends  enjoy  themselves. 
Mr.  Loeb  was  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Concordia  Club  and  did  much 
toward  building  it  up  to  the  highest 
standards.  He  was  an  attendant  at 
Temple  Emanu-El  and  the  Jewish 
charitable  organizations  knew  of  his 
kindness  in  numerous  instances.  Sol 
Loeb  was  married  in  1897  to  Miss  Dahlia 
Levy,  daughter  of  H.  M.  Levy,  and  two 
children  were  born  to  them.  Mr.  Loeb's 
death  occurred  in   1908. 


ISAAC  MAGNIN 

ISAAC  MAGNIN,  of  coastwise  fame, 
came  to  America  from  Holland,  his 
birthplace,  at  the  age  of  eight.  He  was 
born  in  1842.  His  education  begun  in 
the  village  schools  of  his  native  land, 
was  continued  through  his  own  efforts 
throughout  his  life.  He  was  self-edu- 
cated and  his  natural  trend  in  learning 
was  toward  languages  and  literature 
He  was  a  linguist  and,  after  retiring 
from  active  business,  devoted  himself  to 
social  economy  and  the  languages. 

Mr.  Magnin'.s  early  business  experi- 
ences were  along  the  lines  of  merchan- 
dising which  ht  carried  out  in  Texas 
and  New  Mtxico.  At  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  the  army 
and  engaged  in  many  battles.  When 
he  was  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  the 
war  he  went  to  England.  In  London, 
where  he  remained  for  a  number  of 
years,  he  conducted  an  art  goods  store. 
In  1866  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ann 
Cohen  in  London,  and  to  them  were 
born  Samuel,  Mrs.  Louis  Gassner,  Jo- 
seph, \'ictor  (deceased),  Emanuel,  Mrs. 
Myer  Siegel,  Mrs.  Stephen  S.  Rau  and 
Grover  A.   Magnin. 

On  Mr.  Magnin's  return  to  the 
United  States  he  came  to  California 
and  settled  in  Oakland.  A  small  store 
was     opened,     but     subsequently     he 


126 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


mov(xl  to  San  Francisco,  where  the 
well-known  firm  of  I.  Magnin  &  Co. 
was  established.  On  his  retirement  in 
1900,  his  sons,  who  had  grown  capable 
and  efficient  under  their  father's  guid- 
ance, continued  the  business. 


Isaac  Magnin 

Mr.  Magnin  was  an  honorable,  up- 
right, honest  man ;  charitable  to  a  de- 
gree.  With  his  family  he  displayed  his 
happy,  sunny  disposition,  and  no  man 
who  ever  lived  was  more  revered  by  his 
children  than  was  he.  Mr.  Magnin  was 
a  Mason  of  high  standing,  having  joined 
the  order  in  London,  a  member  of  Tran- 
quillity Lodge.  His  death  occurred  Jan- 
uary 27 , 


1907. 


ABRAHAM    MAYFIELD 

ABRAHAM  MAYFIELD  was  born 
in  Bebesheim,  Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many, October  19,  1830.  He  came  to 
the  L'nited  States  as  a  young  boy  and 
was  educated  in  Cincinnati  and  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  war  was  one  of  the 
first  to  answer  President  Lincoln's  call 
for  help  and  enlisted  in  the  Fifty-ninth 
Ohio  \'olunteers.  He  served  with  dis- 
tinction under  General  Lew  Wallace  of 


Ben  Hur  fame,  and  took  part  in  the 
battles  of  Bowling  Green,  Gettysburg 
and  in  the  siege  before  X'icksburg.  At 
the  close  of  the  war  he  moved  to  Cali- 
fornia and  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
crockery  business  in  San  Francisco.  He 
retired  in  1888.  He  was  married  on 
August  7,  1870,  to  Miss  Fannie  Stark. 
Two  children  were  born  to  them,  Mrs. 
L.  M.  Kaiser  of  San  Francisco  and  Col- 
onel JMax  Mayfield  of  Boise,  Idaho. 

Abraham  Mayfield  was  one  of  the 
oldest  Odd  Fellows  in  the  United 
States,  having  been  a  member  over 
sixty  years  and  held  continual  mem- 
bership since  his  initiation  into  Ex- 
emplar Lodge  No.  210,  at  Hillsboro, 
Ohio,  on  August  30,  1853.  He  became 
a  charter  member  of  Calloway  Lodge, 


Abraham  Mayfield 

No.  105,  at  Fulton,  [Missouri,  April  20, 
1857.  He  was  a  member  of  Bay  City 
Lodge,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Ohabai  Shalome  Congregation.  He 
was  a  very  charitable  man,  loved  and 
respected  by  everyone  as  a  Jew,  gentle- 
man and  a  citizen.  Mr.  Mayfield  passed 
away  in  September,  1913. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


127 


DANIEL  MEYER 

AMONG  the  many  striking  per- 
sonalities that  characterized  early 
California  life,  Daniel  Meyer  occupied 
a  prominent  place.  His  busy  life  as 
a  banker  and  man  of  affairs  did  not 
prevent  him  from  acquiring  a  fount 
of  knowledge  and  education  that 
stamped  him  as  a  man  of  culture  to 
an  unusual  degree.  He  was  born 
February  29,  1824,  in  Sulzburg,  Ba- 
varia. In  that  country  he  was  trained 
in  the  banking  business.  In  1842  he 
arrived  in  New  York  City  and  nine 
years    later    came    to    San    Francisco, 


Deniel  Meyer 

where  he  and  his  brother,  Jonas,  en- 
gaged in  the  tobacco  business.  In 
1857  the  banking  firm  of  Daniel  Meyer 
was  established,  which  institution  was 
known  far  and  wide  as  one  of  the 
strongest  private  banking  institutions 
in  the  country.  He  was  vice-president 
of  the  German  Savings  and  Loan  So- 
ciety and  was  connected  with  many 
large  enterprises.  He  was  a  man  of 
fine  character,  high  ideals  and  integ- 
rity and  was  never  found  wanting  in 
the  support  of  charitable  enterprises  of 
every  description.     He  was  one  of  the 


first  large  contributors  to  the  Federa- 
tion of  Jewish  Charities  and  enjoyed 
the  distinction  of  being  the  prime 
mover  in  the  reorganization  of  the  orig- 
inal irrigation  districts  of  California. 
Daniel  Meyer  practiced  to  a  fault  the 
noblest  attribute  of  Judaism — charity. 
His  personal  life  was  as  clean  and 
wholesome  as  his  business  career  was 
straight  and  honorable.  Daniel  Meyer 
married  Miss  Clara  Newhouse  in  1852. 
He  died  September  5,  1911,  mourned  by 
people  in  every  sphere  of  life,  regard- 
less of  religious  belief. 


JONAS  MEYER 

DESPITE  his  modest  and  retiring 
nature,  Jonas  Meyer,  like  his 
brother  Daniel,  was  a  factor  in  the 
business  and  financial  life  of  San  Fran- 
cisco for  many  decades. 

Born  in  Schwabach,  Germany,  July 
16,  1827,  where  he  received  the  usual 
village  school  education,  he  soon 
evinced  a  desire  to  follow  the  stream 
of  humanity  westward.  After  one  year 
in  Baltimore  he  joined  his  brother 
Daniel  in  San  Francisco,  where  they 
established  a  tobacco  business,  which 
by  thrift  and  industry  became  a  profit- 
able venture.  Jonas  soon  became 
known  as  a  clever  salesman  and  splen- 
did business  man.  In  1857  these  ener- 
getic brothers  went  into  the  banking 
business,  under  the  name  of  Daniel 
Meyer.  The  establishment  enjoyed  a 
reputation  for  broadmindedness  in  its 
relations  with  its  large  clientele  second 
to  none  among  the  private  banking  in- 
stitutions in  California. 

Jonas  Meyer  was  a  genial  and  af- 
fable man  and,  like  his  brother  Daniel, 
generous  to  a  fault. 

He  married  Miss  Julia  Newhouse 
and  to  them  were  born  the  following 
children:  Camilla  Samson,  Mrs.  Hat- 
tie  Simon,  Albert  Meyer  and  Henry 
Meyer. 

Jonas  Meyer  died  August  7,  1882. 


128 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


OSCAR  MEYER 

OSCAR  MEYER  was  born  at  For- 
don,  Prussia,  in  the  year  1824. 
When  but  a  boy  alone  and  unaided 
he  left  his  home  and  parents  for  the 
United  States  to  seek  a  field  for  his 
ambition  and  settled  in  the  State  of 
Mississippi  in  the  early  forties,  engag- 


Oscar  Meyer  passed  away  on  Sep- 
tember 30,  1894.  aged  seventy  years.  His 
widow,  Mrs.  Bertha  Meyer,  and  nine 
children  survive  him. 


Oscar  Meyer 

ing  in  merchandising  and  meeting  with 
success. 

In  1851  he  with  many  others  emi- 
grated to  California,  arriving  in  San 
Francisco  on  June  21st  of  that  year,  a 
passenger   on   the   steamship   "Union." 

In  1854  he  returned  to  New  York 
City  and  there  married  Miss  Bertha 
Michelson,  returning  to  San  Francisco 
the  following  year. 

For  a  time  he  was  engaged  in  min- 
ing at  Murphy's  Camp,  Calaveras 
county,  and  there  conducted  a  pros- 
perous business  during  the  stirring 
times  of  the  early  mining  period  of 
that  well-known  locality.  He  returned 
to  San  Francisco  in  1863.  Here  he  en- 
gaged in  several  successful  business 
enterprises,  and  at  a  later  period 
founded  a  number  of  large  mercantile 
establishments  in  difTerent  parts  of  the 
State. 


LEWIS  MEYERSTEIN 

LEWIS  MEYERSTEIN  was  born 
March  25,  1829,  in  Germany,  and 
died  November  26,  1906.  He  was  but 
a  young  lad  when  he  left  his  native 
land  and  subsequently  came  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  made  his  permanent 
home.  His  first  business  conducted  in 
San  Francisco  was  a  small  store  on 
Kearny  street.  New  York  City  claimed 
him  for  a  time,  but  the  lure  of  the 
West  proved  stronger  and  when  he  re- 
turned he  established  himself  in  the 
retail  clothing  business.  This  he  con- 
tinued in  for  many  years.  Later  we 
find   him   in  the   wholesale  and   manu- 


Lewis   Meyerstein 

facturing  business  of  men's  wearing 
apparel,  in  which  he  was  eminently 
successful. 

Being  a  keen  business  man,  every- 
thing he  became  interested  in  turned 
into  profit.  It  might  be  said  of  him 
that  he  had  the  touch  of  a  Midas.  A 
mercantile  store  which  he  established 
in    San    Bernardino    occupied    a    great 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


129 


deal  of  his  time  and  attention  and  he 
made  frequent  trips  to  the  eastern  me- 
tropolis, New  York,  in  its  interests. 

The  Bank  of  San  Bernardino,  busi- 
ness connections  in  Honoluhi  and  real 
estate  in  San  Francisco  were  other 
enterprises  in  which  he  was  engaged. 
He  formed  the  firm  of  Lewis  Meyer- 
stein  &  Son,  taking  with  him  in  part- 
nership his  son,  Alfred  L.  Meyerstein. 

Miss  Jane  I.  Lilienfeld  of  San  Fran- 
cisco became  his  wife  on  September 
1,  1861,  and  of  the  children  born  to 
them  the  following  survive :  Alfred  L. 
and  Mrs.  E.  L.  Rothschild. 

For  many  years  Lewis  Meyerstein 
was  a  member  of  Dr.  Bettelheim's  Con- 
gregation and  later  of  Temple  Emanu-El. 
He  was  a  man  of  many  friends,  out- 
spoken and  frank.  He  was  a  highly 
intelligent  man,  an  idealist  and  full  of 
loving  kindness  and  charity  to  all  de- 
serving it.      


JOSEPH  NAPHTALY 

THOUGH  at  this  writing  it  is 
nearly  si.x  years  since  Joe  Naph- 
taly  went  to  his  reward,  neither  his 
good  deeds  nor  his  genial  personality 
have  been  forgotten.  A  lawyer  of 
scholarly  attainments,  he  held  high 
rank  among  the  legal  fraternity  of  Cali- 
fornia and  was  in  his  time  foremost 
among  the  Jewish  practitioners  here- 
abouts. 

Joseph  Naphtaly  was  born  in  Prus- 
sia September  29,  1842.  His  early  edu- 
cation was  received  in  the  Gymnasium 
of  Berlin,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
he  came  to  San  Francisco,  where  he 
attended  the  public  schools.  Later  he 
entered  Yale  University,  from  which 
institution  of  learning  Naphtaly  grad- 
uated with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  Re- 
turning to  San  Francisco,  he  entered 
the  county  clerk's  office  for  a  while, 
after  which  he  entered  the  practice  of 
his  profession. 

The  law  firm  of  Naphtaly,  Freiden- 
rich  &  Ackerman,  comprising  Joseph 
Naphtaly,  David  Freidenrich  and 
Charles    L.    Ackerman,    was    soon    or- 


ganized and  became  in  time  one  of  the 
biggest  and  best  known  in  the  State. 

He  was  a  lawyer  par  excellence  and 
enjoyed  a  lucrative  practice.  That  he 
shared  his  prosperity  with  those  less 
favored  by  fortune  is  known  to  a  host 
of  people.  He  was  generous  almost  to 
a  fault  and  it  was  often  suspected  that 
his  goodheartedness  got  the  better  of 
his  judgment. 

Naphtaly  was  intensely  Jewish.  For 
many  years  a  director  of  Temple 
Emanu-El,  he  rendered  that  institu- 
tion distinguished  service.    His  breadth 


Joseph    Naphtaly 

of  view  and  his  desire  for  sane  and 
rational  progress  in  Judaism,  as  in  all 
other  things,  kept  him  among  the 
leaders  in  Jewish  communal  affairs. 
He  was  a  director  of  the  Pacific  He- 
brew Orphan  Asylum  and  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  First  Hebrew  Benevolent 
Society.  He  was  a  Mason  in  high 
standing  and  was  also  affiliated  with 
the  L  O.  B.  B.  and  L  O.  O.  F. 

At  one  time  he  was  a  memlier  of  the 
State  Assembly  and  served  in  1869  as 
chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee. 
Joseph  Naphtaly  was  married  in  1869 
to  Miss  Sarah  Schmitt.  Their  cliil- 
dren  are  Mrs.  L.  B.  Feigenbaum  and 
Samuel  L.  Naphtaly. 

He  died  August  29,  1910. 


130 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


HARRIS  NEWMARK 

NOT  many  names  of  Los  Angeles 
merchants  or  financiers  are  bet- 
ter known  nor  more  honorably  asso- 
ciated with  the  history  of  that  city's 
commercial  development  than  that  of 
Harris  Newmark.  Born  in  Loebau, 
West  Prussia,  on  July  5,  1834,  the  son 
of  Philip  and  Esther  (Meyer)  New- 
mark,  Harris  Newmark  profited  from 
early  youth  through  an  intimate  asso- 
ciation with  a  father  whose  natural 
enterprise     and     business     operations 


Harris    Newmark 

enabled  him  to  see  a  good  deal  of  the 
world. 

Preceded  by  his  brother  and  an 
uncle,  Joseph,  who  had  settled  in  Som- 
erset, Connecticut,  as  early  as  1830, 
Harris  Newmark  came  to  America  in 
1853  by  way  of  Gothenberg,  Hull  and 
Liverpool,  arriving  in  New  York  in 
due  time,  and  sailing  again  for  San 
Francisco  via  Nicaragua,  he  arrived  at 
the  Golden  Gate  October  16,  1853.  On 
October  21st,  a  mere  youth  of  nineteen, 
Newmark  reached  San  Pedro  on  the 
steamer  "Goliah,"  where  he  was  met  by 
Phineas  Banning,  to  whom  he  bore  a 
letter  of  introduction,  and  who  con- 
ducted him  to  Los  Angeles. 


At  first  Harris  clerked  for  his  brother 
in  a  little  store  at  the  southeast  corner 
of  Main  and  Requena  streets,  and  when 
in  June,  1854,  J.  P.  Newmark  sold  out, 
Harris  Newmark  commenced  business 
for  himself.    In  a  few  months  he  organ- 
ized the  firm  of  Rich,  Newmark  &  Co. 
During    1856   this   firm   was   dissolved, 
after   which    Mr.   Newmark   joined  his 
uncle   Joseph,  who  had  come  to  Cali- 
fornia   two    years    before,    his    brother 
and     Maurice     Ivremer,    and    together 
thev  formed  Newmark,  Kremer  &  Co., 
a    retail    and    wholesale   business.      In 
the  fall  of  1858  this  business  was  dis- 
solved.      Harris    Newmark    continued 
to  sell  clothing.     About  the  same  time 
Mr.  Newmark,  who  had  already  dealt 
somewhat  in  hides,  began  to  invest  in 
sheep.       In     1861     he    abandoned    the 
clothing   business,    which    was    always 
distasteful  to  him,  and  became  a  com- 
mission broker.     In  1865,  hearing  of  a 
threat  "to  drive  every  Jew  in  Los  An- 
geles out  of  business,"   Mr.  Newmark 
speedily    made    a    private    agreement 
with    Phineas    Banning   by   which    the 
cost  of  hauling  merchandise  from  San 
Pedro  was  saved  and  a  clear  advantage 
over  all  competitors  was  thus  assured, 
and  straightway  he  established,  in  the 
Arcadia   block,   the   wholesale   grocery 
of  H.   Newmark  &  Co.,  resulting  even- 
tually in  a  luimber  of  leading  rivals,  in- 
cluding   the    one    who    had    made    the 
boastful  threat  retiring  altogether  from 
business.     In   1863  M.  A.  Newmark,  a 
nephew,    was    encouraged    to   come    to 
California.      Two    years    later    Harris 
Newmark     removed     to     New     York, 
where     he     opened     an     office  —  soon 
placed    in    charge   of   M.    J.    Newmark, 
later  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce— returning    to    Los    Angeles    in 
1868,   when   one  of  his  partners  there 
became  ill.     During  the  period  of  the 
great    boom,    Harris    Newmark    joined 
another    nephew,     Kaspare     Cohn.     in 
creating   the   firm   of   K.   Cohn   &   Co.. 
hide  and  wool  merchants,  doing  busi- 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


131 


ness  on  Main  street,  but  this  firm  was 
dissolved  in  1896,  when  Mr.  Newmark 
continued  to  handle  hides.  In  1906 
Harris  Newmark  retired  from  business 
and  devoted  himself  to  the  manage- 
ment of  his  estate. 

He  assisted  in  the  organization  of 
both  the  Board  of  Trade  and  the  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce,  and  as  a  member  of 
a  committee  from  that  body  helped  to 
exploit  Los  Angeles  at  the  Phila- 
delphia exposition.  With  Kaspare  Cohn 
and  other  associates  he  bought  the 
Repetto  rancho,  and  there  later  laid 
out  the  towns  of  Newmark  and  Monte- 
bello.  Xewmark  &  Co.  also  owned  the 
Santa  Anita  rancho,  selling  the  same, 
after  negotiations  full  of  interesting  de- 
tails, to  Lucky  Baldwin. 

He  was  a  member  of  Masonic  lodge 
No.  42  and  one  of  the  original  or- 
ganizers of  the  Los  Angeles  Public 
Library.  He  was  for  years  president 
of  the  B'nai  B'rith  congregation,  and 
a  member  of  the  Archaeological  So- 
ciety of  America. 

On  March  24,  1858.  Harris  Newmark 
was  married  to  Miss  Sarah,  the  second 
daughter  of  Joseph  Newmark.  Eleven 
children  were  born  of  this  union.  Sur- 
viving are  three  daughters — Mrs.  L. 
Loeb,  Mrs.  J.  Loeb,  Mrs.  Carl  Selig- 
man.  and  two  sons — Maurice  H.  and 
Marco  R.  Newmark.  On  April  2h, 
1910.  Airs.  Xewmark  died,  beloved,  as 
well  as  esteemed,  by  all  who  knew  her. 
The  site  of  the  Southern  California 
Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  and  its  ad- 
ministration building  commemorates 
her  life  and  work. 

A  warm  advocate  of  public  libraries, 
Mr.  Newmark  also  served  as  a  patron 
of  the  Southwest  Aluseum  and  similar 
organizations,  while  in  hours  of  later 
leisure,  though  at  the  age  of  four  score, 
he  wrote,  as  a  fitting  crown  to  the  full- 
ness of  years,  the  unassuming  story  of 
his  life,  entitled  "Sixty  Years  in 
Southern  California,  1853-1913,"  pub- 
lished in  1916.     In  preparing  this  work. 


so  full  of  stimulating  and  familiar 
reminiscences,  and  constituting,  in  its 
mass  of  data,  either  hitherto  unpub- 
lished, or  not  found  collated  elsewhere, 
a  rather  unique  collection  of  Southern 
California,  he  was  assisted  by  his  two 
sons,  Maurice  H.  and  Marco  R.  New- 
mark. 

Air.  Newmark  died  April  4,  1916. 
He  was  a  noble  man.  who  has  put  the 
imprint  of  his  fine  character  upon  his 
work,  especially  when  the  doing  of 
charity  and  good  were  involved.  He 
represented  a  splendid  generation  oi 
Jewish  thought  and  activity.  Liberal 
in  thought,  generous  in  action,  thor- 
oughly Jewish  in  loyalty  and  hope,  his 
deeds  and  work  are  a  noble  testimony 
of  the  power  of  the  Jewish  heart  and 

soul.  • 

SAMUEL  OSTROSKI 

OROMLLE,  Cal.,  was  the  adopted 
home  of  Samuel  Ostroski.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  when  he  was 
only  a  young  lad.  and  the  West  attract- 


^■ 


-ftV  -, 


Samuel   Ostroski 

ing  so  many  at  that  period  of  time  it 
was  natural  that  he  should  drift  to  that 
part  of  the  country. 

Samuel  Ostroski  was  born  in  Prussia, 
in   the   village   of   Kempen   in    1836  and 


132 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


died  in  San  Francisco  in  1897.  In  this 
latter  city  he  was  engaged  in  the  gro- 
cery business,  but  he  did  not  remain 
long  in  it.  He  had  numerous  real  estate 
interests  and  this  was  his  great  hobby. 
Mr.  Ostroski  was  a  member  of  Sherith 
Israel  Synagogue  and  very  devoted  to 
his  religion.  He  was  a  Mason,  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  B.  B.  as  well  as  a  great 
worker  in  Jewish  charitable  organiza- 
tions, and  his  good  deeds  and  kind- 
nesses were  many.  Mr.  Ostroski  married 
Miss  Amelia  Harris  of  San  Francisco  in 
1875. 


RAPHAEL  PEIXOTTO 

AMONG  the  local  workers  in  the  field 
of  religion  and  education,  none 
was  more  prominent  in  his  time  or  held 
in  greater  esteem  than  Raphael  Peixotto. 
Raphael  Peixotto  was  born  September 
1,  1837,  in  Willoughby,  Ohio,  where  his 
father,  Dr.  D.  L.  M.  Peixotto,  was  at  the 
time  a  practicing  physician.  The 
Peixottos  are  an  old  family  of  Spanish 
Jewish  extraction,  whose  descent  can  be 
traced  to  the  expulsion  of  the  Jews  from 
Spain  in  1492.  In  or  about  1599  Moses 
Peixotto  came  to  Holland,  escaping  from 
Portugal  under  tragic  circumstances,  and 
settled  as  a  merchant  in  Amsterdam.  His 
wife.  Donna  Esther  Peixotto,  died  in 
1616  and  was  buried  in  the  then  new 
cemetery  at  Ouderkerk.  On  the  list  of 
the  married  members  of  the  great  Portu- 
guese Synagogue,  at  the  time  of  its  dedi- 
cation in  1675,  appear  the  names  of  the 
brothers,  David  and  Joshia  Coen  Peix- 
otto. At  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century  the  family  disappears  from  the 
register  of  the  Dutch  congregation,  to 
reappear  with  renewed  brilliancy  on  the 
records  of  American  Jewish  history. 
Moses  Levi  Maduro  Peixotto,  a  mer- 
chant, left  Holland  shortly  after  1800, 
and  subsequently  became  minister  of  the 
Portuguese  Jewish  Congregation,  Sher- 
ith Israel  of  New  York  City.  His  son, 
Daniel,  commonly  known  as  Dr.  D.  L. 
M.  Peixotto,  was  born  in   Holland,  but 


at  a  tender  age  was  brought  to  this  coun- 
try, educated  by  a  noble  and  highly  cul- 
tured mother,  and  afterwards  gained  dis- 
tinction as  a  physician,  professor  of  medi- 
cine and  author  of  many  works.  He 
died  May  13,  1843,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
three,  leaving  a  large  family  to  mourn 
his  loss.  Of  Dr.  Peixotto's  sons,  Ben- 
jamin F.  is  perhaps  the  best  known. 
This  eminent  scion  of  an  ancient  house 
has,  upon  American  soil,  verified  the  an- 
cient devotion  of  his  family  to  Judaism, 
and  his  history  is  too  well  known  to  be 


Raphael  Peixotto 

here  elaborated.  His  younger  brother, 
Raphael,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
six  years  old  when  his  father  died,  and 
the  contracted  fortunes  of  the  family  did 
not  then  enable  him  to  receive  any  but 
a  common  school  education.  The  Peix- 
otto orphans  had  many  friends,  among 
them  a  great-souled,  highly  cultured 
gentlewoman,  whose  name  is  synonymous 
with  most  loving  deeds,  and  who  took 
the  growing  lads  under  her  protection 
thus  enabling  them  to  reach  man's  estate 
with  honor  to  the  ancient  family  name. 
Raphael  Peixotto  devoted  himself  to 
the  mercantile  profession,  was  married 
in  New  York  in  1863  by  the  late  Isaac 
Lesser   and    Jacques    J.    Lyons    to    Miss 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


133 


Myrtilla  J.  Davis,  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  George  A.  Davis,  and  in  1869  came 
to  California  to  build  up  an  honored  po- 
sition in  the  nascent  Pacific  Common- 
wealth. From  that  time  on  Mr.  Peixotto 
steadily  devoted  himself  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  San  Francisco  community. 
Naturally  of  a  retiring  disposition,  fond 
of  leisure  and  literature,  his  natural  gifts 
and  fondness  of  educational  pursuits 
were  readily  recognized  in  a  community 
at  that  time  not  any  too  rich  in  workers. 

As  president  of  Temple  Emanu-El  he 
rendered  the  cause  of  Israel  distinguished 
service  and  there  are  hundreds  now 
grown-up  men  and  women  prominent  in 
every  walk  of  life  who,  while  pupils  of 
Emanu-El's  Sunday  school  still  remember 
his  charming  yet  sensible  little  talks  to 
the  children  of  the  school. 

Raphael  Peixotto  was  a  man  of  stu- 
dious habits  and  of  loving  character.  The 
late  Rev.  Dr.  Jacob  Voorsanger  used  to 
say  of  him  that  "he  was  a  merchant  by 
day  and  a  student  by  night."  He  passed 
away  May  22,  1905,  survived  by  his  wife 
(since  gone  to  her  reward)  and  his  chil- 
dren, Edgar,  Ernest,  Sydney,  Eustace 
and  Dr.  Jessica  Peixotto,  the  latter  a 
professor  at  the  University  of  California 
and  one  of  the  most  distinguished  Jew- 
ish women  the  West  has  yet  produced. 


SAMUEL   PEYSER 

SAMUEL  PEYSER,  who  was  educated 
to  become  rabbi,  came  from  Ger- 
many, his  birthplace,  and  settled  in  Vir- 
ginia City,  Nev.,  in  the  early  fifties.  Ill 
health  compelled  him  to  leave  that  com- 
munity and  he  moved  to  Susanville,  Cal., 
about  the  year  1857.  Here  he  estab- 
lished a  mercantile  business  and  also  de- 
veloped other  interests  in  that  section  of 
the  State.  Although  a  keen  business 
man,  he  was  too  lenient  in  his  business 
relations  and  trusted  everybody.  He  re- 
tired from  active  business  in  1890. 

Being  a  man  of  religious  tendencies 
his  influence  was  very  great,  and  he  ac- 
complished much  good.     He  was  much 


interested  in  all  Jewish  afifairs,  and  dur- 
ing the  holidays  he  acted  as  rabbi  for  the 
Jewish  community. 

He    married    his     wife     (Miss    Dora 
Sowloski )  in  Boston.     Mr.  Peyser  came 
alone  to  Virginia  City  and  when  he  was 
well-established,  his  wife  followed.     She 
died  in   1892  and  of  their  five  children 


Samuel   Peyser 

three    survive,    David    Peyser,    Mrs.    A. 
Bieder  and  A.  L.  Peyser. 

Mr.  Peyser  was  a  benevolent  man  and 
always  headed  the  list  for  any  donations 
for  whatever  cause.  He  died  in  San 
Francisco  in  1905  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
four.     He   was   a   member  of  the   Odd 

Fellows. 

JULIUS  PLATSHEK 

THE  time  and  place  of  Julius  Plat- 
shek's  birth  was  October  18,  1833, 
Schwersenz,  West  Prussia.  He  was 
educated  in  Germany  and  for  some  time 
was  engaged  in  business  there.  Being 
the  sole  support  of  his  mother  he  felt 
that  he  would  like  to  accomplish  more 
than  he  was  able  to  do  in  his  native 
land,  so  hearing  of  the  opportunities  in 
America  he  decided  to  expatriate  him- 
self. In  1850  he  landed  in  New  York, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years,  then 
filled  with  the  pioneering  spirit  he  came 


134 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


West  with  the  great  tide  of  immigrants 
that  flowed  into  California  and  its  gold 
fields.  The  journey  was  via  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  and  after  many  hardships 
this  ambitious  young  man  arrived  at  his 
destination.  Before  many  days  he  had 
secured  a  position  as  clerk,  which  he  held 
until  he  bettered  himself  by  going  into 
the  clothing  business.  This  enterprise 
he  carried  on  successfully  for  a  number 
of  years.  Real  estate  and  its  possibili- 
ties interested  him  to  such  a  degree  that 
he  spent  much  of  his  time  learning  the 


Julius  Platshek 

business  from  every  angle.  He  became 
one  of  the  best  informed  men  on  this  sub- 
ject in  the  West  and  up  until  the  time 
of  his  death  established  real  estate 
brokers  came  to  consult  him. 

Mr.  Platshek  continued  in  his  original 
business  until  1870,  when  he  made  a 
change  into  the  wool  business  under  the 
name  of  Platshek  &  Harris,  wool,  hides 
and  skins.  Mr.  Platshek  was  enabled 
to  retire  in  1905  a  wealthy  man,  and  from 
that  time  on  he  traveled  extensively  in 
Europe. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Platshek  was  a 
member  of  Temple  Emanu-El,  grand 
trustee  and  grand  treasurer  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  I.  O.  B.  B.  for  ten 


years.  His  vast  knowledge  of  real  es- 
tate and  finance  was  of  great  value  to  the 
institution  with  which  he  was  associated. 

He  was  a  prominent  member  of  Fi- 
delity Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  a  member  of 
the  Real  Estate  Exchange  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  of  many 
Jewish   organizations. 

At  one  time  Mr.  Platshek  was  an 
ardent  Democrat,  but  changed  over  to 
the  Republican  party  because  of  the 
tariff  question.  He  was  a  candidate  for 
supervisor  at  one  time.  Being  a  man  of 
charitable  inclinations  he  was  greatly  in- 
terested in  the  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum. 
He  was  a  man  of  the  highest  integrity. 

In  1859  Julius  Platshek  was  married 
to  Miss  Lena  Rich,  a  native  of  his  own 
town,  and  to  them  two  children  were 
born,  M.  J.  Platshek,  a  prominent  at- 
torney of  San  Francisco  survives.  Mr. 
Platshek  died  on  November  3,  1907. 


EMANUEL  HAAS 

THE  many  French  organizations  of 
San  Francisco  owe  to  Emanuel 
Raas  a  great  debt  of  gratitude  for, 
through  his  unceasing  labors,  his  fidelity 
and  encouragement,  they  reached  the 
prominence  they  hold  today.  The  French 
Hospital  had  the  distinction  of  his  presi- 
dency. He  was  also  one  of  the  founders 
of  that  noble  institution.  The  League 
Nationale  Francaise,  and  the  French 
Library  revere  his  memory  as  their 
president  and  counsellor.  In  fact,  all 
French  societies  bear  the  impress  of  his 
guiding  hand.  His  heart  and  soul  were 
always  ready  to  serve  his  brethren  from 
the  motherland.  He  was  equally  inter- 
ested in  Jewish  charities,  and  held  of- 
fices in  many  of  them.  Mr.  Raas  was  a 
member  of  the  Ohabai  Shalome  Con- 
gregation and  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  B. 
B.  He  was  also  a  past  master  of  the 
Masonic  order.  Mount  Zion  Hospital 
numbered  him  as  its  efficient  vice-presi- 
dent  and   one   of   its   founders. 

Emanuel    Raas   was   born    in    1838   in 
Strassburg,  France.     His  education  was 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


135 


received  there  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
when  he  moved  to  Paris  he  began  his 
business  career.  In  1860  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  going  to  Galveston. 
Tex.,  a  year  later.  He  remained  but  a 
few  months  in  the  South,  and  then 
moved  to  San  Francisco.  Before  settHng 
permanently  in  San  Francisco  Mr.  Raas 
lived  for  a  few  years  in  Northern  Ore- 
gon.    California  appealed  more  strongly 


Emanuel    Raas 

to  him,  however,  and  when  he  took  up 
his  residence  here,  he  established  the 
wholesale  woolen  house  of  E.  Raas  & 
Co.  This  business  grew  to  such  propor- 
tions and  he  was  so  successful  in  han- 
dling it  that  he  was  enabled  to  retire 
from  active  work  in  1892. 

Miss  Ernestine  Blum  of  San  Fran- 
cisco became  his  wife  in  1869,  and  their 
children  are:  Alfred  E.  Raas,  Mrs. 
Henry  Gundelfinger  of  Fresno,  Charles 
Raas  and  Mrs.  LeRoy  Schlessinger. 
Mrs.  Raas,  who  took  an  equal  interest  in 
all  Jewish  and  French  matters,  and  who 
was  such  an  ideal  mate  to  her  husband, 
died  in  1901.  She  was  noted  for  her 
works  of  charity. 

A  great-hearted  man  was  Emanuel 
Raas ;  true  and  unswerving  in  his  fi- 
delity to  his  friends  and  those  dear  to 
him.  His  demise  occurred  January  25, 
1916. 


HEYMAN  RICH 

WHEN  Heyman  Rich  passed  to  the 
Great  Beyond  on  the  25th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1909,  there  was  lost  to  the  Bay 
region  of  California  a  good  man.  His 
goodness  consisted  of  many  things.  His 
works  of  charity,  his  teachings  by  pre- 
cept and  example  and  his  influence  for 
good  wherever  he  went  will  long  be  felt 
in  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 

He  was  born  in  Krosnowitz,  Poland, 
May  2,  1835.  His  education  was  received 
in  the  Hebrew  schools  of  that  country. 
So  faithfully  did  he  apply  himself  to 
his  studies  that  he  became  perfected  in 
both  Hebrew  and  German  languages, 
and  became  a  teacher  of  those  two  sub- 
jects. Later  when  he  moved  to  Ger- 
many he  taught  school  in  Hamburg. 

When  Mr.  Rich  came  to  California  via 


Heyman   Rich 

the  Isthmus,  he  went  direct  to  a  Jewish 
settlement  in  San  Jose.  This  was  in 
1850.  Here  he  engaged  in  the  clothing 
business  for  many  years.  Ill  health 
caused  his  removal  to  San  Francisco  in 
1900. 

For  many  years  Heyman  Rich  was 
rabbi  of  the  San  Jose  Congregation.  As 
long  as  he  lived  there  he  assisted  in  the 
services.  He  always  took  an  active  in- 
terest in  all  communal  and  charitable  af- 


136 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


fairs.  Rabbis  from  many  parts  of  the 
country  considered  him  a  wonderful  Tal- 
mudic  scholar,  and  he  was  reputed  a 
great  reader.  The  various  organizations 
of  which  he  was  a  member  were  the  I. 
O.  B.  B.,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and 
the  Knights  of  Honor. 

Mr.  Rich  married  Miss  Ernestine 
Hirschberg  of  San  Jose  in  May,  1865. 
The  following  children  were  born  to 
them:  Samuel  H.,  Mrs.  M.  L.  Levy, 
Sophie,  Josye,  Eugene  J.  and  Arthur  M. 


MOSES   ROSENBAUM 

A  HIGHLY  successful  business  man, 
a  man  of  noble  character,  a  char- 
itable man,  a  man  of  parts— this  was 
Moses    Rosenbaum.     When    he    passed 


man.  Through  his  untiring  efforts  and 
his  innate  business  ability  he  succeeded 
where  others  would  have  failed.  To- 
gether with  his  brother  and  Joseph  Bran- 
denstein  he  established  the  firm  of  A.  S. 
Rosenbaum  &  Co.,  which  dealt  in  to- 
bacco. This  business  developed  to  a  very 
large  degree,  in  fact  it  became  the  largest 
of  its  kind  in  the  West.  When  Mr. 
Rosenbaum  retired  from  business  in 
1877  the  firm  dissolved. 

At  one  time  Mr.  Rosenbaum  took  an 
active  interest  in  politics  and  his  ability 
was  proven  when  he  became  the  secre- 
tary of  the  Republican  State  Central 
Committee.  He  was  an  exempt  fireman, 
a  member  of  the  Howard  No.  3  Fire 
Company. 

He  was  also  a  member  in  high  stand- 
ing of  Temple  Emanu-El  and  of  many 
Jewish  organizations.  He  was  a  Thirty- 
second  Degree  Mason.  Mr.  Rosen- 
baum was  married  to  Miss  Bertha  Kohl- 
berg  April  18,  1854.  To  them  were  born 
the  following  children :  Virginia  Strass- 
burger,  Julia  Strassburger,  Samuel  M. 
Rosenbaum,  Albert  M.  Rosenbaum  and 
Charles  W.  Rosenbaum. 


Moses  Rosenbaum 

away  in  San  Francisco  on  the  14th  of 
November,  1891,  many  relatives,  friends 
and  acquaintances  sincerely  mourned  his 
loss. 

Westphalia,  Germany,  was  his  birth- 
place and  the  date  was  July  1,  1825.  His 
early  schooling  was  obtained  in  the  vil- 
lage schools  in  his  native  home.  At  the 
age  of  thirteen  years  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  it  was  not  until  the  year  of  1850 
that  he  became  a  resident  of  California. 

Moses    Rosenbaum    was    a    self-made 


SIGMUND    D.   ROSENBAUM 

SIGMUND  D.  ROSENBAUM  was  a 
native  of  Bavaria,  and  born  in  the 
year  1841.  He  lived  his  life  from  the 
age  of  thirteen  in  the  United  States,  but 
returned  to'  his  native  land  to  die,  his  de- 
mise occurring  in  Berlin,  April  17,  1908. 
From  a  poor  lad  he  worked  his  way  up 
the  ladder  of  fame  and  fortune  until  he 
became  a  capitalist.  With  help  from  no 
one  he  made  his  entire  fortune  single- 
handed.  He  lived  in  New  York  and 
attended  night  school  until  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age,  being  employed 
during  the  day. 

From  that  time  until  he  was  thirty  he 
knew  nothing  but  hard  continuous  work, 
but  at  last  his  efforts  were  rewarded  and 
he  was  enabled  to  establish  the  wholesale 
dry  goods  firm  of  Rosenbaum  &  Fried- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


137 


man  in  San  Francisco.  He  attended  to 
the  interests  of  the  firm  in  New  York, 
visiting  San  Francisco  each  year.  Many 
trips  were  also  made  to  Europe. 

In  1888  he  married  Miss  Emma 
Fleishhacker  of  San  Francisco.  Mr. 
Rosenbaum  was  a  very  charitable  man, 
not  only  giving  in  money  but  his  per- 
sonal attention  and  valuable  time.  He 
was   a   valued    member   of    New    York 


his  father  at  the  age  of  sixteen  and  set- 
tled in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  where  he 
also  attended  school.  For  a  short  period 
he  was  in  business  with  his  father  there. 
In  1850  he  came  to  San  Francisco,  where 
he  was  in  business  subsequently  forming 
the  firm  of  Rosenstock  &  Price,  whole- 
sale boots  and  shoes.  He  lived  in  New 
York  and  Boston  where  he  attended  to 
the  eastern  end  of  the  business  for  the 
firm.  He  returned  to  San  Francisco  in 
1872  and  when  Mr.  Price  retired  from 
the  firm  the  firm  name  was  changed  to 
Rosenstock  &  Co.  This  firm  continued 
for  a  number  of  years,  after  which  it  was 
dissolved  and  Mr.  Rosenstock  retired 
and  devoted  his  time  to  charities.  His 
special  interests  were  the  Pacific  Hebrew 
Orphan  Asylum,  the  Old  People's  Home 
and  the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society.  He 


Sigmunii    1>.    Rosenbaum 

and  San  Francisco  charitable  organiza- 
tions. In  New  York  his  most  intimate 
friend  was  Prof.  Felix  Adler.  Friends 
spoke  of  Sigmund  Rosenbaum  as  being 
Prof.  Adler's  right-hand  man. 

He  was  a  man  of  prominence  and  high 
social  standing,  a  brilliant  character, 
with  musical  tastes  and  a  love  for  art. 
He  was  a  known  art  critic.  Mr.  Rosen- 
baum was  a  man  with  many  staunch,  true 
friends.  He  was  the  kind  of  man  that 
made  the  name  of  the  Jew  represent  the 
loftiest  ideals  and  set  a  high  standard  for 
future  generations. 


SAMUEL  W.   ROSENSTOCK 

SAMUEL  W.  ROSENSTOCK  was 
born  in  Bavaria  February  25,  1832. 
He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Ba- 
varia and  came  to  the  United  States  with 


Samuel   W.    Rosenstock 

was  trustee  of  the  Pacific  Hebrew 
Orphan  Asylum  and  vice-president  of 
that  organization  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  on  the  1st  of  April, 
1902.  He  was  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  Eureka  Benevolent 
Society  in  1859  and  again  from  1889  to 
1891,  and  from  1893  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death  in  1902.  He  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  board  of  directors  of  Temple 
Emanu-El. 


138 


WESTERN    TEWRY 


Samuel  W.  Rosenstock  was  one  of  the 
broadest  minded  men  from  a  charitable 
standpoint  as  his  will  testifies,  for  no 
charity  was  overlooked.  All  charities, 
regardless  of  creed  were  remembered  by 
him.  His  integrity  was  unquestioned 
and  his  kindness  never  doubted.  He  was 
a  man  of  gentle  character,  thoughtless  of 
himself,  with  ever  a  kind  word  and  a 
good  deed  for  his  fellow-men.  He  was  a 
man  of  culture  and  refinement,  and  an 
ideal  type  of  a  Jew — one  of  which  the 
race  is  proud.  He  was  married  in  New 
York  to  Miss  Sarah  Leventritt  of  South 
Carolina,  who  survives  him.  One  daugh- 
ter (Hilda),  Mrs.  J.  R.  K.  Nuttall,  was 
born  to  them. 


MEYER  RUEF 

ALSACE,  France,  was  the  birthplace 
of  Meyer  Ruef  in  1835.  In  his  na- 
tive country  he  received  a  very  good 
education.  He  served  in  the  army  his 
allotted  time,  and  when  he  married 
Miss  Alice  Adele  Hirsch  in  1862  the 
spirit  of  emigration  overtook  the  young 
couple  and  the  following  year  they 
made  the  voyage  to  the  United  States. 
California  was  their  ultimate  destina- 
tion and  in  due  course  of  time  they 
arrived  in  San  Francisco  via  the  Isth- 
mus. 

The  "City  of  Strassburg,"  a  dry  goods 
store,  was  established  which  continued 
for  many  years  in  prosperity.  When  he 
retired  from  that  firm  he  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business  until  he  ceased  from 
active  life  in  1890  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of 
his  labor. 

Meyer  Ruef  was  an  amiable  man, 
sympathetic  and  scrupulously  honest.  He 
was  an  honored  and  welcomed  member 
in  a  number  of  societies  and  fraternal 
orders,  among  them  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  a 
delegate  to  the  grand  lodge  several 
times,  a  director  of  the  French  Hospital 
for  a  number  of  years,  a  member  of  the 
Bush  Street  Temple  and  of  the  Eureka 
Benevolent   Society. 


His  family  life  was  very  happy,  he 
and  his  beloved  wife  in  the  fifty-two 
years  of  their  married  life  were  never 
separated  from  each  other  for  twenty- 
four  hours.  To  their  children  they  gave 
the  best  education  that  his  means  could 
afiford.  Mr.  Ruef  was  a  great  lover  of 
literature,  and  a  constant  reader  in  Eng- 
lish, French  and  German.  At  his  beau- 
tiful home  on  Pierce  street,  where  he 
lived  with  great  enjoyment,  he  had  the 
only  producing  orchard  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. He  passed  away  in  December, 
1914,  survived  by  his  wnfe  and  three 
children,      Abraham,      Henrietta      and 

Louise.  

LIPPMAN   SACHS 

THE  world  of  religion, philanthropy 
and  education  no  less  than  the  bus- 
iness world  sustained  a  severe  loss 
when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  passed 


Lippman  Sachs 

away.  Lippman  Sachs'  career  in  Cali- 
fornia from  the  time  when  as  a  young 
man  he  emigrated  to  this  State  from 
Germany  until  his  demise  was  a  shining 
example  of  intelligent  industry,  up- 
rightness of  character  and  honorable 
endeavor.  Success  never  turned  his 
head.  "Lip,"  as  he  was  fondly  called 
bv  his  numerous  friends  and  associates. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


139 


was  ever  simple  and  unassuming  in  his 
intercourse  with  the  world. 

As  president  of  Congregation  Emanu- 
El,  the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society  and 
an  active  supporter  of  numerous  phi- 
lanthropic organizations,  he  rendered 
distinguished  services.  In  public  life, 
he  made  his  influence  felt,  especially  as 
a  supervisor  under  Mayor  Edward  R. 
Taylor.  He  was  one  of  the  most  es- 
teemed members  of  the  first  San  Fran- 
cisco Freeholders'  Convention.  Mr. 
Sachs  built  up  large  business  enter- 
prises. In  1865  he  came  to  San  Fran- 
cisco and  became  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Schweitzer,  Sachs  &  Co.,  wholesale 
dry  goods.  The  name  of  the  firm  was 
afterwards  changed  to  that  of  Sachs 
Bros.  He  was  a  kind  and  gentle  soul, 
and  had  a  good  word  for  everybody. 
He  was  a  Mason  in  high  standing  and 
supported  all  the  Jewish  charitable  or- 
ganizations. "Lip"  Sachs  died  June  12, 
1912,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four,  sur- 
vived by  his  wife,  Mrs.  Mary  ( Liber- 
muth)  Sachs  and  his  three  children, 
Mrs.  Belle  Heller,  Mrs.  Albert  Baruch 
and  Amson  Sachs. 


LOUIS  SACHS 

AMONG  the  early  presidents  of 
Temple  Emanu-El,  who  labored 
so  loyally  and  energetically  in  its 
cause,  Louis  Sachs  occupies  a  con- 
spicuous position.  Born  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  September  19,  1820,  Mr. 
Sachs,  in  1853,  joined  the  men  of  cour- 
age and  enterprise  who  were  making 
history  in  California.  As  a  merchant 
and  a  man  of  afifairs  he  enjoyed  a  repu- 
tation for  honesty  and  personal  recti- 
tude second  to  none  in  the  community 
he  helped  to  build  up.  Always  inter- 
ested in  the  well-being  of  Judaism,  he 
became  president  of  Temple  Emanu-El 
in  1862,  serving  the  institution  until 
1866  with  an  intelligence  and  devotion 
that  endeared  him  to  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  He  lived  to  see 
the    congregation    completely    out    of 


debt  and  to  rejoice  in  the  admission 
of  a  new  generation  to  the  usefulness 
of  membership.  Though  pre-eminently 
a  man  of  peace  and  retiring  disposi- 
tion, he  was  nevertheless  an  intelligent 
participant  in  public  affairs.  He  served 
one  term  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 


Louis   Sachs 

regents  of  the  University  of  Califor- 
nia and  was  honored  by  his  colleagues 
for  his  sagacity  and  sound  judgment. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy,  much 
lamented  and  regretted.  Louis  Sachs 
was  the  father  of  Sanford  Sachs,  the 
well-known    capitalist    and   real    estate 

operator.         

MAX    SALZMAN 

FABIAN  and  Dora  Littwitz  Salzman 
were  the  parents  of  Max  Salzman. 
He  was  born  in  Germany  on  January 
17,  1859.  In  the  year  1882  he  emi- 
grated to  the  L'nited  States  and  lived  for 
one  year  in  Stanton,  Mich.  The  follow- 
ing year  he  moved  to  Holbrook.  Ariz., 
and  went  into  business  there  for  a  short 
time,  and  from  that  point  he  moved  to 
Springerville.  Here  he  engaged  in  busi- 
ness and  acted  as  justice  of  the  peace  of 
Apache  county.  Subsequently  he  moved 
to  Flagstaff,  Ariz.,  where  he  established 
a  mercantile  business.     In  1894  he  moved 


140 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


to  Williams,  Ariz.,  where  he  took  up  his 
residence,  engaging  in  the  mercantile 
business  until  his  departure  for  Los  An- 
geles, Cal.,  in  1903.  In  December  17, 
1883,  he  married  Miss  Natalie  Schramm 
at  Springerville,  Ariz.  Their  son,  Mau- 
rice, is  an  attorney  in  Los  Angeles. 

During  the  years  spent  at  Williams, 
Ariz.,  his  business  operations  were  ex- 
tensive.  He  was  one  of  the  prime  factors 


Max    Salzman 

in  the  building  of  the  Grand  Canyon 
Railroad  from  Williams  to  the  Grand 
Canyon  of  Arizona.  At  this  time  he 
operated  simultaneously  stores  at  Maine, 
Williams,  Ashfork  and  Seligman.  Max 
Salzman  was  the  first  person  in  the 
United  States  to  engage  actively  in  the 
eflfort  of  drawing  the  Government's  at- 
tention to  the  necessity  of  conserving  the 
natural  resources  of  the  country.  He 
spent  time,  energy  and  money  in  the 
work  that  has  since  grown  to  such  great 
proportions.  No  man  in  the  whole  of 
the  United  States  was  more  eagerly  in- 
terested in  this  than  was  Max  Salzman, 
and  his  name  should  be  blazoned  in  high 
places  that  due  credit  be  given  his 
memory. 

In  the  mercantile  world  his  ref  utation 
for  integrity  was  of  the  highest.    It  was 


often  said  that  Max  Salzman  had  the 
West's  characteristic  kind  of  honesty  that 
could  "Look  every  man  square  in  the 
eye."  His  disposition  was  kind  and 
gentle.  As  a  devoted  husband  and  a 
loving,  indulgent  father  his  equal  was 
hard  to  find.  Everyone  who  came  in  con- 
tact with  this  sweet-spirited  man  were 
made  all  the  better  for  it,  and  the  friends 
he  made  and  kept  were  legion. 

His  demise  occurred  July  8,  1915,  at 
Detroit,  Mich.,  where  he  had  gone  for  a 
short  visit. 

He  was  a  member  of  Los  Angeles 
Lodge,  No.  487,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  and  Ma- 
sonic bodies  Scottish  Rite,  Thirtieth  De- 
gree. . 

LOUIS  SAMTER 

A  FRIEND  once  said  of  Louis  Samter 
that  his  greatest  characteristics 
were  gentleness,  real  kindness  and  a  de- 
sire   to    do   charity    without    ostentation 


Louis  Samter 

Everything  he  did  was  done  quietly  but 
with  force  behind  it. 

Prussia,  which  was  the  birthplace  of 
so  many  of  the  prominent  Jewish  citizens 
of  California,  also  claimed  Louis  Samter 
as  one  of  her  sons.  He  was  born  in 
1854  and  passed  away  in  1908.  Miss 
Hannah  Fisher  of  St.  Louis  became  his 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


141 


bride  in  1873  and  to  them  were  born  one 
daughter,  Florence,  and  three  sons, 
Samuel  L.,  Leonard  O.  and  Maurice  L. 
Mrs.  Samter  died  in  1910. 

Louis  Samter  came  to  the  United 
States  while  he  was  still  a  boy,  settling 
in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  he  entered 
a  business  career.  He  and  his  brother 
built  up  a  large  wholesale  clothing  busi- 
ness. They  continued  in  this  until  the 
year  1888,  when  Louis  decided  to  move 
to  Memphis,  Tenn.  In  1899  the  family 
came  West  and  settled  in  San  Francisco. 
Mr.  Samter  and  his  growing  sons  then 
established  a  manufacturing  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  L.  Samter  & 
Sons.  This  developed  rapidly  into  a 
very  lucrative  enterprise,  for  Mr.  Samter 
was  a  careful,  conservative  man  in  all  his 
dealings.  Outside  interests  increased  in 
the  same  ratio,  as  a  result  of  the  judicious 
and  rational  methods  he  employed. 

Louis  Samter  belonged  to  the  Jewish 
congregations  of  St.  Louis  and  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  during  his  residence  there,  and 
he  was  also  a  member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El,  San  Francisco,  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  B'nai  B'rith,  Free  Sons  of 
Israel,  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Knights  of  Honor.  All  bore  the  revered 
name   of   Louis    Samter   on   their   honor 

role.  

DAVID  SAMUELS 
TWaVID  SAMUELS  was  born  De- 
-L'-^  cember  26,  1832,  in  Germany.  His 
ear!y  education  was  obtained  in  the  land 
of  his  birth.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he 
came  to  America  and  went  to  New  Or- 
leans where  he  lived  for  a  short  period. 
New  York  was  his  next  place  of  resi- 
dence and  it  was  here  he  married  Miss 
Mathilda  Freund  in  May.  1863.  David 
Samuels  and  his  wife  were  blessed  with 
eight  children,  all  of  whom  are  living. 
Their  names  are:  Mrs.  S.  Hausman,  Mrs. 
J.  M.  Willard,  Mrs.  I.  S.  Foorman,  Mrs. 
A.  L.  Fisher,  J.  L.  Samuels,  M.  B.  Sam- 
uels, A.  M.  Samuels  and  L.  T.  Samuels. 

In    1850    Mr.    Samuels    came    to    San 


Francisco.  He  founded  a  great  dry 
goods  firm  known  far  and  wide  as  "Sam- 
uel's Lace  House."  One  of  his  many 
admirable  traits  was  his  wonderful  kind- 
ness to  everyone  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact.     His  employes  worshipped  him 


David  Samuels 

and,  although  he  avoided  publicity  in  all 
his  acts  of  charity,  he  was  known  by 
many  for  the  help  he  had  given. 

i\Ir.  Samuels  was  a  Mason  and  a  mem- 
ber of  Temple  Emanu-El.  His  demise 
occurred  July  3,   1907. 


SIMON  SCHEELINE 

SIMON  SCHEELIXE  will  be  long 
remembered  by  a  host  of  relatives, 
friends  and  acquaintances  throughout 
the  State  of  California  for  his  many 
good  traits  of  character,  but  chiefly  be- 
cause of  his  happy,  sunny  disposition. 
Everyone  who  knew  him  loved  him.  He 
was  kind,  generous  and  whole-hearted, 
always  the  same,  ever  ready  to  rejoice 
with  one's  good  fortune  and  to  grieve 
with  his  friends  in  their  time  of  sorrow. 
He  was  born  in  1840  in  Bavaria,  and 
received  his  education  in  Germany.  At 
the  age  of  fourteen  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  in  Gibsonville, 
Sierra  county,  Cal.     In  1871  he  returned 


142 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


to  New  York  to  marry  Miss  Henrietta 
Heydecker  and  brought  her  back  to  the 
Golden  West,  where  he  was  associated 
in  business  with  his  brother  Nathan. 

A  few  years  later  they  moved  to  Sum- 
mit, Plumas  county,  and  opened  up  a 
store  there.  At  one  time  he  and  his 
brother  operated  three  stores.  In  1875 
Mr.    Scheeline    came    to    San    Francisco 


Simon  Scheeline 

with  his  family,  and  the  following  year 
with  Adolph  Roos  and  Joseph  Roth 
founded  the  firm  of  Roth  &  Co..  whole- 
sale liquors.  He  developed  this  busi- 
ness to  a  great  extent,  and  remained 
actively  engaged  in  it  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  Much  travel  was  necessary 
to  extend  the  firm's  business,  and  every- 
where he  went  he  made  many  friends. 

Mr.  Scheeline  was  a  member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El  and  the  ^Masonic 
order,  the  Argonaut  Club  and  at  one 
time  a  member  of  the  Concordia  Club. 
The  many  Jewish  charities  which  abound 
in  San  Francisco  all  had  the  name  of 
Simon  Scheeline  enrolled  as  a  member. 

Mrs.  Scheeline  is  still  living,  and  of 
the  seven  children  born  to  them  the  fol- 
lowing five  survive :  Edwin  S.  Scheeline, 
Mrs.  Sam  Hirschfelder,  Lester  Schee- 
line, Harold  Scheeline  and  Mrs.  Leland 
Rosener. 

Simon  Scheeline  passed  away  in  1901. 


BENJAMIN    SCHLOSS 

HE  was  kind  to  every  one.  What 
more  need  be  said  of  one  than  this  ? 
To  have  been  kind  was  greater  than  to 
have  had  it  said  he  had  great  riches. 
This  gentle,  sympathetic,  warm-hearted, 
Benjamin  Schloss  was  a  native  of  Reck- 
endorf,  Germany,  and  born  September 
21,   1829. 

He  received  an  excellent  education  and 
was  well  equipped  for  the  battles  of  Hfe 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  His 
business  career  began  in  the  employ  of 
his  brothers,  Phil  and  Moses,  the  firm 
name  being  Schloss  Bros.,  importers,  of 
Albany,  New  York.  He  came  to  Cali- 
fornia later  and  remained  a  short  time 
in  San  Francisco.  From  1862  to  1864 
he  was  in  business  in  Victoria.  B.  C. 
After  that  year  he  lived  in  the  East  until 
1877,  then  removed  to  San  Francisco  and 
remained  there,   engaging  in  the   insur- 


Benjamin  Schloss 

ance   brokerage  business   until    the   time 
of  his  death. 

Miss  Josephine  Cerf  of  Cincinnati  be- 
came the  wife  of  Benjamin  Schloss  Sep- 
tember 5,  1855.  and  bore  him  seven  chil- 
dren, the  names  of  those  surviving  being 
as  follows :  Mrs.  Theodore  Rothschild 
of  San  Francisco  and  Leonard  B.  Schloss 
of  Washington,  D.  C. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


143 


Mr.  Schloss,  whose  demise  occurred  conservative  in  his  relations  with  oth- 
November  14,  1913,  was  one  of  the  orig-  ers  and  had  high  standards,  which  he 
inal  members  of  Temple  Emanu-El,  one     lived  up  to.     In   1861   he  married   Miss 


of  the  founders  of  the  Pacific  Hebrew 
Orphans'  Home,  and  at  one  time  presi- 
dent of  the  Eureka  Benevolent  Society. 
He  was  the  only  honorary  member  of 
the  last  named  society.  Upon  Dr.  Elkan 
Cohn's  arrival  in  San  Francisco,  Mr. 
Schloss  was  one  of  the  committee  to  wel- 
come him.  Fraternal  orders  of  which 
he  was  an  honored  member  were  the 
Masonic,  the  Free  Sons  of  Israel  and 
the  Knights  of  Honor.  His  charities 
were  many  and  he  always  evinced  inter- 
est in  Jewish  affairs. 


Sarah  Lehrberger  in  Portland,  Ore.,  and 
children    born    to    them    are:    Louis    A., 


ABRAHAM    SCHWABACHER 

ABRAHA^I  SCHWABACHER  was 
born  in  Zirndorf,  Bavaria,  Ger- 
many. He  came  to  the  United  States 
as  a  young  man  and  soon  after  located 
in  Washington  Territory  where  he  estab- 
lished a  store  in  Walla  Walla,  in  1861. 
Later  he  established  a  chain  of  stores 
in  ^^'ashington  together  with  his  broth- 
ers, Louis  and  Sigmund.  The  firm  of 
Schwabacher  Brothers  was  formed,  and 
this  firm  has  since  been  known  from 
one  end  of  the  LTnited  States  to  the 
other  as  one  of  the  strong  mercantile 
firms  of  the  \\'est.  Its  success  was 
largely  due  to  the  combined  efforts  of 
the  three  brothers,  who  stood  together. 
Subsequently,  they  moved  to  Califor- 
nia, still  retaining  their  interests  in 
W'ashington,  and  established  a  milling 
business.  Abraham  Schwabacher  was 
one  of  the  best-known  men  and  en- 
joyed the  affection  and  esteem  of  all 
classes.  His  success  in  life  did  not  af- 
fect his  modest  demeanor  and  simple 
manners.  He  was  charitable  to  a  fault 
and  actively  connected  with  many  be- 
nevolent associations  in  California  and 
Washington.  He  was  a  director  of 
Temple  Emanu-El  at  one  time  and  also 
a  director  of  the  Eureka  Benevolent  vSo- 
cietv.     He  was  a  shrewd  business  man. 


Abraham    Schwabacher 

Jennie  Rosenbaum,  Mina  Eckstein,  Sam- 
uel I.  and  Edgar  B. 

Abraham  Schwabacher's  demise  oc- 
cuned  on  the  seventh  day  of  Septem- 
ber, 1909.       

LUDWIG  SCHWABACHER 

THE  life  of  successful  men  is  often 
characterized  by  a  superior  at- 
titude towards  those  whose  limited 
capabilities  did  not  bring  the  reward 
hoped  for.  Ludwig  Schwabacher.  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  singularly 
free  from  the  pretensions  and  ostenta- 
tion often  found  in  men  who  have  suc- 
ceeded in  life. 

He  was  born  in  Offenbach,  Germany, 
in  1847.  Being  possessed  of  a  first- 
class  education  and  the  determination 
to  make  the  most  of  his  opportunities, 
he  located  in  California  in  the  early 
vO's.  He  soon  found  an  outlet  for  his 
youthful  energies  by  identifying  him- 
self with  commercial  enterprises  of  im- 
portance. He  was  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  Crown  Colum- 


144 


WESTERN   TEWRY 


bia  Pulp  &  Paper  Company,  with  mills 
in  Oregon.  He  became  a  director  of 
the  Floriston  Pulp  &  Paper  Company ; 
one  of  the  largest  stockholders  of  the 
Great  Western  Power  Company;  direc- 
tor of  the  City  Electric  Company,  Para- 
fifine  Paint  Company,  Truckee  River 
General  Electric  Company  and  was  in- 
terested in  many  other  enterprises  of 
great  industrial  and  financial  impor- 
tance.      His     sagacity     and     business 


Ludwig  Schwabacher 

acumen  were  greatly  admired  ])y  his 
associates,  while  his  humblest  employe 
often  turned  to  him  for  counsel  in  their 
private  affairs  with  the  utmost  confi- 
dence. In  the  domestic,  social  and 
charitable  phases  of  his  life  he  was 
equally -kind,  thoughtful  and  modest. 
He  was  a  valued  member  of  Congre- 
gation Emanu-El  and  gave  unstinted 
support  to  all  the  Jewish  charitable 
institutions.  His  attitude  towards  the 
poor  and  needy  was  one  of  sympathetic 
solicitude  and  he  gave  and  helped  the 
worthy  with  truly  Jewish  liberality 
and  without  ostentation.  Among  men 
of  affairs  he  occupied  a  distinguished 
position  and  was  often  consulted  by 
them  on  account  of  his  splendid  ex- 
ecutive ability. 

Ludwig   Schwabacher   married   Miss 


Carrie  Fleishhacker,  daughter  of  the 
late  Aaron  Fleishhacker  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, in  1882.  His  wife  survives  him, 
as  well  as  his  two  sons,  James  H.  and 
Albert.     He  died  January  27,  1912. 


JACOB   SCHWEITZER 

TO  Joseph  and  Rachel  Auerbach 
Schweitzer,  in  Altdorf,  Germany, 
in  1833,  was  born  a  son  whom  they 
named  Jacob.  They  were  able  to  give 
him  an  excellent  education  and  prop- 
erly equip  him  for  the  battle  of  life. 
When  Jacob  was  fifteen  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  and  for  a  short  time  re- 
sided in  New  York,  and  later  in  East- 
ern   Pennsylvania. 

In  about  1852  he  drifted  with  the 
long  line  of  gold-seekers  to  California. 
He  established  himself  in  business  at 
Comanche    Camp,    in    the    mining    dis- 


Jacob   Schweitzer 

trict.  As  the  tide  turned  he  moved  to 
Windsor,  and  finally  in  1859,  he  went 
to  San  Francisco,  where  with  Leon 
Blum  and  Isaac  Levy  he  established 
a  wholesale  butcher  business,  which 
was  very  successful. 

He  was  married  in  New  York,  and 
was  the  father  of  eight  children,  all  of 
whom  survive. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


145 


Mr.  Schweitzer  was  a  member  of  the 
Congregation  Emanu-El,  and  of  sev- 
eral Jewish  charitable  organizations. 
His  deeds  of  charity  and  kindness  were 
done  in  such  a  quiet  way  that  none 
but  the  recipient  knew  of  his  good- 
ness. The  young  people  of  his  ac- 
quaintance loved  him  and  he  made 
many  friends  because  of  his  happy, 
jovial  disposition.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  bodies,  and  one  of  the 
builders  of  the  Concordia  Club. 

Mr.  Schweitzer's  death  occurred  in 
1898.  

JACOB  H.  SELLER 

THE  world  often  attributes  certain 
characteristics  to  the  members  of 
the  "House  of  Israel,"  which  are  not 
always  founded  on  facts.  It  can  not 
be  gainsaid,  however,  that  a  love  for 
education  is  probably  more  strongly 
developed  among  Jews  than  among 
other  races.  Jacob  H.  Seller  was  an 
instance  in  point.  One  of  the  first 
things  that  he  did  when  prosperity 
crowned  his  efforts  was  to  take  his 
children  to  Europe  with  a  view  of  fur- 
nishing them  with  every  possible  op- 
portunity for  an  education.  That  he 
has  been  eminently  successful  in  this 
regard  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that 
his  nine  surviving  children  are  splen- 
did exemplars  of  cultured  and  refined 
men  and  women. 

Jacob  Seller  was  born  in  1825  in  Ba- 
varia, Germany,  and  after  moving  to  the 
United  States  as  a  young  man,  he  re- 
sided in  the  East  for  some  time.  Later 
he  located  on  the  Pacific  Coast  and 
established  in  Portland,  Ore.,  with  his 
brother,  Joe  Seller,  a  wholesale  dry 
goods  business.  Subsequently  he 
moved  to  San  Francisco,  where,  wnth 
his  brother  and  E.  L.  Goldstein,  he 
established  a  wholesale  grocery  busi- 
ness. 

When  his  children  grew  old  enough 
he  disposed  of  his  interests  and  took 
his   family   to   Europe.     Twelve  years 


later  Mr.  Seller  returned  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  spent  his  remaining 
years  assisting  in  the  growing  business 
interests  of  his  sons.  All  his  leisure 
time  was  devoted  to  philanthropic 
work.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  Congregation  Emanu-El,  and  both 
Mrs.  Seller  and  himself  took  an  active 
part  in  raising  funds  for  the  temple. 
He  not  only  liberally  supported  the 
Eureka  Benevolent  Society,  First  He- 
brew Benevolent  Society,  Pacific  He- 
brew Orphan  Asylum  and  other  Jew- 
ish  charities   with   his   money,   but  he 


Jacob   H.    Seller 

rendered  these  institutions  personal 
service,  which  enhanced  their  material 
welfare  to  an  appreciable  extent.  He 
was  a  respected  member  of  the 
Masonic  Order,  and  was  ever  active  in' 
movements  for  the  uplift  of  his  fel- 
lows. 

Jacob  H.  Seller  married  Miss  Sophie 
Kahn  in  Bavaria.  Of  their  ten  chil- 
dren the  following  survive:  Frederick, 
Henry,  Mrs.  Minnie  Weil,  Mrs.  Adele 
Feigenbaum,  Sanford  Elkan,  Estelle, 
Mrs.  Morris  Frank,  Arthur  and  Mrs. 
Florence  Levy. 

He  died  May  21,  1904,  at  the  ripe 
old  age  of  seventy-nine. 


146 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


SIMON  SILVERBERG 

ONE  remark  which  was  often  on 
his  Hps  marks  tlie  character  of 
Simon  Silverberg:  "I  would  rather 
put  something  into  some  one  else's 
pocket  than  keep  it  in  my  own." 

This  unselfishness,  together  with  his 
devotion  to  his  family,  to  his  religion 


Simon    Silverberg 

and  to  many  organizations  of  charity, 
surely  won  for  him  a  place  among  the 
righteous. 

Simon  Silverberg  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Germany,  in  1832,  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1849,  and  came  to 
California,  settling  in  San  Francisco  in 
1852.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Jeanette 
Bachman  in  1860,  and  the  following 
children  were  born  to  them :  Joseph 
Silverberg,  Mrs.  ]\Iaurice  Schweitzer. 
Mrs.  J.  J.  Mack  (deceased),  Arthur 
Silverberg,  Mrs.  Meiner,  Dr.  Melville 
Silverberg  and  Irvin  Silverberg. 

His  education,  begun  in  Germany, 
was  augmented  by  deep  reading  and 
study  all  through  his  life.  He  gained 
renown   by  his  public  speaking. 

When  Simon  Silverberg  came  to  the 
West,  he  spent  some  time  in  the  min- 
ing district  of  the   Frazier   River  coun- 


he  established  himself  in  the  wholesale 
butcher  business,  and  continued  in  it 
until  his  retirement  in  1900.  A  num- 
ber of  other  interests  in  Arizona 
brought  him  valuable  returns.  Mr. 
Silverberg  was  successful  because  of 
his  ambition.  He  conscientiously  de- 
voted his  whole  time  and  energy  to 
whatever  was  entrusted  to  him. 

His  public  spirit  placed  him  at  the 
head  of  whatever  organization  he  be- 
came a  member  of.  He  was  a  charter 
member  of  Temple  Emanu-El,  a  char- 
ter member  of  Mount  Zion  Hospital, 
and  active  in  the  management  of  the 
Widows"  and  Orphans'  Fund  of  the 
Masonic  order,  and  was  ever  active  in 
nevolent  Society.  His  demise  occurred 
in  October,  1905. 


EPHRAIM   SIMON 

EPHRAIM  SIMON  was  born  in 
Germany  in  1837.  As  a  very 
young  boy  he  emigrated  to  America 
and  in  the  course  of  time  reached  Cali- 


Ephralm    Simon 

fornia,  and  settled  in  the  La  Grange 
country,  near  Alerced.  His  first  ven- 
ture into  the  business  world  was  mer- 
chandising.     In    his    travels   about   the 


try.     After  locating   in   San   Francisco     country    he    was    enabled    to    purchase 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


147 


choice  pieces  of  land  here  and  there. 
Around  Fresno,  especially,  he  made  ex- 
cellent selections. 

Retaining  his  interests  in  the  in- 
terior, he  moved  to  San  Francisco  and 
became  the  senior  member  of  the  wool 
and  commission  firm  of  Simon  & 
Manasse,  and  was  in  this  business  un- 
til death  called  him  in  1908. 

Mr.  Simon's  business  success  was 
little  short  of  wonderful.  His  afifabil- 
ity,  sense  of  justice  and  honor,  won 
him  many  friends,  and  his  works  of 
charity  placed  him  in  high  esteem  by 
all  who  knew  of  him.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1873  to  Miss  Esther  Seeligsohn  in 
San  Francisco,  and  to  them  were  born 
the  following  children  :  Julian  E.,  Dr. 
Martin  E.  and  Blanche. 


LOUIS  SLOSS 

THE  life  record  of  a  pure  man  not 
only  deserves  publication,  but  a 
chronicle  of  its  details  is  a  paramount 
duty.  Youth  needs  examples  to  form 
its  character,  and  the  story  of  Louis 
Sloss  furnishes  just  such  an  example. 
Strength  of  character  is  inherent,  but 
circumstances  may  bring  out  latent 
force,  an  illustration  of  which  we  have 
in  the  record  of  the  builders  of  our  Cali- 
fornia commonwealth.  The  early  chap- 
ters of  that  illustrious  story  indicate  the 
great  potency,  the  still  greater  possibili- 
ties of  the  men  who  created  the  fairest 
of  States  on  the  Pacific  Slope.  Massed 
together  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  the 
labors  of  each  man  were  typical  of  the 
energies  of  his  race,  and  Providence 
seemed  to  have  brought  together  the  best 
elements  of  every  nation.  Among  the 
foremost  representatives  of  the  German- 
Jewish  element  that  contributed  so  ma- 
terially to  the  upbuilding  of  California 
and  her  varied  industries,  we  place  the 
name  of  the  founder  of  the  Alaska  Com- 
mercial Company,  Louis  Sloss,  a  citi- 
zen whose  life  presents  many  sides  of 
study  and  whose  example  has  been  an 


inspiration    to    the    young    men    of    San 
Francisco  and  the  Coast. 

Louis  Sloss  was  of  German  extrac- 
tion. Born  July  13,  1823,  in  the  village 
of  L'ntereisenheim,  near  Wurzberg,  in 
Bavaria,  he  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  busy  life  in  the  United  States.  The 
youngest  of  a  family  of  five  children,  two 
brothers  and  three  sisters,  he  suffered 
the  misfortune  of  losing  his  father  at 
the  tender  age  of  four,  and  his  mother 
when  he  was  but  ten  years  old.  The 
Sloss  family  shared  all  the  hardships  of 
the   Jewish   villagers   of   Bavaria,   which 


Louis   Sloss 

country  kept  the  restriction  laws  against 
the  Jews  on  its  statutes  until  1848.  Still, 
the  Sloss  family  found  no  difficulty  in 
obtaining  a  good  grammar  school  edu- 
cation, which  was  satisfactorily  comple- 
mented by  religious  teachings.  Leaving 
the  grammar  school,  Louis  Sloss  was 
compelled  to  strike  out  for  himself.  His 
parents  had  left  him  nothing,  and  he 
and  his  elder  brother  had  virtually  no 
one  to  whom  they  could  look  for  sup- 
port or  guidance.  He  became  a  clerk 
in  a  country  store,  and  eked  out  an  ex- 
istence until  the  forces  inherent  in  him 
prompted  him  to  seek  a  happier  life  and 
better  fortune  in  the  New  Country. 
It  is  a  subject  of  absorbing  interest  to 


148 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


students  of  history  to  ascertain,   as   far 
as   possible,    the    reasons   that    prompted 
strong  men  like  Louis  Sloss  to  come  to 
the  United  States.     A  man's  success  in 
life  is  not  always  the  result  of  an  acci- 
dent or  a  concurrence  of  fortunate  cir- 
cumstances.    Strength  of  character,  the 
awakening  of  dormant  energies,  and  the 
possession  of  civic  virtues  have  much  to 
do  with  it.     A  man's  youth  is  generally 
the  index  to  his  future.     What  is  of  pe- 
culiar interest  in  determining  the  subtle 
influences  that  moved  so  intrepid  a  pio- 
neer  as    Louis    Sloss    is    the     fact    that, 
though  but   a   mere   stripling  of   twenty 
when  he   left  Germany,  he  had  already 
determined  to  be  menial  to  no  man.  and 
no  matter  in  how  small  a  way,  to  be  "his 
own  boss."     Such  young  strength,  born 
of  mental  ruggedness  and  pertinacity,  is 
apt   to   discern   fortune  at   its   flow,   and 
make    a    bold    strike    for    it.      It    works 
hardship  at  first,  for  fortune  is  both  coy 
and  fickle ;  but  persistence,  patience  and 
love  of  honorable  occupation  will  conquer 
her,    if    the    champion    be    mentally    en- 
dowed  to   enter   the   lists.      The   success 
of    an    honorable    merchant     like     Louis 
Sloss    lies    then,   not   in    the   bold    enter- 
prises his  business  capacity  enabled  him 
to   set   on    foot,   but   in   the   mental   and 
moral  make-up  of  the   man   himself,  an 
endowment  with  qualities  and  character- 
istics absolutely  necessary  for  the  inaug- 
uration of  great  tasks.     These  qualities 
are  born  with  us,  and  need  opportunity 
for  development. 

Louis  Sloss  landed  in  the  United 
States  in  1845  and  settled  in  Maxwell. 
Kentucky.  The  staid  Kentucky  town  of- 
fered little  inducement  to  his  enterpris- 
ing spirit,  and  accordingly  he  looked 
about  for  more  favorable  opportunities. 
Attracted  by  reports  from  the  gold  coun- 
try, he  crossed  the  plains  on  horseback 
in  1849,  his  companions  being  Dr.  Mac- 
donald  and  the  late  Judge  Swift.  Mr. 
Sloss  located  in  Sacramento,  then  the 
principal  center  of  the  new  mining  in- 
terests, and  with  Simon  Greenwald,  one 


of  his  lifelong  partners,  established  the 
mercantile  house  of  Louis   Sloss  &   Co. 
Sacramento  was  then  virtually  the  prin- 
cipal town  in  the  State,  and  men  gath- 
ered there  from  whose  ranks  graduated 
the   State's   illustrious   citizens.      Among 
them  the  subject  of  this  sketch  occupied 
a  conspicuous  position,  not  only  as  a  pro- 
gressive  merchant,   but   as   an   exponent 
of   that    citizenship   that   since   then   has 
made  the  name  of  Louis  Sloss  honored 
in    California.      In    1851    Lewis    Gerstle 
joined    the    partners    and    the    fortunes 
of    the    house   grew    apace.     Mr.    Sloss, 
always  an  ardent  Israelite,  gifted  with 
an    insight    into    the    forces    that    should 
move    his    religion    and    race    to     high 
places    of    honor    and    usefulness,     be- 
came   the    Parnass    of   the    new     Jewish 
congregation   of  Sacramento,   a   position 
he  soon  resigned  because  of  the  growing 
demands   on    his    time   and    energy.      In 
1860  the  firm  moved  to  San   Francisco, 
and    from    that    time    dates    its    eminent 
position  among  the  mercantile  houses  of 
the  Ignited  States.     In   1868  the  Alaska 
Commercial     Company     was     organized, 
and     its     stupendous     business     transac- 
tions,   ramifying   throughout   the   world, 
can  find  no  place  in  this  personal  sketch, 
which  is  designed  to  do  honor  to  the  man 
and  citizen  rather  than  to  the  merchant. 
Louis     Sloss     exhibited     a     fondness 
for  politics  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word. 
His  political  creed  stood  on  the  highest 
plane  of  honorable  citizenship.     Duty  to 
God  and  country  meant  the  same  thing 
to    him.      Louis    Sloss    never    cared    for 
and  never  occupied  a  political  office,  ex- 
cept  in  the  national   campaign  of   1868, 
when  he  was  an  elector  on  the  national 
Republican  ticket,  which  resulted  in  the 
seating  of   General   Grant   in   the   presi- 
dential chair.     The  only  semi-public  of- 
fice Mr.  Sloss  held  was  that  of  treasurer 
of  the  University  of  California.     When 
the    Society    of   California    Pioneers   or- 
ganized, Mr.  Sloss  was  one  of  its  found- 
ers,  and   subsequently  became  its  presi- 
dent.    That  position  alone  explains  the 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


149 


judgment  of  his  contemporaries  regard- 
ing his  career. 

There  is  no  better  instance  amongst 
us  of  a  Hfe.  the  harmony  of  which  was 
so  conspicuous.  His  character  was 
molded  in  a  heroic  cast.  He  was  pre- 
eminently a  man  to  look  up  to,  to  learn 
from,  to  ask  advice  of,  and  yet  there  was 
no  more  modest,  humble,  or  unostenta- 
tious man  in  San  Francisco  than  the 
president  of  the  great  Alaska  Commer- 
cial Company. 

Louis  Sloss  was  married  in  Philadel- 
phia, in  July,  1855,  to  Miss  Sarah 
Greenebaum,  and  to  them  were  born  five 
children,  Mrs.  E.  R.  Lilienthal,  Leon, 
Louis,  Joseph  and  Judge  M.  C.  Sloss. 

During  his  life  he  was  connected  with 
many  public,  civic  and  charitable  organi- 
zations, was  one  of  the  trustees  of  the 
public  library,  member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El  and  all  the  various  Jewish  or- 
ganizations. 

Louis  Sloss  died  at  his  home  in  San 
Rafael  June  4,  1902.  With .  his  death 
the  community  lamented  the  passing  of 
one  of  California's  noblest    Jews. 


ISRAEL  SOLOMON 

"'TT^HE  good  that  men  do  lives  after 
A  them" — so  said  the  bard  whose 
native  land  was  also  that  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  Israel  Solomon.  In  all 
truth  this  can  be  said  of  him  as  those 
who  knew  him  well  can  testify. 

Israel  Solomon  was  born  in  London, 
England,  December,  1811;  the  son  of 
John  Solomon,  a  prosperous  English 
shipping  merchant  and  trader.  He  re- 
ceived a  thorough  education,  and  be- 
ing an  only  child,  he  was  made  much 
of  by  his  parents,  and  when  later  he 
emigrated  first  to  Australia  and  later  to 
the  United  States,  they  were  either  with 
him  or  following  close  behind.  In  De- 
cember, 1832,  he  was  married  in  London 
to  Miss  Sarah  Phillip.  Shortly  after  this 
event  he  went  to  Australia,  with  which 
country  his  father  was  doing  a  great 
deal     of    business.       His    parents     very 


shortly  followed,  and  they  remained  in 
Sydney  until  1849,  when,  hearing  of  the 
California  gold  rush  he  came  to  Cali- 
fornia, returning  the  following  year  for 
his  family  and  a  shipload  of  supplies 
consisting  mainly  of  coal  and  miners' 
equipment  and  of  cloth  to  be  sold  to  the 
miners.  So  keen  was  his  foresight  that 
he  brought  also  a  house  complete,  which 
was  taken  down  and  re-erected  in  San 
Francisco  on  Montgomery  and  Pacific 
streets.  He  made  several  voyages  to 
Australia,  and  subsequently  his  parents 
arrived  here  and  son  and  father  con- 
ducted their  extensive  business  in  San 
Francisco. 

The   early   chapters  of  the   illustrious 


Israel   Solomon 

history  of  California  indicate  the  great 
potency,  the  still  greater  possibilities  of 
the  men  who  created  the  fairest  of  States 
on  the  Pacific  Slope.  Massed  together 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  the  labors 
of  each  man  were  typical  of  the  energies 
of  his  race,  and  Providence  seemed  to 
have  brought  together  the  best  elements 
of  every  nation.  Among  the  foremost 
representatives  of  the  British  element 
that  contributed  to  the  building  of  this 
State,  the  name  of  Solomon  is  of  the 
highest  rank. 

Mr.     Solomon,    a    very    ardent    Jew, 


150 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


gifted  with  an  insight  into  the  forces 
that  should  move  his  rehgion  and  race 
to  high  places  of  honor  and  usefulness, 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  Sherith 
Israel  Congregation.  He  was  the  first 
Parnass'  of  that  synagogue.  He  was  in- 
tensely religious  and  took  an  active  in- 
terest in  all  affairs  Jewish. 

Mr.  Solomon  during  the  whole  of  his 
honorable,  useful  life  remained  true  to 
the  aspirations  of  his  early  manhood.  He 
was  the  highest  type  of  a  Jew;  simple, 
unassuming,  unpretentious. 

Of  his  twelve  children,  eleven  daugh- 
ters and  one  son,  six  survive  him. 

Mr.  Solomon  died  July,  1883,  in  San 
Francisco,  in  his  seventy-second  year. 
California  made  many  men  with  sterling 
characters,  but  Israel  Solomon  helped  to 
make  California  what  she  is  today. 


13,  1870.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  Au- 
gust 5,  1912,  Adolph  Son  belonged  to 
the  Temple  Emanu-El  and  various  Jew- 
ish charitable  organizations  and  clubs. 


ADOLPH  A.  SON 

HILDESHEIM.  Hanover,  Germany, 
was  the  birthplace  of  Adolph  A. 
Son;  the  year  of  his  birth,  1838.  In 
1853  he  came  to  California  via  Nica- 
ragua, where  he  opened  a  store  and  spe- 
cialized on  pipes  and  cigars.  Being  a 
keen  and  conscientious  business  man  he 
prospered,  and  in  1863  was  enabled  to 
take  a  pleasure  trip  to  Europe.  Always 
alive  to  anything  that  would  bring  him 
advancement  in  his  chosen  line  of  work, 
he  selected  a  large  and  choice  stock  of 
meerschaum  pipes  and  sold  them  on  his 
return  to  California.  This  was  an  ex- 
cellent stroke  of  business  and  proved 
Adolph  Son  to  be  a  man  of  extraordinary 
ability  and  foresight. 

In  1865  he  formed  the  firm  of  Son  & 
Briggs.  In  1878  Mr.  Briggs  retired 
from  the  business  and  his  brother.  Al- 
bert Son  and  his  two  brothers-in-law,  A. 
and  y.  Spitz,  were  taken  into  the  firm 
and  it  developed  into  large  proportions, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Son  Bros  &  Co. 

Mr.  Son  was  educated  in  Bangor,  Me., 
but  was  ready  to  grasp  any  knowledge 
which  would  benefit  him  in  any  way. 
Miss  Annie  Spitz  became  his  wife  July 


JACOB  SPIEGL 

JACOB  SPIEGL  was  born  on  the 
second  day  of  December,  1826,  and 
his  demise  occurred  in  the  year  1908. 
His  early  education  was  received  in 
his  birthplace,  Bohemia.  When  he 
came  to  this  country,  in  1858,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business  in  New 
York  until  1883,  when  he  departed  for 
the  West  to  make  it  his  future  home.  In 
1883  in  Portland,  Ore.,  where  he  re- 
sided for  seven  years,  he  established 
the  firm  of  J.  Spiegl  &  Son,  which  con- 
tinued with  prosperity  until  his  retire- 
ment from  active  business. 

Miss  Mary  Klauber  became  his  wife  in 
June,  1860,  and  she  survives  him.  In 
Portland  Mr.  Spiegl  was  a  member  of 
the  Congregation  Ohabai  Shalome ;  he 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  B'nai  B'rith,  and  a  Mason. 
When  he  resided  in  New  York  he  was 
a  prominent  member  of  various  He- 
brew organizations,  and  when  he 
moved  to  San  Francisco,  in  1903,  he 
became  a  member  of  the  Jewish  char- 
itable societies  there.  Mr.  Spiegl  had 
a  large  circle  of  friends,  although  he 
w^as  a  man  of  a  retiring  nature. 

The  children  born  to  Jacob  and  Mary 
Spiegl  are:  L.  M.  Spiegl,  Mrs.  J. 
Fishel,  Mrs.  C.  R.  Levy,  Portland; 
Mrs.  H.  E.  Fraley,  Reno;  Mrs.  Carl 
Kuhn,  Reno;  ^Irs.  E.  L.  Kohlberg, 
New  York  ;  Mrs.  Morris  Hardman,  Se- 
attle, and  Mrs.  Ben  M.  Litt  of  Panama. 


ABRAHAM   SPITZ 

THE  mercantile  world  in  general,  as 
well  as  a  host  of  admirers  and 
friends,  keenly  felt  the  loss  of  Abra- 
ham Spitz,  who  passed  away  June 
4,  1916.  He  was  bom  in  Bangor, 
Maine,  October  25,   1852.     He  gradu- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


151 


ated  from  the  Male  Central  High 
School  of  that  city.  In  1870  he 
came  to  California  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  the  late  Adolph  A.  Son.  and  set- 
tled in  San  Francisco  and  became  asso- 
ciated with  the  well-known  wholesale 
firm  of  Son  Brothers  &  Co.,  which  was 
founded  in  1853.  Later  he  became  a 
member  of  that  firm.  Business  sagacity 
and   devotion    to   duty    were    fruitful    of 


Abraham   Spitz 

Splendid  results  in  his  case.  In  1906  he 
retired  from  active  business,  devoting 
his  time  to  personal  interests.  He  was 
a  kindly  soul  and  never  was  found  want- 
ing when  appeals  to  his  generosity  on  be- 
half of  the  sick  and  needy  were  made 
to  him.  He  was  a  member  of  Congre- 
gation Emanu-El,  a  contributer  to  the 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities  and  ac- 
tively supported  many  charitable  organi- 
zations, regardless  of  religious  creed.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Concordia 
Club.  Abraham  Spitz  never  married.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  only 
surviving  member  of  the  old  firm  of 
which  he  was  so  valuable  a  part  for  a 
great  many  years. 


death  was  ninety-four  years  of  age  and 
was  the  oldest  Mason  in  San  Francisco. 
Jacob,  too,  became  a  Mason  and  was  a 
valued  member  of  Fidelity  Lodge. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  Bay  City 
Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Travelers'  Pro- 
tective Association,  Concordia  Club 
and  of  the  Federated  Jewish  Charities. 
Mr.  Spitz  received  his  education  in 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  and  his  first  ven- 
ture into  business  life  was  a  clerkship 
in  that  city.  When  he  came  to  Cali- 
fornia, at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  firm  of  Son  Bros. 
&  Co.,  wholesale  notions,  traveling  for 
them    for   a    number   of   years.     As    he 


JACOB   SPITZ 

JACOB  SPITZ,  the  son  of  Hermann 
Spitz,  was  born  in   Bangor,  Maine, 
in  1858.     His  father,  at  the  time  of  his 


Jacob    Spitz 

prospered,  he  became  interested  in 
other  lines,  which  brought  him  big 
rewards.  Politics  appealed  to  him,  and 
California  always  had  a  strong  advo- 
cate in  Jacob  Spitz.  His  death  oc- 
curred on  November  10,  1915. 


SIGMUND    STEINHART 

SULZBACH,  Bavaria,  was  the  birth- 
place of  Sigmund  Steinhart  in  1833. 
He  was  the  son  of  Jacob  Steinhart,  a  rich 
merchant  and  banker  who  resided  there. 
His  education,  obtained  in  Germany,  was 
of  the  best  and  when  he  came  to  the 
United   States  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 


152 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


he    was    well    fitted    for    the    business 
career  which  he  eventually  followed. 

On  his  arrival  he  immediately  went  to 
live  with  his  cousins,  the  Seligmans  at 
Watertown,  New  York.  When  he  came 
to  California,  in  1852,  he  went  in  busi- 
ness with  his  brother  Frederick  for  a 
short  time  in  Placerville  (Hangtown). 
Later  they  established  the  wholesale  dry 
goods  house  of  Steinhart  Brothers,  which 
was  a  very  large  concern.  Prosperity 
enabled   Mr.   Steinhart  to  retire  and   he 


Sigmund  Steinhart 

spent  his  time  in  traveling. 

In  the  sixties  he  returned  to  San  Fran 
cisco  and  with  Mr.  Ehrlich  established 
the  mining  brokerage  business,  which  at 
that  time  was  the  largest  business  of  its 
kind  in  San  Francisco.  He  then  became 
a  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange.  In 
the  course  of  a  few  years  he  retired  from 
business,  but  retained  large  interests  in 
other  activities  in  the  city. 

The  Bohemian  Club,  of  which  he  was 
a  popular  member,  was  his  hobby.  He 
also  belonged  to  the  Argonaut  Club  and 
Pacific  Union  Club  and  held  member- 
ships in  several  high-class  clubs  of  New 
York  City.  Mr.  Steinhart  remained  a 
bachelor. 

It  was  always  his  pleasure  to  look 
after    the    comfort    of     others     and     his 


kindness  and  his  fund  of  good  cheer 
made  him  much  sought  after  for  his  so- 
ciety and  comradeship.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Temple  Emanu-El  and  was 
charitable  to  a  fault.  He  was  known  for 
his  munificence  to  the  poor,  and  was  es- 
pecially generous  to  old  Californians.  His 
charity,  however,  was  given  without 
ostentation.  Mr.  Steinhart's  demise  oc- 
curred in  May,  1910. 

His  brother,  Ignatz,  the  well-known 
San  Francisco  banker  and  philanthropist, 
survives  him. 


BERNARD  ULMER  STEINMAN 

BERNARD  ULMER  STEINMAN 
was  an  American  in  all  but  birth. 
He  lived  in  the  United  States  from 
the  time  he  was  nine  months  old,  hav- 
ing been  brought  over  from  Cologne, 
Germany,  his  birthplace,  by  his  par- 
ents at  that  time.  His  education  was 
entirely    American ;    he    made    his    for- 


Bernard    Ulmer   Steinman 

tune  in  America  and  his  heart  was 
wrapped  up  in  the  life  and  develop- 
ment of  one  of  the  biggest  American 
States,  "California."  One  might  say 
that  he  was  a  Californian,  for  he  was 
but  eleven  years  old  when  he  came 
from   New  York,  by  the  way  of  Pan- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


153 


ama,  and  settled  in  Sacramento.  The 
year  of  his  arrival  was  1858,  and  he 
made  the  long  journey  alone. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  he  saw  and 
participated  in  many  stirring  events  in 
those  early  days  of  California.  Quick 
thought,  quick  determination  and 
quick  action  were  necessary,  for  only 
true  metal  showed  itself  and  came  to 
the  front  as  indicative  of  the  charac- 
ter behind  it. 

Friendships  formed  in  his  youth 
were  only  strengthened  as  the  years 
rolled  on  and  his  unswerving  loyalty 
to  his  friends  was  one  of  the  noted 
traits  of  his  character.  Through  the 
friendship  of  Governor  Leland  Stan- 
ford, whose  attention  he  had  drawn  by 
his  industrious  ways  and  his  wit,  Ber- 
nard Steinman  became  a  page  in  the 
State  Legislature,  and  also  through 
this  noted  man's  friendship  he  became 
proprietor  of  the  hotel  and  restaurant 
in  the  Southern  Pacific  depot  at  Sac- 
ramento. It  was  here  by  his  attention 
to  business  and  his  honesty  in  dealing 
with  the  public  that  the  foundation  of 
his  fortune  was  laid. 

In  1877  Mr.  Steinman  married  Miss 
Fanny  Sachs  of  Cincinnati,  and  to  them 
were  born  four  children,  three  surviving: 
Irving  Leland,  Etta  and  Florence  Lil- 
lian. He  was  a  devoted  father  and 
husband,  as  he  had  been  a  faithful  and 
loving  son. 

In  1883  he  was  elected  supervisor 
of  Sacramento  county,  and  at  another 
period  was  re-elected  for  four  years. 
In  1891  he  was  elected  president  of 
the  Sacramento  Gas  &  Electric  Com- 
pany and  as  president  of  that  corpora- 
tion managed  it  successfully  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  finally  sold  it  at  a 
great  profit  to  the  stockholders.  In 
1892  he  organized  and  was  made  presi- 
dent of  the  Farmers'  and  Mechanics' 
Bank,  and  here,  too,  he  exhibited  his 
ability  as  a  financier,  placing  that  in- 
stitution on  a  basis  of  lasting  strength. 

It    was    during    the    winter    of    1894 


that  Mr.  Steinman  distinguished  him- 
self. As  mayor  of  Sacramento  he  in- 
augurated the  work  of  making  per- 
manent improvements  within  the  city 
and  helped  the  poor  of  that  community 
in  such  a  way  that  when  the  Nation 
was  in  financial  straits,  Sacramento 
knew  no  hardships  of  poverty. 

Not  alone  was  B.  U.  Steinman  hon- 
ored as  mayor,  as  supervisor,  bank 
president,  president  of  the  Sacramento 
Gas  &  Electric  Company,  as  charter 
member  of  the  largest  and  most  influ- 
ential club  in  town,  of  Temple  Emanu- 
El,  the  ^Masonic  orders  and  of  the  Fed- 
erated Jewish  Charities,  but  he  was 
honored  and  loved  by  the  people  who 
knew  him  best,  not  because  of  his 
wealth  and  power,  but  because  of  the 
confidence  cultivated  through  years  of 
fidelity  and  years  of  unselfish  devotion 
to  the  public's  welfare.  His  demise 
occurred  March  10,  1914. 


DAVID  STERN 

WHEREVER  the  name  of  Levi 
Strauss  is  heard  one  also  hears  of 
David  Stern.  In  relationship  and  in 
business  they  were,  indeed,  brothers,  and 
one  familiar  with  the  commercial  activ- 
ities of  these  successful  men  realizes  at 
once  that  their  power  for  good  lay  in  the 
fact  that  they  were  in  harmony  in  all 
of  their  transactions. 

David  Stern  arrived  in  California  in 
1851,  having  spent  some  years  prior  to 
his  arrival  here  in  merchandising  in  the 
Southern  States.  He  was  quick  to  see 
the  possibilities  for  making  a  fortune  in 
the  Golden  West  and  sent  for  his  brother- 
in-law,  Levi  Strauss,  who  arrived  post- 
haste. 

Together  they  founded  the  wholesale 
business  of  Levi  Strauss  &  Co..  which 
has  since  stood  the  test  of  over  half  a 
century.  The  highest  ideals  of  commer- 
cialism were  held  to  with  the  natural  re- 
sult that  these  young  men  became  pros- 
perous and  were  in  the  lead  of  all  firms 
of  its  kind  in  the  West. 


154 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


It  was  not  mere  luck  that  they  were 
so  favored  by  the  god  of  fortune — many 
hardships  were  encountered  and  obstacles 
surmounted  in  the  process  of  growth. 
Keen  sighted,  cool-headed  business  abil- 
ity was  what  accomplished  the  seem- 
ingly impossible,    and    David   Stern   and 


David    Stern 

Levi  Strauss  earned  every  tittle  of  the  in- 
crease which  came  to  them.  It  was  their 
reward  for  honest  labor. 

David  Stern  was  born  and  educated  in 
Bavaria  and  he  was  in  his  young  man- 
hood when  he  decided  to  leave  the  Old 
World  with  its  long-established  laws  and 
customs,  and  cast  his  lot  with  the  new 
with  its  untried  possibilities  and  re- 
sources. 

In  1850  Mr.  Stern  married  Miss  Fanny 
Strauss,  who  died  in  1884.  His  sons, 
Jacob,  Sigmund  and  Louis,  now  conduct 
the  business  of  Levi  Strauss  &  Co.  He 
was  a  man  generous  and  kind  in  his 
charities  and  a  fine  example  for  the 
youth  of  the  West  to  pattern  after.  He 
was  a  member  of  Temple  Emanu-El  and 
also  connected  with  all  the  Jewi.sh  or- 
ganizations of  charity.  At  the  age  of 
fifty-five  he  passed  away,  the  time  of  his 
death  being  January,  1875. 


JACOB    STERN 

BAVARIA,  Germany,  the  country 
that  has  produced  so  many  men 
and  women  distinguished  in  American 
Jewish  life,  was  the  birthplace  of  Ja- 
cob Stern  in  the  year  1856.  His  early 
education  was  received  abroad  and  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  (June,  1874)  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  locating  in 
San  Francisco.  Shortly  afterwards 
young  Stern  left  for  Nevada,  where  he 
accepted  a  position  as  clerk,  returning 
later  to  the  bay  city.  In  1886  he  mossed 
to  Rio  Vista,  Cal.,  where  he  established 
the  firm  of  J.  Stern  &  Co.,  dealers  in 
general  merchandise  and  grain.  This 
institution,  at  the  head  of  which  he 
remained  until  the  time  of  his  death 
(April  17,  1916),  enjoys  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  the  community 
and  adjoining  cities  in  which  it  op- 
erates. 


Jacob  Stern 

In  1897  Jacob  Stern  returned  to  San 
Francisco  to  make  that  city  his  resi- 
dence, but  retaining  his  interests  in 
the  Rio  Vista  enterprises.  He  was  a 
large  buyer  of  California  lands  and  had 
numerous  other  interests.  His  activity, 
reliability  and  sterling  worth  endeared 
him  to  all  with  whom  he  had  business 
relations.     He  was  known  as  an  ener- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


155 


getic,  yet  kind  and  charitable  man.  He 
was  a  member  of  Temple  Emanu-El, 
the  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Concordia  Chib, 
and  many  other  charitable  and  frater- 
nal organizations. 

Jacob  Stern  married  in  1883  to  Miss 
Hattie  \\'angenheim,  daughter  of  Sol 
Wangenheim.  His  wife  and  three 
children,  Newton  W.  Stern,  Mrs.  Wal- 
ter J.  Samson  and  Mrs.  Harold  M. 
Friesleben  survive  him. 


LEVI  STRAUSS 

TO  no  man  is  praise  more  unneces- 
sary than  to  the  late  beloved  Levi 
Strauss,  one  of  California's  foremost 
citizens.  He  grew  with  the  State  and 
his  life's  history  is  part  of  California's 
magnificent  record.  His  probity  and 
integrity  were  part  of  the  glory  of  the 
State,  and  his  unsurpassed  gentility 
among  its  most  precious  ornaments. 
Levi  Strauss  was  born  in  Bavaria  in 


MARCUS  STONE 

SACRAMENTO,  California,  was  the 
birthplace  of  Marcus  Stone,  and 
June  30,  1862,  was  the  date.  When 
still  a  very  small  boy  his  family  moved 
to  San  Francisco  and  his  education 
was  received  in  the  public  schools  of 
that  city.  It  fell  to  his  lot  when  he 
was  still  quite  young  to  be  the  main 
support  of  his  family.  This  he  did 
with  cheerfulness  and  a  stout  heart. 

Subsequently  he  engaged  in  the 
dairying  business,  and  so  successful 
was  he  in  this  particular  line  that  he 
continued  in  it  until  his  death  in  March 
of  1910.  He  also  had  a  number  of 
ranch  interests  in  the  San  Joaquin 
valley. 

Mr.  Stone  became  the  proprietor  of 
the  well-known  Baldwin  hotel  in  San 
Francisco  and  built  up  the  business  to 
a  great  degree.  It  was  later  destroyed 
by  fire,  after  which  Mr.  Stone  devoted  his 
entire  time  to  his  large  ranch  interests. 
In  1905  he  was  married  to  the  beauti- 
ful Mrs.  Frank.  His  death  caused  his 
many  staunch  friends  to  realize  that 
they  had  indeed  lost  a  true  and  valued 
friend.  His  charity  and  kindness  of 
heart  were  always  spoken  of  whenever 
the  name  of  Marcus  Stone  was  men- 
tioned, and  in  all  of  the  various  Jewish 
charitable  organizations  of  which  he  was 
a  member  his  good  work  and  good  deeds 
will  be  long  remembered. 


Levi  Strauss 

1830,  and  received  a  good  education, 
holding  at  one  time  the  position  of 
"Amtschreiber"  or  registry  clerk  in  his 
native  village.  The  great  German  emi- 
gration succeeding  the  political  trou- 
bles of  1848  included  this  lad,  who,  after 
spending  a  few  years  in  the  Southern 
States,  arrived  in  San  Francisco  in 
1853.  His  material  possessions  were 
few,  his  opportunities  many,  but  his 
greatest  asset  was  ambition.  The 
golden  country  needed  the  inflexible 
purpose  of  ambitious  youth  to  develop 
its  resources.  With  David  Stern, 
Levi  Strauss  founded  the  business 
that  for  half  a  century  has  stood  syn- 
onymous with  the  highest  integrity 
and  most  honorable  transactions. 
Growing  apace,  and  always  following 


156 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


the  loftiest  commercial  ideals,  it  need 
afiford  no  surprise  that  these  young 
men  became  prosperous  and  were  soon 
ensfaeed  in  extensive  commercial  trans- 
actions  which  ultimately  placed  the 
wholesale  dry  goods  firm  of  Levi 
Strauss  &  Co.  at  the  head  of  its  line 
in  the  West.  It  is  easy  to  speak  of 
commercial  success  as  attained  by  luck 
or  by  fortunate  speculation.  These 
are  but  results  that  must  be  inevitably 
preceded  by  endowments  that  not  only 
make  success  possible,  but  a  necessary 
consequence.  These  endowments  are 
high  ideals  of  citizenship,  honorable 
conception  of  business,  great  integrity, 
firm  character  and  the  ambition  to 
make  life  expressive  of  the  virtues  that 
should  adorn  the  Jew  placed  in  a  sta- 
tion of  great  responsibility ;  and  these 
were  the  endowments  of  the  founders 
of  Levi  Strauss  &  Co. 

His  activities  were  many.  He  was 
a  director  of  the  Liverpool,  London  & 
Globe  Insurance  Company ;  a  director 
of  the  Wells  Fargo  Nevada  National 
Bank ;  director  of  the  Union  Trust 
Company:  director  of  Mission  Woolen 
Mills  and  Pioneer  Woolen  Mills, 
which  at  that  time  were  the  largest 
woolen  mills  in  the  West.  He  was 
president  of  the  Los  Angeles  Farming 
&  Milling  Company,  which  own  vast 
acres  of  land  and  many  thousand  head 
of  sheep  and  cattle.  In  all  these  inter- 
ests he  took  a  very  active  part ;  his 
advice  was  always  sought,  and  his 
judgment  highly  valued.  For  many 
years  he  was  director  of  the  San  Fran- 
cisco Board  of  Trade.  Mr.  Strauss, 
during  the  whole  of  his  honorable  and 
useful  life,  remained  true  to  the  aspira- 
tions of  his  early  manhood.  He  was 
acknowledged  the  highest  type  of  a 
citizen  and  merchant.  His  prosper- 
ity never  spoiled  him.  In  his  pri- 
vate life  he  was  kind,  affable  and  in- 
dulgent. He  never  married,  but  his 
nieces  and  nephews  and  their  children 
felt  the  great  love  of  his  paternal  heart. 


and  he  was  venerated  by  them.  It 
may  be  justly  said  of  him  that  he 
never  forgot  the  period  of  his  youth 
when  he  faced  the  struggles  of  life.  Be- 
cause of  this  memory  he  was  ever 
ready  and  willing  to  help  a  less  for- 
tunate brother.  He  proved  his  great 
philanthropy  by  the  establishment  of 
twenty-eight  scholarships  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  California.  Many  are  those 
who  through  this  good  man's  influence 
have  attained  national  and  inter- 
national prominence.  These  Levi 
Strauss  scholarships  are  still  being  car- 
ried out,  and  link  this  fine  man's  name 
with  the  educational  destiny  of  the 
State,  and  as  the  generous  patron  of 
young  men  and  women,  he  contributea 
to  the  moral  stamina  of  California  far 
more  than  can  possibly  be  computed 
in  dollars  and  cents. 

In  Temple  Emanu-El,  though  he 
never  held  office,  he  was  considered  a 
noteworthy  example  of  the  virtues  in- 
culcated by  religion.  It  was  Mr. 
Strauss  who  with  Louis  Sloss  con- 
sented to  give  the  annual  gold  medal  in 
the  Temple  Sabbath  School  on  condi- 
tion that  his  name  would  not  be  given 
out. 

Levi  Strauss  died  September  27, 
1902.  He  was  a  vigorous  man  up  to  his 
seventy-second  year. 

Fourteen  years  have  passed  since  his 
death.  A  prominent  citizen,  in  speak- 
ing of  him,  said:  "Yes,  it  is  fourteen 
years  since  he  left  us,  but  Levi  Strauss 
will  never  be  forgotten." 

SOLOMON  SWEET 

KRIEGSHEIM,  bei  Worms,  Hessen 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  was  the 
birthplace  of  Solomon  Sweet,  on 
October  18,  1827.  His  parents  were 
well-to-do,  and  his  education  was  re- 
ceived in  the  Real  Schule.  At  the  age 
of  fifteen  he  left  Germany  for  the 
United  States,  and  after  a  short  period 
spent  in  the   East,  he  moved  to  Cali- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


157 


fornia  and  settled  in  Mariposa.  In  1868 
he  moved  to  Visalia,  wliere  he  estab- 
lished the  mercantile  business,  which 
continues  to  the  present  time,  and 
which  has  assumed  large  proportions. 

Wherever  Mr.  Sweet  has  lived,  he 
has  been  highly  respected,  his  word 
was  his  bond,  and  his  good  deeds  were 
legion.  He  showed  kindness  to  every- 
one, irrespective  of  creed.     His  father's 


Solomon  Sweet 

family  was  a  large  one,  and  he  assumed 
the  care  of  his  numerous  brothers  and 
sisters.  He  was  active  in  his  business 
life  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

On  the  10th  of  May,  1860,  Solomon 
Sweet  married  Miss  Annie  E.  Phillips, 
who  survives  him.  To  them  were  born 
the  following  children :  Albert  Lyon 
Sweet,  Milton  S.  Sweet  (deceased), 
Walter  George  Sweet  (deceased),  Mrs. 
Paul  Bettelheim,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Joseph, 
Mrs.  Victor  R.  Ulman,  Mrs.  B.  M. 
Joseph,  Adolf e  M.  and  David  Sweet, 
and  Mrs.  Julius  Baer. 

Mr.  Sweet  was  a  high  Mason,  a  mem- 
ber of  Temple  Emanu-El,  a  charter 
member  of  the  Eureka  Benevolent 
Society,  and  a  charter  member  of  the 
Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum.  His 
death  took  place  in  October,  1899. 


REV.  DR.  JACOB  VOORSANGER 

WHEN  the  remains  of  the  beloved 
rabbi  of  Temple  Emanu-El  of 
San  Francisco  were  laid  to  rest  on  the 
Tuesday  morning  following  his  untimely 
death,  which  occurred  on  April  27,  1908, 
thousands  of  sorrowing  hearts  wept  and 
prayed  in  Temple  Emanu-El  and  many 
thousands  more  who  could  not  gain  ad- 
mission to  the  sacred   edifice. 

Jacob  Voorsanger  was  born  of  pious 
people  November  13,  1852,  in  Amster- 
dam, Holland.  At  an  early  age  he 
evinced  a  taste  for  scholarly  pursuits,  a 
trait  probably  inherited  from  his  grand 
and  great-grandfather  on  both  his  fa- 
ther's and  mother's  side,  who  were  well- 
known  rabbis  in  Germany.  He  was  con- 
sidered by  his  teachers  in  the  Theolog- 
ical Seminary  of  his  native  city  the  most 
brilliant  student  that  ever  entered  that 
institution   of   learning. 

His  powerful  personality  and  capacity 


Rev.    Dr.    Jacob   Voorsanger 

for  leadership,  as  well  as  his  oratorical 
abilities,  manifested  themselves  already 
in  his  youth,  when  as  a  boy  of  sixteen 
he  rushed  to  the  platform  at  a  mass 
meeting  of  anarchists  held  in  the  Jewish 
quarter  of  Amsterdam  for  the  purpose 
of   making  propaganda    for   their   cause 


158 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


among  the  denizens  of  that  district. 

With  fiery  eloquence  the  youthful  or- 
ator denounced  the  men  who  would  thus 
corrupt  the  loyalty  of  his  co-religionists 
to  the  government  that  had  treated  them 
so  well. 

But  Jacob  Voorsanger  soon  found  him- 
self out  of  touch  with  his  surroundings 
and  after  taking  his  degree  he  came  to 
the  United  States  at  the  age  of  twenty. 

He  served  as  rabbi  of  a  small  Philadel- 
phia congregation  from  1873  to  1876 ; 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  from  1876  to 
1877;  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  from  1877 
to  1878,  and  in  Houston,  Texas,  from 
1878  to  1886;  in  the  latter  year  Dr.  Voor- 
sanger was  called  to  San  Francisco  as 
the  associate  of  Dr.  Elkan  Cohn,  whom 
he  succeeded  when  tlie  latter  passed 
away. 

He  became  a  commanding  figure  in 
the  American  rabbinate  and  was  accord- 
ed, by  many,  first  place  among  his  con- 
temporaries as  a  preacher,  lecturer  and 
writer. 

His  labors  in  behalf  of  humanity  in 
general  and  of  the  Jewish  cause  in  par- 
ticular and  the  extent  of  his  efforts  in 
the  upbuilding  of  the  Congregation 
Emanu-El  and  other  institutions  are  re- 
corded in  other  publications  and  are  too 
well  known  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  United  States  to  be  here 
commented  on. 

In  1894  Dr.  Voorsanger  was  appointed 
professor  of  Semitic  languages  in  the 
University  of  California,  which  position 
he  held  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
also  served  as  chaplain  and  special  lec- 
turer at  the  Leland  Stanford,  Junior, 
University.  Besides  his  foreign  univer- 
sity degrees  the  Hebrew  Union  College 
of  Cincinnati  conferred  on  him  the  de- 
gree of  D.  D. 

Jacob  Voorsanger  married  Miss  Eva 
Corper  in  Philadelphia,  who  survives 
him,  as  well  as  the  following  children : 
Mrs.  D.  C.  Schweizer,  Mrs.  Louis  Wax- 
elbaum.  Dr.  William  C,  Leon  M.,  Julian 
H.  and  Rabbi  Elkan  C.  Voorsanger. 


When  Dr.  Voorsanger  passed  away 
much  before  his  time  the  world  lost  a 
great  and  good  man,  Judaism  one  of 
its  profoundest  thinkers  and  workers 
and  the  United  States  a  patriot  of  the 
highest  development. 


DANIEL   N.  WALTER 

RECKENDORF,  Bavaria,  was 
Daniel  N.  Walter's  birthplace,  and 
the  time,  August,  1837.  He  was  the 
eldest  of  the  nine  sons  born  to  his 
parents.  At  an  early  age  he  came 
to  the  United  States  and  settled 
in   Albany,    New   York.      He   attended 


Daniel  N.  Walter 

the  school  of  which  Dr.  Isaac  M.  Wis'- 
was  the  head.  Thus  he  laid  the  founda- 
tion upon  which  the  man  of  culture 
and  refinement  built.  After  leaving 
school  he  came  to  California. 

He  engaged  in  the  furniture  business 
upon  his  arrival  in  San  Francisco.  In 
1858  he  went  into  partnership  with 
his  brother,  Emanuel,  and  established 
the  firm  of  D.  N.  &  E.  Walter.  As  the 
business  developed,  he  sent  for  his 
other  brothers  and  took  them  into  the 
firm.  Very  rapidly  the  business  in- 
creased and  became  a  leader  in  the  carpet 
and  furniture  line.     The  immense  store. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


159 


which  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
progressive  of  its  kind  in  San  Francisco, 
with  branches  in  other  cities,  is  the 
result  of  the  energies  and  business 
ability  of  the  Walter  Brothers. 

Daniel  N.  Walter,  because  of  his 
efficiency  as  a  financier,  became  a  di- 
rector of  the  German  Savings  Bank 
and  a  director  of  the  old  Nevada  Bank. 
A  number  of  other  interests  outside  of 
the  furniture  store  and  the  banks  de- 
manded much  of  this  busy  man's  valu- 
able time. 

Daniel  N.  Walter  was  married  in 
1862  to  Miss  Hannah  Smith  of  Albany, 
New  York.  To  them  were  born  the 
following  children :  Clarence  R.  Walter. 
Mrs.  Moses  Heller.  Mrs.  Abe  Meertief 
and  Herbert  D.  Walter  of  New  York. 

Temple  Emanu-El  was  his  place  of 
worship  and  the  various  organizations 
of  Jewish  charities  knew  of  his  gene- 
rosity and  liberal  heart.  The  sympa- 
thetic interest  he  took  in  Jewish  affairs 
was  typical  of  David  Walter  in  all  his 
dealings. 

When  David  N.  Walter  passed  away 
in  1900  he  was  sincerely  mourned  nor 
only  by  his  family  and  his  immediate 
friends,  but  also  by  those  who  appre- 
ciated   the    excellent    qualities    of    the 

man.  • 

SAMUEL  WAND 
CAMUEL  WAND  was  one  of  the 
^  many  men  who  crossed  the  plains 
in  1850  to  come  to  California.  He  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  who  braved  the  dan- 
gers and  hardships,  and  helped  to  lay  the 
foundations  for  the  ultimate  success  of 
the  State.  Such  men  as  he  made  its  his- 
tory. In  Sacramento,  where  he  lived  for 
some  time,  he  was  for  a  short  period  in 
business  partnership  with  Louis  Sloss. 
He  owned  one  of  the  first  scales  for 
weighing  gold  and  was,  therefore,  a  pop- 
ular man.  In  the  early  fifties  Mr.  Wand 
came  to  San  Francisco  and  entered  the 
dry  goods  business  with  his  brother 
David.     So  successful  did  he  become  be- 


cause of  his  business  acumen  that  he  was 
enabled  to  retire  and  turn  the  business 
over  to  his  son  twenty-five  years  before 
his  death.  In  all  of  his  dealings  Mr. 
Wand  was  an  honorable  man  and  was 
held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  knew  him. 

He  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  in 
1817,  and  came  to  the  LTnited  States 
when  a  lad  of  fourteen.  His  education, 
begun  in  Germany,  was  augmented  by 
much  study  and  reading  as  he  grew 
older.  He  was  considered  one  of  the 
best  read  men  of  his  time. 

Mr.  Wand  was  identified  at  different 


Samuel    "Wand 

times  with  Temple  Emanu-El,  having 
been  a  trustee,  and  with  the  Ohabai  Sha- 
lome  Congregation,  for  which  he  helped 
to  raise  funds  for  the  synagogue  and 
charitable  purposes. 

Samuel  Wand's  home  life  was  ideal. 
He  was  married  in  New  York  to  Miss 
Caroline  Lang.  Their  children  are  Jo- 
seph, Leon,  Jacob  and  Mrs.  Louis  Sa- 
roni.  Being  a  family  man  and  highly 
cultured,  he  was  able  to  direct  their  edu- 
cation and  teach  them  the  highest  forms 
of  literature.  The  memory  of  their  dear 
father,  who  passed  away  in  1906,  is  one 
of  sweet  and  gentle  guidance  and  devo- 
tion. 


160 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


BERNARD  WEIL 

AMONG  the  German  Jews  who 
contributed  so  much  to  the  moral 
and  material  strength  of  California, 
Bernard  Weil  occupies  an  important 
position.  Especially  in  Modesto  and 
throughout  the  San  Joaquin  valley 
was  he  known  as  a  high-minded  busi- 
ness man  and  a  citizen  of  sterling 
worth.  He  was  the  son  of  Karl  and 
Babbit  (Meyer)  Weil  of  Buckau,  Ger- 
many, his  birthplace.     His  early  educa- 


Bernard   Weil 

tion  was  received  in  Frankfort  and  later 
completed  in  Paris. 

In  1866  young  Weil,  possessed  of 
aught  else  but  that  will  power  and  in- 
telligence characteristic  of  the  people 
of  his  race,  came  to  America,  locating 
in  Cairo,  111.,  and  later  in  Chicago. 
The  great  fire  of  1870,  which  laid  that 
city  in  ashes,  reduced  his  modest 
acquisitions  materially,  but  undaunted 
he  assisted  in  the  reconstruction  of  the 
stricken  city.  In  1878  Bernard  Weil 
came  to  California,  first  locating  in 
Stockton,  and  two  years  later  finally 
establishing  himself  in  the  general 
merchandise  business  in  Modesto. 
There  he  soon  became  known  as  a  kind- 
hearted,  estimable  man,  inspiring  his 
neighbors  and  friends  with  a  degree  of 


confidence  in  his  integrity  and  busi- 
ness acumen  that  ultimately  spelled  his 
success.  The  firm  of  B.  Weil  &  Sons 
of  Modesto  is  known  throughout  the 
San  Joaquin  as  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant of  its  kind  in  that  part  of  the 
State.  In  1900  he  retired  from  the 
business,  which  he  had  founded,  turn- 
ing its  management  over  to  his  sons. 
Though  never  active  in  politics,  he  was 
known  as  a  staunch  Democrat.  He 
was  a  valued  member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El  of  San  Francisco  and  one 
of  the  late  Dr.  Voorsanger's  dearest 
and  most  intimate  friends. 

He  gave  liberally  to  charities  of 
every  description  and  was  enrolled  as 
a  member  of  the  I.  O.  B.  B.  and  K.  of  P. 

On  December  11,  1871,  he  married 
Miss  Fanny  Pareira.  The  holocaust 
that  overtook  San  Francisco  in  1906 
so  aflfected  him  that  two  years  later  he 
passed  away,  deeply  mourned  by  his 
wife,  his  sons,  Charles,  Jack  and 
Julius,  and  a  host  of  friends  through 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country. 


JOSEPH  WEISSBEIN 

NO  man  was  better  known  in  the 
mining  districts  of  Grass  Valley 
and  Nevada  City  than  Joseph  Weiss- 
bein.  He  had  friends,  loyal  and  true, 
all  over  the  country,  which  he  won  by 
his  optimism,  intelligence  and  sym- 
pathy, and  when  he  passed  away  June 
5,  1915,  many  mourned  his  loss  deeply. 

Mr.  Weissbein  was  a  well-read  man 
with  a  splendid  grasp  of  the  most  di- 
verse subjects,  scientific,  sociological 
and  political,  and  being  blessed  with  a 
retentive  memory,  he  was  enabled  to 
interest  his  listeners  to  a  great  degree. 
He  was  born  in  Germany  August  25, 
1854,  and  received  his  education  at  the 
Gymnasium  Hohenzalza.  Shortly  after 
leaving  school  in  1871,  he  emigrated  to 
California,  and  for  a  short  period  was 
employed  as  a  bookkeeper. 

With  his  brother,  Jacob  Weissbein, 
he  went  into  the  bankine;  business  in 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


161 


Grass  Valley,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Weissbein  Brothers  &  Company.  This 
was  in  1876,  and  it  continued  until  1902, 
when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco  and 
the  two  brothers  engaged  in  real  estate. 
He  retained  his  interests  in  Grass  Valley 
and  Nevada  City  until  his  death. 

Temple   Emanu-El  was  his  place  of 


Joseph  Weissbein 

worship  and  his  generosity  and  charity 
won  him  a  valued  membership  in  the 
Federation  of  Jewish   Charities. 

]\Iiss  Harriet  B.  Wolfe  became  his 
wife  August  2,  1891.  and  two  daughters 
were  born  to  them,  ]\lrs.  Samuel  Kahn 
of  Stockton  and  Beatrice  H.  ^^'eissbein. 


ANTHONY  ZELLERBACH 

THE  name  Zellerbach  is  well-known 
not  only  throughout  the  State  of 
CaHfornia.  but  on  the  Pacific  Coast  and 
eastward  wherever  paper  is  used.  The 
firm  of  Zellerbach  Paper  Company  was 
originally  established  by  Anthony  Zeller- 
bach and  his  son,  Jacob,  in  1882,  Jacob 
having  just  finished  his  schooling. 

Several  years  later  another  son,  Isador. 
came  into  the  firm,  which  was  conducted 
under  the  name  of  A.  Zellerbach  &  Sons, 
and  in  1907  the  firm  was  changed  to  the 
Zellerbach  Paper  Company. 

Anthonv  Zellerbach  was  born   in   Ba- 


varia in  1832,  and  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen he  came  to  America.  Philadelphia 
was  his  first  home  in  the  new  country, 
but  in  1856  he  changed  the  East  for  the 
West  and  came  to  San  Francisco  via 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  He  settled  in 
Moore's  Flat,  Nevada  county,  Cal.,  and 
worked  for  his  brother,  who  conducted 
a  bank  at  that  place.  When  he  even- 
tually came  to  San  Francisco,  he  went 
into  the  paper  business  in  a  small  way, 
but  through  energy  and  keen  business 
ability,  the  great  paper  firm  bearing  the 
name  Zellerbach  was  established,  which 
today  is  the  largest  business  institution 
of  its  kind  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Zellerbach's  keen-sighted  business 
ability  won  him  an  enviable  place  in  the 
financial  world.  Out  of  his  well-earned 
possessions  he  gave  freely  and  gener- 
ously   to    the     Jewish   organizations    of 


Antliony   Zellerbacli 

charity,  and  was  well  loeloved  for  his 
goodness  and  mercy.  He  married  ]\Iiss 
Theresa  Mohr  in  March,  1863,  and  the 
following  children  were  born  to  them : 
J.  C.  Zellerbach,  Isador,  Henry  H..  Eu- 
gene, Arthur.  Lily  Zellerbach.  Mrs. 
tharles  Cross,  Mrs.  Hazel  Piatt  and 
Edward   ( deceased ) . 

Anthony  Zellerbach  passed  from  this 
life  in  October,  1911,  mourned  by  a 
multitude  of  friends. 


Jews  of  Prominence 


HENRY  ACH 

Residence,  1740  Franklin  street ;  of- 
fice Flatiron  building,  San  Francisco. 
Born  December  18,  1857,  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. Son  of  Leon  and  H.  (Schwab) 
Ach.  :\Iarried  November  10,  1886,  to 
Julia  Schonvvasser.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Oregon.     Member  of 


Henry   Ach 

the  law  firm  of  Whalley,  Fechheimer 
&  Ach,  Portland,  Ore.,  later  Fech- 
heimer &  Ach.  In  1879  formed  part- 
nership with  George  H.  Williams  (for- 
merly United  States  Attorney-Gen- 
eral), and  C.  E.  S.  Wood,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Williams,  Ach  &  Wood, 
which  continued  until  1887,  when  Mr. 
Ach  returned  to  San  Francisco,  where 
he  continues  the  active  practice  of  his 
profession  at  the  present  time.  At- 
tended for  a  number  of  times  the  na- 
tional, State  and  county  conventions. 
Has  been  a  leader  in  Republican  poli- 
tics in  San  Francisco  for  many  years. 
Mr.  Ach  has  never  been  a  candidate 
for  any  political  office.  Member  of 
Congregation  Emanu-El,  San  Fran- 
cisco Chamber  of  Commerce,  Union 
League,  Concordia  and  Olympic  clubs, 
Federation  of  Jewish   Charities. 


JULES  ABRAHAMSON 

Residence,  1329  Madison  street;  of- 
fice 1444  San  Pablo  avenue,  Oaklatid. 
Born  on  Shebuoth,  Thorn,  Germany, 
in  1863.  Son  of  Jacob  and  Pauline 
(Miihlendorf)  Abrahamson.  Alarried 
Becky  Phillips  of  San  Francisco  June 
26,  1900.  Two  daughters,  ^Matilda  and 
Juliet.  Moved  to  California  December, 
1871.  Educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  San  Francisco.  Flis  religious  train- 
ing was  under  Rabbi  Bettelheim  of 
San  Francisco.  In  1876  he  was  em- 
ployed bv  Buyer  &  Reich  and  continued 
until  1881.  On  February  20,  1881, 
with  his  brothers,  Gustav  and  Hugo, 
organized  the  firm  of  Abrahamson 
Brothers,  Oakland,  and  continued  in 
that  business  until  October  25,  1915, 
when  he  retired.  President  of  the 
Humboldt  County  Land  Development 
Company,  Fort  Seward,  Cal.,  and  has 
other  extensive  interests.  President  of 
the  Hebrew  Federation  of  Charities, 
Alameda  county,  Cal. ;  former  presi- 
dent of  the  First  Hebrew  Congrega- 
tion (Temple  Sinai,  of  Oakland)  for 
eight  years.  Member  Temple  Emanu- 
El,  San  Francisco ;  director  Mount 
Sinai  Hospital,  New  York;  honorary 
member  of  Theological  Seminary,  Cin- 
cinnati;  I.  O.  B.  B.;  Federation  of  Jew- 
ish Charities  of  San  Francisco  and 
other  organizations. 


MARCUS  ALTER 

Residence,  60  Moss  street ;  office  228 
Sixth  street,  San  Francisco.  Born  July, 
1881,  in  Buzen,  Roumania.  Son  of 
Abram  and  Freida  (Jacobs)  Alter.  Mar- 
ried July  5,  1908,  to  Sophie  Marcus. 

Educated  in  Bucharest,  Roumania. 
Left  Roumania  during  the  emigration 
period  of  1900  and  arrived  in  San  Fran- 
cisco on  January  1st  of  the  following 
year.  He  then  joined  the  printers'  union 
and    commenced   to    work   as    a    printer 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


163 


until  January,  1907,  when  he  established 
himself  in  business  under  the  firm  name 
of  the  Progress  Printing  Company,  which 
continues  at  the  present  time.  Has  paid 
out  in  1914  wages  to  the  amount  of  $12,- 
000.  During  his  residence  here  has 
brought  out  most  of  his  family  from 
Roumania.  Member  of  Bush  Street 
Temple,     Congregation     Anshe     Sfard, 


Marcus  Alter 

Congregation  Chevra  Thilim,  Congrega- 
tion Adas  Israel,  Jewish  Federation  of 
Charities,  Chevra  Hachnosoth  Orechim. 
Chevra  Rofa  Cholim,  Golden  Gate 
Lodge  O.  B.  A.,  Court  Sunflower  F.  of 
A.,  San  Francisco  Typographical  Union, 
Printers'  Board  of  Trade,  Agudath 
Zion  Society,  Jewish  Publication  Society 

of  America. 

ABRAHAM  ARONSON 
Residence,  2120  Pacific  avenue;  ofiice 
160  Sutter  street,  San  Francisco.  Born 
September  1,  1856,  in  Calvria,  Russian 
Poland.  Son  of  David  and  Elka  ( Sil- 
berman )  Aronson.  Married  in  1882  to 
Amelia  Rosenthal  of  Grass  Valley,  who 
passed  away  August  30,  1903.  Married 
in  1907  to  Nettie  Rosenthal.  Left  Poland 
in  1869  with  his  mother,  remained  six 
weeks  in  New  York,  when  he  removed 
to  San  Francisco,  arriving  February  13, 


1870,  where  his  father  had  preceded  him. 
For  two  years  he  peddled  goods  in  San 
Franci-sco,  during  which  time  and  a  pe- 
riod following,  he  attended  Lincoln  Night 
School  and  City  Business  College.  In 
1871  he  went  into  the  furniture  busi- 
ness, opening  a  store  at  North  Beach, 
in  San  Francisco.  His  success  in  that  line 
was  so  great  that  in  a  few  years — in 
about  1886 — he  bought  the  Stockton 
Street  Synagogue  (the  first  one  built  in 
San  Francisco)  and  erected  on  its  site  a 
large  building  in  which  he  conducted  his 
furniture  business.  He  paid  $10,250  for 
the  property,  which  was  $1250  more  than 
any  one  else  had  offered,  thus  enabling 
the  congregation  to  build  a  new  syna- 
gogue at  Stockton  and  California  streets. 
He  continued  in  the  furniture  business 
until  1894  and  in  the  meantime  he  erected 
a  building  on  Post  street  near  Powell. 
Since    1894   Mr.   Aronson   has   been   en- 


Abraliam  Aronson 

gaged  in  the  real  estate  business,  buying 
old  buildings  and  demolishing  them  and 
then  erecting  modern  first-class  buildings 
in  their«place.  He  was  the  first  Jew  in  San 
Francisco  to  name  his  building  with  his 
own  name,  and  the  great  Aronson  build- 
ing, corner  Third  and  Mission  streets, 
San  Francisco,  stands  as  a  monument  to 
his  pluck  and  energy.     He  has  erected 


164 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


more  high-class  buildings  than  any  one 
in  San  Francisco,  these  buildings  costing 
from  $10,000  to  $500,000.  He  is  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Federated  Jewish 
Charities,  president  First  Hebrew  Be- 
nevolent Society,  vice-president  Hebrew 
Board  of  Relief,  member  of  executive 
committee  of  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties, member  of  board  of  governors  of 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  chair- 
man of  building  committee  of  Temple 
Sherith  Israel,  California  and  Stockton 
streets,  and  later  member  of  building 
committee  of  that  temple  at  California 
and  Webster  streets.  He  has  four  chil- 
dren, Libby,  wife  of  Ralph  B.  Scheier ; 
Pauline,  wife  of  Percy  J.  Meyer;  SoUie 
Aronson  of  Aronson,  Gale  Company,  Los 
Angeles,  and  Daniel  who  is  in  the  insur- 
ance business  in  San  Francisco.  Mrs. 
Aronson  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Hebrew  Ladies'  Sewing  Society. 

In  1911  he  was  Republican  candidate 
for  supervisor  of  San  Francisco.  For 
twelve  years  member  of  the  board  of  di- 
rectors of  Temple  Sherith  Israel  and 
for  nine  years  its  president. 


PHILIP  ANSPACHER 

Residence,  San  Francisco.  Son  of 
Abraham  Anspacher.  Married  Bertha 
Schussler  of  San  Francisco.  One  child. 
Mrs.  Alice  A.  Myers.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Evansville,  Indiana,  and 
at  Harvard  University.     Member  of  the 


DANIEL  ARONSON 

Residence,  2120  Pacific  avenue;  of- 
fice 160  Sutter  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  February  14,  1891,  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. Son  of  Abraham  and  Amelia 
(Rosenthal)  Aronson.  Married  Dor- 
othy Meyers  May  10,  1916.  Graduated 
from  Urban  School,  San  Francisco,  in 
1907.  For  two  and  one-half  years  he 
was  employed  by  the  California  Fruit 
Canners'  Association.  In  1911  he  be- 
came associated  with  his  father  in  the 
real  estate  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  Aronson  Realty  Company, 
which  continues  at  the  present  time. 
Agent  for  the  American  Automobile 
Insurance  Company.  Member  of  Beres- 
ford  Country  Club,  Argonaut  and  Con- 
cordia clubs.  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities. 


Philip   Anspacher 

firm  of  Anspacher  Brothers,  hay  and 
grain  merchants.  Director  Temple 
Emanu-El,  member  of  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities  and  numerous  other 
charitable  organizations. 


SOLLIE  ARONSON 

Residence,  332S  Wiltshire  boulevard ; 
office,  Herman  W.  Hellman  building,  Los 
Angeles.  Born  in  San  Francisco  Decem- 
ber 25,  1882.  Son  of  Abraham  and 
Amelia  (Rosenthal)  Aronson.  Mar- 
ried November,  1911,  to  Amy  Hellman. 
daughter  of  the  late  H.  W.  Hellman. 
They  have  two  sons.  Educated  in  the 
public  and  private  schools  of  San  Fran- 
cisco and  Lmiversity  of  California.  Mem- 
ber of  firm  of  Aronson  Realty  Company  in 
San  Francisco  until  1911,  when  he  moved 
to  Los  x-Xngeles  and  formed  the  firm  of 
Aronson,  Gale  Company,  bonds,  securities 
and  insurance ;  this  firm  is  a  consolida- 
tion of  four  firms.     He  is  vice-president 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


165 


of  this  firm.  Director  of  three  Los  An- 
geles banks  and  director  of  a  number  of 
other  corporations.  Director  of  Jewish 
Orphans'  Home,  Nathan  Strauss  Pales- 
tine Relief  Society,  member  of  Congre- 
gation  B'nai  B'rith,   Federation  of  Jew- 


SoUie  Aronson 

ish  Charities,  Masonic  order,  Scottish 
Rite,  Thirty-second  Degree ;  Shriner.  Los 
Angeles  Athletic.  San  Gabriel  \'alley 
Country  and  Concordia  clubs  of  Los  An- 
geles and  Argonaut  Club  of  San  Fran- 
cisco.   


ISRAEL  JULIUS  ASCHHEIM 

Born  in  Margonin,  Province  Posen, 
Prussia.  Son  of  Julius  and  Dina 
Aschheim.  Arrived  in  California  via 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama  in  the  year 
1868  and  immediately  joined  his  brothers 
in  Plumas  county,  Cal.,  where  he  at- 
tended public  school.  Followed  com- 
mercial life  until  1891,  when  he  was 
elected  assistant  secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Education  of  San  Francisco, 
which  position  he  held  until  1897,  when 
he  was  chosen  to  the  office  he  now  oc- 
cupies, namely,  that  of  secretary  of 
District  No.  4,  L  O.  B.  B.  In  1884, 
while  a  resident  of  Portland,  Ore.,  he 
assisted  in  organizing  the  Eagle  Mill 
&    Lumber    Company   and    became    its 


secretary.  The  company  was  forced  to 
suspend  operations  when  Henry  Vil- 
lard  was  compelled  to  relinquish  his 
hold  on  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad 
and  the  Northwest,  in  consequence  ex- 
perienced a  very  serious  financial 
panic.  As  a  member  of  the  order  of 
B'nai  B'rith  his  activities  began  when 
as  a  boy,  in  1874,  he  helped  to  organize 
a  benevolent  society  in  Merced,  Cal. 
The  society  was  immediately  after  its 
birth  converted  into  a  B'nai  B'rith 
lodge.  !Mr.  Aschheim  was  its  first  sec- 
retary and  ever  since  dedicated  himself 
to  the  work  of  the  order.  His  rise  in 
its  councils  was  steady  and  unfailing. 
Several  times  the  first  and  second  vice- 
president  of  the  District,  its  secretary 
for  twenty  years,  a  member  of  the 
Constitution     Grand     Lodge    in     1890- 


Israel  Julius  Aschheim 

1905-1910-1915  he  had  all  the  honors 
the  District  could  confer  upon  him,  ex- 
cept president,  and  of  that  he  was  de- 
prived by  untoward  circumstances. 
Mr.  Aschheim  is  past  master  of  Pa- 
cific Lodge  No.  36,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
was  selected  as  the  lodge  historian  at 
the  time  of  its  golden  jubilee  in  1909. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tion Beth  Israel,  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities    and    many    other    organiza- 


166 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


tions.  He  was  married  in  1900  to 
Elizabeth  Fleischman,  the  famous  pio- 
neer X-ray  operator,  who  died  in  1905, 
a  victim  to  its  deadly  rays.  He  con- 
tracted a  second  marriage  in  the  year 
1909  with  Mrs.  Edith  Salomon. 


ALFRED   AUERBACH 

Residence,  139  Twenty-first  avenue ; 
office  334  Sutter  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Austria  December  25,  1855.  Son 
of  Henry  and  Anna  (Abeles)  Auerbach. 
Married  Carrie  Moses  March  11,  1883. 


Alfred  Auerbach 

Graduated  from  public  schools  of  Aus- 
tria. Learned  the  fringe-making  trade 
in  Austria.  Moved  to  San  Francisco 
March.  1876,  where  he  was  employed 
until  1883,  when  he  established  himself 
in  the  fringe  business  under  the  firm  name 
of  Pacific  Fringe  Company,  which  con- 
tinues at  the  present  time.  Member  of 
Ohabai  Shalome  Congregation,  Federa- 
tion of  Jewish  Charities,  I.  O.  B.  B.  and 
I.  O.  O.  F.  His  children  are:  Mrs.  Men- 
del J.  Schloss,  Mrs.  Clarence  Dewit 
Lobell  and  Henry  Auerbach. 


ARTHUR  BACHMAN 

Office,  Front  street,  San  Francisco.  Son 
of  Simon  and  Sophie  (Goldman)  Bach- 
man.    Born  in  Mission  San  Jose  May  10, 


1868.  Married  to  Amy  R.  Ehrman,  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1900.  One  child,  Arthur  Bach- 
man,  Jr.  Educated  in  the  San  Francisco 
public  schools.  Graduated  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  California  in  1888,  receiving 
the  degree  of  A.  B.  After  leaving  school 
he  traveled  in  Europe  for  some  time  and 
upon  his  return  entered  his  father's  busi- 
ness, S.  Bachman  &  Co.,  wholesale  to- 
baccos and  cigars  and  in  June,  1906,  the 
firm  was  incorporated  and  he  became 
president  and  manager,  which  he  con- 
tinues to  date.  Member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities, 
Argonaut,  Beresford  Country  and  San 
Francisco  Commercial  clubs. 


SAMUEL  BISSINGER 

Residence,  212[)  Jackson  street;  office 
Front  and  Jackson  streets,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  Bavaria,  1856.  Son  of 
Henry  and  Sophie  (Gerstle)  Bissinger. 
Married  Emma  Strauss,  1873.  Children, 
Fred,  Jack,  Edgar.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen he  moved  to  the  United  States  and 


Samuel   Bissinger 

settled  in  San  Francisco,  where  for  three 
years  he  was  employed  as  bookkeeper  by 
the  Alaska  Commercial  Company.  Sub- 
sequently he  moved  to  Mexico,  where  he 
successfully  engaged  in  business  for  sev- 
eral   years.      In    1878    returned    to    San 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


167 


Francisco  and  together  with  his  brothers, 
Adolph  and  Isidore,  established  the  firm 
of  Bissinger  &  Co.,  hide  merchants,  of 
which  concern  he  is  president.  Director 
French-American  Bank,  member  Temple 
Emanu-El,  Argonaut  Club,  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities. 


GEORGE  N.  BLACK 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Son  of 
Samuel  and  Rosalie  (Neumann)  Black. 
Born  in  San  Francisco  in  1876.  Mar- 
ried in  1913  to  Florence  Kohn  of  Port- 
land, Ore.     Educated  in  the  public  and 


George  N.   Black 

high  schools  of  Los  Angeles.  Was  em- 
ployed for  nine  years  in  a  Los  Angeles 
department  store  as  bookkeeper  and 
cashier  and  subsequently  superintend- 
ent. Later  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
business  with  his  brother,  Julius  R. 
Black,  under  the  firm  name  of  Black 
Brothers.  In  1913  they  erected  in  Los 
Angeles  an  eleven-story  office  building 
known  as  the  Black  building.  Past 
president  of  Grand  Lodge  District  No. 
4,  I.  O.  B.  B.  in  1907;  secretary  and 
later  trustee  of  Congregation  B'nai 
B'rith  ;  member  of  Federation  of  Jew- 
ish Charities.  At  one  time  member  of 
the   board   of    directors   of   the   Jewish 


Orphans'  Home ;  master  in  1904  of 
Westgate  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  ]M.  Has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  the  Na- 
tional Guard  of  California ;  served 
three  years,  from  1893  to  1896,  and 
was  honorably  discharged.  During  the 
administration  of  Governor  Gillett  was 
on  the  military  stafif  of  the  Governor 
with  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel. 
President  of  California  Realty  Federa- 
tion of  Realty  Boards  in  1913.  \'ice- 
president  and  treasurer  of  Los  Angeles 
Realty  Board  for  ten  years ;  member  of 
executive  committees  of  the  Repub- 
lican State,  County  and  City  Central 
committees  for  several  vears. 


JULIUS  R.  BLACK 
Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Breslau,  Germany,  in  1874.  Son  of 
Samuel  and  Rosalie  (  Neumann  )  Black. 
^Married  to  Harriet  Holzman  in  1909. 
Moved  to   California   with   his  parents 


Julius  R.   Black 

in  1875.  Educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Los  Angeles.  From  1896  to  1902  re- 
sided in  the  City  of  Mexico.  Upon  re- 
turning to  Los  Angeles  in  1902  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother, 
George  N.  Black,  and  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business.    In  1913  organized 


168 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


the  firm  of  Black  Brothers,  Inc.,  for  the 
handling  of  investment  securities,  of 
which  firm  he  is  president.  In  1913 
this  firm  erected  in  Los  Angeles  an 
eleven-story  building  known  as  the 
Black  building.  Past  president  of  Los 
Angeles  Lodge  No.  487,  I.  O.  B.  B. 


LOUIS  BLOCH 

Residence,  2429  Jackson  street ;  of- 
fice, Alaska  Commercial  building,  San 
Francisco.       Born     in     San     Francisco 


Manufacturing  Company,  Floriston 
Commercial  Company ;  Sierra  Flume 
Company,  Western  Paper  &  Bag  Com- 
pany ;  vice-president  and  general  man- 
ager of  the  Tulare  Mining  Company, 
Western  Transportation  &  Towing 
Company,  Willamette  Navigation  Com- 
pany ;  vice-president  of  Schwabacher- 
Frey  Stationery  Company  ;  director  of 
the  Great  Western  Electro  Chemical 
Company ;  first  vice-president  of  the  San 
Francisco  Commercial  Club  for  many 
years ;  very  prominent  in  Masonic  af- 
fairs, and  in  1915  was  elevated  to  the 
Thirty-third  Degree,  with  the  title  of 
honorary  sovereign  grand  inspector 
general  bv  the  supreme  council  at 
Washington,  D.  C. ;  member  of  Con- 
oresation  Emanu-El,  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities,  Argonaut,  Concordia, 
San  Francisco  Commercial,  Beresford 
Country  and  Press  clubs. 


SOLOMON    BLOOM 

Residence,  654  Third  avenue ;  ofifice 
68  Post  street,  San  Francisco.  Son  of 
Samuel    and    Pauline    Rachel    (Alpern) 


Louis   Bloeh 

August  9,  1875.  Son  of  Isaac  F.  and 
Celene  (Cahn)  Bloch.  Married  Amelia 
Davis  in  1901.  Children,  Clara  Irene 
and  Ruth  Margaret.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  San  Francisco,  lu 
1894  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Crown  Paper  Company,  San  Francisco. 
He  worked  in  the  factory  for  one  year, 
when  he  became  its  superintendent. 
The  business  growing  apace,  and  con- 
solidating with  other  similar  concerns, 
he  became  vice-president  and  general 
manager  of  the  Crown  Columbia  Paper 
Company  and  the  Crown  Willamette  Bloom.  Born  October  15,  1867,  in  San 
Paper  Company  at  the  time  of  their  Francisco.  Married  February  3,  1903, 
organization,  which  positions  he  holds  to  Bertha  Herzog.  Attended  Mission 
at  the  present  time.  He  is  also  presi-  Grammar  School  in  1881,  Boys'  High 
dent     of     the     Porterville     Mining     &      School  in  1884;  graduated  in  1888  with 


Solomon  Bloom 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


169 


degree  of  A.  B.  from  University  of  Cali- 
fornia;  graduated  in  1891  with  degree 
of  LL.  B.  from  Hastings  College  of  Law. 
Admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  California.  May,  1890;  United 
States  District  Court,  1892  ;  United  States 
Circuit  Court,  1893;  United  States 
Circuit  Court  of  Appeals,  1893.  Asso- 
ciated in  the  practice  of  law  with  Hon. 
Henry  Ward  Brown,  ex-speaker  of  as- 
sembly. 1891-1898,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Brown  &  Bloom.  Specialized  in  land 
and  admiralty  law.  Director  and  treas- 
urer of  the  CaHfornia  &  Northeastern 
Railway  Company.  Specialized  in  corpo- 
ration and  financial  law,  1900-02.  In  1906 
he  founded  the  Probate  Agency  &  Pro- 
bate Lawyers'  Association  (an  interna- 
tional organization).  Author  of  "The 
Law  of  Mechanics"  Liens  &  Building 
Contracts,"  1908;  "Supplement,"  1911; 
"A  Manual  for  the  Execution  of  Wills," 
1909.  Past  president  Montefiore  Lodge. 
L  O.  B.  B.  Member  District  Court.  No. 
4,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  1899.  Member  of  Pacific 
Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum,  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities,  Pacific  Lodge,  F.  &  A. 
M. ;  San  Francisco  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. ; 
San  Francisco  Bar  Association,  Mechan- 
ics' Institute,  German  General  Benevolent 
Society,  National  Geographic  Society. 
Luther  Burbank  Society,  Commonwealth 
Club.  

LEON  BLUM 

Residence,  2109  Broadway ;  office  214 
Front  street,  San  Francisco.  Born  in 
1848  in  Alsace,  France.  Son  of  Jean 
and  Hannah  ( Levy)  Blum.  Has  three 
sons  and  one  daughter,  Morris  L.,  Isidore 
L.,  A.  L.,  Mrs.  Helen  S.  Reiss.  Married 
in    1871     to    Jeanette    Levy    of    Alsace. 

Graduate  of  Schlestadt  ( France )  Col- 
lege. After  leaving  school  was  em- 
ployed by  wholesale  fancy  goods  firm  in 
Strassburg,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
moved  to  Paris,  where  he  was  in  the 
same  business  until  1866,  when  he 
moved  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  was 
employed  as  bookkeeper  in  the  wholesale 
butcher    business.     In     1870    entered  in 


business  on  his  own  account.  In  1880 
bought  the  packing  plant  of  J.  Y.  Wilson 
Company  and  conducted  that  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Leon  Blum  & 
Co.  until  1884,  when  he  became  a  partner 
of  Daniel  Roth  under  the  firm  name  of 
Roth,  Blum  &  Co.,  which  continues  to 
date.  Secretary  and  treasurer  California 
Tallow  Works.     For  the  last  thirty  years 


Leon    Blum 

has  engaged  extensively  in  the  whaling 
industry  and  in  trading  vessels  in  the 
South  Seas.  Has  represented  for  many 
years  various  Russian  firms,  as  pur- 
chasing agent  for  Siberia,  also  for  Eu- 
rope. Director  of  Bush  Street  Temple 
for  twenty-five  years,  president  of  that 
synagogue  for  seven  years.  Member  of 
Masonic  order,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Mt.  Zion 
Hospital,  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities 
and  several  French  societies. 


MEIER  BLUME 

Residence,  339  Sixteenth  avenue ;  of- 
fice 15  Stockton  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Austria  in  1871.  Son  of  Joseph 
Blume.  Married  in  1886  to  Rebecca  Katz- 
man.  As  a  boy  he  was  affiliated  with  the 
firm  of  Friedman  Brothers  of  New  York, 
later  becoming  superintendent  of  that 
firm.     In  1889  moved  to  San  Francisco, 


170 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


where  he  estabhshed  a  costume  and  wrap 
manufacturing  business  for  the  White 
House.  Subsequently,  with  Raphael 
Peixotto,  established  the  Golden  Rule 
Bazaar  (which  is  now  The  Emporium), 
where  he  continued  for  seventeen  years, 
after   which    time    he    returned    to    New 


firm  at  the  present  time.  Member  of 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  Ar- 
gonaut  and    Beresford   Country   clubs. 


Meier  Blume 

York  and  started  on  a  large  scale  the 
manufacture  of  costumes  and  wraps.  In 
1910  he  returned  to  San  Francisco,  since 
which  time  he  continues  in  the  manu- 
facture of  cloaks  and  wraps  for  the  trade. 
Associated  with  him  are  his  three  sons, 
Harry,  Sam  and  Leo.  Member  of  Ma- 
sonic  order,   I.   O.   B.   B.,   Congregation 

Emanu-El.      

EDWARD  BRANDENSTEIN 
Residence,  72>5  Franklin  street ;  office, 
126  Mission  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  San  Francisco  1870.  Son  of 
Joseph  and  Jane  (Rosenbaum)  Brand- 
enstein.  Married  Florence  Haas, 
daughter  of  the  late  William  Haas,  in 
1903.  Children,  William,  Edward, 
Alice,  Frances.  Educated  in  the  pub- 
lic and  high  schools  of  San  Francisco; 
attended  for  two  years  University  of 
California.  Subsequently  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  firm  of  Siegfried  & 
Brandenstein  and  M.  J.  Brandenstein 
&  Co.     He  is  a  member  of  the  latter 


MANFRED    BRANDENSTEIN 

Residence,  2676  Pacific  avenue :  of- 
fice 126  Mission  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  San  Francisco  in  1865.  Son  of 
Joseph  and  Jane  (Rosenbaum)  Bran- 
denstein. Married  in  1899  to  Rennee 
Roth,  daughter  of  Daniel  Roth  of  San 
Francisco.  Children,  Ruth  and  Joseph. 
Educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools 
of  San  Francisco,  and  university  course 
under  Prof.  Herbst.  Member  of  the 
firm  of  Adelsdorfer  &  Brandenstein, 
tea  and  coffee  merchants,  until  1899, 
when  he  entered  the  firm  of  M.  J. 
Brandenstein  &  Co.,  taking  charge  of 
the  cofl^ee  end  of  the  business.  He  con- 
tinues as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  M.  J. 
Brandenstein  &  Co.  at  the  present 
time.  Member  of  Congregation  Emanu- 
El,  president  of  Argonaut  Club,  mem- 
ber of  executive  board  of  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities  ;  member  of  Com- 
monwealth and  San  Francisco  Com- 
mercial clubs. 


MAX   J.    BRANDENSTEIN 

Residence,  1916  Octavia  street;  of- 
fice, 126  Mission  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  San  Francisco  February  2. 
1860.  Son  of  Joseph  and  Jane  (Rosen- 
baum) Brandenstein.  Married  Bertha 
Weil,  1885.  Children,  Irma,  Jeanette, 
Agnes  and  Frederick.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  San  Francisco  and 
Germany.  He  received  his  business 
training  while  in  the  employ  of  an  im- 
porting house  in  Bremen,  Germany. 
Upon  returning  to  San  Francisco  he 
entered  the  wholesale  tobacco  business 
of  his  father.  Subsequently  he  organ- 
ized the  firm  of  Siegfried  &  Branden- 
stein, tea  and  cofifee  importers.  In 
1881  he  established  the  firm  of  M.  J. 
Brandenstein  &  Co.,  of  which  concern 
he  is  president.  He  has  organized  a  traf- 
fic in  tea  ranking  in  size  with  the  larg- 
est in  the  United  States,  and  in  cofifee 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


171 


the  largest  west  of  Xew  York.  Mem- 
ber of  Congregation  Emanu-El ;  mem- 
ber Federation  of  Jewish  Charities; 
trustee  Pacific  Orphan  Asylum  and 
Home    Society;    director    Panama-Pa- 


Max  J.   Brandenstein 

cific  International  Exposition ;  vice- 
chairman  Committee  on  Admissions 
and  Concessions ;  chairman  Auditing 
Committee,  Panama-Pacific  Interna- 
tional Exposition ;  member  of  San 
Francisco  Chamber  of  Commerce. 


formed  an  amalgamation  with  L.  Elkus 
Company,  under  the  firm  name  of  Elkus- 
Brenner  Company.  In  March  19,  1907, 
he  retired  from  the  firm  to  give  attention 
to  his  many  interests. 

Mr.  Brenner  is  president  of  Monte- 
zuma Land  &  Water  Company,  Floribel 
Farming  &  Cattle  Company,  Herald 
Hotel  Company,  Madison  Realty  Com- 
pany, treasurer  San  Francisco  Exposi- 
tion Tours  Company,  director  Lincoln 
Realty  Company,  vice-president  Pig  & 
Whistle  Company,  on  ^Nlayor  E.  R.  Tay- 
lor's roll  of  honor  as  supervisor,  1907-08, 
president    San    Francisco    Credit    ]\Ien"s 


GUSTAVE  BRENNER 

Residence,  1899  California  street ;  of- 
fice 499  Monadnock  building,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  October  8,  1862,  in  Ger- 
many. Son  of  Leopold  and  Johanna 
(Newman)  Brenner.  Gloved  to  Cali- 
fornia September,  1872.  ^Married  Sep- 
tember 9,   1887,  to  Julia  Newman. 

Attended  public  schools  and  gym- 
nasium in  Germany  from  1869  to  1872 ; 
South  Cosmopolitan  Grammar  School 
and  Boys'  High  School  of  San  Francisco 
from  1872  to  1878.  Employed  in  whole- 
sale jewelry  business  from  1878  to  1880. 
In  1880  started  in  partnership  with  his 
father  a  wholesale  collar  business,  under 
the  firm  name  of  L.  -&  G.  Brenner,  grad- 
ually adding  other  lines  in  men's  fur- 
nishing goods.  This  firm  continued  until 
the  death  of  his  father  in  1902,  when  he 


Gustave    Brenner 


Association  for  eight  years,  trustee  San 
Francisco  Chamber  of  Commerce,  first 
vice-president  Merchants'  Association, 
member  executive  committee  of  Citizens' 
Health  Committee.  1907-08,  chairman 
Taft  Republican  State  Central  Commit- 
tee, 1912-14,  member  finance  committee 
of  Panama-Pacific  International  Exposi- 
tion, 1910-11,  past  master  Fidelity  Lodge, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  member  of  Scottish  Rite, 
Islam  Temple  Shrine,  San  Francisco 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  Hebrew  Fede- 
rated Charities,  Associated  Charities, 
Union  League,  Commercial  and  Con- 
cordia clubs,  guarantor  San  Francisco 
Musical  Association  (Symphony  Or- 
chestra). 


172 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


ALEXANDER  BRICK 

Office,  South  Broadway,  Los  Angeles. 
Born  in  Germany  in  1875.  Came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents  at  the  age 
of  eight  and  settled  in  New  York.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  New  York, 
night  school  of  New  York,  where  he  took 
a  law  course.  At  the  age  of  twelve  was 
employed  as  errand  boy  in  a  printing 
house  and  later  employed  in  various  oc- 
cupations until  the  age  of  twenty  when 


Alexander  Brick 

he  established  liimself  in  the  law  and 
collection  business  in  New  York  and  so 
continued  until  he  was  twenty-six  years 
of  age,  when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
woolen  business  in  which  business  he 
continues  to  the  present  time.  In  1906 
moved  to  Los  Angeles,  where  he  estab- 
lished his  office  and  continued  the  San 
Francisco  business  as  a  branch.  Married 
to  Minnie  Silverstein  of  New  York  in 
1902.  Two  children  are  the  fruits  of 
this  marriage.  Member  of  B'nai  B'rith 
Congregation,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  Merchants' 
&  Manufacturers'  Association,  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  Wholesale  Credit  Men's 
Association.  Board  of  Trade,  director 
Kaspare  Cohn  Hospital,  member  of 
board  of  governors  of  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities. 


HENRY  JUDAH  BRODSKY 

Residence,  Ross,  Marin  county  ;  office, 
110  Market  street,  San  Francisco.  Born 
September  5, 1882,  in  Russia.  Son  of  Jacob 
Elijah  and  Charlotte  (Judah)  Brodsky. 
Married  in  1915  to  Frances  G.  Hartman. 

Educated  in  the  elementary  public  and 
high  schools  of  New  York  City ;  grad- 
uated from  New  York  University  in 
June,  1905,  with  degree  of  LL.  B. 

Engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  law 
in  New  York  City  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Schenkman  &  Brown  until  July. 

1908,  when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco 
and  practiced  his  profession  from  August, 

1909,  until  September,  1912,  represent- 
ing many  firms,  including  S.  Ghirardelli 
&  Co.,  Kellogg  Toasted  Corn  Flake 
Compan)^    Monterey    Packing   Company 


Henry   Judah   Brodsky 

and  others.  Since  November.  1913,  at- 
torney and  general  manager  of  Mon- 
terey Packing  Company,  Sacramento 
River  Packers'  Association,  F.  E.  Booth 
Company.  Until  July,  1908,  financial 
secretary  of  American  Branch  Alliance 
Israelite  Universelle.  Member  of  Com- 
monwealth and  Press  clubs,  Jewish  Fed- 
eration of  Charities,  Unity  Lodge,  I.  O. 
B.  B.:  Fidelity  Lodge,  F.'&  A.  M. ;  Na- 
tional Geographic  Society. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


173 


CHARLES  BROWN 

Residence,  San  Mateo  Park,  Cal. 
Born  in  Bamberg.  Germany,  in  1832. 
Married  Babette  Kaufmann  of  Mann- 
lieim,  Germany,  in  1860.  Four  chil- 
dren,  B.   C.   Brown,   M.   M.   Brown,   I. 


Charles    Brown 

I.  Brown  and  Mrs.  David  Marks. 
Educated  in  Germany.  Moved  to 
United  States  and  settled  in  New 
York  when  he  was  twenty  years  of  age, 
where  he  learned  the  tinsmith  trade. 
In  1854  moved  to  San  Francisco,  where 
he  was  employed  at  his  trade  for  six 
months,  after  which  time  he  opened  a 
tinsmith  shop  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Kearny  and  Post  streets,  later  mov- 
ing to  the  Blythe  block,  Alarket  street, 
where  he  added  to  his  stock  stoves  and 
household  goods.  With  the  increase 
of  his  business  he  moved  to  Dupont 
street  (now  Grant  avenue  and  Geary). 
Subsequently  moved  to  the  Academy 
of  Sciences  building,  where  a  hardware 
department  was  added  and  his  son,  B. 
C.  Brown,  became  a  member  of  the 
firm  under  the  firm  name  of  Charles 
Brown  &  Son,  which  continued  there 
until  they  occupied  quarters  in  the 
Flood  building,  where  his  sons,  M.  M. 
and    H.   H.    (the   latter   deceased)    en- 


tered the  firm,  which  continued  under 
the  name  of  Charles  Brown  &  Sons. 
The  crockery,  silverware  and  paint 
departments  were  added,  remaining 
there  until  the  fire  of  1906.  The  busi- 
ness is  now  located  at  871-73  Mar- 
ket street,  opposite  Powell  street,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  complete  and  up-to- 
date  household  and  hardware  supply 
houses  in  the  United  States.  Although 
he  retired  from  active  business  in  1906 
he  still  retains  his  interest.  The  estab- 
lishment is  being  conducted  by  his  sons. 
Member  of  Temple  Emanu-El,  charter 
member  of  I.  O.  B.  B. ;  1.  O.  O.  F.  for 
fiftv-five  years;  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities. 

PHILIP  LEE  BUSH 

Residence,  2321  \^an  Ness  avenue; 
ofifice  120  Market  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  June  29,  1875,  in  San  P'rancisco. 
Married  April  30,  1911,  to  Lucile  Therese 
Shear  of  Warren,   Pa.     Son  of  General 


Pliilip    Lee    Bush 

Hyman  Philip  and  Caroline  (Abraham) 
Bush. 

Attended  Lincoln  Primary  and  Gram- 
mar School  in  1882-89,  Boys'  High 
School  in  1889-92,  University  of  Califor- 
nia in  1892-96,  graduated  in  tlie  latter 
vear  from  that  institution  with  degree  of 


174 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


Bachelor  of  Science.  Connected  with 
United  States  timber  reservation  sur- 
veys in  1896,  Fontana  Company  in  1897- 
98-99,  with  CaHfornia  Fruit  Canners'  As- 
sociation from  1899  to  date.  Chief  en- 
gineer of  that  company  at  the  present 
time.  Consulting  engineer  on  various 
projects.  Member  of  National  Guard  of 
California  for  fifteen  years,  aide  de  camp 
on  staff  of  Governor  Budd,  retired  with 
commission  as  captain  in  Coast  Artillery 
Corps.  Member  of  Congregation 
Emanu-El,  Argonaut  Club,  American 
Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  Native  Sons' 
of  the  Golden  West,  Veteran  x-\ssociation. 


MAIER  A.  CAHN 

Residence,  2003  Lyon  street;  office 
Nevada  Bank  building,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  San  Francisco  April  6,  1852. 
Son  of  Aaron  and  Estelle  (Reiss) 
Cahn.  Married  Sadie  Cook  in  1879. 
Children.  Albert  M.,  Louis  M..  Edgar 
Harold,  Estelle.  Educated  in  the  pub- 
lic and  high  schools  and  Union  College  of 
San  Francisco.  Engaged  in  commercial 
pursuits  until  October  1,  1909,  when 
he  was  appointed  sexton  of  Temple 
Emanu-El,  which  office  he  holds  at  the 
present  time.  Member  of  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities;  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Y.  M. 
H.  A.  and  Fraternal  Brotherhood. 


ALBERT  E.  CASTLE 

Residence,  2008  Lyon  street ;  office, 
106  Pine  street,  San  Francisco.  Born 
in  San  Francisco  in  1861.  Son 
of  Frederick  and  Charlotte  (Levy) 
Castle.  Married  Virginia  Winston  of 
Los  Angeles  in  1895.  Children,  Eugene 
and  Albert.  Educated  in  the  public 
and  high  schools  of  San  Francisco, 
after  which  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  firm  of  his  father.  Castle  Brothers, 
subsequently  becoming  a  member  of 
the  firm,  where  he  continues  at  the 
present  time.  Member  of  board  of 
governors  of  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities;    vice-president    and    director 


of  Mount  Zion  hospital ;  chairman  of 
San  Francisco  County  Republican  Cen- 
tral Committee  ;  member  of  Bohemian 
and  San  Francisco  Commercial  clubs ; 
delegate  to  the  Republican  national 
convention  at  Chicago  June  5,  1916; 
president  Dried  Fruit  Association  of 
California.      . 

ARTHUR  H.  CASTLE 

Residence,  Post  street;  office,  106 
Pine  street,  San  Francisco.  Born  in 
San  Francisco  1865.  Son  of  Frederick 
Levy  and  Charlotte  (Levy)  Castle. 
Educated  in  the  public  schools  of  San 
Francisco  and  Hanover,  Germany, 
after  which  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  firm  of  his  father.  Castle  Brothers. 
Subsequently  became  a  member  of  the 
firm,  where  he  continues  at  the  present 
time.  Member  of  the  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities;  Bohemian  and  Com- 
mercial clubs. 


FREDERICK  L.  CASTLE 

Residence,  2613  Pacific  avenue;  of- 
fice, 106  Pine  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  1886  in  San  Francisco.  Son  of 
Walter  M.  and  Ella  (Weill)  Castle. 
Educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  San  Francisco,  Belmont 
School  and  L^niversity  of  California. 
He  is  in  the  employ  of  the  firm  of 
Castle  Brothers.  Member  of  the  Olympic 
and   San    Francisco  Commercial  clubs. 


WALTER   M.   CASTLE 

Residence,  2613  Pacific  avenue;  of- 
fice 106  Pine  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  August  28,  1855,  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. Son  of  Frederick  Levy  and 
Charlotte  (Levy)  Castle.  Married 
Ella  Weill  of  Wilmington,  North  Caro- 
lina, in  1885.  One  son,  Frederick  L. 
Educated  in  the  public  schools  of  San 
Francisco.  Attended  private  schools 
in  Brussels,  Belgium,  for  four  years; 
University   School,    London,    England ; 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


175 


Isleworth  College,  near  Kew,  England,      ness. 


This  business  he  conducts  at  the 


In  1871  he  returned  to  San  Francisco,  present  time.  Treasurer  of  B'nai  Israel 
where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Congregation,  member  of  I.  O.  B.  B., 
firm  of  his  father.  Castle  Brothers,  ex-president  of  ]Men's  Hebrew  Be- 
subsequently  becoming  a  member  of  nevolent  Society  of  Sacramento,  member 
the  firm,  where  he  continues  at  the  of  National  Jewish  Hospital  for  Con- 
sumptives of  Denver,  life  member  of 
Hebrew  Incurable  Consumptive  Home, 
member  of  National  Farm  School  of 
Philadelphia,  United  Hebrew  Charities 
of  Baltimore,  Alliance  Israelite  Uni- 
verselle,  New  York  Association  for  the 
Improvement  of  the  Condition  of  the 
Poor,  Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Immigra- 
tion Aid  Society  of  America,  N.  Y. ; 
Jewish    Consumptive    Relief    Association 


Walter   M.    Castle 


present  time.  Member  of  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities,  Temple  Emanu-El, 
San   Francisco  Commercial  Club. 


ISIDOR  COHEN 

Office,  406  J  street,  Sacramento.  Born 
in  Schwazen,  Posen,  Germany,  in  1843. 
Moved  to  United  States  in  1860  and 
merchandised  in  New  York  for  about 
three  years,  after  which  time  he  moved 
to  California,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
commercial  pursuits  in  San  Francisco, 
Sacramento  and  surrounding  country  for 
about  three  years,  when  he  returned  to 
New  York,  where  he  remained  until 
1873,  when  he  moved  to  Chicago.  In 
1875  moved  to  Silver  City,  Idaho.  Later 
in  Virginia  City,  Nevada,  and  at  the 
end  of  that  year  moved  to  Sacramento, 
where  he  worked  for  his  brother  for  nine 
years  in  the  carpet  business.  After 
which  time  he  established  himself  in  the 
cigar  business,  which  he  later  developed 
into   a  large   wholesale   and   retail   busi- 


Isldor  Cohen 

of  California,  Union  of  American  He- 
brew Congregations,  Cincinnati ;  Asso- 
ciated Charities  of  Sacramento,  Home  of 
the  Merciful  Savior  (for  crippled  chil- 
dren), Sacramento  Orphanage  and  Chil- 
dren's Home,  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities,  San  Francisco  B.  P.  O.  E., 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  Commissioner  Ann  Land 
Memorial  Fund  (a  non-sectarian  char- 
itable fund).  

RABBI  MONTAGUE  N.  A.  COHEN 
Rabbi  Montague  N.  A.  Cohen  was 
born  in  London,  Eng.,  May  19,  1877, 
son  of  Eugene  Cohen  and  Pauline 
Aschheim    Cohen.      He    was    educated 


176 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


at  Manchester,  Eng.,  Jews'  School  and 
the  higher  grade  board  school  of  that 
city,  where  he  obtained  distinctions 
from  the  government  department  of 
science,  and  from  the  Royal  College  of 
Preceptors.  He  entered  Jews'  College, 
London,  in  1892,  and  attended  London 
University.  For  a  while  he  was  as- 
sistant chaplain  at  Wormwood  Scrubs 
prison,  London.  He  was  appointed  by 
the  Chief  Rabbi  Herman  Adler  to  the 
pulpit  of  Congregation  Emanu-El,  Vic- 
toria, B.C.,  Canada,  in  1901.     Anxious 


Rabbi   Montague   N.   A.   Cohen 

to  shake  off  the  fetters  of  Anglicized 
eccesiastical  authority  he  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  occupied  the  pulpit 
of    Cona-resration    B'nai    Israel,    Sacra- 

o        o 

mento  (1904-1907),  and  during  his  in- 
cumbency built  the  new  house  of  wor- 
ship ;  Pueblo,  Colo.  (1907-1909)  ;  Butte, 
Mont.  (1909-1912).  and  San  Diego, 
Cal.  (1912).  He  was  married  October 
20,  1903,  to  Miss  Celia,  second  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Brash  of 
Victoria,  B.  C.  He  has  been  associate 
editor  of  the  "Jewish  Tribune,"  Port- 
land, Ore.,  since  1903,  and  he  con- 
tributes to  "Emanu-El,"  San  Fran- 
cisco; "B'nai  B'rith  Messenger,"  Los 
Angeles,  and  other  papers. 


KASPARE  COHN 

Residence,  2601  South  Grand  avenue; 
office  740  South  Broadway,  Los  Angeles. 
Born  in  Loebau,  Prussia,  June  14,  1839. 
Son  of  Abraham  and  Rachel  Cohn.  Mar- 
ried   Hulda    Newmark    July    17,    1872. 


Kaspare   Cohn 

Educated  in  tlie  public  schools  of  his  na- 
tive state  until  the  age  of  fourteen. 
Moved  to  Los  Angeles  in  1859,  where 
he  clerked  for  Harris  Newmark  for  a 
short  period.  Engaged  in  the  crockery 
business  in  Red  Bluff  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  War,  when  he  returned  to 
Los  Angeles  and  entered  the  hrm  of  H. 
Newmark  &  Co.  until  1885,  at  which 
tune  he  organized  the  firm  of  K.  Cohn 
&  Co.,  of  which  concern  he  is  president. 
On  July  1,  1914,  he  established  the 
Kaspare  Cohn  Commercial  &  Savings 
Bank,  of  which  institution  he  is  presi- 
dent. He  has  always  been  a  very  char- 
itable man  and  the  Kaspare  Cohn  Hos- 
pital is  named  after  him.  President  of 
the  Congregation  B'nai  B'rith  for  many 
years.  He  was  active  in  civic  mat- 
ters in  his  earlier  career.  Is  extensively 
interested  in  hydro-electric  jilants  and 
natural  gas  industry. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


177 


BERT  DILLER 

Residence,  1083  [McAllister  street;  of- 
fice 1085  McAllister  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  Galizia,  Austria,  May  21, 
1872.  Son  of  Samuel  and  Malke 
(Werner)  Diller.  Married  Ida  Gartner 
January  30,  1889.  Educated  in  private 
schools  in  Galizia,  where  he  also  studied 
Hebrew  and  the  Talmud,  completing  his 
education  in  1890.  For  ten  years  he  was 
engaged  in  the  flour  milling  business  in 
Galizia,  and  during  that  time  was  also  in 
the  lumber  business.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  stock  exchange  and  a  banker  for 
three  years.  In  1902  moved  to  United 
States  and  in  1903  settled  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  conducts  a  large  market. 
IVlember  of  Anshe  Sfard  Synagogue, 
B'nai  David  Congregation,  the  Brith 
Abraham  Club,  the  Hebrew  Home  for 
Aged,  the  Talmud  Thores,  Hochesth 
Orchin,  Chevra  Kadusha,  Gemilus  Chaso- 
dim  and  the  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties.   

HENRY  G.  W.  DINKELSPIEL 

Residence,  2915  Jackson  street;  office 
802-6  Claus  Spreckels  building,  San 
Francisco.  Born  at  Suisun  City.  Solano 
county,  Cal.,  February  22,  1869.  Son 
of  Moses  and  Lena  (Menges)  Dinkel- 
spiel.  Married  June  5,  1895,  to  Estelle 
Jacobs.  Educated  in  public  schools  of 
Suisun  City.  Legal  education  at  Has- 
tings College  of  Law,  San  Francisco. 
Admitted  to  practice  Supreme  Court  of 
California  in  1890,  United  States  Su- 
preme Court  at  Washington,  D.  C,  No- 
vember 2,  1893,  on  motion  for  admission 
by  Congressman  S.  G.  Hillborn  of  Cali- 
fornia. Engaged  in  the  general  practice 
of  law  in  San  Francisco  since  admission. 
President  of  Commercial  Law  League  of 
America  in  1906.  Representative  of  the 
State  Assembly  of  California  in  1895. 
Nominated  for  United  States  Congress 
on  Republican  ticket  in  1896,  but  declined 
the  nomination.  Delegate  to  National 
Republican  conventions  in  1900-1904. 
Presidential  elector  Taft-Sherman  ticket 


in  1908  and  carried  vote  of  California  to 
Washington.  Appointed  trustee  of  the 
.San  Francisco  State  Normal  School  on 
the  organization  of  school  in  1899  by 
Governor  Gage  and  re-appointed  by 
Governors  Gillett  and  Pardee.  Lieu- 
tenant-colonel and  aide-de-camp  on  the 
staff  of  Governors  Pardee  and  Gillett. 
Appointed  consul  for  the  kingdom  of 
Siam  October  13,  1913.  Commissioner- 
general  for  that  countrv  at  the  Panama- 


Henry  G.  "W.  Dinkelspiel 

Pacific  International  Exposition  June 
15.  1915.  Member  of  Temple  Emanu- 
El,  Beresford  Country,  Union  League 
and  Grizzly  Bear  clubs,  president  of  lat- 
ter. :\Iember  of  N.  S.  G.  W.,  Masonic 
order,  Thirtv-second  Degree,  Shrine  and 
B.  P.  O.  E.'  

SAMUEL  DINKELSPIEL 

Residence,  2612  Scott  street;  office 
24  Battery  street,  San  Francisco.  Son  of 
Lazarus  Dinkelspiel.  Born  in  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1864.  Married  in  1896  to  Bea- 
trice Bachman  of  San  Francisco.  Two 
children,  Sophia  [Margaret  and  Lloyd 
William  Dinkelspiel.  Educated  in  the 
public  and  high  schools  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Entered  the  wholesale  dry  goods 
business  of  his  father  and  worked  in  all 
departments  until  he  became  a  member 


178 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


of  the  firm  of  L.  Dinkelspicl  Company  in 
1887.  President  of  that  firm  to  date. 
]\Iember  of  the  Temple  Emanu-El.  Fed- 


Samuel  Dinkelspiel 

eration  of  Jewish  Charities,  Young  Men's 
Hebrew  Association,  Masonic  order. 
Commercial,  Commonwealth  and  Ar- 
gonaut clubs 

DR.  DAVID  W.  EDELMAN 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.     Born  in  Los 
Angeles  in  1869.   Son  of  Rabbi  Abraham 


of  Los  Angeles.  Received  degree  of  A. 
B.  at  the  University  of  California  in 
1889  and  degree  of  AI.  D.  from  the  med- 
ical department  of  the  Cniversity  of  Xew 
York  in  1891.  From  1891  to  1892  he 
continued  his  medical  and  surgical 
studies  at  Mt.  Sinai  Hospital  Dispensary. 
N.  Y.,  and  Vanderbilt  Clinic,  N.  Y.  In 
1892  he  returned  to  Los  Angeles,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion and  continues  at  the  present  time, 
specializing  in  surgery  and  gynecology. 
Surgeon  of  Kaspare  Colin  Hospital. 
Head  physician  of  Jewish  Orphans' 
Home,  L.  A.  President  B'nai  B'rith  Con- 
gregation since  October,  1910.  [Member 
of  Los  Angeles  County  and  California 
State  [Medical  Societies.  Trustee  and 
member  of  executive  committee  of  Los 
Angeles  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities. 
Past-president  of  I.  O.  B.  B.  Member  of 
L'niversity,  Professional  Men's,  Con- 
cordia and  San  Gabriel  Country  clubs : 
Masonic  order,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  N.  S.  G.  W. 
Member  of  the  first  civil  service  com- 
mission in  Los  Angeles  and  president  of 
that  commission  for  a  number  of  years. 
Former  member  of  the  Los  Angeles  Li- 
brary Board,  chairman  of  the  City  Demo- 
cratic Central  Committee  for  manv  years. 


LAWRENCE  FABIAN 

Residence,  3461  Clay  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco ;  office  Tracy,  Cal.  Born  in  San 
Francisco  August  6.  1890.  Son  of  Philip 
and  Annie  ( Schwartz )  Fabian.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  and  high  schools  of 
San  Francisco.  In  1908  attended  the 
University  of  California  farm  at  Davis, 
Cal.,  where  he  studied  agriculture.  In 
1909  he  entered  the  firm  of  Fabian. 
Grunauer  &  Co.,  hay  and  grain  mer- 
chants at  Tracy,  where  he  continues  at 
the  present  time.  Member  of  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities. 


Dr.  David  W.   Edelman 

Wolfi^    and    Hannah     (Cohn)    Edelman. 
Educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools 


ISIDOR   EISNER 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Poland  in  1879.  Son  of  David  Eisner. 
Married  October  11.  1914,  to  Lelia  J. 
Tacoby  of  Los  Angeles.     Educated  in  his 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


179 


native  town.  Moved  to  Los  Angeles  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  and  was  employed  in 
the  tailoring  business,  during  which  time 
he  attended  night  school.  The  following 
year  he  branched  out  for  himself  in  the 
tailoring   business   and    subsequently   or- 


Isidor  Eisner 

ganized  the  firm  of  Eisner  &  Co.,  of 
which  firm  he  is  now  president,  conduct- 
ing five  establishments  in  Los  Angeles. 
\'ice-president  Sun  Drug  Company, 
member  of  B'nai  B'rith  Congregation, 
L  O.  B.  B.,  Merchants'  and  Manufac- 
turers' Association,  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, Concordia  Club,  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities,  Nathan  Strauss  Pales- 
tine Advance  Society,  Masonic  order. 
Scottish  Rite,  Thirty-second  Degree.  Di- 
rector Hebrew  Orphans'  Home  and  the 
Kaspare  Colin  Hospital. 


MILTON  H.  ESBERG 

Residence,  3444  Washington  street ; 
office,  California  and  Front  streets, 
San  Francisco.  Born  May  15,  1875,  in 
San  Francisco,  son  of  INIendel  and  Ma- 
tilda (Hirschfeld)  Esberg.  Married 
May  1,  1901,  to  Caroline  Sloss  Lilien- 
thal.  Educated  at  South  Cosmopoli- 
tan Grammar  School,  Boys'  High 
School,    University   of   California ;     re- 


ceived degree  of  B.  A.  in  1896.  Be- 
came associated  with  M.  A.  Gunst  & 
Co.  Vice-president  of  M.  A.  Gunst 
&    Co.,    Inc.      Chairman     of    executive 


/  ^ 


Milton  H.   Esberg 

committee  San  Francisco  Chamber  of 
Commerce ;  Charities  Endorsement 
Committee  ;  executive  committee  Trav- 
elers' Aid  Society  of  California.  [Mem- 
ber of  the  advisory  board  of  American 
Legion ;  member  of  Argonaut,  Bo- 
hemian, Family,  Olympic,  Presidio 
Golf  Clubs.    

L.  B.  FEIGENBAUM 

Residence,  2711  Pacific  avenue;  of- 
fice, 555  Market  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  March  24,  1867,  in  Eureka,  Hum- 
boldt county,  California.  Son  of  Bene- 
dict and  Hannah  (Lowenthal)  Feigen- 
baum.  Married  January  14,  1896,  to 
Gertrude  Napthaly,  daughter  of  the 
late  Joseph  Napthaly.  One  son,  B. 
Joseph  Feigenbaum.  Educated  in  the 
South  Cosmopolitan  Grammar  School 
and  Boys'  High  School,  San  Francisco, 
and  business  college  in  San  Francisco. 
In  1887  entered  the  business  of  his 
father  as  commercial  traveler.  This 
firm,  the  California  Notion  &  Toy 
Company,  was  established  in  1869. 
Later  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm 


180 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


and  continues  now  as  manager  of  that 
concern.  Member  of  Temple  Emanu- 
El,    Federated   Jewish   Charities,   Con- 


L.    B.   Feigenbaum 

cordia  Club,  Commonwealth  Club, 
Commercial  Club,  Associated  Charities, 
Chamber  of  Commerce. 


BENEDICT  FLEISCHER 

Residence,    301    Spruce    street ;    office, 
501   Merchants"  Exchange  building,  San 


Benedict  Fleisclier 

Francisco.      Born  in   Muehlbach,  Baden, 
Germany,  January  8.  1866.     Son  of  Leo- 


pold and  Ricka  ( Rosenheim )  Fleischer. 
Married  Carrie  Goldman  September  4, 
1899.  One  child,  Phyllis.  Educated  in 
Germany.  Moved  to  the  United  States 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  after  a  few 
months'  residence  in  the  East  he  moved 
to  Nevada.  Subsequently  moved  to  Rio 
Vista,  Solano  county,  Cal.,  where  he 
was  employed  by  the  late  Jacob  Stern, 
general  merchandise  and  grain  business. 
In  1890  he  became  a  partner,  under  the 
firm  name  of  J.  Stern  &  Co.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  firm  at  the  present  time, 
president  Sacramento  River  Land  Com- 
pany, secretary  Lathrop  Alfalfa  Land 
Company,  secretary  Starr  Land  Com- 
pany, member  of  Temple  Emanu-El, 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  Masonic 
order,  K.  of  P.,  San  Francisco  Commer- 
cial, and  Concordia  clubs. 


HERBERT  FLEISHHACKER 

Residence,  St.  Francis  hotel ;  office, 
Sansome  and  Sutter  streets,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  San  Francisco  Novem- 
ber 2,  1872.  Son  of  Aaron  and  Delia 
(Stern)  Fleishhacker.     Educated  in  the 


Herbert   Fleishhacker 

public  schools  of  San  Francisco  and 
Heald's  Business  College.  In  1887  he 
was  employed  as  bookkeei)er  by  his  fa- 
ther  in   the   paper-box   business   of   A. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


181 


Fleishhacker  &  Co.     Eighteen  months 
later    he    was    made    manager     of     the 
manufacturing    end    of    the    business, 
subsequently  becoming  traveling  sales- 
man for   the   firm.     With   his  brother, 
Mortimer,  and  his  father  he  organized 
the  first  paper  mills  in  the  Northwest. 
Later  he   organized   a   lumber   mill   at 
Eugene,  Ore.,  and  the  Electric   Power 
Company   of   Floriston,   Cal.     In    1907 
he   was  made   manager  of  the   Anglo- 
London-Paris  National  Bank  and  con- 
tinues   as    president    of    that    bank    at 
the  present   time.     Vice-president  and 
director   Anglo-California   Trust   Com- 
pany.     President   Floriston    Land   and 
Power      Company;      president      Reno 
Traction       Company ;       vice-president 
Central  California  Traction  Company ; 
vice-president    Great    Western    Power 
Company;  director  Crown   Willamette 
Paper       Company ;       director       Swiss- 
American  Bank,  and  director  of  numer- 
ous other  corporations. 

Married  May  Belle  Greenebaum, 
August  9,  190.^.  Children,  Marjorie 
and  Herbert,  Jr.  Member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El ;  Federation  of  Jewish  Char- 
ities.   

MORTIMER  FLEISHHACKER 

Residence,  2418  Pacific  avenue ;  of- 
fice, Sansome  and  Market  streets,  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  San  Francisco, 
1866.  Son  of  Aaron  and  Delia  (Stern) 
Fleishhacker.  Graduated  from  the 
Boys'  High  School  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen, after  which  for  one  year  clerked 
in  a  wholesale  furnishing  goods  estab- 
lishment. He  then  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  his  father  in  the  paper  box 
business  of  A.  Fleishhacker  Company 
and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  became  a 
member  of  the  firm,  and  at  the  pres- 
ent time  is  president  of  that  concern. 
During  his  early  connection  with  this 
firm  he  organized  a  paper  mill  in  Ore- 
gon City,  Ore.,  "The  Crown  Paper 
Company."  This  firm  is  known  today 
as  the  Crown  Willamette  Paper  Com- 


jjany,  operating  several  mills.  He  is 
first  vice-president  of  that  firm  at  the 
present  time.  In  1900  organized  the 
Truckee  River  General  Electric  Com- 
pany and  later  established  several 
other  electrical  companies  in  California, 
Oregon  and  Washington.  President 
Great  Western  Power  Company  at  the 
present  time.  Vice-president  North- 
western    Electric     Company.       Director 


Mortimer  Fleishhacker 

Anglo  and  London-Paris  National 
Bank ;  president  Anglo-California 
Trust  Company  since  1912;  president 
Great  Western  Chemical  Company; 
director  of  numerous  other  corpora- 
tions. 

Married  Bella  Gerstle,  daughter  of 
Lewis  Gerstle  of  San  Francisco.  Chil- 
dren. Eleanor  and  Mortimer  Fleish- 
hacker, Jr. 

Director  Temple  Emanu-El ;  di- 
rector Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum 
and  Home  Society ;  member  of  board 
of  directors  Associated  Charities  ;  mem- 
ber of  all  the  Jewish  charitable  or- 
ganizations ;  director  and  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Remedial  Loan  Asso- 
ciation ;  treasurer  University  of  Cali- 
fornia. In  1915  appointed  member  of 
Rural  Credits'  Commission. 


181 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


DAVID  FREIDENRICH 

Residence,  1221  Sherman  street,  Ala- 
meda ;  ofifice  460  Montgomery  street,  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  in 
1842.  Son  of  Aaron  Freidenrich,  a 
merchant  of  Baltimore.  Graduate  of 
Newton  University,  Baltimore.  Received 
deeree  of  LL.  B.  in  1860  from  Dane 
law  school.  Harvard  University.  Studied 
in  law  office  in  Baltimore,  after  which 
he  moved  to  Portland,  Ore.,  where  he 
practiced  law  until  1870,  when  he  moved 


David   Freidenricli 

to  San  Francisco  and  continued  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  In  1876  formed 
partnership  with  Charles  L.  Ackerman 
under  the  firm  name  of  Freidenrich  & 
Ackerman.  The  following  year  Joseph 
Xaphtaly  entered  the  firm,  which  then 
became  Naphtaly,  Freidenrich  &  Acker- 
man. Upon  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Acker- 
man in  1905  the  firm  continued  as  Naph- 
taly &  Freidenrich  until  1909,  when  Mr. 
Naphtaly  became  ill,  since  which  time  he 
continued  the  practice  of  law  alone,  his 
practice  being  entirely  in  the  civil  courts. 
Married  in  1902  to  Hattie  Shapro.  One 
child,  David  Freidenrich,  Jr.  Member 
of  California  State  Legislature  in  1873- 
1874,  Masonic  order.  Argonaut  Club, 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities. 


REV.    MICHAEL   FRIED 

Born  in  Hungary.  Came  to  the  United 
States  as  a  boy  with  his  parents,  locating 
in  New  York  City.  Graduated  from 
public  and  high  schools  of  that  city,  Col- 
umbia University,  and  received  the  de- 
gree of  rabbi  from  the  New  York  Jew- 


Rev.   Michael   Fried 

ish  Theological  Seminary  after  a  four 
vears'  course  at  that  institution  of  learn- 
ing. Held  positions  as  minister  of  Pitts- 
burgh Congregation  and  junior  rabbi  of 
Temple  Israel  of  San  Francisco.  Rabbi 
B'nai  Israel  Congregation  of  Sacra- 
mento, Cal.,  for  nine  years,  which  posi- 
tion he  still  holds.  Married  Adele  Salo- 
mon of  Sacramento  in  1910.  Contrib- 
uting editor  "Emanu-El." 


LOUIS  FRIEDLANDER 

Residence,  740  F>anklin  street :  office 
402  F"air  building.  San  Francisco.  Born 
in  Hungary  in  1856.  Son  of  Rabbi 
Isaac  and  Leah  Friedlander  of  Pechi, 
I'jfalu,  Hungary.  Married  Jennie 
Magnes  in  1883.'  Children,  Mrs.  Ger- 
trude Gardner  of  Milwaukee,  Theo. 
FViedlander  of  Chicago,  Arnold  Fried- 
lander  of  San  Francisco.  Educated  in 
his  native  town  and  arrived  in  the  United 
States  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  The 
following     year     moved     to     California. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


183 


where  for  about  twenty-one  years  he  was 
engaged  in  the  cigar  business.  Later 
eneaeed  in  the  real  estate  business  and 
at  the  time  of  the  fire  he  was  one  of  the 
largest  real  estate  operators  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. He  is  considered  one  of  the  best- 
informed  men  on  that  subject  in  San 
Francisco.      For  the   past   si.xteen   years 


Louis   Friedlander 

a  member  of  the  firm  of  P^riedlander  & 
Houston.  About  thirty-six  years  ago  he 
was  instrumental  in  the  organization  of 
B'nai  David  Congregation,  where  he  con- 
ducted the  services.  For  ten  years  he 
was  vice-president  of  Temple  Sherith 
Israel  and  is  now  president  of  that  syna- 
gogue. Member  of  the  Masonic  bodies, 
Scottish  Rite,  Thirty-second  Degree, 
Shriner.  L  O.  B.  B..  Federation  of  Jew- 
ish Charities  and  other  charitable  insti- 
tutions.   

MARX  FRIEDMAN 
Residence,  Granada  hotel ;  office  259 
Post  street.  San  Francisco.  Born  in 
Russian  Poland  July  10,  1850.  Son  of 
Eliaza  Friedman.  In  1873  married  JuHa 
Schlomsky.  Children.  Israel.  Samuel 
Henry,  Abe,  Mrs.  Ralph  Kaiser,  Mrs. 
Abe  Stein,  Mrs.  Eli  Myers  and  Mrs. 
William  Jacobs.  Educated  in  his  native 
country  until  the  age  of  eighteen,  after 


which  time  he  w'as  a  teacher  of  Hebrew 
for  two  years.  Moved  to  New  York 
at  the  age  of  twenty  and  was  engaged 
in  mercantile  pursuits  in  that  State 
until  1877,  when  he  moved  to  San 
Francisco.  In  1885  he  established  a 
cloak  store  on  a  small  scale  and  the 
following  year  branched  out  into  the 
furniture  business,  which  has  devel- 
oped to  its  present  large  proportions, 
under  the  firm  name  of  M.  Friedman 
&  Co.  He  is  interested  in  the  Cosgrave 
Cloak    &    Suit    House.      President    of 


Mar.x   Friedman 

Ohabai  Shalome  Congregation,  of 
which  synagogue  he  has  been  a  mem- 
ber for  nineteen  years.  Past  president 
and  trustee  of  Ophir  Lodge,  I.  O.  B. 
B. ;  member  of  Doric  Lodge,  Masonic 
order;  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities. 


HERMAN  W.  FRANK 

Residence.  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Portland.  Ore.,  in  1860.  Son  of  Abra- 
ham Frank.  Married  Sarah  Harris, 
daughter  of  Leopold  Harris  of  Los  An- 
geles, in  1888.  Two  children.  At  an 
early  age  moved  to  Washington  Terri- 
tory, where  he  attended  public  and  pri- 
vate schools  until  the  age  of  fourteen, 
when   he  clerked   in  a  country   store   in 


184 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


Oregon.  In  1876  moved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  was  employed  in  the  of- 
fice of  the  wholesale  clothing  firm  of  W. 
&  I.  Steinhart;  subsequently  became 
commercial  traveler  for  that  firm  for 
seven  years.  Afterwards  he  established 
himself  in  a  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness in  Alameda,  where  he  continued 
until  1887  and  moved  to  Los  Angeles, 
becoming  a  member  of  the  firm  of  L. 
Harris  &  Co..  and  in  1888  the  firm  name 
was    changed    to    Harris    &    Frank,    of 


Concordia.  Jonathan  and  Los  Angeles 
Athletic  clubs;  past-president  of  Lodge 
No.  487,  I.  O.  B.  B.     Republican. 


Herman  W.   Frank 

which  concern  he  is  president.  Director 
National  Bank  of  California,  president 
L.  Harris  Realty  Company,  secretary 
Riverside  X'ineyard  Company,  fifteen 
years  president  Los  Angeles  Associated 
Charities,  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Merchants'  and  Manufacturers'  Associa- 
tion of  Los  Angeles ;  president  two  years 
and  director  ten  years  of  that  organiza- 
tion. Member  of  Los  Angeles  Board  of 
Education  for  ten  years ;  president  two 
terms.  Originator  of  the  Tag  Day  on 
the  Pacific  Coast.  Member  of  Congre- 
gation B'nai  B'rith  and  for  many  years 
was  director  and  treasurer  of  that 
synagogue ;  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties of  Los  Angeles,  Masonic  order, 
Shriner,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  Modern  Woodmen; 


LOUIS  GASSNER 

Office,    112   Geary  street,   San   Fran- 
cisco.    Born  May  1,   1867,  in   Austria 
Son  of  Joshua  and  Hannah   (Yonkler) 
Gassner.     Married    in     1898    to    Hen- 


Louis  Gassner 

rietta  ^Nlagnin  of  San  Francisco.  Two 
children,  Mrs.  Frederick  Shipper  and 
Estelle  Gassner.  ]\Ioved  to  London, 
England,  as  a  child  with  his  parents, 
where  he  received  a  common  school 
education  and  in  1884  moved  to  New 
York,  where  he  remained  until  1890, 
when  he  came  to  San  Francisco. 
Shortly  afterwards  he  established  him- 
self in  the  furrier  business,  which  he 
has  developed  to  its  present  large  pro- 
portions. Has  office  connections  in 
New  York  and  London.  Member  of 
Congregation  Beth  Israel,  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities,  Masonic  order  and 
other  organizations. 


SANFORD  L.  GOLDSTEIN 

Residence,  1998  Jackson  street;  office 
120  Market  street,  San  Francisco.  Born 
in  San  P>ancisco  September  19,  1864. 
Son  of  E.  L.  and  Virginia  (Waterman) 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


185 


Goldstein.  His  early  education  was  re- 
ceived at  a  military  school  in  California ; 
later  attended  school  in  Germany,  from 
which  he  graduated,  then  returning  to 
San  Francisco.  Continued  his  education 
in  the  public  schools.  Attended  Heald's 
Business  College  for  one  term,  after 
which  time  clerked  in  a  mercantile  insti- 


Sanford    L.    Goldstein 

tution  for  four  years  and  later  in  the 
employ  of  J.  Y.  Wilson  Company.  In 
1889  purchased  one-third  interest  in  the 
Fontana  Company,  fruit  canners,  which 
consolidated  later  with  the  California 
Fruit  Canners'  Association,  of  which 
firm  he  is  vice-president  and  treasurer. 
Director  St.  Francis  Hotel,  director  E. 
L.  Goldstein  Company,  member  Temple 
Emanu-El.  Married  Olga  Adelsdorfer 
in  1899.  Two  children  the  fruits  of  this 
marriage.  Director  Mount  Zion  Hos- 
pital, member  board  of  governors  Federa- 
tion of  Jewish  Charities 


MORRIS  NATHAN  GOLDTREE 

Residence,  253  Sixteenth  avenue ; 
office  50  Sansome  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  January  31,  1881,  in  San 
Francisco.  Son  of  Nathan  and  Au- 
gusta (Kaminski)  Goldtree.  Married 
June  25,  1911,  to  Corinne  Jonas.  Grad- 
uated from  South  Cosmopolitan  Gram- 


mar school  June,  1895;  graduated 
from  Polytechnic  High  school  in  1897, 
Lowell  High  school  in  1899.  Attended 
University  of  California,  college  of 
chemistry,  for  three  years,  leaving  on 
account  of  the  death  of  his  father  in 
1902.  Engaged  in  the  import  and  ex- 
port business  between  here  and  Cen- 
tral America  under  the  firm  name  of 
Goldtree  &  Liebe  from  1902  to  1907. 
From  1907  to  1911  cashier  of  Block- 
man  Banking  Company,  San  Diego, 
and  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  San 
Diego  branch  of  the  Society  for  the 
Study  and  Prevention  of  Tuberculosis. 
Member  of  the  wholesale  firm  of 
Marcuse,  Goldtree  Company,  San 
Francisco,  notions  and  fancy  goods, 
from  1911  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Mar- 


Morris  Nathan  Goldtree 

cuse  in  1914,  when  the  firm  of  Goldtree 
Company,   wholesale  fancy  goods   and 
babywear  was  formed,  which  continues 
to   the   present   time.      Delegate   from 
fourth    district    to    the    Congressional 
convention     in     1908.       President     of 
Ophir  Lodge  No.  21,  L  O.  B.  B. ;  sec- 
retary Grand   Lodge  gymnasium  com- 
mittee,  L   O.   B.   B. ;  member  of   Mer- 
chants"   Exchange    Club,    Jewish    Fed- 
eration   of    Charities,    Masonic    order, 
Islam    Temple    of    Shriners    and    Uni- 
versity of  California  Club. 


186 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


JACOB  J.  GOTTLOB 

Residence,  2150  Lyon  street;  office 
Columbia  theatre,  San  Francisco.  Born 
March  15,  1860,  in  Boston,  Mass.  Son 
of  Julius  and  Hannah  (Cohen)  Gottlob. 
Married  in  1901  to  Selina  Dannenbaum. 
Educated  in  the  pubhc  schools  of  Bos- 
ton, Mass.  Graduated  from  English 
High  School,  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1876. 
Engaged  in  mercantile  business  in 
Boston  from  1876  to  1881.     Theatrical 


Jacob   J.    Gottlob 

business  with  M.  B.  Leavitt's  compa- 
nies from  1882  to  1885.  In  the  latter 
year  he  moved  to  San  Francisco,  where 
he  was  treasurer  of  the  Bush  Street 
theatre  until  1892.  From  1892  until 
1895  was  manager  of  the  California 
theatre.  In  1895  he  leased  the  Columbia 
theatre  on  Powell  street  in  connection 
with  S.  H.  Friedlander  and  Melville 
Marx  and  continued  there  until  the 
fire  of  1906.  In  1907,  1908  and  1909  at 
the  Van  Ness  theatre.  In  January, 
1910,  and  at  the  present  time  at  the  new 
Columbia  theatre  on  Geary  street. 
Member  of  Congregation  Emanu- 
El,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  Con- 
cordia Club,  Beresford  Country  Club. 
Contributing  to  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities. 


CHARLES  GREENBERG 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Poland  in  1881.  Son  of  Julius  Green- 
berg.  Married  Sophia  Reiss  of  Chicago 
in  1906.  Two  children,  Ruth  and  Helen. 
Educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools 
of  Chicago.  Received  degree  of  LL.  B. 
in  1906  from  John  Marshall  Law  College 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  State 
of  Illinois  and  Federal  courts.  Con- 
nected with  the  law  department  of  the 
International  Harvester  Company  of 
Chicago  and  private  secretary  to  the 
president  and  vice-president  of  that  firm. 
In  1910  moved  to  Los  Angeles  and  en- 
gaged in  the  general  practice  of  law  in 
partnership  with  Garfield  Jones,  and  in 
Februarv,    1912,    James    S.    Bennett    en- 


Charles   Greenberg 

tered  the  firm.  Subsequently  retired 
from  the  firm  and  now  continues  in  the 
general  practice  of  his  profession  alone. 
\'ice-president  and  secretary  of  Sinai 
Congregation.  ^Member  of  I.  O.  B.  B.. 
Jewish  Publication  Societies.  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities,  Consumptive  Relief 
Association,  Los  Angeles  County  Bar 
Association,  Professional  Men's  Club 
and  Citv  Club. 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


187 


MORGAN  A.  GUNST 

Residence,  2786  Vallejo  street;  office 
California  and  Front  streets,  San 
Francisco.  Born  March  9,  1887,  in 
San  Francisco.  Son  of  Moses  A.  and 
Ophelia  (Cohn)  Gunst.  Married  May 
31,  1914,  to  Aline  J.  Dryfus  of  New 
York.  Educated  in  the  public  and 
high  schools  of  San  Francisco,  Chateau 
de  Lancy,  Geneva ;  Leland  Stanford, 
Junior,  University.  In  1906  entered  the 
employ  of  his  father,  M.  A.  Gunst  &  Co. 
\'ice-president  of  that  firm  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  Second  vice-president  of 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities.  Mem- 
ber of  Bibliophile  Society  of  Boston, 
Mass. ;  Argonaut,  San  Francisco  Com- 
mercial and  Beresford  Country  clubs. 
Director  of  the  Book  Club  of  Cali- 
fornia.   

MOSES  A.  GUNST 
Residence,  St.  Francis  Hotel ;  office, 
California     and     Front     streets,      San 
Francisco.     Born  July  4,  1853,  in  New 
York.      Son    of    Abraham    and    Emma 
Gunst.       Married     June    10,    1886,    to 
Ophelia  Cohn.  daughter  of  the  late  Dr. 
Elkan  Cohn,  rabbi  of  Temple  Emanu- 
El.     One  son,  Morgan  A.  Gunst.     Ed- 
ucated in  the  schools  of  the  Southern 
States  and  New  York  City.     Moved  to 
San   Francisco  at  the  age  of  eighteen. 
In  1873,  with  a  capital  of  $500,  opened 
a   small   cigar  stand.     In    1874  formed 
the   firm   of   M.   A.    Gunst,   which   was 
later  incorporated  and  of  which  he  is 
president.     The  firm  is  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  cigars  and  the  whole- 
sale  and   retail  cigar  business,  having 
stores  in  all  the  principal  cities  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  and   Honolulu  and  New 
York.     Also  in  consolidation  with  the 
United  Cigar  Manufactures  Company, 
having  over  fifty  factories  in  the  chain. 
Police  commissioner  of  San  Francisco 
for     several     years,    having    been    ap- 
pointed    honorary    life    commissioner. 
The  office  terminated  upon   the  adop- 
tion of  the  new  charter.     Delegate  to 
several     national     Republican    conven- 


tions. Member  of  Temple  Emanu-El, 
Concordia,  Beresford  Country,  Union 
League,  San  Francisco  Commercial  and 
Commonwealth  clubs  of  San  Francisco 
and  Criterion  Club  of  New  York.  A 
member  of  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties and  other  charitable  institutions. 


LOUIS  SALOMON  HAAS 

Residence,  3412  Washington  street; 
office  99  Beale  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  September  3.  1858,  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. Son  of  Salomon  and  Julia 
(Rosenfeld)   Haas.     Attended  primary 


Louis    Salomon    Haas 

school  conducted  by  the  late  Dr.  El- 
kan Cohn,  Lincoln  Grammar  school 
from  1864  to  1865.  Graduate  of  South 
Cosmopolitan      Grammar      school      in 

1872.  Attended  Boys'  High  school 
until  June,  1873.  Studied  bookkeep- 
ing at  Lincoln  Night  school.     In  July, 

1873,  he  entered  the  employ  of  Herman 
Ruppin,  stock  broker,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1876,  when  he  became  as- 
sistant bookkeeper  for  the  Washington 
Flour  Mills.  In  1881  he  entered  the 
employ  of  Lilienthal  &  Co.,  which  has 
since  been  changed  to  the  Crown  Dis- 
tilleries Company,  of  which  corpora- 
tion  he   is   now   vice-president.      Vice- 


188 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


president  and  director  of  United  Cali- 
fornia Industries,  Pacific  Coast  repre- 
sentative on  Board  of  Control  Na- 
tional Wholesale  Liquor  Dealers'  As- 
sociation of  the  United  States.  Mem- 
ber of  executive  committee  of  Im- 
porters' and  Wholesalers'  Liquor 
Dealers'  Association  of  San  Francisco. 
Member  of  board  of  governors  of  Fed- 
eration of  Jewish  Charities,  director  Pa- 
cific Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  and 
Home  Society.  Member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El.  Member  of  the  Family  and 
Olympic  clubs.  Director  Merchants' 
National   Bank. 


P.  R.  HABER 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Austria  in  1873.  Son  of  Solomon  and 
Goldie  (Sanders)  Haber.  Married 
March  10,  1896.  to  Mary  Schneider  of 
St.  Louis.  >  Four  children,  Sadie,  PhiHp, 
Athel  and  Lillian.  Educated  in  Austria 
and,    after    leaving    school    he    was    em- 


P.    R.    Haber 

ployed  b)'  his  father,  who  was  in  the 
grain  and  cattle  business.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  moved  to  New  York,  where  for 
three  and  one-half  years  he  was  em- 
ployed in  various  occupations.  For 
seven  years  he  was  associated  with  the 


firm  of  Max,  Judd  &  Co.  of  St.  Louis, 
after  which  time  he  was  in  business  for 
himself  until  1904  when,  owing  to  ill 
health  he  moved  to  Los  Angeles.  In 
September,  1905,  established  a  tailoring 
business,  in  which  business  he  continues 
at  the  present  time.  Member  of  Sinai 
Congregation  since  its  organization  and 
its  president  since  1915.  Member  of  the 
Los  Angeles  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties and  other  charitable  organizations. 
Member  of  Masonic  order,  Scottish  Rite, 
Thirty-second  Degree ;  Shriner,  B.  P.  O. 
E.,  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Merchants' 
and  ]\lanufacturers'  Association.   ^Member 

of  O.  B.  A.    

DAVID  A.  HAMBURGER 
Residence,  Los  Angeles.    Born  in  Sac- 
ramento in   1857.     Son  of  Asher  Ham- 


David  A.  Hamburger 

burger.  Married  to  Catherine  Howell 
in  1889.  Children,  David  A.  Jr.,  Arthur 
Moses,  Florence  Evelyn.  Educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  Sacramento.  Grad- 
uated from  Harvard  LTniversity  in  1878 
with  degree  of  LL.  B.  Admitted  to  the 
bar  of  the  State  of  California  January  14. 
1879,  and  practiced  law  in  Sacramento 
until  1883,  when  he  moved  to  Los  An- 
eeles  and  became  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  A.  Hamburger  &  Sons,  of  which  con- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


189 


cern  he  is  vice-president.  President  of 
Hamburger  Realty  Company,  president 
Consolidated  Realty  Company  of  Los 
Angeles,  director  Farmers'  and  Mer- 
chants' National  Bank  of  Los  Angeles, 
chairman  of  first  aviation  meeting  in  Los 
Angeles.  Identified  with  all  civic  and 
public  welfare  movements.  President  of 
Los  Angeles  Investment  Company,  No- 
vember, 1914,  and  was  instrumental  in 
reconstructing  this  firm.  Member  of 
Congregation  B'nai  B'rith,  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities,  Los  Angeles ;  for- 
mer member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
that  organization,  and  former  director 
of  the  Jewish  Orphans'  Home  of 
Southern  California.  Past-president  of 
Los  Angeles  Lodge  I.  O.  B.  B.,  member 
of  the  board  directors  of  Merchants'  and 
Manufacturers'  Association,  Masonic 
order,  Scottish  Rite.  Thirty-second  De- 
gree ;  Shriner,  B.  P.  O.  E. ;  Concordia 
and  Los  Angeles  Athletic  clubs. 


nia  clubs,  officer  Unity  Lodge  I.  O.  B. 
B.,  officer  Fidelity  Lodge  F.  and  A.  M., 
member  of  Scottish  Rite  bodies  of 
San  Francisco. 


JULIEN  HART 

Residence,  2211  Buchanan  street;  of- 
fice 71  Sansome  street,  San  Francisco. 
Son  of  Samuel  and  Johanna  (Knitz) 
Hart.  Married  to  Helen  Louise  Neu- 
stadter  January  3,  1906.  Two  children, 
Ellen  and  James  David.  Educated  in 
the  public  and  high  schools  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Attended  University  in  Geneva, 
Switzerland,  for  one  year,  after  which 
he  became  associated  with  his  brother, 
Benno,  in  the  wholesale  silk  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  B.  Hart  & 
Brother,  which  he  continues  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  Member  of  Beresford  Country, 
Argonaut  and  Commonwealth  clubs. 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities. 


HENRY    H.    HART 

Residence,  2996  Jackson  street ;  of- 
fice. City  Hall,  San  Francisco.  Born 
September  27,  1886,  in  San  Francisco. 
Son  of  Dr.  Henry  H.  and  Etta  (Harris) 
Hart.  Married  August  15,  1912,  to 
Alice  Patek  Stern.  Graduated  from 
Lincoln  Grammar  School,  1900;  Lowell 
High  School,  1903.  Received  degree  of 
A.  B.  in  1907  from  University  of  Cali- 
fornia. Post  graduate  law  department 
University  of  California  in  1909,  re- 
ceiving degree  of  J.  D.  Thesis,  "The 
Federal  Safety  Appliance  Act  of  1894, 
Its  History,  Constitutionality  and  Con- 
struction." Practiced  law  with  the  firm 
of  Jesse  W.  Lilienthal  and  Henry  G. 
W.  Dinkelspiel  from  1909  to  1912.  In 
April  of  the  latter  year  was  appointed 
assistant  city  attorney  by  City  Attor- 
ney Percy  V.  Long.  This  office  he 
holds  at  the  present  time.  ]\Iember  of 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  Com- 
monwealth  and  L'niversitv  of  Califor- 


SALOMON  HARTMAN 

Born  in  Kobylagora  (now  Heide- 
berg)  near  Kempen,  Posen,  Prussia,  in 
January,  1841.  Son  of  Israel  Joseph  and 
Scheindel  Jenny  Hartman.  A  most 
worthy  and  respected  couple.  He  married 
in  1870,  when  visiting  his  home.  Fanny 
Pauline  Krotoszyner  of  Ostrowo.  Prus- 
sia, also  of  a  most  esteemed  family.  Their 
children  are,  Mrs.  Jenny  Krotoszyner, 
Jacob  C.  Hartman,  Dr.  George  W.  Hart- 
man,  Henrietta  May  Hartman  and  Ed- 
mund Isidor  Hartman. 

He  received  his  education  in  his  home 
town  and  for  some  time  was  employed 
by  his  father,  who  was  a  merchant  in 
Kobylagora.  In  1860  he  emigrated  to 
New  York,  where  he  was  in  various 
mercantile  employments  and  during  this 
time  attended  a  commercial  school.  In 
1863  he  came  to  San  Francisco  and  a 
few  months  later  went  to  the  Boise  mines 
of  Idaho,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  for  three  years, 
after  which  time  he  returned  to  San 
Francisco  and  formed  partnership  with 
Samuel  Polack  under  the  firm  name  of 


190 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


Polack  &  Hartnian,  doing  a  retail  dry 
and  fancy  goods  business.  This  partner- 
ship continued  until  1872,  when  the  firm 
was  dissolved  and  continued  with  his 
brother,  Morris,  (who  also  had  come  to 
San  Francisco  several  years  previous ) 
under  the  firm  name  of  S.  Hartman  & 
Brothc.  In  1888  the  firm  moved  its 
business  to  ]\Ierced  and  theirs  was  the 
first  progressive  store  in  that  city.  Upon 
the  death  of  his  brother,  in  1896,  he  con- 
tinued the  business  alone.  In  1899  his 
son,  Jacob  C,  became  a  member  of  the 


Salomon   Hartman 

firm,  which  was  changed  to  S.  Hartman 
&  Son,  and  continues  at  the  present 
time  as  the  leading  department  store  of 
Merced.  Though  he  still  takes  an  active 
interest  in  the  business,  he  has  turned 
the  management  of  afifairs  over  to  his 
son. 

He  is  a  member  of  Montefiore  Lodge, 
No.  51,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  since  1867  and  was 
a  member  of  Sherith  Israel  Congrega- 
tion during  his  residence  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
various  Jewish  charities  and  take  active 
interest  in  all  Jewish  affairs. 

As  expressed  by  himself,  his  aim  in 
life  has  ever  been  to  feel  when  depart- 
ing from  this  world  that  it  has  derived 
some  little  benefit  through  his  having 
lived  in  it. 


ELIAS  M.  HECHT 

Residence,  2518  Fillmore  street;  of- 
fice Kohl  building,  San  Francisco. 
Born  August  14,  1879,  in  Atherton 
(Fair  Oaks),  San  Mateo  county,  Cal. 
Son  of  Abraham  Elias  and  Amelia 
(Kaufmann)  Hecht.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  San  Francisco ;  grad- 
uated from  the  University  of  California 
in  1901  with  degree  of  B.  S.  After 
graduation  he  engaged  in  the  invest- 
ment business  with  his  brother,  Joel 
K.  Hecht,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Hecht  Investment  Company,  which 
continues  to  date.  Appointed  by 
Mayor  Jas.  Rolph,  Jr.,  member  of  Mov- 
ing Picture  Censorship  Board.  Direc- 
tor of  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Children.  Organized  the 
San  Francisco  Quintet  Club  and  is 
sponsor  for  that  organization.  He  is 
a  flutist.  Member  of  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities. 


JOEL  K.  HECHT 

Residence,  2389  Washington  street ; 
ofifice  Kohl  building,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  San  Francisco  August  19, 
1877.  Son  of  Abraham  Elias  and 
Amelia  (Kaufmann)  Hecht.  Married 
May  Lucie  Seller  of  Frankfort  am 
Main  March  1,  1911.  One  daugh- 
ter, Dorothv  Ray  Hecht.  Educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  San  Fran- 
cisco and  the  Ljiiversity  of  California. 
After  leaving  college  engaged  in  the 
investment  business  with  his  brother, 
Elias  M.  Hecht,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Hecht  Investment  Com- 
pany and  continues  to  date.  Director 
of  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  di- 
rector Hebrew  Board  of  Relief,  mem- 
ber of  Temple  Emanu-El ;  Argonaut 
and   Beresford  Countrv  clubs. 


RABBI  SIGMUND  HECHT 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Hungary.  1849.  Son  of  Moritz  Hecht. 
teacher  and  Talmudist.  Married  in 
1875  in  New  York  to  Liska  Tuska, 
who   was   a   niece   of   Rabbi    Tpska   of 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


191 


Memphis,  Tenn.,  also  a  niece  of 
:\Ianrice  Tuska  of  the  Jewish  Orphan 
Asylum  of  New  York.  Children,  Mrs. 
S.  M.  Xewmark,  Grace  Hecht,  Mrs.  J.  Y. 
Baruh  and  X'ictor  Hecht.  Educated  in 
\'ienna  at  the  Teachers'  Seminary  and 
at  the  University  of  \'ienna.  Studied  He- 
brew and  theology  with  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Jellinek  of  \'ienna.  Received  degree  of 
b.  D.  1886,  from  the  University  of  Ala- 
bama. In  1867  moved  to  Xew  York 
with  his  parents,  continuing  his  studies 
in  that  city.  Dr.  Felix  Adler  and  Dr. 
Gottheil  of  Xew  York  influenced  him  to 


brary  board  and  gave  the  first  impetus 
to  the  organization  of  the  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities.  He  is  the  adminis- 
trator of  the  funds  of  the  Free  Loan 
Society  and  treasurer  of  the  Relief  Fund 
for  Jewish  War  Sufiferers.  Dr.  Hecht 
is  the  author  of  a  post-biblical  history 
and  has  written  many  essays  on  scholas- 
tic subjects.  He  is  also  one  of  the  con- 
tributing editors  of  "Emanu-El." 


Rabbi   Sigmund   Hecht 

pursue  a  rabbinical  career.  In  1876  he 
moved  to  IVIontgomery,  Ala.,  where  he 
occupied  the  pulpit  of  the  Jewish  con- 
eregation  until  1888,  when  he  was  called 
to  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  held  a 
similar  position  for  twelve  years,  and 
was  then  called  to  the  B'nai  B'rith  con- 
gregation of  Los  Angeles,  where  he  con- 
tinues at  the  present  time.  Since  his 
advent  in  Los  Angeles  his  congregation 
has  almost  tripled  in  membership,  and 
in  the  outer  world  Dr.  Hecht  has  cred- 
itably represented  the  Jewish  commun- 
ity. Dr.  Hecht  has  received  much  com- 
plimentary recognition  from  civic  and  re- 
ligious bodies.  He  was  at  one  time  a 
member   of   the    Los   Angeles   public   li- 


ISAIAS  W.  HELLMaN 

Residence,  2020  Jackson   street :   of- 
fice  2   [Montgomery   street,   San    Fran- 
cisco.    Born  October  3,  1843,  in  Reck- 
endorf,    Bavaria,    Germany.      Educated 
in    the    public    schools    of    Germany; 
college    at    Markbreit,    Bavaria.      Mar- 
ried    Esther     Xeugass     (deceased)     of 
Xew^  York,  Apriri4,   1870.     Children, 
I.  W.  Hellman,  Jr.,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Heller, 
Mrs.    Sidney    M.    Ehrman.      [Moved   to 
the  United  States  in  1859  and  came  to 
San  Francisco  via  the  Isthmus.   Shortly 
after  his  arrival  he  moved  to  Los  An- 
geles,    where     for     a     short     time     he 
clerked  in  a  dry  goods  store,  later  be- 
coming a  member  of  the  banking  firm 
of   Hellman,   Temple   &  Co.     He   was 
president  and  manager  of  that  concern 
when  it  was  merged  into  the  Farmers' 
&    [Merchants'    Bank    of    Los    Angeles. 
He    became    its    cashier    and    manager 
and  subsequently  president,  which  po- 
sition he  holds  at  the  present  time,  the 
name  of  the  bank  having  later  changed 
to    the    Farmers'    &    Merchants'    Na- 
tional Bank.     In  1901  he  moved  to  San 
Francisco  and  reorganized  the  old  Ne- 
vada Bank  of  which  institution  he  be- 
came   president.     The    name    of    this 
bank  was  changed  to  the  Nevada  Na- 
tional Bank  and  later  the  Wells  Fargo 
Xevada    National    Bank   of   San    Fran- 
cisco.   Mr.  Hellman  continues  as  presi- 
dent of  that  institution.     President  of 
Union  Trust  Company,  San  Francisco ; 
United  States  National  Bank,  Los  An- 
geles ;   director   of   United   States   Na- 
tional   Bank,    Portland,    Ore.      He   has 


192 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


numerous  other  business  interests. 
Senior  regent  of  University  of  Cali- 
fornia. One  of  the  founders  of  the  Con- 
gregation B'nai  B'rith,  Los  Angeles, 
and  its  president  until  he  moved  to  San 
Francisco.  Member  Congregation  B'nai 
B'rith,  Los  Angeles ;  Congregation 
Emanu-El,  San  Francisco;  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities  and  many  other 
charities ;  Masonic  order.  Argonaut, 
Olympic  and  Union  League  clubs. 


I.  W.  HELLMAN,  JR. 

Residence,  2906  Broadway ;  office, 
Union  Trust  building,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Los  Angeles  March  30,  1871. 
Son  of  Isaias  W.  and  Esther  (Neugass) 
Hellman.    Married  September  10,  1898, 


returned  to  San  Francisco  and  became 
manager  of  the  Union  Trust  Company, 
of  which  institution  he  is  now  the  presi- 
dent. Member  executive  committee  of 
the  National  Conference  of  Jewish 
Charities  and  the  Pacific  Coast  repre- 
sentative. First  vice-president  of 
Wells  Fargo  Nevada  Bank  and  of  the 
Farmers'  and  Merchants'  National 
Bank  of  Los  Angeles,  and  a  director  in 
many  other  financial  institutions.  Vice- 
president  and  member  of  board  of  di- 
rectors P.-P.  L  E.  President  Federa- 
tion of  Jewish  Charities  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Director  of  Temple  Emanu-El 
and   Mount   Zion    Hospital    for    many 

years.  - 

IRVING  H.  HELLMAN 
Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in  Los 
Angeles  in  1883.  Son  of  Herman  W. 
Hellman.  Married  Florence  Eunice 
Marx  of  Los  Angeles  in  1911.  Educated 
in   the   public   and   high   schools   of   Los 


I.    W.    Hellman.    Jr. 

to  Frances  Jacobi  of  New  York.  Chil- 
dren:  I.  W.,  HI;  Frederick,  Florence 
and  Marco  Francis.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Los  Angeles,  Belmont 
School  and  L'niversity  of  California, 
from  which  institution  he  received  de- 
grees of  Ph.  B.  and  A.  B.  in  1892.  After 
graduation  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in 
the  Nevada  Bank,  San  Francisco.  In 
1894  moved  to  Los  Angeles,  where  he 
was  manager  of  the  Farmers'  and  Mer- 
chants' Bank  of  Los  Angeles.     In  1895 


Irving  H.   Hellman 

Angeles.  Studied  engineering  at  Armour 
Technical  school  in  Chicago,  after  which 
time  he  returned  to  Los  Angeles  and 
passed  the  civil  service  examination  with 
honors  as  civil  engineer,  making  a  spe- 
cialty of  reinforced  concrete.  He  was 
the  first  reinforced  concrete  engineer  for 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


193 


the  city  of  Los  Angeles  and  held  that 
position  until  the  death  of  his  father, 
October,  1906,  when  he  resigned  and 
with  his  brother,  Marco,  managed  the 
estate  of  his  father.  In  July,  1912,  he 
became  active  manager  of  the  Hellman 
Commercial  Trust  &  Savings  Bank,  of 
which  bank  he  is  vice-president.  Director 
of  Merchants'  National  Bank  of  Los 
Angeles,  director  of  Title  Guarantee  & 
Trust  Company  of  Los  Angeles,  director 
of  First  National  Bank  of  Puente.  di- 
rector of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Alhambra,  director  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Hermosa,  director  of  the  Re- 
dondo  Savings  Bank,  vice-president  of 
Marine  Commercial  &  Savings  Bank  of 
Long  Beach,  director  of  Aronson,  Gale 
Company,  member  Congregation  B'nai 
B'rith  and  Congregation  Sinai,  treasurer 
Jewish  Consumptive  Relief  Association 
of  California ;  member  of  Concordia, 
Los  Angeles  Athletic,  Union  League  and 
San  Gabriel  Country  clubs ;  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities  of  Los  Angeles,  I. 
O.  B.  B.,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  Masonic  order, 
Thirty-second  Degree.  Life  member  of 
Shriners.  Member  of  Annexation  Com- 
mission of  Los  Angeles. 


tion  B'nai  B'rith ;  member  advisory 
board  of  L'nion  of  American  Hebrew 
Congregations ;  chairman  of  school 
committee  of  Congregation  B'nai  B'rith ; 
member   of   Los   Angeles    Federation   of 


James  W.  Hellman 


Jewish  Charities;  Masonic  order,  Scot- 
tish Rite,  Thirty-second  Degree,  Shriner  ; 
K.  of  P.;  L  O.  B.  B. 


JAMES  W.  HELLMAN 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Germany,  1861.  Educated  in  private 
schools  of  his  native  country  and  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  moved  to  Los  Angeles, 
where  he  joined  his  brothers,  Isaias  W. 
and  Herman  W.  After  having  clerked 
in  Los  Angeles  for  a  few  years  he 
moved  to  Wilmington,  Los  Angeles 
county,  where  he  was  in  the  general 
mercantile  business  and  continued  until 
1892,  when  he  returned  to  Los  Angeles, 
where  he  established  the  wholesale  and 
retail  hardware  and  plumbing  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  J.  W.  Hellman 
&  Company,  which  he  continues  at  the 
present  time.  Married  in  1886  and  has 
four    children.      Director    of    Congrega- 


MARCO  HELLMAN 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in  Los 
Angeles,  September  14,  1878.  Son  of 
Herman  W.  Hellman.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Los  Angeles  and  the 
Belmont  school,  San  Mateo;  attended 
Leland  Stanford,  Junior,  University, 
after  which  time  he  became  assistant 
cashier  of  the  Farmers  and  Merchants 
National  Bank  of  Los  Angeles.  Vice- 
president  of  the  Merchants'  National 
Bank  of  Los  Angeles  at  the  present  time. 
Officer  and  director  of  numerous  banks 
and  industrial  corporations.  Member 
of  B'nai  B'rith  Congregation,  and 
Sinai  Congregation ;  member  of  Jona- 
than, Concordia.  Union  League,  San 
Gabriel  Valley  Country,  Los  An- 
geles  Athletic   and    Federal    Clubs:    Los 


194 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


Angeles  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities ; 
I.  O.  B.  B. ;  B.  P.  O.  E. ;  Masonic  order, 
Thirty-second  Degree  Scottish  Rite, 
Shriner.  Married  Rita  Levis  of  VisaHa 
June  10,  1908. 


BERNARD  (BENZION) 
HERZBERG 

Residence,  1713a  Eddy  street;  office, 
1119  Fillmore  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  March  1,  1868,  in  Wexnia,  Rus- 
sia. Province  Konvo.  Son  of  Samuel 
Abraham  and  Celia   ( Feitelberg)    Herz- 


Bernard    (Benzion)    Herzberg 

berg.  Majority  of  his  relatives  reside 
now  in  Kurland,  Russia. 

Married  May  18,  1890,  to  Fannie 
(Feige)  Schmulian,  granddaughter  of 
the  great  Rabbi  Yididia  Sacks  of  Sager, 
Russia,  and  later  of  Wexnia,  Russia. 

Graduate  of  Lotringer  Strasse  Geme- 
inde  Schule,  Berlin,  Germany:  Freidrich 
Wilhelm  Staatisen  Gymnasium,  Berlin. 
Studied  Hebrew  and  Talmud  in  Wexnia. 
Latzkow  and  Telz,  Russia.  After  leav- 
ing school  was  engaged  in  the  whole- 
sale leather  business  in  Berlin  and  later 
in  Laisen,  Russia;  in  retail  leather  busi- 
ness until  he  moved  to  California,  Au- 
gust. 1890.  where  for  two  years  he  was 
engaged  as  a  private  teacher  of  Hebrew 


and  German.  From  1892  to  1897  en- 
tered mercantile  business  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

From  1897  until  1906  was  employed 
in  the  city  department  of  the  Connecticut 
Fire  Insurance  Company.  In  1907  en- 
tered the  fire  insurance  business  on  his 
own  account,  with  offices  in  the  Mer- 
chants' Exchange  building.  In  April, 
1910,  formed  partnership  with  his  son, 
S.  A.  Herzberg.  under  the  firm  name 
of  B.  Herzberg  &  Son,  in  the  insurance, 
real  estate,  steamship  and  foreign  ex- 
change business,  which  continues  at  the 
present  time. 

President  Congregation  Keneseth 
Israel.  Charter  member  and  secretary 
for  twenty  years  Golden  Gate  Lodge  No. 
208.  Order  B'rith  Abraham  ;  member  of 
Congregation  B'nai  David ;  Herman 
Lodge  No.  147,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  Columbia 
Lodge  No.  127,  I.  O.  B.  B. ;  Hebrew 
Free  Loan  Association ;  Hebrew  Shel- 
ter ;  Fillmore  Street  Improvement  Asso- 
ciation ;  Jewish  Federation  of  Charities ; 
Orthodox  Hebrew  School.  Is  inclined 
to  keep  up  all  orthodox  Jewish  tradi- 
tions.   

JOSHUA  D.  ISAACS 

Residence,  98  Jordan  avenue ;  office.  32 
Battery  street,  San  Francisco.  Born  in 
San  Francisco  December  16,  1860.  Son 
of  Harry  and  Kate  (  Davis  )  Isaacs.  Mar- 
ried in  1892  to  Regina  Cans.  Three  chil- 
dren, Harry,  Rose  and  Charles.  Edu- 
cated in  San  Francisco.  During  the  time 
he  attended  school  he  learned  the  horse- 
shoeing trade.  He  also  studied  chemistry. 
After  leaving  school  he  was  engaged 
in  various  occupations.  In  1877  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  firm  of 
Rosenbaum  &  Friedman,  wholesale  dry 
goods.  This  firm  was  succeeded  later 
by  the  firm  of  Rosenbaum  &  Company. 
In  1883  he  went  to  New  York  as  buyer 
for  that  firm  and  in  1888  became  a  part- 
ner, where  he  continued  until  1890,  when 
he    formed    the    firm    of    Luscombe    & 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


195 


Isaacs,  manufacturers'  agents  and  com-  Jacobs.  ^Married  Lillian  \\'ollenberg 
mission  merchants.  He  is  now  the  sole  December  24,  1908.  One  daughter, 
surviving   partner   of   that   firm.      Mem-     Mary   Ruth   Jacobs.      Educated   in   the 

public  and  high  schools  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, University  of  California,  and  re- 
ceived the  degree  of  B.  S.  in  1904  from 
the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Tech- 
nology and  degree  of  M.  S.  in  1905 
from  that  institution.  Studied  archi- 
tecture in  Paris  at  the  Beaux  Arts. 
Engaged  in  the  general  practice  of 
architecture  in  San  Francisco.  De- 
signed the  Sunday  school  of  Temple 
Emanu-El  and  many  buildings  and 
residences  of  all  character.  Member 
of  Congregation  Emanu-El,  San  Fran- 
cisco Chapter  of  the  American  Insti- 
tute of  Architects,  San  Francisco  So- 
ciety of  Architects,  the  Beaux  Arts  So- 
cietv  and  the  Alasonic  order. 


Joshua   D.   Isaacs 

ber  of  Congregation  Sherith  Israel ; 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities.  Masonic 
order,  I.  O.  O.'  F.  and  I.  O.  B.  B. 


WILLIAM  F.  JACOBS 

Residence,  225  Euclid  avenue :  of- 
fice 352  Post  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born    Tune  3,    1889,   in  San    Francisco. 


ALFRED  HENRY  JACOBS 

Residence,    80   Twenty-first   avenue ; 
office,     French     Bank     building,     San 


Alfred   Henry  Jacobs 

Francisco.       Born     in     San     Francisco 
January     29,     1882.       Son     of     Julius 


William  F.   Jacobs 

Son  of  Isidor  and  Mira  Josephine 
(Straus)  Jacobs.  Married  December 
10,  1911,  to  Dorothy  Friedman  of  San 
Francisco. 

Graduated     from      Pacific     Heights 


196 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


Grammar  School,  1903 ;  Lowell  High 
School,  1907.  Received  degree  of  B.  S. 
in  1910  from  College  of  Commerce, 
University  of  California.  Graduated  in 
1910  from  San  Francisco  Business 
College.  From  1910  to  1912  in  New 
York  as  manufacturers'  agent  for  Cali- 
fornia products,  and  in  January,  1912, 
returned  to  San  Francisco. 

Manager  since  July,  1912,  of  Cos- 
grave  Cloak  &  Suit  Company.  First 
lieutenant  National  Guard  of  Cali- 
fornia from  1908  until  1911,  when  he 
resigned.  Member  of  Commonwealth, 
San  Francisco  Commercial  and  Uni- 
versity of  California  clubs ;  Masonic 
order ;  member  of  Bush  Street  Temple. 


PHILIP  L  JACOBY 

Residence,  3747  Jackson  street;  of- 
fice Pacific  and  Sansome  streets,  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  Germany  Septem- 
ber 4,  1869.     Son  of  Isaac  N.  and  Ma- 


business  with  his  father.  In  1891  es- 
tablished the  Southern  California 
Cracker  Company,  which  he  continued 
until  1896,  when  he  returned  to  San 
Francisco  and  established  the  Stand- 
ard Biscuit  Company,  of  which  firm  he 
is  president  and  manager.  Member  of 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities  of  San 
Francisco  and  Los  Angeles,  Congrega- 
tion Emanu-El,  Associated  Charities, 
Concordia  Club  and  Pacific  Musical 
Society.  Author  of  numerous  musical 
cornpositions.  In  a  San  Francisco  mu- 
sical contest  in  1915  with  his  brother 
composed  a  Pavlowa  gavotte,  "San 
Francisco  1915,'"  which  was  accepted 
by   Madame   Pavlowa. 


Philip   I.   Jacoby 

thilda  (Cohn)  Jacoby.  Married  May 
Koshland  of  Portland,  Ore..  February 
24,  1904.  Early  education  received  in 
Germany.  In  1882  moved  with  his 
parents  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  at- 
tended the  public  and  high  schools  and 
business  college.  After  completing 
his  education  in  1889  moved  to  Los 
Angeles,    where    he    was    engaged    in 


ABRAHAM  JONAS 

Residence,  Hotel  Oakland ;  office. 
460  Eleventh  street,  Oakland.  Born 
at  Rogasen,  Posen,  Germany,  18.-i5. 
Son     of     Rev.     Joachim     and     Amalia 


Abraham    Jonas 

(Dresner)  Jonas.  Married  Katie 
Hartman  January  9,  1881.  Children, 
Mrs.  Otto  Hirschman,  Mrs.  Morris 
Goldtree,  Irving  and  Milton  Jonas. 
Educated  in  the  public  and  Real  Schule 
of  Germany.  His  education  was  sup- 
plemented by  a  commercial  course.  In 
1875  moved  to  the  LInited  States  and 
settled   in   Oakland,   where  he   clerked 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


197 


in  a  clothing  establishment.  After  two 
years'  residence  he  founded  what  was 
known  as  the  Hub  Clothing  Company, 
in  which  business  he  continued  until 
1914,   when   he   retired. 

President  ^Merchants'  Exchange, 
Oakland,  1904 ;  director  Associated 
Charities  of  Oakland  since  1903  :  presi- 
dent Chamber  of  Commerce,  Oak- 
land, 1914;  member  of  Public  Employ- 
ment Bureau,  1913-18;  appointed  by 
Mayor  Mott.  President  Temple  Sinai, 
Oakland;  member  I.  O.  B.  B.  thirty- 
nine  years ;  president  District  Grand 
Lodge  No.  4,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  1895;  mem- 
ber of  Constitution  Grand  Lodge,  I. 
O.  B.  B.,  1900,  1905,  1910  and  1915. 
Member  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties. San  Francisco ;  Masonic  order  and 
Shriners.         

JOSEPH  LEWIN  JONAS 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Rogasen,  Posen,  Germany,  September 
27 ,    1866.      Son    of    Rev.    Joachim    and 


Joseph   Lewin   Jonas 

Amalia  (Dresner)  Jonas.  Educated  in 
the  gymnasium  at  Rogasen  and  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  came  with  his  brother  to 
Oakland,  Cal.  For  about  eighteen 
months  merchandised  in  Oakland, 
after    which    time    with     his     brothers 


opened  a  store  in  Santa  Cruz.  He  re- 
mained there  for  seven  years  when  he 
moved  to  San  Bernardino,  where  they 
opened  a  branch  store,  which  he  con- 
ducted for  ten  years.  In  October, 
1899,  he  moved  to  Los  Angeles,  where 
he  organized  the  Standard  Woodenware 
Company,  wholesale  business,  of  which 
firm  he  is  vice-president  to  date.  In  1893 
he  was  married  to  Margaret  Cohn  of  Los 
Angeles  (daughter  of  Mrs.  Johanna 
Cohn,  "Tante  Hinde")  ;  they  have  two 
children,  Felix  Jacob  Jonas  and  Edith 
Esther  Jonas.  One  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Beth  Israel  (Olive  street)  Con- 
gregation and  trustee  of  that  organi- 
zation for  some  time.  In  1906  organ- 
ized the  Sinai  Congregation,  of  which 
he  was  president  for  six  years,  and  for 
several  years  has  been  a  member  of 
the  board  of  directors.  For  some  time 
chairman  of  the  ritual  and  school  com- 
mittees of  that  congregation.  Past 
president  San  Bernardino  Lodge  I.  O. 
B.  B.,  which  order  he  joined  in  1899, 
and  on  his  arrival  in  Los  Angeles  he 
withdrew  from  that  lodge  and  was  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  Los  Angeles 
lodge,  of  which  he  was  trustee  for  sev- 
eral years.  Director  Kaspare  Cohn 
Hospital.  Director  Los  Angeles  Fed- 
eration of  Jewish  Charities.  Member 
of  Masonic  order,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  K.  of  P., 
Foresters,  U.  C.  T.,  Hebrew  Consump- 
tive Relief  Society,  Hebrew  Free  Loan 
Society,  Hebrew  Shelter,  Hebrew  Free 
Burial  Society.  During  his  residence 
in  San  Bernardino,  conducted  the  Sab- 
bath school.  Took  an  active  interest 
in  civic  aflfairs  during  his  residence  in 
San  Bernardino. 


BERNARD  KATSCHINSKI 

Residence,  Granada  hotel ;  office, 
825  Market  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Nackel,  Posen,  Germany,  in 
1855.  Son  of  Abraham  and  Hannah 
(Meyer)    Katschinski.      Married   Janu- 


198 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


ary  20,  1883,  to  Dora  Myers  of  San 
Francisco.  Educated  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  town.  In  1872  he  arrived  in 
Sacramento  and  was  employed  as  a 
barber  until  1873,  when  he  purchased 
and  conducted  the  shop  until  1881, 
when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco  and 
established  a  shoe  store  on  Kearny 
street.  A  few  months  later  established 
the  Philadelphia  Shoe  Company,  which 
has  developed  to  its  present  large  pro- 
portions. Vice-president  Sherith  Israel 
Congregation ;     treasurer     Starr     King- 


Bernard  Katschinski 

Lodge  No.  344,  Masonic  order ;  mem- 
ber of  Scottish  Rite  bodies,  Thirty-second 
Degree;  Shriner ;  Y.  M.  H.  A.;  Federa- 
tion of  Jewish  Charities ;  member  of 
San  Francisco  Grand  Jury  in  1913. 


LEON  KAUFFMAN 

Ofifice,  740  Mission  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  1853  in  France.  Son 
of  Joseph  and  Sara  Kauffman.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  France. 
Moved  to  California  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  where  he  clerked  in  a  country 
store.  Subsequently  established  him- 
self in  the  general  mercantile  business, 


which  business  he  sold  out  in  1884  and 
moved  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  grain  business  until  the 
fire  of  1906.  Later  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Greenebaum,  Weil  & 


Leon    Kauffman 

Michels,  wholesale  men's  furnishing 
goods.  He  is  treasurer  of  this  firm  at 
the  present  time.  Married  Linnie 
Wolf  in  1884.  Three  children,  Sylvain 
S.,  Eugene  and  Saidee.  Member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El,  board  of  governors 
of  Mount  Zion  Hospital,  Federation  of 
Jewish    Charities,    Concordia    Club. 


ADOLPH  KAUFMANN 

Residence,  112  Presidio  avenue;  of- 
fice 838  Market  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  1873  in  Hainstadt,  Baden. 
Germany.  Son  of  Feist  and  Mina 
(Oppenheimer)  Kaufmann.  Married 
to  Alice  Delbanco  of  San  Francisco. 
Two  children,  Melville  and  Felton. 
Educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Baden,  high  school  of  Buchen,  college 
at  Mannheim.  Moved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1888,  where  he  was  employed 
by  Rosenthal's  until  1897,  when  he  be- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


199 


came  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Sommer 
&  Kaufmann.  He  is  secretary  of  that 
firm  at  the  present  time.     Member  of 


ing  largely  to  his  efforts  that  the 
temple  of  this  congregation  was 
erected.  Member  of  building  commit- 
tee of  Sinai  Congregation ;  first  vice- 
president  of  that  synagogue  and  mem- 
ber of  board  of  trustees.  Presented  the 
first  Sefer  Torah  to  Sinai  Congrega- 
tion. Received  a  gold  charm  from 
Sinai  Congregation  in  1912  as  a  token 
of  their  esteem.     Member  of  I.  O.   B. 


Adolph   Kaufmann 

Temple  Emanu-El,  Federation  of  Jew- 
ish Charities,  Masonic  order.  Scottish 
Rite.  

M.   S.   KORNBLUM 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Austria  in  1859.  Son  of  Isaak  Korn- 
blum.  Educated  in  his  native  coun- 
try. He  was  engaged  in  business  in 
Austria  for  a  number  of  years.  In 
1881  moved  to  Poland,  where  he  mar- 
ried Gusta  Griinbaum.  Two  children, 
Ada  E.  and  Abraham  H.  After  his 
marriage  moved  to  New  York,  where 
he  resided  for  eight  months.  In  1904 
settled  in  Los  Angeles,  where  he  pur- 
chased and  conducted  the  City  Dye 
Works  for  three  years.  Subsequently 
disposed  of  his  business  and  estab- 
lished the  Berlin  Dye  Works,  with 
stores  in  all  districts  of  Los  Angeles 
and  in  many  Southern  California  cities. 
He  is  president  of  that  concern  at  the 
present  time.  He  has  real  estate  and 
other  interests.  One  of  the  organizers 
of  Beth  Israel  Congregation,  it  is  ow- 


Kornblum 


B.,  Masonic  order,  W.  O.  W.,  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  Merchants"  and  Manu- 
facturers' Association,  Los  Angeles 
Realty  Board,  Los  Angeles  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities  and  various  other 
organizations. 


MARCUS  S.  KOSHLAND 

Residence,  3800  Washington  street; 
ofifice  110  Market  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  San  Francisco  January  13,  1858. 
Son  of  Simon  and  Rosena  (Frauenthal) 
Koshland.  Married  in  1890  to  Corine 
Schweitzer.  Children,  Daniel  E..  Rob- 
ert J.,  Margaret  Helen.  Educated  in 
the  public  and  high  schools  of  San  Fran- 
cisco.    Member  of  the  firm  of  S.  Kosh- 


200 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


land  &  Co.,  wool  merchants.  Member  Retired  in  1905.  Has  since  devoted 
of  board  of  directors  of  Congregation  himself  to  the  affairs  of  S.  Lachman  & 
Emanu-El.  Director  of  Lincoln  School  Co.  and  S.  &  H.  Lachman  estate.  Mem- 
ber of  Temple  Emanu-El,  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities,  Union  League  Club, 
Merchants'  Exchange,  Masonic  order, 
Scottish  Rite,  Thirty-second  Degree ; 
Shriner.  

DR.    SAMUEL   LANGER 

Residence,  Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum,  600  Divisadero  street,  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  New  York  City. 
Son  of  Bernard  and  Anna  (Milsner) 
Langer.  Married  Martha  Franklin  of 
New  York  City,  1899.  Educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  New  York  City, 


Marcus   S.   Koshland 


Association.  Member  of  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities ;  Concordia  and  Beres- 
ford  Country  clubs ;  L  O.  O.  F. 


ALBERT  LACHMAN 

Residence,  Palmdale,  Mission  San 
Jose;  office  417  Market  street,  San 
Francisco.  Son  of  Samuel  and  Hen- 
rietta (Guenther)  Lachman.  Born  in 
Weaverville,  Trinity  county,  Cal.,  in 
1857.  Moved  to  San  Francisco  with 
his  parents  in  1864.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Trinity  county  and 
San  Francisco.  Attended  University 
of  California  for  one  year,  subsequently 
leaving  to  enter  his  father's  business, 
Eberhardt  &  Lachman,  in  1872.  In 
1878  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm, 
when  the  name  of  the  firm  was  changed 
to  S.  Lachman  &  Co.,  in  which  busi- 
ness he  continued  until  its  consolida- 
tion with  the  California  Wine  Asso- 
ciation, when  he  became  vice-president 
and  assistant  general  manager  of  that 
association,  having  charge  of  the  tech- 
nical work  and  general  supervision  of 
wine-making    plants    of    that    concern. 


Dr.   Samuel  Langer 

College  of  the  City  of  New  York,  Jew- 
ish Theological  Seminary  of  New 
York,  Columbia  University  (teachers' 
college),  (school  of  philosophy). 
Rabbi  Congregation  Adath  Emuno, 
Hoboken,  N.  J.,  from  1899  to  1903. 
Principal  School  of  Religious  Work  in 
the  Educational  Alliance,  New  York 
City,  1903-1912;  principal  public  school 
No.  192,  Manhattan,  New  York  City, 
1903-1912;  assistant  Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum,  New  York,  from  1895-1898; 
principal  Hebrew  school,   H.  O.  A.  of 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


201 


New  York,  1895-1905 ;  superintendent 
Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  of 
San  Francisco  since  1912.  Member 
of  various  alumnal,  social  and  char- 
itable organizations  in  New  York  City 
and  San   Francisco. 


GUSTAVE  ALBERT  LANSBURGH 

Residence,  2122  Pacific  avenue;  of- 
fice, 709  Mission  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  January  7,  1876,  in  Panama.  Son 
of  Simon  Lazarus  and  Rebecca  (Pyke) 
Lansburgh.     Married   Irene  Muzzy  of 


Gustave  Albert  Lansburgli 

San  Francisco  in  1908.  Three  chil- 
dren, Ruth,  Lawrence  Muzzy  and  Ed- 
ward Albert.  Educated  in  the  public 
and  high  schools  of  San  Francisco, 
University  of  California,  Ecole  des 
Beaux  Arts,  Paris,  France,  from  which 
institution  he  graduated  in  architec- 
ture in  1906  and  received  the  diploma 
from  the  French  government.  In  the 
same  year  received  a  medal  in  archi- 
tecture at  the  Salon  of  the  Chamj) 
Elysee  held  by  the  Society  of  French 
Art.  In  1906  returned  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  commenced  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  and  continues  to 
date.  Architect  of  Temple  Emanu-El ; 
Temple     Sinai,     Oakland ;     Concordia 


Club;  I.  O.  B.  B.  building;  the  Or- 
pheum  theaters  of  San  Francisco,  Los 
Angeles,  Salt  Lake  City,  Kansas  City 
and  St.  Louis ;  associate  architect  of 
Beresford  Country  Club  and  many 
other  structures.  He  was  appointed 
assistant  architect  of  the  Architectural 
Commission  of  the  Panama-Pacific  In- 
ternational Exposition.  Member  of 
San  Francisco  Chapter  of  American 
Institute  of  Architects;  Beaux  Arts  So- 
ciety of  America ;  Society  of  Architec- 
ture Deplome  of  France ;  Concordia, 
Argonaut  and  Beresford  Countrv 
Clubs;  Temple  Emanu-El  and  Federa- 
tion of  Jewish  Charities. 


B.   LAZANSKY 

Residence,  2i7  Fifteenth  avenue;  of- 
fice, 84  Clay  street,  San  Francisco.  Born 
in  Bohemia  March  11,  1839.  Son  of 
Matthias  and  Eleanor  (Hermann) 
Lazansky.     Married  Millie  Cohen,  San 


B.   Lazansky 

Francisco,  June  18,  1865.  Children, 
Mrs.  S.  Rosenblum,  Sim  Lazansky, 
May  Lazansky,  Phyllis  Lazansky. 
Mrs.  H.  Graham,  Mrs.  Elenora  IVIac- 
lure.  Educated  in  the  schools  of  Bo- 
hemia, later  attending  college,  where 
he  studied  medicine.     In  August,  1856, 


202 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


he  arrived  in  San  Francisco  via  the 
Isthmus.  He  was  employed  in  San 
Francisco  as  a  clerk  for  a  short  time, 
when  he  moved  to  Auburn,  Cal.,  re- 
maining there  but  a  few  months,  mov- 
ing to  Coloma,  Eldorado  county,  where 
he  was  employed  in  a  dry  goods  store. 
Subsequently  moved  to  Greenwood 
Valley,  Eldorado  county,  where  he 
conducted  a  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness ;  there  he  became  interested  in 
minmg  projects.  In  1861  he  conducted 
a  brewery  in  Boonville,  Idaho,  later 
returned  to  his  business  in  Greenwood 
Valley.  Subsequently  he  returned  to 
San  Francisco,  where  for  a  few  years 
he  engaged  in  the  crockery  business, 
after  which  time  he  was  employed  as 
salesman  in  the  millinery  business, 
where  he  remained  for  twenty  years. 
He  then  entered  the  bag  business, 
which  continues  at  the  present  time 
under  the  firm  name  of  B.  Lazansky 
Bag  Company.  Member  of  Masonic 
order,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Free 
Loan  Society  and  other  charitable  or- 
ganizations.    

ADOLPH  LEVI 
Residence,  San  Diego.  Born  in  Aus- 
tria in  1859.  Son  of  Bernard  Levi. 
Educated  in  Austria  and  in  1876 
moved  to  San  Diego,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed by  his  brother,  Simon  Levi. 
In  1879  he  attended  business  college 
in  San  Francisco,  after  which  he  wab 
employed  for  a  year  in  Tucson,  Ariz. 
Subsequently  moved  to  Julian,  San 
conducted  a  general  merchandise  store. 
Diego  county,  where  for  six  years  he 
In  1885,  on  a  visit  to  his  parents  in 
Austria,  he  married  Eleanor  Schwartz. 
Two  children,  Edgar  B.  Levi  and  Mrs. 
George  S.  Newbauer.  Later,  return- 
ing to  San  Diego,  he  engaged  in  the 
stock  raising  and  ranching  business, 
which  he  continues  at  the  present  time 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Adolph 
Levi  &  Son.  President  Beth  Israel 
Congregation  of  San  Diego ;  member 
of  I.  O.  B.  B.,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Masonic  or- 
der. Red  Men,  W.  O.  W.,  Maccabees. 


EMILE  LEVY 

Residence,  3130  Clay  street;  office^ 
733  Market  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Alsace,  France,  December  26, 
1857.  Son  of  Benjamin  and  Babbette 
(\A'eil)  Levy.  Educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  France,  after  which  he 
went  to  the  eastern  part  of  thar  coun- 
try and  for  four  years  was  a  journey- 
man watchmaker.  Subsequently  be- 
came a  commercial  traveler  for  several 
years,  after  which  he  moved  to  New 
York  and  with  his  brothers  engaged 
in  the  wholesale  embroidery  business. 
In  1892  moved  to  San  Francisco,  where 
he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Jules  Levy  &  Bro.,  wholesale  em- 
broidery and  laces,  of  which  firm  he 
is  secretary  at  the  present  time.  Chair- 
man of  house  committee  Hebrew 
Home  for  Aged  Disabled;  for  several 
years  member  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities ;  member  of  the  Board  of 
Governors  of  that  organization  ;  mem- 
ber I.  O.  B.  B. 


MEYER  H.  LEVY 

Residence,  Edgewood  avenue  ;  office, 
436  O'Farrell  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  April  27,  1865,  in  San  Bernardino, 
Cal.  Son  of  Isaac  H.  and  Johanna 
(Gans)  Levy.  Married  to  Rose  Anita 
Harris.  Educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  San  Francisco.  Secretary  Eureka 
Benevolent  Society,  1898;  Pacific  He- 
brew Orphan  Asylum  and  Home  So- 
ciety, 1900;  Jewish  Ladies'  Relief  So- 
ciety, 1898;  Mount  Zion  Hospital, 
1899;  Hebrew  Board  of  Relief,  1900; 
First  Hebrew  Benevolent  Society,  1907 ; 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities  since 
1910;  member  of  executive  committee 
of  National  Conference  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties 1900-1904;  Temple  Emanu-El. 


REV.  M.  S.  LEVY 

Born  in  London,  Eng.,  January  16, 
1852.  Educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
that  city.  Received  his  religious  train- 
ing   from    private    teachers.      Served    as 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


203 


rabbi  of  congregation  in  ^Melbourne, 
Australia,  for  two  years.  Later  came  to 
the  United  States  to  accept  position  as 
rabbi  of  San  Jose  Jewish  community, 
where  he  remained  eight  years,  after 
which  he  accepted  a  call  from  the  First 
Hebrew    Congregation    of    Oakland,    re- 


Levy 


maining  ten  years  in  that  community. 
He  was  then  elected  rabbi  for  the  Con- 
gregation Beth  Israel  (Geary  Street 
Temple)  of  San  Francisco.  On  August 
12,  1916,  Rabbi  Levy  will  celebrate  the 
twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  his  ministry 
with  that  congregation.  Editor  "Jewish 
Times"  for  manv  vears. 


LEON   LEWIN 

Residence,  2972  Pacilic  avenue ;  of- 
fice 100  Front  street,  San  Francisco. 
Son  of  Simon  Lewin.  Married  Lillie 
Goodman  of  San  Francisco  in  1897. 
Two  children,  Jack  and  Marjorie.  Ed- 
ucated in  Germany.  Moved  to  the 
United  States  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
and  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits in  New  York  and  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.  Subsequently  he  moved  to  Cali- 
fornia and  was  merchandising  in  this 
State  and  Oregon  for  two  years.  Later 
he  moved  to  San  Salvador,  Central 
America,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 


mercantile  business,  which  he  devel- 
oped to  large  proportions.  In  1897 
moved  to  San  Francisco  and  estab- 
lished a  coflfee  importing  business, 
with  connections  in  Hamburg,  Guate- 
mala and  Salvador.  He  continues  in 
that  business  at  the  present  time.  In 
1912  he  realized  the  possibilities  of 
California  as  a  rice-producing  center 
and  has  largely  interested  himself  in 
that    industrv.      His    interests    include 


Leon  Lewin 


rice  raising  and  milling.  Member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El ;  Concordia  and 
San  Francisco  Commercial  Clubs ;  Fed- 
eration  of    Jewish   Charities. 


EDWARD  S.  LEZINSKY 

Residence,  3267  Jackson  street ;  of- 
nce  154  Sutter  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  June  21,  1870,  in  San  Francisco. 
Son  of  Samuel  and  Augusta  (Living- 
ston) Lezinsky.  Married  Beatrice 
Badt  of  San  Francisco  in  19(X).  Chil- 
dren, IMaury,  Edward  S.,  Jr.,  and 
Robert.  Educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  San  Francisco.  Started  his  business 
career  as  a  clerk,  subsequently  becom- 
ing a  commercial  traveler.  Realizing 
the  possibilities  in  ladies'  ready-to-wear 
apparel  on  the  Pacific  Coast  he  estab- 


204 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


lished  himself  in  the  wholesale  cloak 
and  suit  business.  At  present  he  is 
the  head  of  the  firm  of  Lezinsky 
Brothers  with  headquarters  in  San 
Francisco  and  branches  in  New  York, 
Seattle,  Los  Angeles,  Spokane  and 
Portland,   the    largest    business    of   its 


Edward  S.   Lezinsky 

kind  west  of  Chicago.  He  is  one  of 
the  organizers  and  charter  members  of 
the  Far  Western  Traveling  Men's  As- 
sociation, a  trustee  and  member  of  the 
Sherith  Israel  Congregation  and  a 
member   of   the    Federation   of   Jewish 

Charities.         

SAMUEL  LEZINSKY 
Residence,  3267  Jackson  street,  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  Labishine,  Prussia, 
Germany  in  1839.  Son  of  Rabbi  Marcus 
Joseph  Lezinsky.  Married  Augusta 
Livingston  of  San  Francisco  in  1869. 
Children,  Edward  S.  Lezinsky,  Leon 
Lezinsky,  Marcus  Joseph  Lezinsky, 
Mrs.  Sam  Caro,  Mrs.  Oscar  Tobriner 
and  Mrs.  Louis  Honig.  Educated  in 
Germany.  Arrived  in  San  Francisco 
via  the  Lsthmus  in  1855,  where  he 
clerked  for  his  uncle.  Lesser  Lezinsky, 
in  a  dry  goods  store  until  1859,  when 
he  established  himself  in  that  busi- 
ness.     In    1874    he    opened    the    Silk 


House,  which  he  continued  until  1883, 
when  he  became  interested  in  mining 
in  the  Southern  Nevada  mines,  Es- 
meralda county,  Nevada.  Subsequently 
he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits 
and  in  1906  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness. During  his  early  career  in  San 
Francisco  he  took  an  active  interest  in 
amateur  dramatics  and  was  a  clever 
actor,  having  always  appeared  for 
charity.  One  of  the  founders  of  B'nai 
B'rith  library  and  one  of  the  early 
presidents.     Member  of  the  First  He- 


Samuel   Lezinsky 

brew  Benevolent  Society  and  Sherith 
Israel  Congregation.  One  of  the  first 
members  and  past  president  of  Pacific 
Lodge,  No.  48,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities.  He  was  one  of 
the  jury  of  award  P.  P.  I.  E. 


BENJ.  LIEDERMAN 

Benjamin  Liederman  occupies  the 
position  as  cantor  of  Temple  Israel. 
The  foundations  of  his  profession  were 
carefully  laid  under  the  supervision  of 
renowned  cantors  of  Europe.  He  studied 
at  the  London  Conservatory  of  Mu- 
sic. At  an  early  age  he  became  choir- 
master and  tenor  soloist  in  the  most 
prominent    congregation    of    Manches- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


205 


ter,  England,  which  position  he  filled 
for  two  consecutive  years.  Upon  his 
arrival  in  the  United  States  he  was 
called  to  occupy  the  position  as  cantor 
of  the  Ohel  Jacob  Congregation  at  Bos- 
ton, remaining  there  one  year.  Respond- 
ing to  a  desire  to  see  the  West,  he  came 
to  San  Francisco  in  1904.  Ten  years 
ago    his    present    position    was   tendered 


Benjamin  Liederman 

him,  where  he  is  still  most  active,  his 
eflforts  adding  much  to  the  dignity  and 
standing  of  cantorship  in  the  West. 
Cantor  Liederman  married  in  January, 
1910,  to  Daisy  Cohn  of  San  Francisco. 


DAVID    L.    LIKNAITZ 

Born  Mitau,  Courtland,  Russia,  Au- 
gust, 1873.  Son  of  Judah  and  Feige 
( Liebe)  Liknaitz ;  descended  from  a 
family  of  rabbis.  Educated  in  the 
elementary  schools  of  Mitau  and  the 
Talmudical  school.  Studied  under 
Rabbi  Chayim  Leib  Tiktinsky  for  two 
years.  Entered  the  German  Gymnas- 
ium and  passed  his  examinations  there 
for  secunda.  Later  moved  to  Berlin, 
where  he  remained  for  a  short  time. 
Subsequently  moved  to  the  United 
States,  w^here  he  taught  Hebrew  and 
German  in  the  Jewish  Orphan  Asylum 
in   Philadelphia,    Pa.      Gv::  hntcd   frn-!i 


the  University  of  Pennsylvania  with 
the  degree  of  S.  B.  Post  graduate  of 
Columbia  University,  specializing  in 
Semitics,  and  in  the  same  year  at- 
tended   the    Jewish    Theological    Sem- 


Da\ui    L.    Liknaitz 

inary.  While  in  Xew  York  he  organ- 
ized' the  Z.  B.  T.  fraternity.  Rabbi 
at  Syracuse,  1900-1904;  in  Leaven- 
worth until  August,  1915.  \\'hile  at 
the  latter  city  he  acted  as  chaplain  at 
the  Federal  prison.  Professor  of  Ger- 
man and  Hebrew  at  Kansas  City  Uni- 
versity. Rabbi  of  Congregation  Sinai, 
Los  Angeles  at  the  present  time. 


JESSE   WARREN    LILIENTHAL 

Residence,  2027  Sacramento  street ; 
office  Flood  building,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Haverstraw,  N.  Y.,  August 
2,  1855.  Son  of  Dr.  Max  and  Pepi 
(Nettre)  Lilienthal.  [Married  Lillie  S. 
Bernheimer  of  Xew  York  December 
14,  1886.  One  son,  Jesse  Warren,  Jr. 
Graduated  from  Woodward  High 
school,  Cincinnati  in  1870.  Cincinnati 
College  in  1872  with  degree  of  LL.  B. 
Har\^ard  College  in  1876,  degree  of 
LL.  B.  Engaged  in  the  practice  of  law 
in  Xew  York  and  from  1888  until  1894 
membei   of  the  law  firm  of  Bettens  & 


206 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


Lilienthal.  In  1894  moved  to  San 
Francisco,  where  he  continued  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  In  1910  he 
became  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of 
Lilienthal,  McKinstry  &  Raymond, 
which  continues  at  the  present  time. 
President  of  San  Francisco  Bar  Asso- 
ciation, two  terms;  president  of  Re- 
creation League,  president  of  Economic 
Club,  president  of  San   Francisco  Tu- 


Jesse    Warren    Lilienthal 

berculosis  Association,  president  of 
United  Railways  since  1913,  director 
and  vice-president  of  Congregation 
Emanu-El,  director  of  Boys'  and  Girls' 
Aid  Society,  director  of  Remedial  Loan 
Association,  director  of  Travelers'  Aid 
Society,  director  of  Child  Labor  Com- 
mittee, president  of  the  Society  for  the 
Study  of  the  Exceptional  Child,  di- 
rector of  California  Tuberculosis  As- 
sociation, member  of  the  probation 
committee  of  the  Juvenile  Court,  di- 
rector and  counsel  of  Anglo-London  & 
Paris  National  Bank  and  Anglo-Cali- 
fornia Trust  Company.  Member  of 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities. 


DAVID  LIVINGSTON 

Residence,  Richelieu  hotel ;  office 
Geary  and  Grant  avenue.  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  Fritzlar,  Germany,  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1856.     Son  of  Joseph  and  Blum- 


chen  (Lowenstein)  Livingston.  His 
primary  education  was  received  in  Ger- 
many. Married  December,  1882,  to 
Lina  Siebenhauer.  Children,  Mrs.  Irma 
Kaiser  of  San  Francisco  and  Mrs.  Helen 
Lieberman  of  Philadelphia.  Arrived  in 
California  in  May,  1873.  Started  a  dry 
goods  business  in  1875  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Polk  and  Pine  streets,  San 
Francisco,  remaining  there  for  ten  years, 
when  he  moved  to  San  Bernardino,  Cal, 
and  was  there  in  business  for  a  like  pe- 
riod. Returned  to  San  Francisco  in  1896 
and  engaged  in  business  at  Post  and 
Kearny  streets.  The  great  fire  of  1906 
caused  its  removal  to  Fillmore  and 
Geary  streets,  where  he  remained  for  a 
period  of  six  years,  when  he  moved  to 
his    present    premises    at    Grant    avenue 


.^;a,^'^^^m«sv^^>- 


David   Livingtson 

and  Geary.  The  business  is  conducted 
under  the  firm  name  of  Livingston 
Brothers  Company,  ladies'  ready-to-wear 
garments.  Member  of  Temple  Emanu- 
El,  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  As- 
sociated Charities  and  other  charities ; 
Concordia   Club. 


PHILIP    HYMAN    LIVINGSTON 

Residence,  612  Haight  street;  office, 
888  Market  street.  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Germany  December  25,  1851. 
Son     of     Isaac      Livingston.       Moved 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


207 


to  California  in  1860.  Received  his 
education  at  Lincoln  Pligh  School  and 
Heald's  Business  College.  Commenced 
work  as  bookkeeper  in  San  Francisco. 
Later  engaged  in  railroading  for  some 
time.  Shipping  clerk  in  Virginia  City 
with  Mackay,  Fair,  Flood  &  O'Brien 
for  a  period,  when  he  moved  to  San 
Francisco.  Engaged  in  railroading  for 
a  short  time  and  established  a  jewelry 
business.  Retired  from  business  since 
1905. 

Member  of   Olympic,    Indoor   Yacht 
Clubs;  L   O.  O.   F.,   Red   Men,  Amer- 


years  president  of  Laurel  Hall  Club 
and  for  many  years  chairman  of  ex- 
ecutive committee  of  that  organization. 
Assisted  in  organizing  the  California 
State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs 
and  was  the  first  recording  secretary 
and  subsequently  president  of  the  San 
Francisco  district  of  that  federation. 
]\Iember  of  executive  board  of  San 
Francisco  Chapter  of  American  Na- 
tional Red  Cross  Society.  Chairman 
hospitality  committee,  Manila  library 
committee  San  Francisco  Red  Cross, 
during  Spanish-American  war.  Char- 
ter member  and  director  California 
Club ;  chairman  arbitration  department 
of  that  club.  Member  of  Board  of  Na- 
tional Arbitration  and  Peace  Committee 
for  some  time.  \'ice-president  Local 
Council    of    Jewish    Women.      President 


Philip    Hyman    Livingston 

ican  Foresters  and  Associated  Chari- 
ties. First  president  of  the  Hebrew 
Home  for  the  Aged  Disabled. 

Married,  June  5,  1875,  Rachael  Rob- 
inson of  Sacramento,  deceased  June 
11,  1911;   December  31,   1911,  to  Cora 

Deltmer. 

MRS.   L  LOWENBERG 

]\Irs.  I.  Lowenberg,  founder  of  Philo- 
math Club,  was  born  in  Alabama. 
Daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William 
Lilienfeld  (deceased),  and  was  edu- 
cated in  the  convent  of  Cape  Girardeau, 
Mo.  For  a  number  of  years  vice- 
president  of  Temple  Emanu-El  kinder- 
garten  school.      For   three  consecutive 


Mrs.    I.    Lowenberg 

San  Francisco  Maternity  two  years. 
President  of  Women's  Auxiliary  of  the 
California  Prison  Commission  two 
vears.  Vice-president  San  Francisco 
Association  for  the  Blind.  President 
Pacific  Coast  Women's  Press  Club  two 
years.  President  Philomath  Club  for 
many  years.  Originator  of  the  Pan- 
ama-Pacific International  Exposition 
Congress    of    Authors    and    Journalists 


208 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


under  the  auspices  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
Women's  Press  Association.  Vice- 
president  Emanu-El  Sisterhood  for 
several  years.  Member  of  a  number 
of  philanthropic  and  literary  organi- 
zations. In  the  latter  part  of  Decem- 
ber, 1909,  Mrs.  Lowenberg  suggested 
to  Mrs.  Lovell  White  (deceased)  the 
feasibility  and  the  advisability  of  the 
formation  of  a  woman's  organization 
of  California  to  assist  in  a  campaign 
that  the  Exposition  to  commemorate 
the  completion  of  the  Panama  Canal 
be  held  in  San  Francisco.  A  meeting 
was  called  by  Mrs.  Lovell  White  and 
Mrs.  Lowenberg  January  3,  1910,  and 
held  in  the  rooms  of  the  California 
Club  building.  Those  who  responded 
were  Mrs.  Lovell  White,  Mrs.  I.  Low- 
enberg, Mrs.  John  F.  Merrill,  Mrs.  Irv- 
ing M.  Scott  and  Miss  Laura  McKin- 
stry.  The  following  officers  were 
elected  :  President,  Mrs.  Lovell  White  ; 
vice-presidents,  Mrs.  I.  Lowenberg, 
Mrs.  John  F.  Merrill,  Mrs.  Irving  M. 
Scott,  Mrs.  William  H.  Crocker,  Mrs. 
Homer  S.  King  and  Miss  Laura  Mc- 
Kinstry.  The  organization  was  named 
the  Women's  International  Exposi- 
tion Association  and  telegrams  were 
sent  to  LTnited  States  Representatives 
David  Foster  of  Vermont  and  William 
H.  Rodenberg  of  Illinois  as  chairmen 
of  Foreign  Afifairs  and  Industrial  Ex- 
positions, to  reconsider  their  opposi- 
tion and  to  urge  their  support  for  the 
Exposition  to  be  held  in  San  Francisco. 
From  this  small  beginning  developed 
that  splendid  organization  known  as 
the  Woman's  Board  Panama-Pacific 
International  Exposition,  with  Mrs. 
Phoebe  A.  Hearst  honorary  president, 
and  Mrs.  Frederick  G.  Sanborn,  presi- 
dent. Mrs.  Lowenberg  is  the  author 
of  numerous  short  stories  and  essays 
on  various  topics,  especially  on  peace 
and  arbitration ;  two  books,  "Irresist- 
ible Current,"  a  plea  for  universal  re- 
ligion ;  "A  Nation's  Crime,"  a  plea  for 
uniform   divorce  laws. 


REV.  EDGAR  F.  MAGNIN 

Born  in  San  Francisco  in  1890.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  and  Lowell 
High  School  of  that  city.  His  early  Jew- 
ish education  was  obtained  at  Congrega- 
tion  Beth   Israel.     Graduated   from   the 


Rev.   Edgar  F.  Magnin 

University  of  Cincinnati  in  1913  with 
B.  A.  degree,  and  the  Hebrew  Union 
College  as  rabbi.  After  graduation  he 
accepted  a  call  to  Stockton,  Cal.,  serving 
there  one  year  and  three  months.  Called 
to  Los  Angeles  as  associate  rabbi  of 
Temple  B'nai  B'rith  December.  1915. 
Contributing  editor  of  "Emanu-El"  of 
San  Francisco.  Married  Evelyn  Rosen- 
thal of  Cincinnati  J'-ine  15,  1916. 


EMANUEL  JOHN   MAGNIN 

Residence,  5  E.  Fifty-eighth  street; 
office  461  Fourth  avenue.  New  York 
City.  San  Francisco  office,  Geary  and 
Grant  avenue.  Born  1870  in  London, 
England.  Son  of  Isaac  and  Mary  Ann 
(Cohen)  Magnin.  Married  Rose 
Fleischhauer  of  New  York  in  1908.  At 
the  age  of  five  moved  with  his  par- 
ents to  the  United  States.  Educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  San  Francisco 
until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  his 
father,  I.  !\lagnin  &  Co.,  and  continued 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


209 


until  1898.  when  he  became  a  member 
of  the  firm.  Upon  the  death  of  his 
father,  in  1907,  he  was  made  president 
of  that  concern,  which  position  he 
holds  at  the  present  time,  conducting 
the   eastern   interests  of  the  business. 


Member  Garfield  Lodge.  No.  889.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  New  York;  Montefiore  Lodge, 
L  O.  B.  B..  Congregation  Temple  Beth- 
El,    New   York;    San    Francisco   Adver- 


Emanuel  John  Magnin 

Member  of  Quaker  Ridge  Country 
Club,  Woodmere  Country  Club  and 
Ocean  Countiy  Club  of  New  York 
and  City  Athletic  Club  of  New  York, 
San  Francisco  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities  and  thirty-eight  charitable 
organizations  in  New  York. 


Harry  Marcus 

tising  Association.  Contributor  to  Pitts- 
burgh Association  Philharmonic  Socie- 
ties. 


GROVER  A.  MAGNIN 

Residence,     1899    California     street; 
office  Grant  avenue  and  Geary  street. 


HARRY  MARCUS 

Residence.  330  Fifteenth  avenue ;  of- 
fice The  Emporium,  San  Francisco.  Born 
June  3.  1884,  in  Roumania.  Son  of  Abra- 
ham and  Leah  (Alter)  Marcus.  Grad- 
uate of  New  York  City  Grammar  School. 
Special  course.  College  of  the  City  of 
New  York.  Graduate,  School  of  Polit- 
ical Economy,  Pittsburgh  University. 
Sales  manager  Holmes  Music  Company, 
]\Iiddleton,  N.  Y.,  for  three  years.  As- 
sistant manager  Bloomingdale  Brothers. 
New  York,  for  seven  years.  Manager 
Jacob  Doll  &  Sons.  Pittsburgh,  for  three 
years.  Manager  piano  department.  The  San  Francisco.  Born  in  San 
Emporium,    since    November     1,     1914.     December  4,   1886.     Son  of 


Grover    A.    Magnin 


Francisco 
Isaac  and 


210 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


]\Iary  Ann  (Cohen)  ]\Ia,tjnin.  Graduate 
of  Adams"  Grammar  School,  Lowell 
High  School,  Boone's  University  School. 
After  leaving  school  came  into  the  busi- 
ness of  his  father,  I.  Magnin  &  Co.,  of 
which  firm  he  is  today  vice-president 
and  manager.  Member  of  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities ;  Concordia  Club,  Com- 
mercial Club  and  Press  Club. 


SIEGFRIED   G.    MARSHUTZ 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
1862  in  Germany.  Son  of  Morris  and 
Gettie  (Steinfeld)  Marshutz.  His  father, 
a  teacher  and  cantor  in  Bavaria, 
now   retired ;  officiated  also  as   rabbi   of 


Siegfried    G.    Marsliutz 

the  town.  Educated  in  the  high  schools 
of  Germanv  ;  after  his  graduation  he  was 
employed  by  his  uncle,  a  glass  manufac- 
turer of  Furth,  Bavaria ;  during  this 
time  he  studied  the  optical  business.  In 
September.  1883,  came  to  New  York, 
went  West  immediately,  arrived  in  San 
Francisco  in  1884  and  in  1885  established 
an  optical  business  in  Sacramento,  where 
he  remained  until  1887,  when  he  moved 
to  Los  Angeles,  where  he  established  his 
present  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
Marshutz   Optical   Company. 

Married  in   1891   to  Hattie  Wolfstein. 


Two  children,  Herbert  S.  and  Stephen 
C.  During  the  time  he  resided  in  Sac- 
ramento he  was  a  member  of  B'nai  Israel 
Congregation.  For  several  years  vice- 
president  B'nai  B'rith  Congregation  of 
Los  Angeles.  \'ery  active  in  B'nai 
B'rith  affairs.  Was  one  of  the  founders 
and  the  first  president  of  the  B'nai  B'rith 
lodge  of  Los  Angeles.  Chairman  of 
Sabbath  school  committee  of  B'nai  B'rith 
Congregation  for  a  number  of  years. 
Was  chairman  of  committee  appointed 
by  the  B'nai  B'rith  lodge  to  establish  an 
orphans"  home  in  Los  Angeles.  This 
committee  founded  the  Jewish  Orphans' 
Home  of  Southern  California ;  there- 
after was  elected  and  served  for  seven 
years  as  president  of  that  institution  ;  re- 
signed in  1914,  but  remained  on  board 
of  directors,  and  is  now  honorary  presi- 
dent of  that  organization.  It  was  through 
his  untiring  efforts  that  the  home  was 
established,  and  during  his  administra- 
tion over  $100,000  was  raised  for  the 
erection  upon  ten  acres  of  ground  of 
the  most  up-to-date  orphans'  home  west 
of  New  York.  One  of  the  organizers  of 
the  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities  of 
Los  Angeles  and  member  of  executive 
committee.  Member  of  Jewish  War 
Sufferers  Relief  Committee  of  Los  An- 
geles. For  four  years  member  of  the 
Los  Angeles  Public  Library  Commis- 
sion. Member  of  Municipal  League, 
Thirty-second  Degree  Mason,  Shriner, 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  Merchants'  & 
Manufacturers'  Association,  Automobile 
Club,  Concordia  Club  and  Sierra  Madre 

Club. 

LOUIS  METZGER 
Residence,  2209  Van  Ness  avenue ; 
office,  58  Second  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  New  York  City,  December  28, 
1856.  Son  of  Charles  and  Caroline 
(Sallinger)  Metzger.  Married  July 
25,  1911,  to  Lillian  Baddeley.  Moved 
to  California  1865.  Educated  at  Lin- 
coln Grammar  School,  San  Francisco, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1870.  En- 
gaged   as    clerk    in    a    stationerv    store 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


211 


from  1870  to  1878;  stationery  and  paper 
business  1878  to  1884;  brokerage  busi- 
ness 1884  to  1900;  capitalist  1900  to 
the  present  time.  Twice  delegate  to 
Democratic  national  convention  in 
Chicago  1884  and  1892;  delegate  to  city 
and  State  conventions  many  times ; 
chairman  of  board  of  trustees  of  Iro- 
quois Club  (oldest  Democratic  organi- 
zation in  California )  twenty-six  years  : 
past  grand  sachem  and  past  grand 
treasurer  State  League  of  Iroquois 
Clubs;  past  president  I.  O.  B.  B.  Mem- 
ber of  Temple  Emanu-El  and  other 
congregations  in  San  Francisco.  .Af- 
filiated with  nearly  all  Jewish  organi- 
zations as  well  as  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities,  and  contributor  to  Jewish 
and   Christian   organizations. 


Meyer,  where  he  continues  at  the 
present  time  under  the  firm  name  of 
Daniel  Meyer  &  Co.  Member  of  Con- 
gregation Emanu-El,  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities,  Associated  Charities, 
Concordia  and  Olympic  clubs. 


BEN  R.  MEYER 

Residence,  2601  Grand  avenue;  office 
740  South  Broadway,  Los  Angeles.  Born 
in  San  Francisco  in  1879.  Son  of  Moses 
Meyer.  Educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  San  Francisco.    After  leaving 


HENRY   MEYER 

Residence,  Z2  Presidio  Terrace ;  office 
244  Pine  street,  San  Francisco.  Son 
of  Jonas  and  Julia  (Newhouse)  Meyer. 
Married  Selda  Falck  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 


Ben   R.   Meyer 

school  w^as  a  clerk  in  a  retail  store  in 
Stockton  for  about  two  years.  In  1900 
moved  to  Los  Angeles  where,  with  his 
brothers,  Alexander  Meyer  and  Louis 
Meyer,  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  re- 
tail millinery  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  Meyer  Brothers,  which  con- 
tinued until  1909,  when  he  went  into  the 
firm  of  K.  Cohn  &  Co.  In  July,  1914, 
became  vice-president  of  Kaspare  Cohn 
Commercial  &  Savings  Bank,  which  of- 
fice he  holds  at  the  present  time.  Di- 
October  10,  1877.  Three  children,  rector  of  Farmers'  &  Merchants'  Na- 
Mrs.  Ernest  J.  Sultan,  Julian  J.  and  tional  Bank  of  Los  Angeles,  San  Joaqum 
Alfred  F.  Meyer.  Educated  in  the  Light  &  Power  Corporation.  Has  nu- 
public  schools  of  San  Francisco,  merous  other  interests.  Married  in 
Heald's  Business  College,  after  which  1905  to  Ray  Cohn,  daughter  of  Kaspare 
he  entered  the  banking  firm  of  Daniel      Cohn  of  Los  Angeles.     President  of  Fed- 


Henry  Meyer 


212 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


eration  of  Jewish  Charities  of  Los  An- 
geles until  1916;  director  of  that  or- 
ganization at  the  present  time.  President 
of  Los  Angeles  Concordia  Club  until 
1915.  Vice-president  of  Kaspare  Cohn 
Hospital.  Member  of  Congregation 
B'nai  B'rith,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  San  Francisco 
Concordia   Club. 


Travelers'  Association.  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities.  Interested  in  real 
estate  in  San  Francisco. 


BENJAMIN  F.  MEYER 

Residence,  226  Arguello  boulevard  ;  of- 
fice 114  Sansome  street.  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  San  Francisco  May  15,  1866. 
Son  of  Oscar  and  Bertha  (Michelson) 
Meyer.      Married    August    11,    1892,    to 


Benjamin  F.  Meyer 

Sadie  Abrahms.  Educated  at  Lincoln 
Grammar  School  in  1878,  Hayes  X'alley 
Grammar  School  in  1880.  Heald's  Busi- 
ness College  in  1881.  During  1882  em- 
ployed by  Michels  Friedlander  &  Co.. 
wholesale  fancy  goods,  in  1884  employed 
by  Sachs  Bros.  &  Co..  1885  to  1892 
traveled  for  Buyer  &  Reich,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  entered  into  the  wholesale 
cloak  and  suit  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  Meyer  Cloak  &  Suit  Company, 
which  continues  to  the  present  time. 
Member  of  San  Francisco  Commercial 
Club,  Chamber  of  Commerce.  San  Fran- 
cisco   Board    of    Trade.     Pacific    Coast 


MARTIN  A.   MEYER 

Residence,  2109  Baker  street.  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  San  Francisco 
January  15,  1879.  Son  of  Charles  and 
Louisa  B.  (Silverstein)  Meyer.  Re- 
ceived degree  of  B.  A.  from  University 


Martin   A.   Meyer 

of  Cincinnati  in  1899;  B.  D.  Hebrew 
Union  College,  Cincinnati,  1901  ;  fel- 
low, American  School,  Jerusalem, 
1901-2;  Ph.  D.  Columbia  University, 
1906.  Married  Jennie  May  Haas 
of  Cincinnati  T"ne  19,  1905.  Rabbi, 
Albany,  N.  Y.',  1902-6;  Brooklyn,  N. 
Y.,  1906-10;  Temple  Emanu-El  of  San 
Francisco  January  1,  1910,  to  date.  Di- 
rector of  Jewish  Chautauqua  Society, 
Jewish  Education  Society,  California 
Commission  for  the  Prevention  of 
Blindness;  president  of  Big  Brother 
Movement  of  San  Francisco,  vice-presi- 
dent of  Jewish  Publication  Society  of 
America,  member  of  Board  of  Library 
of  Hebrew  Classics,  California  Tuber- 
culosis Advisory  Commission,  Cali- 
fornia Commission  of  Charities  and 
Corrections,   lecturer  of   L'niversity   of 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


213 


California  since  January,  1911,  director 
of  Archaeological  Institute  of  America, 
San  Francisco  branch ;  member  of 
American  Oriental  Society,  American 
Jewish  Historical  Society,  American 
Folklore  Society,  Beta  Phi  Kappa  fra- 
ternity, Beresford  Country,  Common- 
wealth, Faculty  and  Concordia  clubs. 
Author  of  "History  of  the  City  of 
Gaza,"  "Jew  and  Non-Jew,  1913," 
"Methods  of  Teaching  Post-Biblical 
History  and  Literature,  1915,"  con- 
tributor to  Jewish  Encyclopaedia, 
editor  of  "Sermons  and  Addresses  of 
Jacob  Voorsanger,  1913,"  editor  of 
"Emanu-El"  May,  1910,  to  August, 
1911.     Editorial  contributor  since  1913. 


MORRIS  MEYERFELD,  JR. 

Residence,     1809     California     street ; 
office,    Orpheum     theatre,     San     Fran- 
cisco.     Born    December    17,    1855,  in 
Beverungen,      Westphalia,      Germany. 
Son  of  Herz  and  Jette  ]\Ieyerfeld.   Mar- 


Morris  Meyerfeld,  Jr. 

ried  March  14,  1886,  to  Nannie  A. 
Friedman.  One  daughter,  Mrs.  Leon 
L.  Roos.  Educated  in  the  schools  of 
Beverungen  and  Cologne,  Germany. 
Moved  to  California  in  1874,  and  was 
employed  in  Vallejo  in  the  dry  goods 
firm  of  S.  Dannenbaum.     Subsequently 


he  l:)ecame  a  member  of  the  firm,  con- 
tinuing there  until  1880,  when  he 
moved  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  be- 
came a  member  of  the  firm  of  Sieben- 
hauer,  Meyerfield  &  Co.,  cigar  manu- 
facturers, which  continued  until  1890. 
Member  of  the  firm  of  Meyerfeld, 
Mitchell  &  Co.,  wholesale  wines  and 
liquors,  until  1896,  when  he  became 
president  of  the  Orpheum  Theatre  & 
Realty  Company,  where  he  continues 
at  the  present  time.  Director  Anglo- 
London  and  Paris  National  Bank ;  sub- 
director  P.-P.  L  E.,  1915  ;  director  Mount 
Zion  Hospital ;  chairman  finance  com- 
mittee of  that  hospital.  Member  Tem- 
ple Emanu-El,  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities  and  other  charitable  organi- 
zations. Member  of  Argonaut,  Con- 
cordia, Union  League  and  Beresford 
country  clubs,  and  I.  O.  O.  F.  Dele- 
gate   Republican    convention,    1912. 


LEOPOLD    MICHELS 

Residence,  Hotel  St.  Francis;  office 
740-44  Mission  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Meddersheim,  Germany,  April 
5,  1850.  Son  of  Ludwig  and  Henrietta 
Michels.  Married  Carrie  Halbron  Oc- 
tober 25,  1876.  Educated  at  college  in 
Sobernheim,  Germany,  after  which  time 
arrived  in  New  York,  where  he  remained 
a  short  time,  subsequently  settling  in  the 
South.  In  the  fall  of  1863  he  enlisted 
in  the  Confederate  army  in  the  regiment 
of  General  Nathan  B.  Forrest  and  served 
until  1864,  when  he  was  taken  prisoner, 
shortly  after  the  celebrated  Memphis 
raid  which  was  led  by  General  Forrest. 
After  the  war  he  returned  to  New  York 
and  in  May,  1867,  arrived  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. In  1876  established  himself  in  the 
business  of  manufacturing  gents'  fur- 
nishing goods  under  the  firm  name  of 
Weil  &  Michels,  which  continued  until 
1882,  when  they  bought  out  the  firm  of 
Greenebaum,  Sachs  &  Freeman  and  the 
firm  was  changed  to  Greenebaum,  Weil 
&  Michels,  of  which  firm  he  is  now  presi- 
dent.    In  1900  he  organized  the  Metro- 


214 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


politan  Light  &  Power  Company  and 
was  president  of  that  company  until 
1912,  when  it  was  sold  to  the  Pacific  Gas 
&  Electric  Company.  President  of  the 
Winnemucca   Water  &  Light  Company, 


turning  to  San  Francisco  he  continued 
in  the  watchmaking  and  jewelry  busi- 
ness.    For  some  time  conducted  the  New 


Leopold  Michels 

director  McCormick  Saeltzer  Company, 
Redding,  Cal. ;  director  Western  States 
Life  Insurance  Company,  director  Hotel 
St.  Francis,  treasurer  San  Francisco 
Board  of  Trade,  member  Temple 
Emanu-El,  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties and  other  charitable  organizations. 
Concordia   Club  and  Beresford  Country 

Club.  

MAX  MORGEN 
Residence,  851  California  street:  of- 
fice 888  Market  street.  Born  in  Krakau, 
Austria,  March  8,  1879.  Son  of  Raphael 
and  Anna  (Zukermann)  Morgen.  Mar- 
ried Henrietta  R.  Morrison  August  9. 
1910.  Educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Austria  and  later  in  private  school  of 
Sacramento.  Served  his  apprenticeship 
as  a  watchmaker.  Moved  to  the  United 
States  in  1896  and  settled  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  was  employed  as  a  watch- 
maker. Subsequently  moved  to  Sacra- 
mento where,  after  a  short  time,  he 
bought  a  jewelry  business  which  he  con- 
ducted for  three  and  one-half  vears,  Re- 


Max  Morgen 

York  Jewelry  Manufacturing  Company 
in  San  Francisco.  In  1911  he  estab- 
lished the  Morgen  Jewelry  Company,  of 
which  he  is  proprietor.  Member  of  Ma- 
sonic order  and  I.  O.  O.  F. 


GEORGE    MOSBACHER 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in  Mil- 
tenberg,  am  Main,  Bavaria,  in  1852.  Son 
of  Joseph  Mosbacher.  Married  in  1883  to 
Dora  Hirschberg,  who  died  in  1898.  One 
daughter,  Mrs.  Sam  M.  Behrendt  of  Los 
Angeles.  Educated  in  Bavaria  and  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  moved  to  New  York, 
where  he  was  employed  in  various  oc- 
cupations for  about  twelve  years,  when 
he  moved  to  Chicago,  111.,  and  was  em- 
ployed as  bookkeeper  in  Joliet.  Subse- 
quently was  employed  by  a  Chicago  firm 
and  later  went  to  Stillwater,  Minnesota, 
where  he  opened  a  branch  store  for  that 
concern  which  he  conducted  for  five 
years.  He  then  moved  to  Oakland,  where 
he  established  the  firm  of  Mosbacher 
Cloak  &  Suit  House.  In  1902  he  inaug- 
urated the  "profit-sharing  system"  for 
his    employes,    which    system    is    still    in 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


215 


vogue.  In  1909  retired  from  active  man-  congregation  in  Sheffield,  England, 
agement  of  the  business  and  moved  to  for  nearly  three  years,  holding  that 
Los  Angeles.     He  is  a  member  of  I.  O.      position  from   1889  to   1892.     In   May, 


B.  B.,  member  Congregation  in  IMilten- 
berg,   near   Frankfort,   Germany.     Mem- 


George   Mosbacher 

ber  of  Temple  Sinai,  Oakland,  and  one 
of  its  early  presidents.  Director  of  B'nai 
B'rith  Congregation,  Los  Angeles ;  presi- 
dent of  Los  Angeles  Federation  of  Jew- 
ish Charities,  vice-president  of  the  Jew- 
ish Orphans'  Home  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia. Member  of  Masonic  order,  Con- 
cordia Club.  

DR.  JACOB   NIETO 

Dr.  Jacob  Xieto  was  born  in  Lon- 
don on  December  22,  1863,  and  left  for 
the  West  Indies,  Jamaica,  B.  W.  I., 
where  he  was  educated  under  the  im- 
mediate supervision  of  three  eminent 
Scotchmen,  who  were  at  the  time  re- 
garded as  authorities  on  classics,  Eng- 
lish and  mathematics,  respectively.  In 
1879  he  visited  New  York,  where  he 
stayed  for  three  years,  attending  the 
public  schools  of  New  York  (C.  C.  N. 
Y.)  and  also  the  Emanu-El  Prepara- 
tory School.  In  1883  he  returned  to 
England,  completing  a  graduate  and 
post-graduate  course  at  Jews'  College, 
London,  and  occupied  the  pulpit  of  the 


1893,  Rabbi  Nieto  arrived  in  San  Fran- 
cisco and  was  unanimously  elected 
rabbi  of  the  Congregation  Sherith 
Israel,  where  he  is  still  rabbi. 

Rabbi     Nieto    has    held    many    im- 
portant   public     positions    during    the 


Dr.    Jacob    Nieto 

twenty-three  years  of  his  residence  in 
San  Francisco,  and  has  taken  a  promi- 
nent part  in  all  the  public  movements 
that  have  gone  on  during  that  time. 
He  is  president  of  the  International 
Industrial  Peace  Association,  president 
of  the  Northern  California  Anti-Capital 
Punishment  Society,  past  grand  presi- 
dent District  No.  4,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  mem- 
ber of  the  International  Peace  Associa- 
tion, member  of  various  fraternities,  in 
all  of  which  he  has  held  high  and  im- 
portant offices. 


ISAAC  NORTON 

Residence,  Los  xA.ngeles.  Born  in 
Warsaw,  Poland,  in  1844.  Son  of  Moses 
Norton.  Moved  to  New  York  at  the 
age  of  five  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  city.  After  leaving  school 
he  learned  the  jewelry  trade;  subse- 
quently   clerked    in    a    stock     and     bond 


216 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


brokers"  office  and  later  engaged  in  the 
jobbing  business.  In  1869  moved  to  Los 
Angeles,  where  his  brothers  were  located 
in  the  mercantile  business.  In  1881  es- 
tablished a  retail  merchandise  store  in  a 
mining  camp  in  California,  which  he 
continued  successfully  vmtil  1886,  when 
he  returned  to  Los  Angeles  and  entered 
the  real  estate  and  insurance  business 
and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Metropolitan  Building  &  Loan  Associa- 


Isaac  Norton 

tion,  of  which  concern  he  is  secretary  to 
date.  He  organized  the  Central  Broad- 
way Building  Company,  of  which  he  is 
president.  Married  in  1875  to  Bertha 
Greenbaum.  Children  are  Samuel  T., 
Albert  M.,  Mrs.  M.  B.  Desenberg  of 
Monrovia.  Was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Free  Loan  Society  Member  of 
B'nai  B'rith  Congregation,  for  a  number 
of  years  trustee  and  director  of  that 
synagogue ;  president  of  Hebrew  Be- 
nevolent Society,  president  of  Hebrew 
Consumptive  Relief  Association  of  Los 
Angeles,  member  executive  committee 
of  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities.  Past- 
president  I.  O.  B.  B.,  No.  487.  and  or- 
ganized the  first  lodge  in  Los  Angeles, 
known  as  Orange  lodge.  Member  of 
Masonic  order,  Los  Angeles  Realty 
Board,  Chamber  of  Commerce. 


DR.    LEO    NEWMARK 

Residence,  Hotel  St.  Francis  ;  office, 
135  Stockton  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  May  22,  1861,  in  San  Francisco. 
Son  of  J.  P.  and  Augusta  ( Leseritz) 
Newmark.  Educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  San  Francisco  and  Gym- 
nasium, in  Berlin.  Has  practiced 
his   profession   in   San    Francisco  since 

1890,  chiefly  treating  diseases  of  the 
nervous  system.  Has  been  chief  of 
the  department  of  nervous  diseases  at 
the     San     Francisco     Polyclinic     since 

1891,  and  was  for  some  years  professor 
of  clinical  neurology  in  the  medical  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Cali- 
fornia. Has  published  a  number  of 
articles  dealing  with  nervous  diseases 
in  the  medical  journals  of  the  United 
States  and  Germany.  Member  of  Ar- 
gonaut Club  of  San  Francisco. 


M.  H.  NEWMARK 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Los  Angeles  March  3,  1859.  Son  of 
Harris    and    Sarah    (Newmark)    New- 


M.    H.   Newmark 

mark.  Married  Rose  Newmark,  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  P.  Newmark  of  San 
Francisco  July  3,  1888.  One  child, 
Mrs.  Sylvain  S.  Kaufifman.  Educated 
in  ])rivate  schools  of  Los  Angeles  and 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


217 


New  York.     Studied  in  Paris  for  three 
years.     After  completing  his  studies  in 
1876  entered   the  employ  of  H.   New- 
mark  &  Co.,  later  becoming  a  member 
of  the  firm.     When  the  firm  of  M.  A. 
Newmark   &  Co.  was  formed  in    1885, 
he  became  a  member  of  that  concern 
and  continues  as  vice-president  at  the 
present    time.      Vice-president    Harris 
Newmark      Company ;       vice-president 
Los  Angeles  Brick  Company.     One  of 
the  organizers  of  the   Associated  Job- 
bers of  Los  Angeles  and  president  for 
thirteen  years.     For  a  number  of  years 
director    and    vice-president    of    Mer- 
chants"   and    Manufacturers"     Associa- 
tion.     Formerly    director    of    Los    An- 
geles Chamber  of  Commerce.     Former 
director    of     Los    Angeles     Board     of 
Trade ;  member  of  Consolidation  Com- 
mission, which  consolidated  the  harbor 
with     Los    Angeles ;    harbor    commis- 
sioner for  some  time.     One  of  the  or- 
ganizers  and    directors    of    the    South- 
west    Museum.       With     his      brother. 
]\Iarco    R.,    editor   of   "Sixty   Years    of 
Southern      California."        Member      of 
Congregation  B'nai  B'rith,  I.  O.  B.  B., 
Federation    of    Jewish    Charities.    Ma- 
sonic order,  Shriner. 


University,  Los  Angeles  Athletic  and 
Concordia  clubs.  In  March,  1914, 
took  charge  of  the  Nathan  Straus  Pal- 
estine Advancement  Society.  With 
his  brother,  M.  H.,  editor  of  "Sixty 
Years   of   Southern   California."' 


MARCO  R.  NEWMARK 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  Octo- 
ber 8,  1878,  in  Los  Angeles.  Son  of 
Harris  and  Sarah  (Newmark)  New- 
mark.  Married  Constance  Meyberg 
June  6,  1906.  Two  children,  Harris, 
Jr.,  and  Eleanor.  Educated  in  the  pub- 
lic and  high  schools  of  Los  Angeles ; 
Dr.  Saxe's  School,  New  York ;  L^ni- 
versitv  of  California ;  Universitv  of 
Berlin.  Junior  partner  of  the  whole- 
sale grocery  firm  of  M.  A.  Newmark 
&  Co.  Secretary  Jewish  Orphans' 
Home  of  Los  Angeles ;  past  president 
Los  Angeles  Lodge  No.  487,  L  O.  B.  B. 
Treasurer  and  director  Merchants" 
and  Manufacturers"  Association  ;  direc- 
tor Civic  Center  Association ;  mem- 
ber  Westgate   Lodge,   F.   and   A.   M.; 


MORRIS  A.  NEWMARK 

Residence,  Los  Angeles.  Born  in 
Prussia,  1850.  Son  of  Abraham  New- 
mark.  Early  education  was  received 
in  Prussia.  Arrived  in  California 
1865.  For  a  very  short  time  in  San 
Francisco,  after  which  he  moved  to 
Los  Angeles,  where  he  was  employed 
by  the  late  Harris  Newmark  until 
January,  1873,  when  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm.  President  of  the  whole- 
sale grocery  house  of  M.  A.  Newmark 
&  Co.  at  the  present  time,  which 
was  organized  in  1885.  Married  Har- 
riett Newmark,  daughter  of  J.  P.  New- 
mark  in  1876.  Member  of  B'nai  B'rith 
Congregation  for  many  years ;  member 
of  the  Los  Angeles  Federation  of  Jew- 
ish  Charities  and  other  organizations. 


LOUIS  W.   NEUSTADTER 

Ofifice.  461  Mission  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  San  Francisco  Novem- 
ber 12.  1873.  Son  of  Jacob  H.  and  Dora 
( Dannenberg)  Neustadter.  Married 
Elsa  Ehrman  in  1904.  Educated  in  pri- 
vate schools  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
entered  the  firm  of  Neustadter  Brothers, 
manufacturers  and  jobbers  of  men's  fur- 
nishing goods.  Treasurer  of  that  firm 
at  the  present  time.  Director  of  the 
Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association,  vice- 
president  of  Civic  League  of  Improve- 
ment Clubs,  member  of  Masonic  bodies, 
Scottish  Rite.  Thirty-second  Degree ; 
Shriner  and   the  Olympic   Club. 


EDGAR    DAVIS   PEIXOTTO 

Residence,  3956  Washington  street ; 
ofifice  Nevada  Bank  building,  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  New  York  Decem- 
ber 23,  1867.  Son  of  Raphael  and  Myr- 
tilla     T.     (Davis)     Peixotto.     Married 


218 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


Malvina  E.  Nathan  of  New  York  Sep- 
tember 22,  1905.  Moved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1868  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  San  Francisco,  grad- 
uating from  Hastings  College  of  Law 
in  1888.  Admitted  to  the  bar  of  the 
State    of    California    at    San    Francisco 


Edgar  Davis  Peixotto 

in  1888.  Appointed  assistant  to  Dis- 
trict Attorney  W.  S.  Barnes  in  1893. 
Sheriff's  attorney  in  1899,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  engaged  in  private 
practice.  Delegate  to  National  Re- 
publican convention  in  1896  and  in 
1900  was  appointed  secretary  to  the 
National  Republican  delegation  which 
went  to  Philadelphia.  Attorney  for 
the  Downtown  Association,  member  of 
the  Portola  executive  committee,  Pan- 
ama-Pacific Exposition  committee, 
Masonic  order,  Union  League,  Bohe- 
mian and  Olympic  clubs. 


A.   L.  PEYSER 

Residence,  1458  Page  street ;  ofifice 
Fourth  and  Market  streets,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  Susanville,  Cal.,  in  1865. 
Son  of  Samuel  Peyser.  Educated  in 
Susanville  until  he  was  twelve  years  old  ; 
attended  the  Reno  High  school  for  four 
years,    after    which    time    he    clerked    in 


San  Francisco  until  1893,  when  he 
started  in  the  clothing  business  for  him- 
self and  established  the  retail  business  of 
S.  N.  Wood  &  Co.,  which  has  grown  to 
its  present  large  proportions.    Operating 


A.   L.   Peyser 

stores  in  San  Francisco,  Oakland  and 
New  York.  He  is  president  of  that  firm 
at  the  present  time.  Married  July  12, 
1893,  to  Annie  Wood  of  San  Francisco. 
Two  children,  Dorothy  and  Ruth  Peyser. 
Member  of  the  Union  League  and  Young 
Men's  Hebrew  Association. 


SAMUEL  POLACK 

Residence,  2525  Polk  street,  San 
Francisco.  Born  July  15,  1835,  in 
Hamburg,  Germany.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  studied  Hebrew  by 
private  teachers  in  Hamburg.  Moved 
to  the  United  States  in  1856  and  set- 
tled in  New  York.  In  1859  he  moved 
to  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  he  mar- 
ried Pauline  Sternberg  (deceased). 
Subsequently  he  moved  to  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  where  he  remained  a  few 
months,  later  returning  to  New  York. 
In  1863  he  moved  to  San  Francisco, 
where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness until  1877,  when  he  entered  the 
insurance  business,  in  which  he  con- 
tinues.    One  of  the  organizers  of  the 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


219 


Hebrew  Home  for  the  Aged  Disabled. 
A  member  of  the  board  of  directors 
from  its  organization  until  1890,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  its  president. 
Member  of  Sherith  Israel,  1863  to 
1870.  One  of  the  founders  of  the  Con- 
gregation Shareth  Zedek  in  1870. 
Member  of  I.  O.  O.  F. 


REV.  J.  RABINOWITZ 

Born  in  \Hna,  Russia,  May  15,  1863. 
Brother  of  renowned  cantor  of  Libau, 
Abraham  M.  Rabinowitz,  and  of  Je- 
hudah  Rabinowitz,  cantor  of  Dvinsk. 
Studied  cantorship  and  music  at  Libau 
and  later  at  Vienna.  Of^ciated  as  can- 
tor at  Congregation  Taharath  Hak- 
kodesh  in  Vilna.  Came  to  the  United 
States  in  1899  and  after  one  year's  can- 
torship at  Denver,  Colo.,  accepted  a 
call  to  Congregation  Beth  Israel,  San 
Francisco,  Cal.,  in  1890,  where  he  in 
same  vear  married  Louisa  Jochelson  of 
his  native  city.  Celebrated  his  silver 
jubilee  as  cantor  of  the  same  congrega- 
tion in  August,  1915. 


M.  A.  RAPKEN 

Residence,  2443  Sutter  street,  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  Australia.  Son  of 
Councilor  Simon  Rapken  of  Mel- 
bourne, Australia.  Educated  in  Mel- 
bourne and  was  engaged  in  commercial 
pursuits  there  until  February,  1895, 
when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco, 
where  he  is  the  representative  of  the 
Bernheim  Distilling  Company  under 
the  firm  name  of  Rapken  &  Co., 
Limited.  One  of  the  founders  and  life 
governors  of  the  Gemilus  Chasodim  of 
Melbourne.  Life  member  of  the  Mel- 
bourne Hebrew  Philanthropic  Society. 
Treasurer  of  East  Melbourne  Hebrew 
Congregation  ;  councilor  of  Northcote, 
Australia.  Member  of  the  board  of 
advice  for  the  school  district  of  North- 
cote, Victoria,  Australia.  One  of  the 
life  governors  of  the  Melbourne  Jew- 
ish Aid  Society.     Member  of  the  board 


of  directors  of  Melbourne  Flebrew 
Orphans'  Association ;  actively  identi- 
fied with  the  various  religious,  educa- 
tional and  philanthropic  institutions  of 
Melbourne.  Vice-president  of  Con- 
gress of  Commercial  Travelers  in  1915. 
Director  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Commer- 
cial Travelers'  Association ;  chairman 
of  sick  and  relief  committee,  Cali- 
fornia Division,  Travelers'  Protective 
Association    of    America ;    member    of 


M.  A.  Rapken 

United  Commercial  Travelers  of  Amer- 
ica ;  vice-president  Australasian  Asso- 
ciation of  California.  Member  of 
Liberty  Bell  committee  of  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1915;  past  president  of  Free 
Loan  Society ;  president  of  The  Shelter ; 
member  of  National  Farm  School ;  di- 
rector Immigration  Aid  Society  ;  mem- 
ber Agudath  Zion  Society ;  director  of 
Keneseth  Israel  Congregation ;  mem- 
ber of  Sherith  Israel,  Ohabai  Shalome, 
Beth  Israel  and  Anshe  Sfard  and  Rou- 
manian Congregations.  Member  of 
United  Grand  Lodge  of  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons  of  England. 
Member  of  Royal  Arch  Masons  under 
date  of  April  12,  1901  ;  Druids,  Royal 
Arch.  Loyal  Order  of  Moose.  San 
Francisco  Civic  League  of  Improve- 
ment  Clubs. 


220 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


LEOPOLD  RANSOHOFF 

Residence,  3659  Washington  street; 
office  230  Post  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Peckelsheim,  Westphalen,  Ger- 
many, in  1848.  Son  of  Dr.  Sigmund 
and   Caroline   (Ballin)   Ransohoflf.   Mar- 


Leopold    Ransohoff 

ried  Rosalie  Steinfeld  in  New  York  Sep- 
tember, 1878.  Graduate  of  the  Gymna- 
sium in  Braunschweig,  Germany.  Moved 
to  Philadelphia  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
where  he  was  employed  in  the  mercantile 
business  for  two  years,  then  moved  to 
Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  was  employed 
by  his  brothers.  He  continued  there  for 
two  years,  when  he  moved  to  Denver, 
Colo.,  where  he  established  himself  in 
business.  In  1902  moved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  established  his  present 
business.  Member  of  the  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities  and  various  mercantile 

associations. 

STEPHEN  S.  RAU 
Residence,  1899  California  street;  of- 
fice, Grant  avenue  and  Geary  streets, 
San  Francisco.  Born  June  26,  1869, 
in  Nurnberg,  Germany.  Son  of  Salo- 
mon and  Sarah  (Lehman)  Rau.  Mar- 
ried in  1899  to  Lucile  Magnin.  Edu- 
cated in  Germany  and  graduated  from 
the   First   Gvmnasial   Classe.     In   1886 


came  to  New  York.  Engaged  in  the 
wholesale  business  in  New  York  for 
twelve  years,  after  which  he  moved  to 
Alabama,  where  he  was  in  the  gen- 
eral retail  dry  goods  business  until  his 
removal  to  California  in  1899,  when  he 
entered  the  firm  of  Magnin  &  Co.,  of 
which  firm  he  is  now  secretary  and 
treasurer.  Member  of  Olympic  and 
Press  clubs  and   Federation  of  Jew^ish 

Charities. 

SAMUEL  H.  RICH 
Residence,  3180  Washington  street; 
office  608  Insurance  Exchange  build- 
ing, San  Francisco.  Born  March  9, 
1866,  in  San  Jose,  Cal.  Son  of  Heimann 
and  Ernestine  (Hirshberg)  Rich.     His 


Samuel   H.    Rich 

father  was  well  known  as  a  Hebrew 
scholar.  Nephew  of  Jacob  Rich,  the 
l)uilder  of  the  electric  railroads  of  San 
Jose.  Educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  San  Jose,  Cal.  Attended  San  Jose 
Commercial  College.  In  the  jewelry 
business  in  San  Jose  and  Oakland  until 
1897,  when  he  entered  the  office  of 
Jane  L.  Stanford  as  bookkeeper  for 
Leland  Stanford  Junior  University ; 
later  he  became  cashier  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  that  university,  which  po- 
sition he  holds  at  the  present  time.  Up 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


221 


to  the  time  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Stan- 
ford he  kept  her  private  accounts.  He 
was  also  private  secretary  to  her 
brother,  Charles  G.  Lathrop,  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  is  at  present  also 
connected  with  the  Lathrop  estate. 
Member  of  Masonic  order,  B.  P.  O.  E., 
N.    S.    G.    W.,    Federation    of    Jewish 

Charities.        

REUBEN  R.  RINDER 
Residence,  San  Francisco.  Born  in 
Roza,  Tarnow,  Galicia.  Son  of  ]\Ioses 
and  Esther  (Feld)  Kinder.  Married 
Rose  Perlmutter  of  Xew  York  in  1914. 
Graduated  from  the  public  schools  of 


Reuben  R.   Rinder 

his  native  town.  Attended  high  school 
and  Jewish  academy  in  Tarnow,  Gali- 
cia. Entered  the  Manhattan  College 
of  Music  in  New  York,  and  received 
private  instructions  from  Prof.  Leon 
^L  Kramer.  Admitted  as  special  stu- 
dent at  the  City  College  of  New  York. 
Studied  Hazanuth  under  private  tutor- 
ship with  Obercantor  Rosenblum  of 
Tarnow,  Sabbati  Weingarten  and  Rev. 
Israel  Goldfarb  of  Xew  York.  Elected 
cantor  of  the  orthodox  synagogue  of 
Greenpoint,  Brooklyn,  X.  Y.,  in  1908. 
Subsequently  called  to  Temple  Beth 
El,  Brooklyn,  as  cantor,  where  he  also 


acted  as  superintendent  of  the  reli- 
gious school.  In  1912  accepted-  a  call 
from  Congregation  B'nai  Jeshurun,  N. 
Y.,  succeeding  Cantor  E.  Kartschma- 
roff.  In  1913  was  elected  cantor  and 
reader  of  Temple  Emanu-El  of  San 
Francisco,  where  he  continues  at  the 
present  time.  Member  of  the  Cantors' 
Association  of  America.  Ex-president 
of  Halevy  Choral  Society  of  New 
York.  ^lember  of  I.  O.  B.  B.  Agudath 
Zion;   Federation  of  Jewish   Charities. 

DAVID  S.  ROSENBAUM 

Residence,  St.  Francis  hotel,  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  Cunrauth,  Ba- 
varia, Germany,  July  14.  1843.  Son  of 
Samuel  Rosenbaum.  [Married  Emilie 
Hart  in  Stockton  in   1874.      (Deceased 


David  S.   Rosenbaum 

1915.)  Children,  Sol  Rosenbaum  (de- 
ceased), Mrs.  Carl  Triest  of  Los  Angeles, 
Mrs.  Eugene  ]\Ieyberg  of  Los  Angeles 
and  Mrs.  Jerome  W.Frank  of  New  York. 
Educated  in  his  native  town  and  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  moved  to  New  York, 
where  he  was  employed  in  the  factory 
of  his  uncle,  Philip  Frankenheimer. 
Subsequently  moved  to  Stockton, 
where  he  clerked  for  his  uncle,  B.  Fran- 
kenheimer. In  1869  he  established 
himself  in  the  general  mercantile  busi- 


222 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


ness  under  the  firm  name  of  D.  Rosen- 
baum,  which  business  developed  to 
large  proportions  and  in  which  he  con- 
tinued until  1914,  when  he  retired. 
In  1875  he  became  interested  in  the  ex- 
ploitation of  farming  and  grazing 
lands  and  owned  large  acreages  in  San 
Joaquin,  Stanislaus  and  ]\Ierced  coun- 
ties. In  1889  he,  together  with  P.  P. 
Eraser,  organized  the  Earmers'  &  Mer- 
chants' Bank  of  Stockton,  of  which 
bank  he  became  vice-president  until 
1910,  when  he  w^as  president,  retiring 
a  few  months  later.  Member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El  and  Stockton  Congregation 
(during  his  residence  there)  and  trustee 
of  that  synagogue,  trustee  of  Stockton 
Lodge,  I.  O.  B.  B. ;  member  of  San 
Erancisco  Eederation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties,  Concordia  Club. 


JOSEPH    HYMAN    ROSENBERG 

Residence,  1258  Eighteenth  avenue: 
office  7Z  Ellis  street,  San  Erancisco. 
Born   January   15,    1870,  in    Bromberg. 


Joseph  Hyman  Rosenberg 

Prussia.  Son  of  Hyman  and  Therese 
(Glicksman)  Rosenberg.  Married  Jan- 
uary 26,  1896.  to  Martha  Jacobs  of  San 
Erancisco.  Attended  the  Gymnasium  in 
Bromberg  to  lower  secunda.  which,  be- 
ing  promoted    in    1884,    entitled    him    to 


one  year  service  in  the  German  army. 
Learned  the  retail  linen  and  underwear 
business  in  Graudenz,  West  Prussia, 
for  three  years.  In  1887  moved  to 
Berlin,  where  he  resided  for  six  months 
in  the  same  business.  Six  months  in 
\A'ernigerode,  Germany.  Visited  Erank- 
fort  am  Main  for  three  months.  Eor  two 
years  in  woolen  and  underwear  business 
in  Hamburg.  For  six  months  in  Salt 
Lake  City.  Moved  to  San  Francisco  in 
February,  1892,  where  he  was  city  sales- 
man in  the  merchant  tailoring  busi- 
ness. From  1893  to  1904  member  of  the 
firm  of  Borck  &  Rosenberg,  merchant 
tailors.  He  conducted  his  business 
alone  until  1912,  when  the  firm  of 
Rosenberg,  Gabert  Company,  Inc.,  was 
incorporated,  which  continues  at  the 
present  time.  Member  of  Masonic 
order,  Montefiore  lodge,  I.  O.  B.  B., 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  Knights  of  Pythias,  East- 
ern Star ;  Past  Matrons'  &  Past  Pa- 
trons' Association  of  California,  Wood- 
men of  the  World,  National  Union, 
Eederation  of  Jewish  Charities,  Ohabai 
Shalome    Congregation. 


SAMUEL    ROSENHEIM 

Office,  1101-8  Chronicle  building, 
San  Francisco.  Born  November  17, 
1863,  at  Portland,  Ore.  Son  of  Aaron 
and  Pauline  (Schwab)  Rosenheim. 
Educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Ore- 
gon and  California.  Studied  law  in 
the  offices  of  ex-L^nited  States  At- 
torney-General George  H.  Williams, 
Portland,  Ore.,  who  was  then  associ- 
ated in  the  practice  of  law  with 
Henry  Ach  and  C.  E.  S.  Wood,  and 
later  in  San  Francisco  was  associated 
with  Albert  '\\.  Johnson,  brother  of 
Governor  Hiram  Johnson,  from  1906 
until  the  time  of  I\Ir.  Johnson's  death, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  associated 
with  Joseph  Rothschild  and  H.  B.  M. 
Miller.  Engaged  in  general  civil  prac- 
tice, making  a  specialty  of  trial  prac- 
tice. Has  been  connected  with  many 
noted   cases,   notably   representing   the 


WESTERN   JEWRY 


223 


able    and    fearless    lawyer    in    handling 


depositors  in  the  California  Safe  De-  and  jobbers  of  shoes.  In  1879  he  or- 
posit  &  Trust  Company  litigation.  He  ganized  the  firm  of  I.  L.  Rosenthal  & 
is  one  of  the  best-known  lawyers  in  Brother.  After  the  business  was  estab- 
California  and  has  a  reputation  as  an     lished   he   traveled   for    Martin,    Hecht 

&  Co. ;  later  represented  Buckingham 
&  Hecht,  where  he  was  employed  in 
the  Portland  agency,  traveling  through 
the  Northwest  for  that  firm.  The  firm 
of  I.  L.  Rosenthal  &  Brother  having 
grown  apace,  he  resigned  his  position 
and  returned  to  San  Francisco,  where 
he    devoted    his    energies    to    the    up- 


Samuel    Rosenheim 

all  matters.  He  represents  many  cor- 
porations. Handling  a  vast  number 
of  cases  in  the  last  thirty  years.  Mr. 
Rosenheim  has  never  taken  an  active 
interest  in  politics,  never  accepting  any 
public  office.  ^Member  of  Doric  Lodge, 
[Masonic  order;  Concordia  Club,  San 
Francisco   Bar   Association. 


ISAAC  L.  ROSENTHAL 

Residence,  1964  Pacific  avenue ;  of- 
fice 151  Post  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Beerfelden,  Hessen,  Germany, 
in  1855.  Son  of  Jacob  Hirsch  and 
Adelheid  (Kaufmann)  Rosenthal.  Mar- 
ried Amelia  Rosenthal  of  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1895.  Children,  Marian,  Elise 
and  Edel  Lucille.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  town. 
[Moved  to  the  United  States  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  and  after  eighteen  months 
residence  in  the  State  of  Virginia 
moved  to  San  Francisco  in  1873,  where 
he  clerked  for  Buckingham  &  Hecht 
and  Hecht  Bros  &  Co.,  manufacturers 


Isaac  L.   Rosenthal 

building  of  hi.^  own  business.  Subse- 
quently the  firm  was  incorporated  un- 
der the  firm  name  of  Rosenthal's,  Inc., 
of  which  concern  he  is  president,  con- 
ducting two  stores  in  San  Francisco, 
one  in  Oakland  and  one  in  Los  An- 
geles. Member  of  Temple  Emanu-El. 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities  and 
Concordia  Club.  One  of  the  founders, 
with  four  others,  of  the  [Merchants'  As- 
sociation, which  is  now  merged  with 
the  San  Francisco  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  one  of  its  original  directors. 


DANIEL  ROTH 

Residence,  San  Francisco;  office  214 
Front  street,  San  Francisco.  Born  in 
Boux wilier,    France,    February    1,    1841. 


224 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


Son  of  Salomon  and  Katherine  (Jacob) 
Roth.  Educated  in  the  primary  school 
and  college  of  his  native  city.  In  1858 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  he  came  to  the 
United  States  on  the  steamer  "Vanter- 
bilt,"  remaining  one  year  in  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  he  came  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  at  once  he  became  a  clerk 


Daniel   Roth 


with  the  firm  of  Verdier,  Scellier,  Kain- 
dler  &  Co.,  which  at  that  time  was  the 
largest  dry  goods  firm  in  San  Francisco 
and  still  in  existence  under  the  firm 
name  of  the  City  of  Paris.  Xot  con- 
tent to  work  for  other  people,  Air. 
Roth  after  one  year's  employment 
started  a  wholesale  furnishing  goods 
business  in  Portland,  Ore.,  in  partner- 
ship with  Bailey  Gatzert.  When  the 
gold  rush  started  in  Idaho  he,  like 
many  others,  got  the  fever ;  he  sent  a 
stock  of  goods  to  Idaho,  going  himself, 
establishing  there  a  successful  busi- 
ness. \\'hile  on  a  visit  to  his  parents 
in  France  in  1869  he  met  Jeannette 
Julie  Wolfif,  whom  he  later  married 
and,  having  sold  out  his  business  in 
Idaho,  he  established  himself  in  San 
Francisco  in  1874,  entering  the  pork 
and  beef  packing  business  of  Michels- 
sen.  Brown  &  Co.,  which  was  later 
merged   into   the    firm    of   Roth,    Blum 


Packing  Company,  which  is  continued 
to  date,  operated  by  Isidore  L.  Blum 
and  Lester  L.  Roth,  sons  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  firm.  The  firm  of  Roth, 
Blum  Packing  Company  established 
the  California  Tallow  Works,  of  which 
firm  ]\Ir.  Roth  is  president.  During 
the  last  twenty  years  they  have  en- 
gaged extensively  in  the  whaling  and 
trading  industries,  also  represented 
Russian  firms  for  many  years  as  pur- 
chasing agents  for  Siberia  and  Petro- 
grad.  Mr.  Roth  is  the  father  of 
Jeanne ;  Rennee,  wife  of  Manfred  Bran- 
denstein ;  Lester  L.  Roth.  For  many 
years  director  of  the  Eureka  Benev- 
olent Society,  and  of  the  board  of  gov- 
ernors of  Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum  and  Home  Society.  Member 
of  Temple  Emanu-El,  Federated  Jew- 
ish Charities,  Jewish  Consumptive  Re- 
lief Society  of  Denver,  'Jolo.,  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  Mercantile  Library,  Con- 
cordia Club  and  several  French  socie- 
ties.   

JOSEPH  M.  ROTHCHILD 

Office,  Mills  building,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  in 
1852.  Son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  Roth- 
child.  Educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Kentucky.  Attended  Yale  College, 
received  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  in  1871 
from  the  LIniversity  of  Kentucky.  En- 
gaged in  the  general  practice  of  law 
in  San  Francisco  since  graduation. 
Senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Roth- 
child,  Golden  &  Rothchild.  Married 
Adelaide  Marx,  June,  1875.  Children. 
Samuel  M.,  Mrs.  Irma  R.  Kohn  of 
Chicago  and  Herbert  L.  Member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El,  Federation  of  Jew- 
ish Charities,  San  Francisco  Bar  As- 
sociation.         

FRED  ROTH 

Residence,  1770  Pacific  avenue;  of- 
fice Mutual  Bank  building,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  April,  1855,  in  New  York 
City.  Son  of  Jacob  Roth.  His  edu- 
cation,   which    was    very    me.iger,    was 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


225 


received  in  New  York  and  at  the  age 
of  eleven  he  went  to  work  as  a  cash 
boy  in  a  store.  In  1877  went  into  the 
diamond  business  on  ISIaiden  Lane,  New 
York,  in  the  employ  of  Bruhl  &  Co.,  and 
remained  with  this  firm  for  seventeen 
vears,   until  they   went   out   of  business, 


Fred  Roth 

when  he  became  a  traveler  for  the  dia- 
mond firm  of  L.  &  M.  Kahn  &  Co. 
for  ten  years.  In  1911  he  moved 
to  San  Francisco,  where  he  be- 
came vice-president  of  the  firm  of 
yi.  Schussler  &  Co.,  wholesale  dia- 
monds, watches  and  jewelry.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1916,  he  became  president  of  th.it 
firm,  where  he  continues  to  date.  In 
1911  he  married  the  widow  of  the  late 
M.  Schussler.  Member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El,  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties, Associated  Charities,  Concordia 
Club,  San  Francisco  Civic  League  and 
other  organizations. 


JOHN  ROTHSCHILD 

Office,  Market  and  Spear  streets, 
San  Francisco.  Born  April  29,  1870, 
in  Hofgeismar,  Germany.  Son  of 
Samuel  and  Rosa  (Dannenbaum) 
Rothschild.  Married  in  1905  to  Grace 
Hecht    of    San    Francisco.      Two    chil- 


dren, Joan  Grace  Rothschild  and  John 
Rothschild,  Jr.  Educated  in  Germany, 
at  Gottingen.  He  had  planned  to  study 
law,  but  owing  to  the  death  of  his 
father  he  gave  up  school  and  went  into 
commercial  pursuits.  In  1888  he  came 
to  the  United  States,  locating  first  at 


John   Rothschild 

New  Orleans,  later  in  Vallejo  and  San 
Francisco,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business.  In  April,  1902, 
established  the  export  and  import  firm 
of  John  Rothschild  &  Co.,  with  direct 
branches  at  Bremerton,  Manila,  Hono- 
lulu, Guam  and  New  York,  and 
branches  all  over  the  world.  ]\Iember 
of  Beresford  Country,  Olympic,  Ar- 
gonaut and  Union  League  clubs ;  Ma- 
sonic order ;  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities;  member  of  the  California 
Promotion  Committee ;  California  De- 
velopment Board ;  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  an  officer  of  the  Musical 
Association  of  San  Francisco. 


JOSEPH  ROTHSCHILD 

Residence,  2424  Buchanan  street ; 
office  Chronicle  building,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  San  Francisco  October 
5,  1857.  Son  of  Henry  and  Hannah 
(Mossheim)    Rothschild.      Married    to 


226 


WESTERN   TEWRY 


Hannah  Kahn  Tauber  July  31,  1907. 
Educated  in  the  pubHc  and  high  schools 
of  San  Francisco.  Graduated  from 
Yale  University  in  1879.  Admitted  to 
the  bar  of  Supreme  Court  of  Con- 
necticut and  to  the  Supreme  Court  of 
California  in  1879,  United  States  Su- 
preme Court  in  1895.  Commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  San  Francisco  im- 
mediately upon  his  admission  to  the 
California  bar  and  in  March.  1911,  be- 


Joseph  Rothschild 


came  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Rothschild,  Rosenheim,  Schooler  & 
Miller,  which  continues  at  the  present 
time.  Member  of  Board  of  Education 
in  1889-90,  ex-president  of  the  Demo- 
cratic county  committee  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, vice-president  and  acting  chair- 
man of  the  Democratic  State  central 
committee  in  1902-1906.  President  since 
its  organization  of  the  South  of  Market 
Street  Improvement  Association,  mem- 
ber executive  committee  of  the  Civic 
League,  executive  committee  of  the 
Greater  San  Francisco  Committee, 
president  Exposition  Committee  of 
Improvement  Clubs.  On  March  6, 
1913,  elected  president  of  San  Fran- 
cisco Tunnel  League.  San  Francisco 
Chapter  Royal  Arch  Masons,  Doric 
Lodge,  No.  216,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  past  grand 


president  District  No.  4,  I.  O.  B.  B.; 
past  president  Free  Sons  of  Israel. 
Fourteen  years  one  of  the  judges  of 
the  Constitution  Grand  Lodge,  I.  O. 
B.  B. ;  for  ten  years  president  B'nai 
B'rith  Hall  Association.  Member  of 
N.  S.  G.  W.,  Concordia  and  Yale 
clubs.  Temple  Emanu-El,  Federation 
of  Jewish  Charities,  San  Francisco  Bar 

Association. 

MRS.  HENRY  SAHLEIN 

Mrs.     Henry    Sahlein,     daughter    of 

Philip    I.     Fisher,    was    born    in     San 

Francisco  and   educated   in   California. 

Married    in    San    Francisco    to    Henry 


Mrs.   Henry   Sahlein 

Sahlein.  Mrs.  Sahlein,  one  of  the  pro- 
moters of  the  San  Francisco  center  of 
the  California  Civic  League,  is  active 
in  the  woman's  sufifrage  movement  and 
was  selected  by  the  women  physicians 
of  the  San  Francisco  Children's  Hos- 
pital to  represent  them  on  the  board 
of  directors  for  1916.  Past  president 
and  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Philo- 
math Club,  one  of  the  first  members  of 
the  Woman's  Auxiliary  for  the  Cali- 
fornia Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Children;  resigned  in  1916 
Member  of  advisory  council  of  the  Ju- 
venile   Protective    Association    at    one 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


227 


time.  One  of  the  organizers  of  the 
People's  Philharmonic  Orchestra.  Pres- 
ident of  the  San  Francisco  District 
Council  of  Jewish  Women  in  1914-1915 
and  1915-1916.  Member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El  and  of  various  Jewish  or- 
ganizations.   

MAURICE  SALZMAN 
Office,  1015  \'an  Xuys  building,  Los 
Aneeles.  Born  in  Arizona  in  1885. 
Son  of  ]Max  Salzman.  Educated  at  the 
grammar  school  of  Williams,  Ariz.,  St. 
Matthews  Military  School,  San  Mateo; 


Maurice   Salzman 

graduate  of  the  Los  Angeles  High 
School.  Attended  Gymnasium  in  Ber- 
lin, Germany ;  attended  University  of 
Southern  California  for  two  years  and 
in  1911  received  degree  of  LL.  B.  from 
the  University  of  Southern  California 
law  school.  Admitted  to  the  bar  of 
California  in  that  year.  Commenced 
the  practice  of  law  in  the  office  of 
Oscar  Lawler  in  Los  Angeles  and  con- 
tinued there  for  two  years.  In  1914 
became  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Behymer,  Craig  &  Salzman,  where  he 
continues  at  the  present  time.  In 
1913  he  was  appointed  by  Governor 
George  \\'.  Hunt  commissioner  of 
deeds  of  Arizona.  Editor  of  the  "Border 


Magazine"  in  1909.  Member  of  B'nai 
B'rith  Congregation,  Masonic  order, 
Scottish  Rite,  Thirty-second  Degree ; 
Shriner.  Past  president  of  Los  An- 
geles Lodge,  No.  487,  I.  O.  B.  B. ;  one 
of  the  organizers  of  the  Jewish  Profes- 
sional Men's  Club  of  Los  Angeles. 
Member  of  the  Los  Angeles  Bar  Asso- 
ciation.   


LEONHARD  O.  SAMTER 

Residence,  2576  Washington  street ; 
office,  758  Mission  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Novem- 
ber 30,  1879.  Son  of  Louis  and  Han- 
nah (Fischer)  Samter.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  ^lemphis,  Tenn.,  and 
Urban  Academy  of  San  Francisco. 
Moved  to  San  Francisco  in  1898.  Di- 
rector L.  Samter  &  Sons  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  Member  of  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities  and  other  charitable 
organizations. 


MAURICE  L.  SAMTER 

Residence,  2576  Washington  street ; 
office,  758  Mission  street.  Born  in  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  September  28,  1882.  Son 
of  Louis  and  Hannah  (Fischer)  Sam- 
ter. Moved  to  San  Francisco  in  1898. 
Married  November  8,  1911,  to  Lucille 
Schloss.  Educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Memphis,  Tenn..  and  Lowell 
High  School,  San  Francisco.  Vice- 
president  and  secretary  of  L.  Samter  & 
Sons.  Member  of  the  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities  and  other  organiza- 
tions.   

SAMUEL  L.  SAMTER 

Residence,  2576  Washington  street ; 
office,  758  Mission  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  August 
27,  1876.  Son  of  Louis  and  Hannah 
(Fischer)  Samter.  Educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and 
Memphis,  Tenn.  Moved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1898.  President  of  L.  Samter 
&  Sons  at  the  present  time.  Mem- 
ber Temple  Emanu-El,  Federation  of 
Jewish   Charities  and   Argonaut   Club. 


228 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


BEN  SCHLOSS 

Residence,  226  Sixteenth  avenue : 
ofifice  42  Beale  street,  San  Francisco. 
Firm  name,  Schloss  Manufacturing 
Company,  sole  owner,  with  two  sons  in 
the  business.     Born  January   12,   1850, 


Ben  Schloss 

in  Troy,  N.  Y.  Son  of  Siegmund  and 
Regina  (Cahn)  Schloss.  Married  July 
14,  1878,  to  Elizabeth  Cohen  of  San 
Francisco.  Children,  Mrs.  Hugh 
Johns,  Mendel  J.  Schloss,  Mrs.  James 
Sanford  of  Sacramento,  Mrs.  Louis 
Constine  and  Sigmund  V.  Schloss. 
Educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools 
of  New  York  City.  At  the  age  of  fif- 
teen came  alone  to  San  Francisco  and 
shortly  afterwards  moved  to  Portland, 
Ore.,  where  he  was  employed  by  the 
wholesale  house  of  M.  Seller  &  Co.  as 
bookkeeper  and  afterwards  as  com- 
mercial traveler.  In  1867  he  had  his 
parents  and  four  sisters  come  to  the 
Coast  to  make  their  home  in  Portland, 
Ore.,  who  afterwards  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia. In  1871  he  returned  to  San 
Francisco,  later  beginning  as  commer- 
cial traveler  for  the  firm  of  Straus, 
Kohnstamm  &  Co.,  with  whom  he  con- 
tinued until  1882,  at  which  time  he 
organized  the  firm  of  Cerf,  Schloss  & 


Co.,  importers  of  crockery  and  glass- 
ware, which  business  was  continued 
for  fifteen  years.  Then  Mr.  Cerf  re- 
tired ;  the  firm  continued  under  the 
name  of  Schloss  Crockery  Company, 
which  continued  until  1912.  In  conse- 
quence of  his  invention  and  manufac- 
ture of  an  improved  fruit  jar,  called 
the  Golden  State  Jar,  the  firm  name 
changed  to  the  Schloss  Manufacturing 
Company,  he  still  continuing  as  the 
sole  owner.  Grand  president  of  Grand 
Lodge,  District  No.  4,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  in 
1906.  Vice-president  for  a  number  of 
years  and  now  president  of  Jewish 
Educational  Society,  president  of 
Young  Men's  Hebrew  Association  for 
several  years,  president  of  Traveling 
Men's  Congress  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
for  four  years.  V'ice-president  of  The 
Shelter,  member  of  subscription  com- 
mittee of  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties. Vice-president  of  Park  Richmond 
Improvement  Club.  Member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El  for  over  thirty  years.  San 
l-Vancisco  trustee  of  the  National  Hos- 
l^ital     for     Jewish     Consumptives     of 

Denver.  

JACOB  SCHLESINGER 

Residence,  1422  Courtland  street,  Los 
Angeles.  Born  in  Posen,  Germany,  in 
1844.  Son  of  Raphael  Schlesinger  and 
one  of  seventeen  children.  Educated  in 
Posen  and  in  1860  arrived  in  Los  An- 
geles, where  he  was  employed  until  1868, 
when  he  established  himself  in  busi- 
ness and  so  continued  until  1888,  when 
he  retired  from  active  business.  During 
the  Civil  War  he  went  to  New  York  to 
enlist  in  the  army,  but  not  being  able  to 
meet  the  physical  requirements  he  en- 
listed in  the  navy,  serving  on  the  "Poca- 
hontas" under  Admiral  Farragut  for  fif- 
teen months.  After  his  retirement  from 
the  navy  he  became  interested  in  Jewish 
philanthropic  work.  In  1878  he  married 
Henrietta  Newmark.  Member  of  He- 
brew Benevolent  Society  of  Los  An- 
geles of  which  he  served  first  as  secre- 
tary,   later   as   chairman    of   charity   and 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


99Q 


later  as  president.  During  that  time  he 
reaHzed  the  necessity  of  a  hospital  and 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  Kaspare 
Cohn  Hospital,  of  which  he  was  presi- 
dent for  several  years.  Member  of  Con- 
gregation B'nai  B'rith.  I.  O.  B.  B.,  Ma- 
sonic order.  Xoble  grand  of  Pomona 
Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  member  of  Federa- 
tion of  Jewish  Charities  and  G.  A.  R. 


line.  Moved  to  San  Francisco  at  the 
age  of  three  with  his  parents.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  San 
F"rancisco.  Graduated  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  California  in  1874  with  de- 
gree of  B.  A.,  and  graduated  from 
Columbia  University,  N.  Y.,  in  1876 
with  degree  of  LL.  B.     For  two  years  in 


GUSTAVE   SCHNEE 

Residence  and  office,  80  Silver  ave- 
nue,   San    Francisco.     Born    February 
28.  1870,  in  Galicia.     Son  of  Ueon  and 
Bassis    (Muhlstock)    Schnee.      Married 
July  16,  1892,  to  Sarah  Abrams.     Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
town  from  1874  to  1884,  and  by  private 
tutors  in  Hebrew  until  1886.     \A'as  en- 
gaged as  commercial  traveler  in  Galicia 
until     1889,    when    he    moved    to    the 
United  States  and  settled  in  San  Fran- 
cisco,   where    he    was    employed    until 
1891,  when  he  became  a  general  house 
painting  contractor  and  continued  suc- 
cessfully   in    that    business    until    1910. 
In      latter     years      he     was     appointed 
superintendent  of  the   Pacific   Hebrew 
Home    for    the    Aged,    where    he    con- 
tinues at  the  present  time.     President 
of   the    Sunnyside    Improvement    Clul) 
from    1895    to    1908;    president    of    the 
Federation    of    Mission    Improvement 
Clubs   for   four  years ;  life   member  of 
the   General   Contractors'  Association ; 
trustee  of  the  First  Hebrew  Benevolent 
Society  since  1902  ;  member  of  Federation 
of   Jewish    Charities :   Associated    Chari- 
ties :  Consumptives'  Hospital.  Denver :  F. 
&  A.  M. ;  Scottish  Rite  bodies.  Thirty- 
second  Degree  ;  Shriner  ;  San    Francisco 
Chapter   R.    A.    M.,   also   Council:    W. 
O.    W. ;    Maccabees ;    director    of     King 
Solomon's    Temple    Association    since 

1904.  

SIMON  C.  SCHEELINE 
Residence,  San  Francisco.  Born  in 
Pennsylvania  December  31,  185.3,  son 
of  Nathan  Scheeline.  Married  Belle 
Claire  Fleishhacker  of  San  Francisco 
in  1895.   One  daughter,  Claire  J.  Schee- 


Simon  C.   Scheeline 

the  office  of  Judge  Cardoza,  New  York. 
In  1878  he  returned  to  San  Francisco 
and  formed  a  partnership  with  Judge 
Rosenbaum  under  tlie  firm  name  of 
Rosenbaum  &  Scheeline  (the  firm, 
which  was  an  authority  on  bonds), 
continued  until  the  death  of  Judge 
Rosenbaum  in  1905.  He  continued  the 
practice  of  his  profession  alone  until 
1913.  when  he  retired.  Member  of 
Democratic  State  convention  in  1897 ; 
member  of  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties ;  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  National  Union;  San 
Francisco  County  Bar  Association; 
San  Francisco  Commercial.  Argonaut 
and  Beresford  Country  clubs  ;  Chamber 
of  Commerce. 


LOUIS   SCHOENBERG 

Residence,  2010  Pacific  avenue;  of- 
fice Second  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  February  2,  1859.  in  Germany. 
Married  Pauline  Morganthau,  daughter 


230 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


of  Max  Morganthau,  one  of  the  Cali- 
fornia pioneers,  in  1890.  Arrived  in 
New  York  at  the  age  of  two  and  was 
educated  in  the  New  York  public  and 
private  schools.  He  engaged  in  business 
in  New  York  until  1874,  when  he  came 
to  California,  where  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  commercial  pursuits.  Member 
of  Congregation  Emanu-El,  I.  O.  B.  B., 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities. 


LOUIS  A.  SCHWABACHER 

Residence,  St.  Francis  hotel;  office 
214  Front  street,  San  Francisco.  Born 
in  1869  in  San  Francisco.  Son  of 
Abraham  and  Sarah  (Lehrberger) 
Schwabacher.         ^Married       December, 


Louis   A.    Schwabacher 

1914,  to  Mrs.  Joseph  M.  Loewe  of  San 
Francisco.  Educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  San  Francisco ;  later  at  col- 
lege in  Leipsic  and  a  year  in  Paris.  On 
his  return  from  abroad  entered  the 
Stockton  Milling  Company  and  was 
one  of  the  managers  when  that  con- 
cern retired  from  business.  At  pres- 
ent he  is  director  in  the  various  Schwa- 
bacher interests  in  the  State  of  Wash- 
ington. Member  of  the  board  of  gov- 
ernors of  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties ;  one  of  the  founders  of  that  or- 
ganization.    Director  Mount  Zion   Hos- 


pital, Hebrew  Home  for  Aged  Disabled, 
president  Concordia  Club  until  June, 
1916.  secretary  Beresford  Country  Club, 
member  Congregation  Emanu-El. 


SIGMUND   SCHWABACHER 

Residence,  1900  Jackson  street,  San 
Francisco.  Born  in  Zirndorf,  Bavaria, 
Germany,  May  14,  1841.  Son  of  Loew 
and  Mina  (Bloch)  Schwabacher.  Mar- 
ried to   Rose  Schwabacher  March   15, 


Sigmund   Schwabaclier 

1871.  Educated  in  the  public  and 
Hebrew  schools  of  his  native  town  and 
Koenigliche  Handelschule,  Fuerth, 
Bavaria.  Moved  to  the  United  States 
in  1858,  and  resided  in  New  York  un- 
til 1859,  when  he  moved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  in  September  of  that  year 
located  in  Portland,  Oregon.  In  1861 
moved  to  The  Dalles,  Oregon,  and  in 
1866  to  Walla  Walla,  Washington 
Territory,  where,  with  his  brothers, 
Louis  and  Abraham,  he  established  the 
firm  of  Schwabacher  Bros.  &  Co,  which 
concern  is  identified  with  the  manu- 
facturing and  commercial  industries  of 
Walla  \\'alla  and  Seattle.  In  1873  the 
firm  engaged  in  flour-milling  in  Walla 
Walla  and  in  California  ten  years  later ; 
in  the  paper  manufacturing  business  in 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


131 


Oregon  in  1889  and  in  California  in 
1899.  Since  1911  Sigmund  Schwa- 
bacher  has  retired  from  active  business. 
Member  of  Temple  Emanu-El ;  di- 
rector Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties ;  trustee  Pacific  Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum  and  Home  Society ;  vice-presi- 
dent Eureka  Benevolent  Society  ;  treas- 
urer Hebrew  Board  of  Relief ;  First 
Hebrew  Benevolent  Society  and  other 
organizations. 


DR.  MELVILLE  SILVERBERG 

Residence,  3817  Jackson  street;  of- 
fice, 1019  Head  building,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  1876  in  San  Francisco. 
Son  of  Simon  and  Jeanette  (  Bachman) 
Silverberg.  Married  December  2,  1906, 
to  Augusta  Abenheim  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  San  Francisco.  Received 
degree  of  A.  B.  in  1897  from  University 
of  California ;  degree  of  M.  D.  in  1902 
from  Johns  Hopkins  University,  Balti- 
more, Md.  Surgical  assistant  in  Mt. 
Sinai  Hospital,  New  York  in  1903-04. 
Post-graduate  course  in  Europe  in 
190-1-05.  Commenced  the  practice  of 
medicine,  specializing  as  genito-uri- 
nary  surgeon  in  San  Francisco  Decem- 
ber 1,  1905.  Professor  in  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons,  San  Fran- 
cisco ;  consulting  urologist  Mount  Zion 
Hospital ;  visiting  genito-urinary  sur- 
geon San  Francisco  County  Hospital. 
^Member  of  Union  League  ai?d  Com- 
monwealth clubs :  American  Urologi- 
cal  Association ;  California  and  San 
Francisco  County  Medical  Societies, 
and  American  Medical  Association ; 
honorary  member  Alpha  Phi  Sigma ; 
Jewish  Medical  Students'  Fraternity, 
and  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities. 


SIG  SIMON 

Residence,  1142  Jackson  street;  of- 
fice 1636  Bryant  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  April  17,  1866,  in  Joehlingen, 
Baden,  Germany  Son  of  Jesias  and 
Helena  (Wolfif)  Simon.     Married  Sep- 


tember 4,  1892,  to  Ida  Jacobson.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Ger- 
many. Moved  to  the  United  States  in 
May,  1883 ;  settled  in  Selma,  Ala., 
where  he  learned  the  butcher  business 
and  for  one  year  was  in  the  employ  of 
Koenigsthal  Brothers,  after  which  he 
resided  one  year  in  Tupelo,  Miss.,  and 


Sig.    .-iiii.i;. 

for  several  months  in  Louisville,  Ky., 
when  he  returned  to  Selma  and  estab- 
lished a  butcher  business  for  himself. 
He  sold  out  this  business  to  open  a  fur- 
niture store  in  Montgomery,  Ala.,  in 
1890,  which  he  continued  until  1906, 
when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco,  (in 
the  meantime  he  established  two  retail 
stores  in  ^lontgomery,  Ala. )  and  on 
arrival  organized  with  M.  Spiegelman 
the  Continental  Bedding  Manufac- 
turing Company,  furniture  and  bedding 
manufactory,  which  continues  now. 
Member  of  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties and  other  charitable  organizations. 


HENRY  SINSHEIMER 

Office,  110  Market  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  Germany  in  1854.  Son 
of  Zachary  Sinsheimer.  Married  Net- 
tie Koshland,  daughter  of  Simon  Kosh- 
land  in  1881.  Two  children,  Stanley 
and      Edgar.       Educated      in      private 


22>2 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


schools  in  Germany.  After  leaving 
school  was  employed  as  a  clerk  until 
1871,  when  he  moved  to  New  York, 
where  he  clerked  in  the  mercantile 
business  until  1874.  Moved  to  San 
Francisco,  where  he  was  employed  by 
Koshland  Bros.,  wool  merchants,  later 
becoming-  a  member  of  the  firm  of  S. 
Koshland  &  Co.,  where  he  continues  at 


Henry  Sinsheimer 

the  present  time.  President  of  the 
Hebrew  Board  of  Relief  for  over  ten 
years ;  president  Eureka  Benevolent 
Society  for  over  ten  years ;  member  of 
board  of  governors,  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities,  past  president  and 
past  vice-president  of  that  organiza- 
tion ;  trustee  and  treasurer  of  Remedial 
Loan  Society;  vice-president  Mer- 
chants' Exchange ;  member  of  Temple 
Emanu-El  and  Concordia  Club. 


later  entered  business  with  his  father  in 
the  Alaska  Commercial  Company.  In 
1885  elected  director  of  that  company, 
and  in  1902  elected  vice-president. 
When  the  Northern  Commercial  Com- 
pany was  formed  in  1901  he  was  elected 
president  of  that  company.  Trustee  Le- 
land  Stanford,  Junior,  University ;  vice- 
president  Panama-Pacific  International 
Exposition  ;  director  of  California  Soci- 
ety of  Pioneers  ;  Merchants"  Exchange  ; 
member  of  Board  of  Directors  Congre- 
gation Emanu-El  for  a  number  of  years ; 
INIember  of  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties ;  Family,  Bohemian,  Olympic.  Ar- 
gonaut, Presidio  Golf,  Transportation 
and  San  Francisco  Commercial  clubs. 


LEON  SLOSS 

Office.  Alaska  Commercial  building, 
San  Francisco.  Born  in  Sacramento 
Tune  26,  1858.  Son  of  Louis  and  Sarah 
(Greenebaum)  Sloss.  Married  Bertha 
Greenewald  in  1887.  Children  :  Louise, 
Louis,  Jr.,  and  Leon,  Jr.  Educated  in 
the  schools  of  California  ;  three  years  at 
schools  of  Frankfort,  Germany;  Univer- 
sity   of    California,    class    of    1879.      He 


MARCUS  C.  SLOSS 

Residence,  840  Powell  street ;  office, 
Wells  Fargo  building,  San  Francisco. 
Born  February  28,  1869.  in  New  York. 
Son  of  Louis  and  Sarah  (Greenebaum) 
Sloss.     Married  June  19,  1899,  to  Hat- 


Marcus   C.    Sloss 

tie  L.  Hecht  of  Boston,  Mass.  Three 
children,  Margaret,  Richard  and  Frank. 
Educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  San  Francisco,  also  Belmont 
School.  Received  degree  of  A.  B.  in 
1890  from  Harvard  University  and  in 
1893    received    degrees    of    A.    M.    and 


WESTERN    TEWRY 


233 


LL.  B.  from  that  institution.  Ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  California  in  1893.  Member  of  the 
firm  of  Chickering,  Thomas  &  Gregory 
until  he  was  elected  judge  of  the 
Superior  Court  of  San  Francisco 
county  in  November,  1900.  term  com- 
mencing January  1,  1901,  which  office 
he  held  until  February,  1906,  when  he 
was  appointed  justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  California  to  fill  the  vacancy 
caused  by  the  death  of  Justice  Van 
Dyke.  In  November,  1906,  elected  to 
that  office  for  the  remainder  of  the 
term.  In  November.  1910,  re-elected 
to  that  office  for  a  full  term  of  twelve 
years,  commencing  January,  1911. 
President  of  the  Pacific  Hebrew  Or- 
phan Asylum  and  Home  Society  ;  direc- 
tor of  Mount  Zion  hospital ;  member  of 
American  Jewish  Committee  for  many 
years ;  member  of  board  of  governors 
of  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities : 
member  of  board  of  trustees  San 
Francisco  Public  Library ;  member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El ;  member  of  Bo- 
hemian, Family,  Presidio  Golf,  Com- 
monwealth, Argonaut  and  Harvard 
clubs  of  San   Francisco. 


in  San  Francisco,  retail  shoe  business, 
which  he  continues  at  the  present 
time.     Member  of  Federation  of   Tew- 


MAX  SOMMER 

Residence,  736  Ashbury  street ;  of- 
fice 838  Market  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  June  6,  1866,  in  Hainstadt,  Ba- 
den, Germany.  Son  of  Seligman  and 
Fannie  (Reiss)  Sommer.  ^Married 
July  5,  1896,  to  Flora  Lemle.  Two 
children,  Herbert  and  Florence.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  school  of  Hain- 
stadt, high  school  of  Buchen,  college 
at  Mannheim,  Germany.  Clerk  in  l)ank 
at  Mannheim  until  1883.  when  he 
moved  to  Baker  City,  Ore.  Subse- 
quently he  moved  to  Weiser,  Idaho, 
where  he  was  in  the  general  merchan- 
dise business  from  1886  to  1888.  Com- 
mercial traveler  for  Stiner,  Straus  & 
Hyman,  San  Francisco,  from  1888  to 
1894.  During  the  latter  year  organ- 
ized the  firm  of  Sommer  &  Kaufifmann 


Ma.x  Sommer 

ish  Charities,  Associated  Charities, 
Masonic  order,  Scottish  Rite  bodies, 
Shriner,  Rotary  Club,  Advertising 
Men's    Association    and    Downtown    A.s- 

sociation.        

MORRIS  SPIEGELMAN 
Residence,  1646  Sanchez  street;  of- 
fice 1636  Bryant  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  July  4,  1872  in  Warsaw.  Son  of 
Elieser  and  Mariem  (WolfT)  Spiegel- 
man.  Married  January  8,  1895,  to 
Helene  Schafir  of  Warsaw.  Educated 
in  private  schools  in  Warsaw,  thorough 
education  in  Hebrew  and  Talmud,  also 
in  Polish,  Russian  and  English.  Grad- 
uated in  1889  from  the  City  Business 
College  of  Warsaw  as  bookkeeper.  In 
wholesale  lumber  business  in  Warsaw, 
second  largest  in  that  city.  Moved  to 
New  York  in  September,  1899,  and  the 
following  year  went  to  Montgomery. 
Ala.,  where  he  entered  the  dry  good> 
business  and  continued  until  May. 
1906.  when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco, 
where  with  very  little  capital  he  started 
the  mattress  business,  and  with  Sig 
Simon      organized      the      Continental 


234 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


Bedding  Manufacturing  Company, 
which  continues  at  the  present  time. 
He  owns  one-half  of  the  capital  stock 
of  that  company.  He  now  has  a  good 
many  other  interests  in  oil  and  real  es- 


Morris    Spiegelman 

tate.     He  takes  an  active  interest  in  all 
Jewish  afifairs. 

Has  brought  out  his  immediate 
family  to  the  number  of  seventy  and 
all  being  taken  care  of  by  him.  ]Most 
of  them  are  being  employed  by  him. 
Member  Congregation  B'nai  David,  Fed- 
eration of  Jewish  Charities.  Hebrew  Im- 
migrant Aid  Society,  Hebrew  Shelter,  I. 

0.  B.  B.,  past  president  Free  Loan  So- 
ciety.   • 

LOUIS  MARTIN  SPIEGL 
Residence,  121  Jordan  avenue;  of- 
fice 200  Washington  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  October  1,  1862,  in  New- 
York  City.  Son  of  Jacob  and  Mary 
(Klauber)  Spiegl.  Married  in  1895  to 
Fannie  Hardman.  Four  children, 
Ralph  A.,  Melville  K.,  Ellis  H.,  Ernest 

1.  Educated  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  New  York.  After  leaving 
school  in  1880  moved  to  San  Diego, 
Cal.,  where  he  remained  for  three  years, 
then  removed  to  Portland,  Ore.,  where 
he    was    in    business    with    his    father 


under  the  firm  name  of  J.  Spiegl  &  Son. 
In  1885  formed  the  wholesale  produce 
firm  of  Levy  &  Spiegl,  which  continues 
at  the  present  time.  In  1900  moved 
to  San  Francisco,  where  he  entered 
the  field  of  produce  broker,  acting  as 
buyer  for  the  Portland  house.  In 
1906  became  a  member  of  the  produce 
firm  of  A.  Levy  &  J.  Zentner  Com- 
pany, of  which  firm  he  is  now  secre- 
tary. This  firm  has  branch  houses  in 
Oakland  and  Stockton.  Member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El,  Masonic  order. 
Federation  of  Jewish   Charities. 


THEODORE  P.   SPITZ 

Residence,  New  York  City.  Born  in 
Bangor,  Maine,  May  31,  1854.  Mar- 
ried Mary  E.  Smith  in  Portland,  Ore., 
February  23,  1888.  Graduate  of  the 
Male  Central  High  School,  Baltimore, 


Theodore   P.    Spitz 

Md.  After  leaving  school  was  en- 
gaged in  the  retail  dry  goods  business 
in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  for  one  year;  subse- 
quently eighteen  months  in  Chicago, 
when  he  moved  to  New  York,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  commercial  pur- 
suits. In  1873  moved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  was  commercial  trav- 
eler for  Son  Bros.  &  Co.  for  a  number 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


235 


of  years.  Subsequently  for  a  number 
of  years  in  a  like  position  with  Brown 
Bros.  &  Co.,  wholesale  clothing.  In 
1893  was  representative  of  the  Trav- 
elers' Protective  Association  to  the 
World's  Fair  at  Chicago ;  in  the  same 
year  was  delegate  from  that  organiza- 
tion at  Peoria,  111.  In  1893  he  moved 
to  New  York  City,  when  he  became 
president  of  the  Travelers'  Protective 
Association  New  York  State  division, 
which  office  he  held  for  seven  consecu- 
tive years.  For  a  number  of  years 
American  representative  for  several 
German  cutlery  concerns.  In  1897  ap- 
pointed manager  of  Otto  Heinze  & 
Co.,  New  York  manufacturers  of 
hosiery,  and  in  1900  established  the 
Manhattan  Textile  Company,  manu- 
facturers ;  agent  and  manufacturers' 
agent  of  hosiery,  of  which  concern  he 
is  president.  For  the  past  eighteen 
years  selling  agent  of  the  Standard 
Hosiery  Company.  Member  of  various 
New  York  Jewish  charitable  organiza- 
tions. 

ADOLPH  STAHL 

Residence,  1880  Jackson  street,  San 
Francisco ;  office  Guatemala,  Central 
America.  Born  in  Kempen,  Germany, 
January  18,  1859.  Son  of  I.  L.  and 
Augusta  (Wartenberg)  Stahl.  Married 
to  Rosa  Cohen  July  5,  1887.  Three  chil- 
dren, John,  Lionel  and  Beatrice.  Edu- 
cated in  private  and  public  schools  of 
Kempen,  Germany.  Later  the  Gymna- 
sium, where  he  remained  until  he 
reached  secunda.  After  leaving  school 
he  clerked  and  in  1875  he  moved  to  the 
United  States,  arriving  in  San  Francisco 
in  March  of  that  year.  Subsequently  he 
moved  to  San  Luis  Obispo,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  commercial  pursuits.  In 
May,  1879,  he  moved  to  Guatemala, 
where  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Schwartz  &  Co.,  bankers  and  ex- 
porters. In  1883  established  a  San 
Francisco  branch  under  the  firm  name 
of  Schwartz  Brothers.     For  many  years 


he  has  been  the  chief  partner  of  these 
firms.  He  is  the  first  director  of  the 
Bank  of  Guatemala  (government  bank), 
director  Anglo-California  Trust  Com- 
pany. Director  Mt.  Zion  Hospital.  Mem- 
ber of  Temple  Emanu-El,  Sherith  Israel 


Adolph   stahl 

Congregation,  member  of  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities  and  other  charitable  or- 
ganizations. For  many  years  he  has 
maintained  charitable  and  religious  or- 
ganizations in  Kempen,  Germany.  Mem- 
ber of  Argonaut,  Concordia  and  Press 
clubs. 


EDWARD  J.  STARK 

Born  in  1858  in  Hohenems,  Austria. 
Son  of  Cantor  Joseph  and  Josepha  ( Pol- 
lak)  Stark.  Studied  music  and  singing 
under  his  father,  who  was  a  pupil  of  the 
celebrated  Cantor  Salomon  Sulzer  of 
Vienna.  Came  to  California  in  1893,  pur- 
suant to  a  call  to  serve  as  cantor  of  Temple 
Fmanu-El  of  San  Francisco.  Held  po- 
sition for  twenty-three  years  and  was  re- 
tired on  pension  owing  to  ill  health. 
Cantor  Stark  has  composed  and  pub- 
lished several  volumes  of  temple  music 
and  is  one  of  the  best  known  cantors  in 
the  L^nited  States. 


236 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


DAVID  H.  STEINER 

Residence,  151  Fourteenth  avenue;  of- 
fice 59  Stockton  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  June  25,  1880,  in  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Son  of  Simon  and  Rebecca  (Wertheim) 
Steiner.      Married    March    10,    1912.    to 


Da\  111    H-   .-itpiiier 

Mable  Coblentz.  Educated  in  the  St. 
Louis  Grammar  School ;  attended  high 
school  one  year  and  one  year  attended 
business  college.  Associated  with  his 
father  in  St.  Louis  in  the  railroad  tourist 
business,  having  charge  of  one  of  the  of- 
fices. Handled  two  offices  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three,  with  a  large  force  of  men 
under  his  direction.  IVloved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco in  April,  1908,  where  he  estab- 
lished himself  in  the  clothing  business. 
At  the  present  time  he  is  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  California  Credit  Clothing 
Company  at  59  Stockton  street.  People's 
Credit  Clothing  Company  at  327  Kearny 
street,  ^Mission  Credit  Clothing  Company 
at  2330  Mission  street.  He  is  very  suc- 
cessful, doing  a  large  business,  employ- 
ing quite  a  number  of  people.  Member  of 
Federation  of  Jewish  Charities,  Mount 
Zion  Hospital,  San  Francisco  Commer- 
cial Club,  Indoor  Yacht  Club,  member 
of  Greater  San  Francisco  Association, 
Downtown  &  Mission  Promotion  Asso- 
ciations and  Chamber  of  Commerce. 


IRVING  LELAND  STEINMAN 

Office,   Hooker  &  Lent  building,   San 
Francisco.   Born  August  28,  1878,  in  Sac- 
ramento. Cal.     Son  of  B.  U.  and  Fanny 
(  Sachs )    Steinman.       Married    May   27, 
1908,  to  Olga  Friedman.   Attended  public 
and  high  schools  of  Sacramento.     Grad- 
uate of  Atkinson's   Business   College  of 
Sacramento.      After   leaving  school   was 
in   the   employ   of  the    Farmers'   &   Me- 
chanics'   Savings    Bank    of    Sacramento 
for  eighteen   months.     Went  to   Europe 
for  ten  months  with  his  father ;  upon  his 
return  he  commenced  the  business  of  in- 
troducing  electric   pianos   in    San    Fran- 
cisco under  the  firm  name  of  the  Pom- 
mer,    Eilers    Company,    which   continued 
until  the  fire  of  1906.  when  he  became  a 
member  of  the  firm  of   Upton  Bros.   & 
Dalzelle,    printers,    where    he    continued 
for  four  years,  then  he  became  a  member 
of  the  advertising  firm  of  Honig  Adver- 
tising   Company,     where     he    continued 
until   February,    1915,   since   which   time 
has  conducted  the  Owl  Publishing  Com- 
pany and  writing  books  on  topics  pertain- 
ing to  psychology.     Author  of  "Formula 
of     Success,"     "Origin     of     Thought." 
"Ideal   or    Purpose,"    and    a    number   of 
short  stories.     Secretary  of  P.  C.  Numis- 
matic   Society.      In    August,    1915,    ap- 
pointed district  secretary  for  California, 
Nevada,    Oregon    and    Washington    for 
American        Numismatic        Association. 
Member  of   San    Francisco    Press   Club, 
San    Francisco   Commercial   Club,    Scot- 
tish Rite  bodies  of  Masonic  order.  Thirty- 
second    Degree,     Federation    of    Jewish 

Charities.      

MOSES  STERN 
Residence,  3363  Washington  street ; 
ofiice  1040  McAllister  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  New  York  March  3. 
1858.  Son  of  Falk  and  Minna  (Kahn) 
Stern.  Married  Rose  Patek  June  1, 
1888.  Children,  Mrs.  Henry  Hart,  Mrs. 
Monroe  Jacobs  and  Margaret  Stern. 
Educated  in  the  public  schools  of  New 
York.     Bookkeeper  for  five  years  in  New 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


1Z7 


York.  Moved  to  San  P>ancisco  at  the 
ag-e  of  twenty  and  in  1879  formed  part- 
nership with  EHas  Heineman  under  the 
firm   name   of  Heineman   &   Stern,   beef 


the  hoHdays.  In  1889  he  moved  to  San 
Francisco,  where  he  subsequently  estab- 
lished himself  in  the  iron  and  metal  busi- 
ness, and  the  firm  of  Sugarman  Iron  & 


Moses  Stern 

packers,  wholesale  and  retail,  which  con- 
tinues at  the  present  time.  Member  of 
Temple  Emanu-El,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  Free 
Sons    of    Israel.    Federation    of    Jewish 

Charities.        

ABRAHAM  G.  SUGARMAN 
Residence,  3639  Seventeenth  street ; 
office  613-17  Brannan  street.  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  Lebedova,  \'ilna,  Poland, 
in  1862.  Son  of  Isaac  and  Fannie 
(Gette)  Sugarman.  IMarried  in  \"ilna, 
Poland,  to  Sarah  Balia  in  1883.  Six 
children,  Bennie,  Isaac,  Hirsch,  Fanny- 
Rosa,  Malka  and  Riva.  Educated  in 
Poland  and  for  six  years  studied  the 
Talmud.  When  he  was  nineteen  years 
of  age  he  became  a  teacher  of  Hebrew. 
About  two  years  after  his  marriage  he 
moved  to  the  United  States  and  settled 
in  Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  where  he  taught 
Hebrew  for  nearly  a  year  when,  owing 
to  ill  health  he  moved  to  Kansas,  where 
he  became  a  farmer.  Later  he  merchan- 
dised for  two  years  in  Kansas.  During 
his  residence  in  Wichita,  Kansas,  he  was 
the  first  to  hold  orthodox  services  during 


Abraham   G.    Sugarman 

!Metal  Company  continues  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  One  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Hebrew  Free  Loan  Society,  past  presi- 
dent Chevra  Kadusha  Society.  One  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Congregation  B'nai 
David,  member  of  the  Hebrew  Home  for 
the  Aged,  I.  O.  B.  B.  and  I.  O.  O.  F. 


ALEXANDER   S.  TUCHLER 

Residence  and  office,  703  \'an  Xess 
avenue,  San  Francisco.  Born  Septem- 
ber 4,  1859,  in  Konitz,  West  Prussia. 
Son  of  Meyer  and  Pauline  (Funken- 
stein )  Tuchler.  Moved  to  California  Oc- 
tober, 1868.  Married  September  17, 
1905.  to  Wilhelmina  Brown.  Educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  San  Francisco, 
Lincoln  Grammar  and  High  schools. 
Graduate  of  California  ]\Iedical  College. 
San  Francisco,  November  23.  1892.  En- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  San 
Francisco  since  1892.  Appointed  dean  of 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
of  the  medical  department,  Lnited  States 
National  University  in  April,  1915.  Has 
devoted  his  studies  and  practice  to  elec- 


238 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


tro-therapeutics  and  at  the  present  time 
has  perfected  this  branch  of  medicine  to 
such  an  extent  that  he  is  enabled  to  save 
patients  from  surgical  operations  when 
the  disease  has  not  advanced  too  far. 
Read  paper  on,  "The  Prevention  of 
Operations  in  the  Female  by  High  Fre- 


Alexander  S.  Tuchler 

quency  Currents,"  at  the  California 
Medical  Society,  1914,  and  many  other 
papers  on  the  subject  of  preventative 
surgery. 

Trustee  Congregation  Ohabai  Sha- 
lome.  Member  of  Associated  Charities, 
Jewish  Federation  of  Charities,  Hebrew 
Orphan  Asylum,  Shelter  &  Free  Loan 
Society,  Young  Men's  Hebrew  Associa- 
tion, I.  O.  B.  B.,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Woodmen  of  the  World.  Con- 
tributor to  medical  magazines  on  electro- 
therapeutics.   

HERMAN    WALDECK 

Residence,  1902  Broderick  street ;  of- 
fice Front  and  Jackson  streets,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Married  Amy  Wangenheim, 
daughter  of  Sol  Wangenheim,  in  1889. 
Born  in  Frankfort  am  Main  in  1862.  Son 
of  Simon  Waldeck.  Graduate  of  Gymna- 
sium in  Frankfort,  after  which  time  he 
served  his  apprenticeship  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
moved  to  Chicago,  remaining  there  six 


months,  after  which  time  he  moved  to 
San  Francisco.  A  year  later  he  moved 
to  Oregon,  where  for  three  years  in 
Sommerville  and  Elgin  he  was  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business.  Returning 
to  San  Francisco  he  engaged  in  the  hide, 
leather  and  wooi  business  under  the  firm 


Herman   Waldeck 

name  of  Herman  Waldeck  Company. 
In  1901  this  firm  was  amalgamated  with 
Bissinger  &  Co.  and  he  is  now  secretary 
and  director  of  the  latter  firm.  Vice- 
president  Pacific  Sanitary  Manufacturing 
Company.  Member  of  Congregation 
Emanu-El ;  Concordia,  Argonaut  and 
San  Francisco  Commercial  clubs.  Mer- 
chants' Exchange,  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities.         

CLARENCE  R.  WALTER 

Oftice,'100  Stockton  street.  Born  June 
2,  1870,  in  San  Francisco.  Son  of  David 
N.  and  Hannah  (Smith)  Walter.  Mar- 
ried 1898  to  Rosalie  Neustadter  of  San 
Francisco.  Three  children,  Dorothy,  Mil- 
dred, Rosalie.  Graduate  of  public  schools 
of  San  Francisco.  Attended  Belmont 
School,  schools  in  Frankfort  on  Main, 
Germany.  Graduate  of  Harvard  in 
1890  with  degree  of  A.  B.  After 
graduation  spent  one  year  on  a  cattle 
ranch,    after    which    he    became    asso- 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


239 


ciated  with  the  firm  of  D.  N.  &  E. 
Walter  &  Co.,  and  is  vice-president  oi 
that  firm  at  the  present  time.  Director 
of  Congregation  Emanu-El ;  member 
of  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities ; 
Harvard  Chib,  Argonant,  Beresford 
Country,  Union  League,  and  Atherton 
Golf  and  Countrv  clubs. 


ISAAC   N.   WALTER 

Residence,  1803  Franklin  street ;  of- 
fice, (3'Farrell  and  Stockton  streets. 
Born  in  Reckendorf,  Bavaria,  Germany, 
1844.  Married  Caroline  Greenebaum  of 
Philadelphia,  1876.  Children,  Edgar 
Walter,  John  I.  Walter,  Mrs.  Edgar 
Sinsheimer.  Educated  in  Bavaria  and 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  arrived  in  New 
York.  Subsequently  he  moved  to  San 
Francisco,  where  he  became  associated 
with  his  brothers  in  the  furniture  and 
carpet  business  under  the  firm  of  D.  N. 
&  E.  Walter,  which  has  developed  to 
large  proportions,  with  branches  in 
Portland,  Seattle  and  Los  Angeles  and 
eastern  offices  in  New  York,  of  which 
concern  he  is  the  president.  Director 
of  German  Savings  &  Loan  Society ; 
member  of  Temple  Emanu-El  for  many 
years,  and  director  from  1880  to  1884. 
Member  of  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties and  other  organizations. 


JOHN  ISIDOR  WALTER 

Residence,  2231  Clay  street;  office,  100 
Stockton  street,  San  Francisco.  Born 
September  11,  1879,  in  San  Francisco. 
Son  of  Isaac  Nathan  and  Caroline 
(Greenebaum)   Walter. 

Married  February  28,  1907,  to  Flor- 
ence Schwartz  of  San  Francisco.  Three 
children,  John  L,  Jr.,  Eleanor  and 
Marjorie  Pearl.  Educated  at  Pacific 
Heights  Grammar  School,  Lowell  High 
School,  Leland  Stanford  University,  A. 
B.,  1899,  when  he  entered  the  firm  of 
D.  N.  &  E.  Walter  &  Co.  Treasurer  of 
D.  N.  &  E.  Walter  &  Co. 

Director  of  the   Oakland,   Antioch   & 


Eastern  Railway  Company ;  Walter  Real 
Estate  Company ;  vice-president  of  Ne- 
vada County  Narrow  Gauge  Railway 
Company ;  secretary  Down-Town  Asso- 
ciation, 1910  to  1913  ;  trustee  of  the  So- 
ciety   for   the    Prevention   of   Cruelty  to 


John   Isidor   Walter 

Animals  ;  president  of  San  Francisco  In- 
stitute of  Art  (formerly  Mark  Hopkins 
Institute).  Member  of  the  Argonaut, 
Olympic,  Family  and  Commonwealth 
Clubs ;  member  of  Beresford  Country 
Club ;  member  of  Federation  of  Hebrew 
Charities,  Associated  Charities,  Chil- 
dren's Hospital,  San  Francisco  Associa- 
tion for  the  Blind,  California  Society 
Cruelty  to  Children,  California  Society 
for  Exceptional  Children,  National  Jew- 
ish Hospital  for  Tuberculosis,  California 
Social  Hygiene  Society,  and  Recreation 
League.  President  of  Olympic  Boat 
Club,    1904-1906.      Member    of    Temple 

Emanu-El.      

SOLOMON  WANGENHEIM 
Residence,  Richelieu  hotel,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  Saxe-Meininger,  Ger- 
many, in  1830.  Educated  in  Germany 
and  moved  to  the  United  States  in  1848 
and  resided  in  various  parts  of  the  East 
until  1853,  when  he  came  to  San  Fran- 
cisco via  the  Isthmus  and  located  in  San 


240 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


Luis  Obispo,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
the  general  merchandise  business  for 
one  year.  Subsequently  he  moved  to  the 
mining  district  in  Calaveras  county,  Cal., 
and  established  himself  in  business  in 
Campo  Seco  and  later  at  Jenny  Lind, 
where  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Wangenheim  and  Rosenberg.  In  1862 
he  moved  to  Virginia  City,  Nev.,  where 
he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Walter 
&Co.  In  1864  he  moved  to  Markleeville, 
Cal.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  timber 
business  (floating  timbers  to  the  Corn- 
stock  mines).  In  1869  he  disposed  of 
his  business  and  returned  to  Europe, 
where  he  remained  until  1871.  Later 
established  the  fruit  canning  busi- 
ness in  San  Francisco  under  the  firm 
name  of  Sol  Wangenheim  &  Co.,  which 
continued  until  1885.  In  the  meantime 
he  established  a  grain  and  shipping  busi- 
ness, which  continued  until  he  retired  in 
1901.  Member  of  Temple  Emanu-El 
and  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities. 
Married  Fanny  Newman  in  1859.  Chil- 
dren, Mrs.  Jacob  Stern,  Emile  Wangen- 
heim, Mrs.  Herman  Waldeck,  Julius 
Wangenheim  and  Mrs.  Bertha  Arnhold. 


CHAS.  B.  WEIL 

Residence,  2447  Buchanan  street ;  of- 
fice, 25  Stockton  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  December  12,  1872,  in  Missouri. 
Son  of  Bernard  and  Fanny  (Pareira; 
Weil.  Moved  to  California  in  1878. 
Married  October  9,  1898,  to  Ancie  Weil 
of  San  Francisco.  Three  daughters, 
Charline,  Bernardine  and  Fanny.  Edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  Modesto 
and  Heald's  Business  College.  Entered 
the  hardware  store  of  his  father  in 
Modesto  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  He 
was  engaged  in  active  business  under 
the  firm  name  of  B.  Weil  &  Sons  until 
1913,  when  he  moved  to  San  Francisco, 
where  he  has  a  number  of  investments. 
Retains  his'  business  interests  in  Mo- 
desto. Vice-president  of  the  Bank  of 
Turlock  for  several  years ;  president 
of  Modesto  Chamber  of  Commerce  for 


two  terms ;  vice-president  Modesto 
Club  ;  member  of  Congregation  Temple 
Emanu-El  and  Concordia  Club.  Dur- 
ing 1910  traveled  nine  months  in 
Europe.  Contributor  to  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities. 


HARRIS  WEINSTOCK 

Residence,  19  Presidio  Terrace,  San 
Francisco.  Born  September  18,  1854,  in 
London,  England.  Son  of  Solomon  and 
Rachel  Weinstock.  Married  in  Febru- 
ary 24,   1878,  to   Barbara    Felsenthal   of 


Harris  'Weinstock 

San  Francisco.  Four  children,  Robert. 
Walter,  Mrs.  Samuel  Frankenheimer  of 
Stockton,  Mrs.  Burton  A.  Towne  of 
Lodi,  Cal.  Educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  New  York  until  the  age  of  twelve. 
Worked  in  a  store  in  Dixon,  Cal.,  with 
Eppinger  &  Co.  as  clerk  until  he  en- 
gaged in  the  general  mercantile  business 
in  San  Francisco  in  1872 ;  opened  branch 
in  Sacramento  in  1874  in  partnership 
with  D.  Lubin  ;  gave  up  the  San  Fran- 
cisco business  in  1876,  and  subsequently 
incorporated  the  Sacramento  business  un- 
der the  firm  name  of  Weinstock.  Lubin 
&  Co.,  of  which  firm  he  is  vice-president. 
Vice-president  Weinstock-Lubin  Real 
Estate    Company ;    president    Weinstock- 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


241 


Nichols  Company  of  San  Francisco,  Los 
Angeles  and  Oakland ;  director  National 
Bank  of  D.  O.  Mills  of  Sacramento; 
director  Sacramento  Valley  Trust  Com- 
pany. Served  private  to  lieutenant-col- 
onel California  National  Guard,  1881- 
95.  Founded  Barbara  Weinstock  lec- 
tureship of  "Morals  of  Trade,"  Univer- 
sity of  California.  Appointed  member 
of  board  of  trustees  California  State  Li- 
brary, 1887 ;  State  Board  of  Horticul- 
ture, 1895.  Elected  member  of  Board 
of  Freeholders  of  Sacramento,  1891. 
Appointed  special  labor  commissioner  by 
Governor  Gillett,  February,  1908,  to  in- 
vestigate the  labor  laws  and  labor  con- 
ditions of  foreign  countries.  Appointed 
by  Hiram  W.  Johnson,  April,  1912,  to 
investigate  the  Industrial  Workers  of 
the  World.  (Free  speech  disturbances 
in  San  Diego,  Cal.)  Appointed,  April, 
1913,  by  Governor  Johnson  member  of 
American  commission  to  investigate  Eu- 
ropean system  of  rural  credits  (elected 
vice-president  of  that  body).  Ap- 
pointed, June  18,  1913,  by  President 
Woodrow  Wilson  member  Industrial 
Relations  Commission.  Appointed  by 
Governor  Johnson,  September,  1913, 
member  Industrial  Accident  Commis- 
sion. November  15th,  appointed  market 
director  of  the  State  Commission  Mar- 
ket. Member  executive  board  National 
Civic  Federation.  Vice-president  Jew- 
ish Publication  Society  of  America. 
Member  Jewish  Historical  Society  of 
America ;  American  Historical  Associa- 
tion ;  National  Geographic  Society ; 
American  Forestry  Association.  Mem- 
ber of  Commonwealth  Club,  San  Fran- 
cisco ;  Sutter  Club,  Sacramento ;  Uni- 
tarian and  Economic  Clubs  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Author  of  "Jesus  the  Jew," 
1912 ;  "Strikes  and  Lockouts,"  1909,  and 
numerous  magazine  articles,  chiefly  on 
economic  and  industrial  problems.  Mem- 
ber Sacramento  Congregation  B'nai 
Israel  and  president  for  several  years ; 
member  of  Temple  Emanu-El ;  member 
of   Federation   of   Jewish   Charities   and 


has  been  officially  connected  with  the 
charitable  organizations  in  Sacramento 
and  takes  a  very  active  interest  in  all 
Jewish  affairs.  Member  of  Masonic  or- 
der.   

JACOB  WEISSBEIN 

Residence,  Mill  Valley ;  office  582  Mar- 
ket street,  San  Francisco.  Born  March 
19,  1856,  in  Germany.  Son  of  Julius 
and  Rosalie  (Elkan)  Weissbein.  Mar- 
ried December  9,  1888,  to  Bertha  Getle- 
son  of  San  Francisco.  Attended  the 
Gymnasium  at  Hohensalza,  Germany, 
until  the  age  of  fourteen  and  was  pro- 
moted to  Ober  Tertia,  when  he  left 
school  to  go  to  work.  Apprentice  in  the 
soap  and  perfumery  business  in  Germany. 

Moved  to  California  in  1873  and  was 
engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store 
in  Grass  Valley,  Cal.,  until  1876,  when 
he  went  into  the  banking  business  under 
the  firm  name  of  Weissbein  Brothers  & 
Company. 

In  1902  he  sold  out  to  the  Nevada 
County  Bank  and  moved  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  he  went  into  the  real  estate 
business  and  continues  at  the  present 
time. 

Member  of  Temple  Emanu-El.  Con- 
tributor to  Federation  of  Jewish  Chari- 
ties and  other  charities.  Member  Ma- 
sonic order.    

LEON  WILLARD 

Residence,  2224  Baker  street;  office 
833  Market  street,  San  Francisco.  Born 
in  Lixheim,  Lorraine,  France.  Son  of 
Joseph  Louis  and  Rachel  (Cahn)  Wil- 
lard.  Educated  in  the  schools  of  Lor- 
raine. Moved  to  San  Francisco  in 
1868.  Engaged  in  retail  business  in 
San  Jose  from  1875  until  1884.  Two 
years  later  he  established  himself  in 
San  Francisco  as  an  importer  of  laces 
and  fancy  goods,  in  which  he  continues 
at  the  present  time.  Member  of  Ma- 
sonic order;  charter  member  of  Ariel 
Lodge,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  of  San  Jose ;  charter 
member  of  Cercle  Francaise ;  member 
of  Federation  of  Jewish  Charities. 
Married    Fannie    Muraski    September, 


242 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


1904.  One  daughter,  Beatrice  Ruth 
Willard,  aged  seven.  She  is  a  student 
of  Dr.  Frederic  L.  Burk  of  San  Fran- 
cisco Normal  School,  who  declares, 
"The  child  is  a  genius  and  learns  with 


Leon   Willard 

the  greatest  readiness  and  has  a  photo- 
graphic memory."  She  is  mentally 
equipped  to  enter  the  San  Francisco 
High  School.  A  normal  child  in  every 
other  respect,  the  devoted  mother  of  a 
large  collection  of  dolls  and  yet  she 
passed    the    test    for    a    normal    adult 

brain.  

EDWARD  I.  WOLFE 
Ofifice,  Mills  building,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Hull,  England,  in  1860.  Son  of 
Simon  and  Bertha  (Caro)  Wolfe.  Mar- 
ried Leonora  Saalburg  November,  1882. 
Educated  in  the  private  schools  of  San 
Francisco.  Studied  law  privately  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  State  of 
California  in  1890.  For  a  number  of 
years  in  partnership  with  Myer  Jacobs. 
Engaged  in  the  general  practice  of  law 
until  the  present  time.  Clerk  of  Probate 
Court  of  San  Francisco  for  two  years. 
Secretary  New  City  Hall  Commission 
for  two  years.  For  sixteen  consecutive 
years  member  of  the  Senate  of  the  Cali- 
fornia   State   Legislature   and    six    years 


of  that  time  president  pro  tem  of  that 
body.  Defeated  in  1912  for  that  ofifice 
and  re-elected  in  1914.  Elected  super- 
visor of  San  P>ancisco  November.  1915. 
Past  grand  president  L   O.   B.   B.,  Dis- 


Edward   I.    Wolfe 

trict  No.  4.  Member  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals  of  the  Constitutional  Grand 
Lodge  of  that  order.  He  was  twice  su- 
preme representative  of  the  American 
Order  of  F"oresters  of  California.  Past 
chancellor  commander  of  the  K.  of  P. ; 
past  president  of  the  National  Union ; 
chairman  of  committee  on  judiciary  of 
Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles  (  State  body )  ; 
vice-president  The  Shelter ;  member  of 
Beth  Israel  Congregation,  Federation  of 
Jewish  Charities,  Y.  M.  H.  A..  Loyal 
Order  of   Moose. 


HARRY   KELLER  WOLFF 

Residence,  1782  O'Farrell  street;  of- 
fice, 322  Russ  building,  San  Francisco. 
Born  February  27,  1881,  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. Son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  Keller. 
He  adopted  the  name  of  his  uncle,  who 
reared  him  from  childhood.  Married 
December  27,  1905,  to  Elsie  Franklin. 
Moved  to  New  York  when  a  child,  where 
he  attended  primary  schools,  and  re- 
turned to   San    Francisco  at  the  age  of 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


243 


eleven  and  graduated  from  Lincoln 
Grammar  School.  Studied  law  in  the 
offices  of  Bert  Schlesinger,  Otto  Irving 
Wise  and  ex-United  States  District  At- 
torney Marshal  B.  Woodworth,  San 
Francisco.  Admitted  to  the  bar  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  California  March  11, 
1902,  and  to  the  bar  of  the  United  States 
District  Court,  United  States  Circuit 
Court,  United  States  Circuit  Court  of 
Appeals.  Commenced  the  practice  of 
law  in  1902.  In  1906  formed  part- 
nership    with     Harry    A.     HoUzer     un- 


Harry    Keller   V^'olff 

der  the  firm  name  of  Wolfif  & 
Hollzer,  which  continued  for  three 
years.  Has  since  practiced  law  alone. 
Represented,  as  counsel  and  legal  ad- 
viser, Pa'cific  Coast  Waiters'  Association, 
Cooks'  Association  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
and  other  large  labor  organizations. 
Legal  adviser  and  counsel  of  Pruden- 
tial Hospital  Association.  President  of 
West  Fillmore  Street  Improvement  As- 
sociation. Member  of  Civic  League  of 
Improvement  Clubs ;  past  trustee  Temple 
Beth  Israel ;  past  president  Hebrew  Free 
Loan  Association  :  trustee  Hebrew  Shel- 
ter ;  member  Federation  Jewish  Chari- 
ties ;  member  of  first  board  of  governors 
Associated     Charities ;     past     president 


Agudath  Zion  Society  of  San  Francisco ; 
past  grand  president  District  Lodge,  I.  O. 
B.  B. ;  past  grand  president  Bay  City 
Lodge  of  Odd  Fellows ;  Past  Chief 
Ranger  of  Court  Palo  Alto  of  Foresters 
of  America.  ^Member  of  Pacific  Lodge, 
F.  &  A.  M. ;  Scottish  Rite  ;  Thirty-second 
degree ;  Shriner.  Member  of  Commer- 
cial Law  League  of  America,  Jewish 
Consumptive  Relief  Society,  president 
Hebrew  Immigration  Aid  Society  of  the 
Pacific  Coast. 


MOISE  L.  WOLFF 

Residence,  2507  Pacific  avenue,  San 
Francisco.  Son  of  Lazard  Wolff. 
Born  in  Alsace  in  1855.  Educated  in 
Alsace  and  came  to  the  United  States 
at  the  age  of  sixteen,  where  he  resided 


Moise  L.   Wolff 

with  his  uncle.  Leopold  Kahn,  and  at- 
tended the  public  schools  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. At  the  age  of  eighteen  moved 
to  San  Luis  Obispo,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  a  mercantile  establishment 
until  1875,  when  he  opened  a  store  at 
Hueneme,  Cal.,  which  he  conducted 
very  successfully  until  1900,  when  he 
moved  to  San  Francisco  and  retired. 
For  some  time  interested  in  the  bank 
of  Hueneme.     Has  numerous  interests 


244 


WESTERN  JEWRY 


in  that  country.  He  is  an  officer  of  the 
Pacific  Sanitary  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, Richmond,  Cal.,  and  with  his 
son-in-law,  Newton  W.  Stern,  owns 
the  Pacific  Porcelainware  Company, 
Richmond,  and  the  Western  States 
Sanitary  Company,  Richmond.  Mar- 
ried in  1886  to  Bertha  Levy  of  San 
Francisco.  Five  children,  Mrs.  N.  W. 
Stern,  Mrs.  Howard  Salz,  Lester,  Mar- 
garet and  Ferdinand  Wolfif.  Member 
of  Temple  Emanu-El,  Federation  of 
Jewish    Charities    and    Masonic    order. 


DR.    WILLIAM    C.    VOORSANGER 

Office,  Hastings  building,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  Philadelphia  April  7, 
1876.  Son  of  Rev.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ja- 
cob (Corper)  Voorsanger.  Moved  to 
San  Francisco  with  his  parents  at  the 


in  Berlin  and  Vienna.  In  1902  re- 
turned to  San  Francisco,  where  he  com- 
menced the  practice  of  his  profession 
and  continues  at  the  present  time,  spe- 
cializing in  tuberculosis  and  internal 
medicine.  He  conducts  the  Oaks  Sana- 
torium near  Los  Gatos.  Visiting  phy- 
sician of  Mount  Zion  Hospital  of  San 
Francisco  for  twelve  years.  One  of 
the  founders  of  the  San  Francisco  As- 
sociation for  the  Study  and  Prevention 
of  Tuberculosis,  and  honorary  secre- 
tary, chairman  of  educational  commit- 
tee and  member  of  executive  council 
of  that  association.  Medical  referee 
of  Travelers'  Insurance  Company  of 
Hartford,  Conn.,  for  a  number  of  years. 
Member  of  San  Francisco  County  and 
California  State  Medical  Societies. 
Fellow-American  Medical  Association, 
member  of  Congregation  Emanu-El, 
Masonic  order,  I.  O.  B.  B.,  Common- 
wealth and  Concordia  clubs.  Pub- 
lished a  number  of  articles  on  tubercu- 
losis and  a  series  of  articles  on  tuber- 
culin treatment. 


Dr.    William   C.    Voorsanger 

age  of  ten.  IMarried  Maude  Ackerman 
of  Portland,  Ore.,  December  24,  1906. 
Educated  in  public  and  high  schools 
of  San  Francisco.  Received  degree  of 
B.  S.  in  1897  from  University  of  Cali- 
fornia. Degree  of  M.  D.  in  1899  from 
Cooper's  Medical  College,  now  med- 
ical department  of  Leland  Stanford 
University.  From  September  1899  to 
June,  1900,  at  Mt.  Zion  Hospital,  N. 
Y.  For  two  years  continued  his  studies 


LEON  M.  VOORSANGER 

Residence,  2709  Jackson  street ;  office 
139  Fremont  street,  San  Francisco. 
Born  in  Houston,  Texas,  May  31,  1880. 
Son  of  Rev.  Dr.  Jacob  and  Eva  (Cor- 
per) Voorsanger.  Married  August  1, 
1907  to  Florence  Kahn,  daughter  of  the 
late  Henry  Kahn  of  San  Francisco. 
Moved  to  San  Francisco  with  his  par- 
ents in  1886.  Attended  Pacific  Heights 
Grammar  School  1887  to  1894  'and 
Lowell  High  School  1894  to  1897. 
Served  in  the  army  during  the  Spanish- 
American  War.  Member  of  Company 
E,  National  Guard.  Detailed  to  Staff 
of  Adjutant  General  Barrett  and  Gov- 
ernor  Budd    1898-1899. 

He  is  engaged  in  the  flavoring  extract 
business  at  present  time. 

]\Iember  of  Federation  of  Jewish 
Charities  and  other  charitable  organiza- 
tions. Masonic  order  and  Home  In- 
dustry League. 


WESTERN    JEWRY 


245 


JACOB  C.  ZELLERBACH 

Residence,  840  Powell  street;  office 
534  Battery  street,  San  Francisco.  Born 
in  San  Francisco  in  1864.  Son  of  An- 
thony and  Theresa  (Mohr)  Zellerbach. 
Married  in   1892  to  Etta  Englander  of 


Jacob   C.    Zellerbach 

San  Francisco.  Educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  San  Francisco.  In  1882,  to- 
gether with  his  father,  established  the 
firm  of  A.  Zellerbach  &  Son,  wholesale 
paper  business,  which  firm  developed 
to  the  Zellerbach  Paper  Company, 
with  direct  branches  in  Portland,  Los 
Angeles  and  other  cities,  which  is  the 
largest  business  of  its  kind  in  the  United 
States.  He  is  the  vice-president  of  that 
concern  at  the  present  time.  Member 
of  Temple  Emanu-El,  Federation  of  Jew- 
ish Charities,  Concordia  Club  and  Beres- 
ford  Country  Club ;  Masonic  bodies. 
Scottish  Rite,  Thirty-second  Degree. 


JOSIAH  ZURO 

Residence,  691  Post  street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Born  in  Bialystok,  Russia,  No- 
vember 27,  1888.  Son  of  Louis  Zuro. 
Educated  in  Odessa  and  Cracow,  and  at 
the  age  of  17  moved  to  New  York,  where 


Josiah  Zuro 

he  completed  his  education.  He  devoted 
many  years  to  his  musical  studies.  In 
1906  he  became  a  musical  director  at 
the  ]^Ianhattan  theatre,  N.  Y.,  for  Oscar 
Hammerstein.  and  during  the  same  year 
he  was  organist  at  the  Mount  Zion 
Temple.  New  York.  He,  together  with 
his  father,  presented  French  and  Italian 
operas  at  popular  prices  at  the  various 
Yiddish  theaters  in  New  York  for  sev- 
eral years  during  the  spring  season.  In 
1915  moved  to  San  Francisco,  where  he 
is  active  in  musical  circles.  Director  of 
the  Beethoven  Choral  Ensemble  of  San 
Francisco. 


INDEX 


PAGES 


Jews  of  California   -------  5-71 

By  Martin  A.  Meyer,  Ph.  D- 

Biographies    ---------  72-161 

Personal  Sketches    -------  162-245 


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