Jewish Rochester

On Sunday, April 21, at 2pm, author Mary Posman will give a public lecture on her recent Rochester History article, “Rochester, Refugees, and the Jewish Community, 1930 to 1950.” Illuminating an important chapter of Rochester’s past, Posman’s engaging account sparked my interest in a subject I had previously, and regrettably, known little about.

It is not surprising to discover that Rochester’s Jewish community has a rich history, dating back to the 1840s and the arrival of the first Jewish settlers from Germany. These pioneers did not take long to establish themselves as valuable citizens, enhancing the economic, social, and cultural life of the city.

Clothing manufacturing was a popular occupation among Rochester’s earliest Jews, who led the development of this emerging industry. By 1860, the city boasted over 40 tailor shops. These businesses grew to dominate the men’s clothing trade in the Northeast, helping to diversify the economic portfolio of the Flour/Flower City.

By the early twentieth century, Jewish-run clothing factories had become a major employer of new immigrants from Eastern Europe. Polish and Russian Jewish workers found themselves at odds with wealthy Jewish manufacturers as they organized for better hours, conditions, and pay.

Adler Brothers clothing factory, ca. 1910. From the collection of the Rochester Public Library Local History Division.

Originally settling in the Main Street/Front Street area of downtown, Rochester’s Jewish population soon moved into the city’s near northeast side, around Joseph Avenue. As they accumulated wealth and resources, Jews migrated into the East Avenue/Park Avenue neighborhood and eventually to the nearby suburbs of Brighton, Irondequoit, and, later, Pittsford.

Not always welcomed into the broader social life of their environs, Rochester’s Jews established their own social and religious institutions, through which they preserved and cultivated their heritage. They formed congregations and built synagogues that served not only as places of worship, but also as schools and community centers. They built libraries and lecture halls that became important educational venues. Jewish youth received further intellectual and spiritual nourishment in organizations like the Judean Club, while the Jewish Young Men’s and Women’s Association (JY) offered a variety of physical, cultural, social, and educational activities.

Postcard depicting the JY building on Andrews Street, opened in 1936. Organized in 1908, the JY was originally located on Franklin Square. In 1973, the organization moved to its current facility on Edgewood Avenue, in Brighton, changing its name to the now familiar Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester (JCC). From the collection of the Rochester Public Library Local History Division.

As Posman’s article reveals, Jewish Rochesterians have long engaged in humanitarian efforts. Groups like the Baden Street Settlement, Hebrew Benevolent Society, United Jewish Charities, and Rochester Jewish Relief Society cared for the less fortunate members of the community. The Jewish Orphan Asylum of Western New York, the Jewish Children’s Home, and the Jewish Home for the Aged tended to the respective needs of children and older adults.  

Focusing on the role the Jewish community played in Rochester’s response to increasing anti-Semitism in Europe and the plight of Jewish refugees before, during, and after the Second World War, Posman examines a significant moment in this city’s history and calls our attention to the myriad contributions, both past and present, of Jewish Rochester. I encourage you to attend Posman’s talk on Sunday to learn more about this fascinating story.

Rochester’s Rich History – Rabbi Philip Bernstein and Jewish Activism in Rochester, 1930-1950
Presentation by Mary Posman
Sunday, April 21, 2013
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Central Library, Rundel Auditorium, 3rd floor, Rundel Memorial Building

Hope to see you there!

~Michelle Finn, Deputy City Historian

Sources:

Kasdin, Phyllis. The Future Begins with the Past: An Archives Exhibit of Jewish Rochester. Rochester, NY: Fossil Press, 2005.

Posman, Mary. “Rochester, Refugees, and the Jewish Community.” Rochester History 74, no. 2 (Fall 2012).

Rosenberg, Stuart E. The Jewish Community in Rochester: 1843-1925. New York: Columbia University Press, 1954.

What Hath Eastman Wrought?

….in the case of the film industry, plenty. Imagine an alternative Hollywood where Kodak products were not used in movie-making, and you would have a decidedly different industry indeed. But Rochester’s contributions to cinema don’t end with what the images are printed on. In light of the 11th High Falls Film Festival taking place this week (and which this blogger enthusiastically endorses), let us take, ahem, stock of some other notable local names in film’s storied history.

Maud Humphrey, born in Rochester (1868-1940), was a noted American illustrator, suffragette, and mother to one of cinema’s icons, Humphrey Bogart.

The inimitable Cab Calloway (1907-1994), was also born here, in the Calloway home on 18 Cypress St. He lit up both stage and screen with his outsized presence; check out some of his many film clips on YouTube, including one of his classic Betty Boop appearances.

We all know Fairport’s Philip Seymour Hoffman, an outstanding actor in any era, and Oscar winner to boot.

The legendary Louise Brooks (1906-1985), silent film actress and raconteur, settled in Rochester in her later years.

Besides being an author and prolific letter writer, she was also well known by the staff of the Central Library as a colorful patron of the Library in the 70s and 80s, and actually left some marginalia in her irascible style in a few books. The pages below (click to enlarge) are from the memoir “W. C. Fields & Me” by Carlotta Monti (originally found in the Literature Division, it can now be found, like the other fine books above, in the Local History Collection of the Rochester Public Library).

Can you think of any other luminaries from the Genesee Valley area who went on to light up the silver screen? Feel free to share in the comments area below!

—Bob Scheffel, Librarian, Local History Division

World War I at Your Fingertips

Did you know that the Digitizing Department scanned thousands of pages of historical documents last year? The latest books to be digitized are the World War Service Record of Rochester and Monroe County N.Y. (volumes 1-3).

World War I Service Record Compiled and Edited by Edward R. Forman, City Historian 1928

Volume 1, “Those Who Died for Us,” will be of interest to people who had an ancestor who gave his or her life for our country in World War I. The first part of this volume has a short biography of each person and the circumstances of his or her death, while the second half of the book has photographs of several of the soldiers.

Soldiers Serving during World War I

Volume 2, “Those Who Went Forth to Serve,” lists the names of men and women who served in the armed forces during World War I. This volume is a gold mine for genealogists as it lists the city where each person was born, along with place, age, and date of enlistment and details of service.

Red Cross Canteen Workers in their summer and winter uniforms

Volume 3, “Those Who Supported the Service,” discusses the work that was done by groups and businesses in the Rochester community during the war. Some of the groups include the Red Cross, the YMCA, the YWCA, the Salvation Army, the American Library Association, public school efforts, church efforts, and many more. This volume also tells about the research done and the equipment made by the Eastman Kodak Company (along with many pictures of Kodak cameras used by the government), the Gleason Works, Bausch and Lomb, and others.

Automatic Gun Camera used for training manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company

The World War Service Record books are just a few of the valuable digitized items that are useful to genealogists, historians, and students.  You can access them here

Click to access World_War_service_record_vol_1.pdf

Click to access World_War_service_record_vol_2.pdf

Click to access World_War_service_record_vol_3.pdf

Margaret Chatterton, Digitizing Department