The Columbus Jewish Historical Society

By Austin Reid

 

 

Greene County’s First Jewish Residents

While never numbering more than one percent of the county’s overall population, Jews have contributed significantly to the cultural, civic, and economic life of Greene County. Yet, it is not known with certainty when Jews began to live locally. Xenia, the seat of Greene County, was founded in 1803 and within a short time Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist congregations were organized by residents. It is likely that Jews did not arrive in the area until four decades later when Xenia was connected to Ohio’s growing railway network in 1843. In Dayton, located only 15 miles northwest of Xenia, a Jewish burial society was organized in 1850. It is possible that Jews were also living in Xenia by this time. With certainty, one Jew, Benjamin Bruel lived in Xenia by 1870. A native of England, Benjamin was the son of Amelia and Samuel, who resided in Cincinnati by 1860. Benjamin made a living operating a clothing store until 1873, when he was compelled to sell the store due to poor health. Benjamin passed away in 1877 and is buried at the Walnut Hills Jewish Cemetery in Hamilton County, Ohio. 

By the mid-1870s at least two other Jews resided in Xenia. These individuals were Bernhard Schlesinger and Leopold Steinfels. Bernhard, who was an immigrant from East Prussia, arrived in Xenia in 1865 and found work as a merchant on S. Detroit Street. In 1873 he married Katherine Feurle, who as a child immigrated to the United States from Austria with her family. Later in the year, the couple’s first child, Olga was born. Kate, who was raised Catholic, became a Protestant along with Bernhard prior to their wedding. Olga would grow up to become a public school teacher and her brother, Arthur held positions as professor of history at The Ohio State University, The University of Iowa, and finally Harvard University. Bernhard made his own contributions to education by serving on the Xenia School Board for 36 years. He died in 1920, seven years before Kate. Like Bernhard, Leopold Steinfels was drawn to Xenia by business opportunities in clothing retail. A native of Cincinnati, Leopold arrived in Xenia in 1876 and found work with the business Schlesinger & Brady. This clothing firm had been created by Bernhard and William Brady in 1872. In 1891, Leopold purchased Bernhard’s share of the business and became the firm’s junior partner. William Brady remained with the company, though by the late 1880s he had relocated to Cincinnati with his family. From 1901 to 1913 Leopold also relocated to Cincinnati but returned to Xenia to open L. Steinfelds, a store on East Main Street. Like Bernhard, Leopold was civically engaged during his years in Xenia. He served on Xenia’s city council, including a term as president, and was clerk for the Board of County Commissioners from 1922 to 1925. 

The presence of Jews in local clothing retail was part of a larger national pattern that was related to the timing of a wave of German-Jewish immigration to the United States, which began in the 1840s. Before the Civil War, most clothing in the United States was made by hand in private homes. During the following three decades, however, mass-produced ready-to-wear clothing became increasingly common due to technological advances in sewing. As the market for factory-produced clothes expanded, so too did job opportunities in the clothing manufacturing and retail industries. These jobs were also open to newer immigrants, such as Jews, at a time when many other professions offered only limited access. Family connections also allowed many newer immigrants to enter the clothing business. As an example, it was not uncommon for a brother to emigrate to the United States and send money back to Europe to pay for the voyage for his other siblings after establishing a stable business. These siblings would also work in the business after arriving in the United States creating a chain of immigration.

Another nineteenth century Jewish family that can be highlighted is the Simon household. Max Simon, whose surname is also given as Simons in many sources, arrived in Xenia from Germany in 1889. He operated a bar on East Main Street until 1919, when Prohibition caused the business to close. In 1908 Max wed Selma Simon, who arrived in the United States just one year earlier from Germany. The couple had at least one child, a son named Morris. By 1900 two additional Jewish families had settled in Xenia, the Engilmans and Hymans. Minnie and Samuel Engilman, who were both immigrants from Poland, supported their family through Engilman’s General Store, which was located at 23 West Main Street until 1940. In 1940, the business moved to East Main and Smauel soon retired. It should also be noted that by 1907 the name People’s Bargain Store was adopted for the Engilman store. After Samuel’s retirement, the business was converted into the new home of Kennedy’s Grocery Store, which was then owned by William J. Kennedy. At the time of his retirement, Samuel was believed to be Xenia’s oldest retailer. 

Jacob and Jennie Hyman, who were also immigrants from Imperial Russia, were involved in selling fruits. Jennie Hyman, the daughter of David and Rosa Sachs, wed Jacob in 1900 after their arrival in the United States. Her parents lived in Xenia for a brief time in the early 1900s and David found work as a shoemaker. A sister, Minnie, was also married by 1900. Her husband, Robert Shapiro sold fruits along Main Street until 1903 when he and Minnie moved to Dayton. Jacob and Jennie also relocated to Dayton for a time but came back to Xenia by 1918. At this time, Jacob’s brother, Abraham, was a business partner, and their fruit store was known as Hyman Brothers. By 1903, the Jewish presence in Xenia had grown large enough that the Xenia Daily Gazette newspaper noted the observance of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, locally. It was also reported that several stores in town were closed due to the holiday. Over the next decade a few additional Jewish families found their way to Xenia. By the late-1910s, it is likely the Jewish population in Xenia reached its peak.  

 

New Arrivals from Eastern Europe 

Like the Engilmans and Hymans, many of the newest Jewish residents of Greene County during the early 1900s were immigrants from the Russian Empire. These families included Ida and Isaac Colp, Isadore and Tillie Friedman, Julius Jacobson, and Fannie and Max Marcus. Ida and Isaac Colp arrived in Xenia in 1906 after living for 14 years in Jamestown, Ohio, which is located 12 miles east of Xenia. Isaac supported his family through his work at the Xenia Supply Company, a scrap metal business he established along S. Detroit Street. This business remained in operation into the 1940s, surviving two fires, one in 1924 and another in 1934. The 1924 fire was believed to have been a case of arson, and it was one of the largest fires in Xenia that year. Both Ida and Isaac were active members of the Xenia community. Ida volunteered with the American Legion Auxiliary and local Temperance Union chapter. Isaac was a member of B’nai B’rith, the Masons, and the Knights of Pythias. The couple also had at least four children. Their names were Jacob, Rebecca, Rose, and Sara. The oldest daughter, Sara, married Joseph Kastner of Piqua in 1914. Their wedding, which was celebrated at the Colp home on East Second Street, was attended by 75 people and officiated by Rabbi David Lefkowitz of Temple B’nai Yeshurun in Dayton. In the twenty-first century B’nai Yeshurun is known as Temple Israel. The Colp-Kastner wedding may have been the first Jewish wedding celebrated in Greene County.

Isadore and Tillie Friedman also had a family connection to Miami County. Tillie, the first wife of Isadore, was a member of the Barnett family of Troy, Ohio. This town is located eight miles south of Piqua. Isadore and Tillie wed in 1908 and by 1911 they resided in Xenia. During this same year Isadore also operated a bowling alley in Yellow Springs, making him the first Jew known to have a business connection with the village. In Xenia, Isadore managed the Famous Cheap Store on East Main Street. In 1919, he expanded his business interests into auto accessories and sporting goods when he opened the Famous Auto and Supply Company. Tragedy visited the Friedman family, however, in the same year when Tillie died by suicide. Shortly before her death Tillie had filed for divorce. Six years after the death of Tillie, Isadore married Ada Spiro, who was the daughter of Fannie Spiro. Julius Jacobson lived in Xenia by 1909 and found work repairing shoes. His business, the Modern Shoe Repair Shop, was located on West Main Street. In 1919, Julius sold the store to Morris Abromowitz, his brother-in-law, and relocated to Dayton. Morris continued to operate the business until 1968 when he retired and moved to Dayton. From 1909 to 1913, Max Jacobson, who was likely a relative of Julius, also worked as a local shoe repairman. His business, Dayton Shoe Repairing Company, was located on S. Detroit Street. Like Julius and Max Jacobson, Max Marcus was a Greene County entrepreneur who relocated to Dayton after working in Xenia. Fannie and Max lived in Xenia by 1910 and supported their family by operating a clothing store. The family moved to Dayton by 1927 where their daughter, Clara celebrated her marriage to John Kantrowe of Kansas City. 

Despite the growing number of Jews in Greene County, the community remained too small throughout the first decade of the twentieth century to support its own Jewish congregation. In 1915, it was reported by the Xenia Daily Gazette that local Jews would travel to Dayton, Columbus, or Cincinnati for Rosh Hashanah services. This holiday, which marks the New Year, is among the most widely observed holidays in the Jewish tradition. In 1916, however, there is evidence that local Jewish families attempted to organize a congregation in Xenia. This group, at least for a short time, sponsored a religious school for children and occasional religious services. Samuel Gup, a student rabbi at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, was instrumental in mobilizing the area’s Jewish families into organizing themselves as a religious body. It was estimated that ten Jewish families with a total of 12 children lived in Xenia in 1916. No local references to the group exist, however, and by the 1930s only three or four Jewish families remained in Xenia. 

  On April 4, 1917, the United States entered World War I. Like millions of Americans, residents of Greene County did their part, both at home and abroad, to support the war effort. At least three local Jews are known to have served during the war. Their names are Jacob Colp, Joseph Gable and Sidney Gable. Jacob Colp, the son of Ida and Isaac, was elected president of the local Voiture in 1921. This group, which functioned as an honor society within the American Legion, referenced through its full name, La Société des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux, the French railcars that carried American soldiers to the front during the war. Later in life, Jacob served as the commander of the Foody-Cornwell American Legion Post. Joseph and Sidney Gable, who were brothers, arrived in Xenia shortly before the outbreak of World War I and found work in the scrap metal business. After their service, the brothers returned to Xenia and their business, the Xenia Iron and Metal Company, flourished. Both brothers were also active members of the wider community. Joseph was a member of the Foody-Cornwell American Legion Post for over 50 years and served for a time as its commander. Sidney, who was also a member of the American Legion, was affiliated with Disabled American Veterans and the Eagles. The brothers were also members of Beth Abraham and Temple Israel in Dayton. 

As recent immigrants to the United States, some Jewish families in Greene County had family members in Europe impacted by the war. Morris Abromowitz, who immigrated to the United States in 1914 from Russia, had three siblings remaining in Europe. His mother was also stranded in Russia after the outbreak of hostilities. During the war, the mother died of pneumonia while displaced as a refugee. Another Xenia resident, Samuel Engilman, also had family in Russia. Harry Levine, Samuel’s nephew, was captured by the Austro-Hungarian army while serving in the Imperial Russian Army. He wrote to Samuel in 1915 asking him to send financial aid to his family. On the homefront Jews also played a role in the local war effort. For example, Leopold Steinfels was active in organizing county efforts to support Liberty Bonds. These bonds were used to finance the Allied war effort. The end of World War I and the early 1920s marked the beginning of a new era in American Jewish history. Between 1880 and 1924, over two million Jews from Eastern Europe had arrived in the United States. With the passage of the Johnson-Reed Act, also known as the Immigration Act of 1924, however, the doors to the United States shut for millions of people across Eurasia. Asians and residents of eastern and southern Europe were particularly impacted. Not until 1965 would the Johnson-Reed Act be replaced. With the end of large-scale Jewish immigration to the United States, America’s Jewish community became increasingly native-born and middle class. While Jewish immigrants will continue to play a role in Greene County into the twentieth century, their frequency will become less common as the century moves forward.

 

The First Jewish Residents of Yellow Springs and Notable Businesses in the 20s and 30s

While Xenia continued to be the home of most of Greene County’s Jewish residents during the 1920s, an increasing number of Jews began to reside in the village of Yellow Springs, located nine miles to the north. Yellow Springs had been a center of higher education since 1853, when Antioch College admitted its first students. It is not likely, however, that many Jewish students or faculty members were associated with Antioch College in its earliest decades. Only in the 1920s is there concrete evidence that Jews were found among the faculty at Antioch. One of the earliest Jewish instructors was Rudolph Broda. A native of Austria, Rudolph taught at the Free College of Social Sciences in Paris and Harvard University before coming to Antioch College around 1928. He was a noted expert on Russian and East Asian affairs and he is known to have spoken publicly about the political status of Jews living in the Soviet Union. He held the title of Associate Professor of Social Sciences at Antioch until his death in 1932. He is buried at Glen Forest Cemetery in Yellow Springs. Erna Broda, the wife of Rudolph, was also a professor at Antioch. A native of Germany, Erna held the title of Associate Professor of German. She immigrated to the United States in 1923 along with her husband and was naturalized in 1940. 

Another early Jewish faculty member at Antioch was William Leiserson. An economics professor at the college from 1926 to 1933, William was known to his students as Billy. Born into an immigrant family, William became an expert in labor relations and mediation. Much of his early experience involved labor disputes within the garment industry. In 1934, William left Yellow Springs after being called by the Roosevelt Administration to fill a post with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Through his work with the NLRB, William helped to develop legislation such as the Railway Labor Act of 1934. This legislation continues to govern labor relations in the airline and railway industries within the United States. William married Emily Bodman in 1912. It is not known, however, if Emily was also Jewish. During her time in Yellow Springs, Emily was active with the local League of Women Voters. 

To the south in Xenia entrepreneurship continued to be a major characteristic uniting most, if not all, of the city’s Jewish families. In 1927 it was reported by the Xenia Evening Gazette that the Abe Hyman Fruit Store, Brown Furniture Company, S. Engilman Clothing Store, and Jacob Hyman’s Xenia Fruit Company all closed to observe Yom Kippur. While Engilman and Hyman have been mentioned previously, Brown is a new family name. The Brown Furniture Company opened in September 1926 as a branch store of the main enterprise in Dayton. Stanley Brown served as the first sales manager. It is also of note that a relative of Abraham and Jacob, Louis Hyman operated a clothing store in Xenia during the late 1920s. This enterprise, known as the Hyman Clothing Store, appears to have been Louis’ second attempt in business. About 20 year earlier, in 1908, Louis arrived in Xenia alongside his wife, Eva to open a clothing store. This business, however, went bankrupt in 1910 and it seems Louis worked at the Engilman store for a number of years before going into business for himself once more. Eva Hyman, it should be noted, was an exceptionally active member of the Xenia community. A native of Georgetown, Kentucky, Eva was involved in creating Xenia’s local Parent Teacher Association and volunteered with Community Chest, the Red Cross, Social Service League, and Sunshine Society. The local Sunshine Society was part of a larger international service organization based out of New York City.

Another Jewish-owned clothing store in Xenia during part of the 1920s was Katz Clothing. This business, which opened in Xenia in 1916 after Milton Katz and Samuel Maddux purchased the inventory of Leopold Steinfelds, was part of a chain of stores with locations in Circleville, Greenfield, Piqua, Washington Court House, and Wilmington. The Xenia branch of Katz Clothing remained in operation until 1925 when the business was sold by the Katz brothers, Leo and Milton. Two previously unmentioned Jewish families were also active in operating the Famous Auto and Supply Company by 1920. This auto accessory and sporting goods store was opened in Xenia in 1919 by Isadore Friedman along Main Street. The four other individuals involved early in the business were Sadie and Samuel Harris and Arden and Waldorf Sachs. The store, which was later renamed Famous Auto Supply Company, remained in operation until 1964. For a time chains of the business also existed in Lebanon and Sidney.

The final business which will be highlighted in this section of the paper is Sol’s. Founded as a men’s clothing store in 1931 by Sara and Sol Arnovitz, Sol’s would remain in business for at least 50 years. Both Sara and Sol were active members of the Xenia community. Sara, who was the daughter of Minnie and Samuel Engilman, was a member of Hadassah, the Xenia Business and Professional Women’s Club, and served on the board of directors for the YMCA. Sol, who was a native of Warsaw, was active with B’nai B’rith, Elks, Masons, and Rotary. Like Sara, he also served for a time on the local YMCA’s board of directors. Sara and Sol also donated 25 acres of land in 1965 to support the creation of the Greene Joint Vocational School. Their local  business interests also expanded to include real estate properties and the Fairborn Farmers and Merchants Bank, of which Sol was among the founders. In 1977 Xenia’s largest park, Sol Arnovitz Park, was dedicated off of Towler Road. This park continues to exist as of 2022, serving as a reminder of the Arnovitz family’s contributions to Greene County. 

 

World War II and the Post War Years

On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, marking the entry of the United States into World War II. In a similar manner to Americans 24 years earlier, millions of individuals, including residents of Greene County, enlisted in the armed forces between 1941 and 1945. At least three local Jews are known to have served in the war. Their names are Robert Friedman, Irvin Hyman, and Maurice Hyman. Shortly after the war, Russell Remick, a native of Massachusetts and a World War II veteran, relocated to Xenia. Robert Friedman, the son of Isadore and Tillie Friedman, served in the Army Air Corps before receiving a medical discharge in 1944. Irvin and Maurice Hymanm, who were cousins, both served in the Army. While Maurice left Xenia after the war, Irvin returned to his local podiatry practice. Throughout his life, Irvin was active in Jewish organizations and the wider Xenia community. For a time, he served as state president of B’nai B’rith and he was an early member of the Xenia Human Relations Commission. Irvin was also a member of Kiwanis, Masons, and, from 1967 until his death in 1968, the president of the Greene County Historical Society. 

Russell Remick arrived in Xenia in January 1946 to be with his wife, Betty Krakoff Remick, who herself recently relocated to help manage her parents’ clothing store. This store, Krakoff’s Fine Feminine Apparel, was opened in 1944 along South Detroit Street by Glenna and Harry Krakoff. Both Betty and Russell were active members of the Xenia community. For a time, Russell served as president and executive director of the local Chamber of Commerce. He was also involved with United Way and the Xenia Area Interfaith Council. Betty and Russell were also involved in a variety of Jewish organizations. Around the end of World War II two other Jewish families, the Braunsteins and the Kochs, settled in Xenia. Mollie and Samuel Braunstein moved to Xenia from Akron in 1945. Together the couple operated Braun’s Jewelry Store, which was in business until 1968 when the store was destroyed in a fire. Mollie Braunstein was known to speak publicly about Jewish observances when invited on local radio shows. Florence and Spencer Koch appear to have moved to Xenia from Boston by 1949. Florence Koch was the daughter of Minnie and Samuel Engilman. The addition of three new Jewish families following the end of World War II kept the Jewish population of Xenia stable. There is also evidence that the community was large enough to support a local B’nai B’rith chapter from around the late 1940s until at least the early 1960s. During the mid-twentieth century, however, the Jewish population of Greene County increasingly shifted to Yellow Springs. This village, therefore, will be the focus for much of the remainder of the paper. 

 

The Establishment of the Yellow Springs Havurah 

It is known with certainty that Jewish students were enrolled at Antioch College by the 1930s. It is also likely that these early students organized the first Jewish religious services in Yellow Springs. By 1949, Antioch College was home to a Hillel chapter. Periodically Rabbi Harry Kaplan would visit the campus from The Ohio State University Hillel, where he served as director from 1934 to 1969. The number of Jewish faculty at Antioch College also grew. Known Jewish faculty members by 1956 include Irwin Abrams, Philip Rothman, and Richard Yalman.  Irwin Abrams, who was born Jewish but became a Quaker in the late 1930s, arrived in Yellow Springs in 1947 to teach history. He later organized the Department of History at Antioch College and went on to write The Nobel Peace Prize and the Laureates. This book continues to be the most comprehensive work existing on the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Philip Rothman arrived at Antioch College in 1954 to teach education. He remained in this role until the mid-1980s. From 1980 to 1981 Rothman taught at the University of Calabar in Nigeria as part of the Fulbright Program. Esther Rothman, the wife of Philip, was a school teacher in Yellow Springs until 1987. Richard Yalman served as a professor of chemistry at Antioch from around 1956 to 1965.

During the 1960s several additional Jewish residents found their way to Yellow Springs. These individuals included Arnold Adoff, a noted children’s author, Esther and Harvey Damaser, and Leonard (Len) Kramer. Esther Damaser conducted a psychology practice in Yellow Springs and she was active with a number of social organizations including the Greene-Clinton Guidance Center and the Greene-Clinton Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board. She also served on the Social Services Subcommittee for the Xenia Area Chamber of Commerce for a time. Len Kramer, a native of New York, moved to Yellow Springs in 1968 to take a job with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is located nearby. By the late 1970s, the Jewish population of Yellow Springs had grown large enough that a community organization, the Yellow Springs Havurah was formed. This organization sponsored religious and social events for members. Jews living in Yellow Springs around this period who have not been mentioned previously included Bob Friedman, Hanna Goldberg, Sherwin Klein, and Stephen Kress. Bob Friedman was a professor of sociology at Antioch College, while Hanna Goldberg served as the college’s academic dean. Sherwin Klein worked as a medical professional. 

A major event in Greene County history that merits discussion in this section of the monograph is the Xenia Tornado of 1974. This disaster, which occurred on April 3, resulted in the deaths of 32 people. Additionally, at least 1,300 people were injured. Over half of the buildings in Xenia were damaged, including 80 percent of all homes. News of the disaster soon spread and support for Xenia came from many sources. The State of Israel assisted with the rebuilding of Xenia in a small way by donating 712 bookcases. These bookcases were distributed among ten churches, five local schools, the Greene County Historical Society, and other cultural institutions. Shaul Ramati, the Consul General of Israel for the Midwest, visited Xenia to present the gift, which was estimated at $50,000 in value. Senator Howard Metzenbaum, John Glenn, and Governor John Gilligan were also present for the presentation. Among the commercial buildings destroyed by the tornado included the original Engilman store, Sol’s, and William’s Jewelers, which was opened two days earlier by William Block. While Sol’s and William’s Jewelers were reopened, the Engilman building on West Main Street became a small park. 

 

An Ongoing Presence into the Twenty-First Century

While numbering less than one percent of the county’s overall population, a modest-sized Jewish community continues to exist in Greene County. As of 2022, Yellow Springs continues to be the home of an organized Jewish community operating under the name Yellow Springs Havurah. The contemporary havurah, or fellowship, while tracing its roots to the 1970s organization, was organized in 1995. Approximately ten individuals are actively affiliated with the organization. Opportunities in higher education have continued to draw Jewish families to Greene County. In addition to teaching at Antioch College and Wright State University, some professors in recent decades commute from Greene County to Edison State Community College in Piqua. Other Jewish professionals in Greene County can be found within the arts and field of medicine. The historic and contemporary contributions of Jews to the civic, cultural, and economic life of Greene County merit recording and form an important piece of regional history. 

Bibliography 

Primary Sources

Bowman, Bob. “Jeweler Watched Storm Destroy New Business.” Daily Gazette. December 10, 1976.

Weiss, Marshall. “Yellow Springs Havurah Continues to Adapt.” Dayton Jewish Observer.  August 01, 2019. https://daytonjewishobserver.org/2019/08/yellow-springs-havurah-continues-to-adapt/.

 

Newspapers Utilized 

American Israelite (Cincinnati, OH).

Daily Gazette (Xenia, OH).

Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH).

Evening Gazette (Xenia, OH).

Ohio Jewish Chronicle (Columbus, OH).

Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, PA).

Reform Advocate (Chicago, IL).

Sentinel (Chicago, IL).

 

Secondary Sources

Brook, Julie Bernsen. “Let There be Light.” American Israelite.. November 26, 2020. https://www.americanisraelite.com/arts_and_entertainment/let_there_be_light/article_fc504700-2e73-11eb-8490-fbb72e0e27f6.html.

Neuman, Johanna. “Modern Jewish History: From Ghetto to Glamour – How Jews Redesigned the Fashion Business.” Jewish Virtual Library, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/from-ghetto-to-glamour-how-jews-redesigned-the-fashion-business.

Rayward, W. Boyd. Information Beyond Borders: International Cultural and Intellectual Exchange in the Belle Époque. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company. 2014.