A History of Salem's Jewish Community
by Austin Reid
Members of the Salem Section, National Council of Jewish Women in October 1957.
Standing left to right are Bertha Walken, Bess Hansell, and Helen Bloomberg.
Seated left to right are Margaret Schwartz, Liesel Falkenstein, and Rosalyn Caplan.
A History of Salem’s Jewish Community
Salem Ohio, located in both Columbiana and Mahoning counties, has been home to
religious organizations since its incorporation in 1830. While most of Salem’s residents
throughout its history have been Christian, the town was also home to a small number of Jewish
families during much of the twentieth century. At various points, these families organized
themselves into a formal Jewish community, and, while never numbering more than 55
individuals, Salem’s historic Jewish residents made important contributions to the community’s
civic and economic development. This work seeks to profile the story of this community and to
preserve the memory of the Jewish life that once existed in this small-town community. While
modest in size, many of the national forces that shaped Jewish immigration and religious life in
the United States can also be seen when exploring Salem’s Jewish history. In this way, the Jewish
community of Salem offers a microlens through which to better understand the history of
America’s Jewish community.
Jews have lived in Columbiana County since at least the 1870s. One of the earliest Jews
to move to the area was Isaac Rubinstein. He was born around 1844.[1] During the late nineteenth
and twentieth centuries, East Liverpool was home to Columbiana County’s largest Jewish
community. A synagogue, B’nai Israel, was organized in East Liverpool in 1894. In Mahoning
County, Youngstown was home to a Jewish congregation by 1868. Not until the 1880s, however,
is there definitive evidence that Jews lived in Salem. Emanuel Greenberger is the first Jew
known to have lived in Salem. A native of Hungary, Emanuel immigrated to the United States in
1873 and relocated to Salem in 1888.[2] Once in Salem, Emanuel opened the Golden Eagle, a
clothing store.[3] While removed from an organized Jewish community, Emanuel still practiced
Judaism and is known to have closed his business to observe major Jewish holidays such as Yom
Kippur. In 1893, Emanuel married Esther Cohen, a native of Illinois. Emanuel and Esther had
two children, Frances and Solbert. Frances moved to Cleveland by 1929 and Solbert continued to
operate the Golden Eagle until 1957, when the business was bought out by the Strouss-Hirshberg
Company.[4] Strouss-Hirshberg was based in Youngstown. In 1958, the Golden Eagle moved its
location to 579½ E Third Street and opened under the new name Strouss’ Golden Eagle.[5]
During the first two decades of the twentieth century, several other Jewish families
moved to Salem. Included among this group are the Bahm, Bloomberg, Kaplan, Roth, and
Steinberg families. Emil and Joseph Bahm, who were brothers, moved to Salem in 1914 to open
a shoe store. This store, known as Bahm Brothers, was originally located at 35-37 Main Street.[6]
Both brothers were immigrants from Austria-Hungary. In 1926, the Bahm store moved to 75-77
Main Street, near the State Theater. Emil and Joseph were both married. Emil wed his wife Rae
by 1927.[7] For a time Joseph was married to May, and the couple had at least one child, a son
named Howard. In 1935, however, May filed for divorce and she lived in Cleveland with her son
by 1939. Emil and Joseph’s business partnership also eventually ended. After the brothers started
separate ventures, Emil continued to sell shoes while Joseph sold clothing. After Joseph’s death
in 1949, Emil appears to have taken over the clothing business, which by this point was located
at 286 E State Street.[8] Bahm’s Clothing Store continued to operate until at least 1957.
Joseph and Louis Bloomberg moved to Salem in 1905 or 1906. Joseph had previously
lived in Canton while Louis came from Orrville in Wayne County. On December 30, 1906, the
brothers opened Bloomberg’s, a clothing store, at 536 E State Street. Bloomberg’s remained in
business until 1963.[9] Joseph and Louis operated the store together until 1933, when Louis retired.
He died around one year later. In addition to his business interests, Joseph was an active
volunteer in the Salem community. He was a member of Kiwanis, alongside his wife, Jesma, and
was active with Salem Associated Charities. Jesma, a native of Cleveland, wed Louis around
1909. Katherine Bloomberg, Joseph’s wife, was a noted singer who performed German, Hebrew
and Hungarian songs. She was also a member of the local chapter of the Delphian Society, which
promoted women’s education, and later in life, she was active in the Salem Garden Club.
Katherine sometimes spoke to groups around Salem about Judaism.[10] It is known that
Bloomberg’s closed to observe some Jewish holidays as early as 1908.[11]
Anna and Louis Kaplan, who represent the third Jewish family listed above, moved to
Salem by 1904. Louis supported his family by operating a scrap business that bought and sold
brass, iron, rags, rubber, and other materials.[12] Kaplan’s scrapyard, which was in business by
1906, was located at 15 Jennings Ave. In 1925, however, the Kaplan family left Salem for New
Mexico due to Louis’ poor health. They later moved to Arizona where Louis died in 1926.[13]
Louis’ former business was transferred to new ownership and named the Salem Iron and Metal
Company. Anna later remarried Ben Marcus in Los Angeles during 1929.[14] Anna and Ben then
moved to Cleveland before relocating to Salem by 1932. Once established in Salem, Anna and
Ben operated the Marcus Shop at 637 E State Street. This business, which sold clothing and
shoes, was open for only a short time. By 1945, Anna was once again living in Los Angeles.
Anna and Louis had at least one child, a son named Ronald. Ronald attended Ohio University,
where he played basketball, before transferring to Western Reserve in Cleveland.[15] He later
attended the University of Louisville for medical school.[16] Ronald moved to Baltimore, Maryland
after graduation.
Harry Roth and Harry Steinberg, unlike the previous three families, spent only a few
years in Salem. Both men lived in the village of Washingtonville five miles to the east of Salem
by January 1911. Each also worked as a saloon keeper. During the early months of 1911, it was
illegal to sell alcohol in Columbiana County. Washingtonville, which was partially located in
Mahoning County, became a regional center for the liquor business. In November 1911, the law
prohibiting the sale of alcohol was rescinded and some Washingtonville saloon operators,
including Harry Roth and Harry Steinberg, relocated to Salem, which was a larger community.
At least 15 saloons were opened in Salem during November and December 1911.[17] Harry Roth’s
business venture in Salem did not last for long. In 1917, Harry declared bankruptcy and his
saloon was sold.[18] Harry Steinberg’s saloon, which by 1914 was located at 31 E Main Street,
ended in 1919 shortly before the Volstead Act went into effect. This law ushered in Prohibition
across the United States. After his saloon was sold, Harry, together with his brother Jacob,
focused his efforts on operating the Grand Opera House at 580 E State Street. Jacob and Harry
managed the theater for six months before selling the business to Peter Callages in February
1920.[19] Both Harry Roth and Harry Steinberg were married. Harry Roth’s wife was named Sadie
and Harry Steinberg’s wife was named Hannah or Hanna.
By 1912, Salem’s Jewish population was large enough that religious services could be
organized locally. On September 6, 1912, the Salem News reported that observances for the
holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur would be held in town.[20] It was also stated that this
was the first time these observances were held locally.[21] About five years later, in October 1917,
the Salem News reported that a nascent Jewish congregation was organized.[22] The congregation’s
first officers were Hyman Feldstein, president, M. J. Schwartz, vice president, Louis Kaplan,
treasurer, and Philip Cohen, who served as secretary. Emanuel Greenberger, M. J. Schwartz, and
Harry Steinberg served as trustees of the congregation.[23] A ladies’ auxiliary was also organized
at the same time as the congregation.[24] Its initial officers were Fannie Cohen, president, Sadie
Roth, vice president, Anna Kaplan, treasurer, and Dora Newmark, secretary. Of the individuals
listed above Fannie and Philip Cohen, Hyman Feldstein, Dora Newmark, and M. J. Schwartz are
all new to this work. Most of these individuals moved to Salem shortly before the congregation
was organized and only remained in town for a short time. Fannie and Philip Cohen arrived in
Salem around 1916 and Philip worked in a store. Hyman Feldstein moved to Salem shortly
before 1917. By June 1917, he was operating a grocery store located at 10 Main Street.[25] Dora
Newmark, the wife of Henry, moved to Salem from Youngstown in 1916 following her
wedding.[26] Henry had lived in Salem for at least one year at this point and he was associated with
the Economy Store located at 142 Main Street. By 1920, this shoe store operated under the name
Cohen & Newmark, and it is likely Henry’s business partner was Philip Cohen.[27] This
partnership lasted until 1922, when Philip moved to Cleveland.[28] After a short time, Henry sold
his interest in the former partnership to open Newmark’s, a new shoe store, at 142 Main Street.[29]
Just eight months later, however, in December 1923 Henry’s new store, went bankrupt.[30]
Meanwhile Philip had returned to Salem from Cleveland in June 1923 to resume operating the
Economy Store.[31] M. J. Schwartz, the final individual listed above, worked with the New York
Life Insurance Company.[32]
Salem’s first Jewish organizations likely did not last more than a few years. Of the six
initial officers and trustees associated with the Jewish congregation, five left Salem by 1926.
Only Emanuel Greenberger remained local until shortly before his death in 1929.[33] During the
same period, however, other Jewish families moved into the area. Included among these families
were the Caplan, Fisher, Hansell, Sarbin, Schwartz, and Simon households. Jennie and Sol
Caplan moved to Salem in 1916. By 1923, the couple managed the Broadway Variety Store at 41
Broadway. This shop primarily sold wallpaper.[34] Jennie and Sol also had three sons, Lozier, Max
and Nathan. Lozier and Max both worked as attorneys in Salem, while Nathan became a
podiatrist. Nathan had a practice in Salem for a short time before moving outside of Columbiana
County. More will be written about Lozier and Max later in this work. Molly and William
Fisher, who were both immigrants from Eastern Europe, lived in Salem by 1917. The couple had
three children and supported their family by operating a clothing store. This business, known by
1921 as the Fisher Underselling Store, was located on Main Street. One child, Max Fisher,
attended The Ohio State University through a football scholarship and went on to have a notable
business career in Detroit.[35] Max’s parents and at least one sister, Jeannette, also relocated to
Detroit.[36] In addition to his work in the oil business, Max was a noted philanthropist. Locally he
funded the Max Fisher Athletic Scholarship at Salem High School and he supported other
scholarships. In Detroit, he was an active volunteer with Jewish charities, such as the United
Jewish Appeal, and he donated much of the funds needed to create the Max and Marjorie Fisher
Music Center, which is home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The Fisher College of
Business at The Ohio State University is also named in honor of Max Fisher.
Abraham and Bess Hansell, the third household listed above, moved to Salem from
Pittsburgh in 1926 to take over the J. Klein Company.[37] This clothing business was located at
95-97 Main Street and the shop was open for only about four months before Abe and Bess took
over ownership. After about a month, in August 1926 the J. Klein Company became known as
Hansell’s.[38] This business remained in operation in Salem until June 1993. By 1959, its location
had moved to 408 E. State Street. Abe and Bess had three children, Elliott, Herbert, and Sanford.
Jacob and Margaret Sarbin moved to Salem around 1926 from Massillon. Jacob, a native of East
Liverpool, had worked with a chain of stores, Sarbin’s Furniture Company, for at least three years
by this point. The Salem branch of Sarbin’s was located at 35-37 Main Street. By 1933, the
furniture business was known as the Bahm & Sarbin Furniture Company after Jacob was joined
in the firm by Emil Bahm, who was highlighted earlier in this work. By 1940, Jacob had exited
the furniture business and was operating the Sarbin Candy & Tobacco Company at 118 S.
Ellsworth Avenue. In addition to his business interests, Jacob, who was a World War I veteran,
was active in the local American Legion, Lions Club, and Masonic Lodge.[39]
Goldie and Joseph Schwartz moved to Salem in 1916 from Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Both husband and wife were associated with the Schwartz Department Store, located along S.
Broadway. Throughout their years in Salem, both Goldie and Joseph were active members of the
community. Goldie’s volunteer activities included serving on the board of the Salvation Army
and Northern Columbiana County Hospital Association.[40] Joseph, who died in 1930 many years
before Goldie, was active in the Retail Merchants Board. Adolph and Alex Simon, who represent
the final family listed above, moved to Salem in 1924. Together the two brothers operated a local
branch of the Simon Brothers Meat Market. Other contemporary locations existed in Alliance
and Lisbon. Two other brothers, Joseph and Max, were also associated with the business at
various points. While it is not clear if Joseph ever lived in Salem, Max, along with his wife Betty,
Simon was in Salem by 1951. Simon Brothers remained in business locally for at least twenty
years.
Despite the addition of these new families, it appears that Salem’s Jewish community
remained too small to support a local congregation during the mid and late 1920s. In 1931, it was
reported by the Salem News that local Jewish residents traveled to Cleveland, East Liverpool,
Pittsburgh, or Youngstown to attend Yom Kippur services.[41] By 1942, some local residents were
traveling to Temple of Israel in Alliance for religious services.[42] Interestingly, however,
according to the 1940-1941 edition of The American Jewish Year Book, Salem was home to a
Jewish congregation and an estimated 50 Jews in 1940.[43] No local sources referencing this
congregation can be found. It is known, however, that a few new Jewish families settled in Salem
between the years 1927 and 1947. Included among this group are the Axelrod, Chentow,
Deutsch, Dubbs, Falkenstein, Freed, Neiman, and Walken families. Frances and Julius Axelrod
lived in Salem by 1938. Julius worked at Salem Motor Sales, an auto parts business, located at
544 E. Pershing Street. Around 1946, the couple relocated to Alliance where the Axelrod family
also operated an auto parts store. In the 1930s, the Axelrods also operated auto parts stores in
Massillon, Steubenville, and Uhrichsville.[44] Eva and Hyman Chentow moved to Salem in 1941
and founded the Home Furniture Store at the corner of State and Ellsworth. This business
remained in Salem into the 1970s.[45] Both Eva and Hyman were active members of the Salem
community. Eva volunteered with both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. She was also a member
of the local League of Women Voters.[46] Hyman was a member of the local Masonic Lodge.[47]
Albert and Irene Deutsch relocated to Salem in 1942. Albert operated the West End Furniture
Store, which was originally located at 135 S Howard Avenue. Herbert and Rosalyn Dubbs
arrived in Salem in 1937 to open Dubbs Market, a grocery along E State Street.[48] This business
was part of a chain of three stores. Herbert and Rosalyn also raised four children.
Alfons and Liesel Falkenstein, the fifth family listed above, arrived in Salem in 1945.
Alfons, who was trained as a doctor at the University of Bonn and the University of Cologne,
immigrated to the United States in 1938 and initially worked at the Michael Reese Hospital in
Chicago.[49] Both Alfons and Liesel left Europe to escape Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jews.
Alfons worked as a pathologist at the Salem City Hospital from 1945 to 1947. From 1947 until
his death in 1960, he worked at the Alliance City Hospital as chief pathologist and director of
laboratories. In this role, Dr. Falkenstein developed the hospital’s labs and helped to create the
School of Medical Technologists, which was affiliated with Mount Union College. Liesel was
active in the League of Women Voters and the Columbiana County Medical Society Auxiliary.
Charles and Maude Freed moved to Salem in 1931. Charles worked at the Golden Eagle while
Maude was a bookkeeper at Hansell’s. Jacob and Rose Neiman moved to Salem in 1943 from
Youngstown. While in Salem, the couple operated a wholesale beverage and frozen foods store.
Bertha and Nathaniel Walken, who represent the final family referenced above, moved to Salem
in 1931, from Washington, Pennsylvania, after Nat assumed management of both the State
Theater and Grand Theater in downtown Salem.[50] Nat was joined in business by his brother,
Harry from 1931 to 1943. Annual traditions at the theaters under the Walken brother’s
management included a free Christmas show for children.[51] The brothers also gifted movie
passes to children who participated in Salem’s annual Memorial Day Parade and, during World
War II, they offered free admission to any soldier home on leave.[52] While Harry left the theater
business in 1943, and soon relocated to Arizona, Nat continued to operate the Grand Theater
until it closed in the mid-1950s and he operated the State Theater until his retirement in 1964.[53]
During both World War I and World War II, the members of Salem’s Jewish community,
alongside Columbiana County residents of all backgrounds, did their part to support the United
States war effort. During both world wars, Katherine Bloomberg, the wife of Louis, volunteered
with Salem’s Red Cross chapter.[54] During World War II, at least five members of the local Jewish
community served. These individuals are Nathan Bahm, Alroy Bloomberg, Max Caplan, Alan
Freed, and Elliott Hansell. Elliott, a trained pilot, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
and the Purple Heart.[55] In addition to the four men listed above, another individual, Ronald
Kaplan, the son of Anna and Louis, served in the Pacific Theater. By this time, however, Ronald
no longer lived in Salem. On the home front efforts were also made to support American soldiers
abroad. One local leader was Nat Walken, who organized efforts to promote the purchase of war
bonds. These bonds helped the United States government to finance military efforts in both Asia
and Europe. In total, Nat, who had served in World War I before moving to Salem, is estimated
to have sold $250,000 worth of war bonds.[56]
During the late 1940s and 1950s Salem’s Jewish community reached its largest size. It
was also during this period that organized Jewish communal life likely returned to town. In
October 1948, a group of local Jewish women organized a branch of the National Council of
Jewish Women (NCJW).[57] This organization, founded in 1893, continues to exist in many
communities throughout the United States. During the local council’s period of activity, it was
believed that Salem was home to the organization’s smallest unit.[58] Despite the group’s modest
size, NCJW members were visible supporters of many local causes including the Columbiana
County Retarded Children’s Program, Community Chest, the Heart Fund, and the Red Cross
chapter. Members also organized to support individuals in need abroad. For example, one effort
undertaken was sending school supplies to a kindergarten in Israel. Council members also
organized relief packages for individuals in Europe impoverished by World War II. The first
officers of Salem’s NCJW unit were Rose Neiman, president, Eva Chentow, vice president,
Margaret Sarbin, treasurer, and Rosalyn Caplan, secretary.[59] Bess Hansell and Goldie Schwartz
served on the inaugural board of directors.[60] Twenty individuals were reported to be members of
the local council in 1950.[61]
Included among the council’s members were several newer residents of Columbiana
County. These recently arrived members included Sarah DeHaan and Erna Gumpertz. Other
Jews who relocated to Salem during the late 1940s and 1950s were Charles Levinthal, Abraham
Liebman, Irwin Merkin, and Sanford Metz. Sarah and her husband Reuben DeHann, who were
both immigrants from England, moved to Columbiana County in 1948.[62] The couple may have
spent time living in both Salem and Washingtonville. Reuben and Sarah moved to Columbiana
County about three years after their daughter, Jennie wed Alfred Smith of Salem.[63] Alfred met
Jennie while he was stationed in London during World War II and the couple moved to the
United States in 1946. Another daughter, Irene, who moved to the United States with her parents
wed Glenn Caddes of Washingtonville in 1951. After initially struggling to find work locally, by
1956, Reuben worked at the Mullins Manufacturing Company.[64] Both Reuben and Sarah, who
moved to the United States in their later years, are buried in the Alliance Jewish Cemetery,
located about 13 miles west of Salem. Erna Gumpertz, like Sarah DeHaan, was also an
immigrant who moved to Columbiana County in her later years with her husband, Leopold.
Leopold was the father of Liesel Falkenstein and Erna was his second wife.[65] He died only one
year after moving to Salem.[66] Erna outlived her husband by over ten years and she was a member
of Salem Senior Citizens and Congregation Rodef Sholom in Youngstown.[67]
Unlike the DeHaan and the Gumpertz families, who came to Salem due to marriage or
family connections, the Levinthal, Liebman, Merkin, and Metz households were drawn by
economic opportunities. The first two families listed, however, remained in Salem for only a
short time. Charles Levinthal and his wife, who was a member of the local Council of Jewish
Women, lived in Salem by October 1948.[68] They remained for a short time before relocating after
January 1951.[69] Abraham Liebman moved to Salem in 1949 to open a flooring and window
covering store at 140 S Broadway.[70] In 1952, however, the family moved to Pittsburgh.[71] Irwin
Merkin, the third individual listed above, moved to Salem by 1957 to take on the role of manager
at Walker Shoes. This business was located at 428 E State Street. Irwin remained with the store
until at least 1964. Sanford Metz, representing the final family listed above, worked at the
Golden Eagle in Salem by 1954.[72] Within three years, however, he transitioned careers to operate
the Salem Auto Wrecking Company.[73] This business was located at 1000 S Ellsworth.
In October 1954, it was reported that Salem’s local Council of Jewish Women had 13
members.[74] This was a decline from the 20 members reported just four years earlier in October
1950.[75] In addition to supporting charitable activities, council members also organized social and
religious events for members of the Salem Jewish community. Social highlights of the year
included an annual community dinner and an annual picnic. Holiday programs included parties
for Hanukkah and Purim.[76] Council members also represented the Jewish community at interfaith
programs such as Brotherhood Week.[77] First observed in 1934, Brotherhood Week was a national
effort celebrated in communities across the United States to promote tolerance. Another effort
undertaken by members of Salem’s Jewish community during the 1950s was supporting the new
State of Israel through Israel Bond drives. Israel, which gained its independence on May 14,
1948, was a poor country during its initial decades. Israel bonds helped to promote the
development of the emerging state. In 1952, Lozier Caplan served as chairman of an Israel bond
drive in Salem.[78] Alroy Bloomberg, Hyman Chentow, Abe Hansell, Horace Schwartz, and
Nathaniel Walken also supported the drive.[79] At least one more drive was organized in Salem a
year later and again this drive was led by Lozier Caplan.[80]
By the early 1960s, Salem’s Jewish community had significantly contracted in size. This
contraction occurred in part due to families relocating from Salem. Deaths were also a reason for
the community’s contraction. Prominent members of the local Jewish community who died
during the late 1950s or early 1960s included Emil Bahm, Alroy Bloomberg, Jesma Bloomberg,
Hyman Chentow, Alfons Falkenstein, Rose Neiman, and Jacob Sarbin. Salem’s Council of
Jewish Women was still active as of 1960 and one project undertaken by members was to host
monthly birthday parties for the Salem Senior Citizens Club.[81] This service began in 1957 and
lasted until 1961.[82] By 1964, however, it appears that Salem’s Council of Jewish Women unit
became inactive. While the dissolution of this organization brought an end to organized Jewish
life in Salem, Jewish families continued to live in Salem and to make contributions to the
community. For example, both Hansell’s and Schwartz’s Department Store remained open into
the 1990s.[83] A small Jewish presence also continues to exist in Salem as of 2023. Further, it
merits note that several members of Salem’s Jewish community went on to have successful
careers after relocating from Columbiana County. In addition to Max Fisher, who has already
been mentioned in this work, Harvey Walken, the son of Bertha and Nathaniel, went on to
become a noted real estate developer in Chicago. He also held a stake in Toronto’s SkyDome,
home of the Toronto Blue Jays, and for a time was a part-owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates.[84] Alan
Freed, the son of Charles and Maude, was a noted disk jockey from the late 1940s into the
mid-1960s.[85] He helped to make the phrase rock and roll mainstream and he arranged live
concerts with racially integrated audiences at a time when this was highly uncommon. Alan was
inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1985 and was honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.
In the fields of foreign affairs, journalism, and law individuals brought up in Salem, and
as part of the local Jewish community, also made a significant impact. Herbert Hansell, the son
of Abraham and Bess, served as a principal legal advisor to Secretary of State Cyrus Vance
during the 1970s.[86] In this role, he helped draft the 1978 Camp David Accords, which established
peace between Egypt and Israel. Herbert also had a prominent role in negotiating the Panama
Canal Treaty of 1977, which guaranteed the neutrality of the Panama Canal Zone, and the Salt II
Accords of 1979, which limited the number of nuclear weapons possessed by the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States. Herbert went on to make further diplomatic
contributions later in life. Another Salem native, Robert Schwartz, the son of Goldie and Joseph,
became the New York Bureau Chief for Time Magazine and later, in 1964, established the
Tarrytown House Estate and Conference Center. This property was the first conference center in
the United States.[87] Finally Dean Hansell, the son of Elliott and Sunny, has had a noted career in
law. In 2016, Governor Jerry Brown of California appointed Dean to serve on the Superior Court
of Los Angeles County. Dean has also served as chair of the Los Angeles County Citizens
Oversight Commission on the Sheriff’s Department Working Group. He has also been active on
the boards of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Foundation, the
California Bar Foundation, the Los Angeles City College Foundation, Denison University, the
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.[88] In Salem, Dean
has also funded the Dean Hansell Training Scholarship to assist graduates of Salem High School
who wish to attend a vocational school, trade school, technical school, certification training
program, or credential program.[89] While never numbering more than one percent of Salem’s
overall population, the local Jewish community has made significant contributions to Salem’s
civic, cultural, and economic history. More broadly, various members of Salem’s Jewish
community have also had an outsized impact on various areas across the United States. These
contributions merit preservation and remembrance alongside stories from Ohio’s larger Jewish
communities.
Endnotes
1. “Montefiore Home Grants Wish of Aged Columbiana County Pioneer,” Jewish Independent
(Cleveland), April 26, 1929.
2. “Former Salem Merchant Dies,” Salem News, May 22, 1929.
3. Ibid.
4. “Golden Eagle Store to Open in New Quarters on Friday,” Salem News, January 23, 1958.
5. Ibid.
6. Obituary of Joseph Bahm, Salem News, September 21, 1949.
7. Obituary of Mrs. Rae Bahm, Salem News, May 12, 1977.
8. “Emil Bahm, Clothing Merchant, Succumbs,” Salem News, January 22, 1958.
9. “Bloomberg Store to Close Doors,” Salem News, March 18, 1963.
10. “Trinity Choir Hears Mrs. Bloomberg Speak,” Salem News, June 20, 1950.
11. “Observing Atonement,” Salem News, October 05, 1908.
12. Obituary of Louis Kaplan, Salem News, September 14, 1926.
13. Ibid.
14. “Kaplan-Marcus,” Salem News, April 05, 1929.
15. “Kaplan is Awarded Basketball Sweater,” Salem News, May 02, 1923.
16. “Receives Degree at Louisville U.,” Salem News, June 15, 1932.
17. “15 Saloons in Near Future,” Salem News, November 11, 1911.
18. Salem News, June 12, 1917, p 5.
19. “Grand Opera House Changes Hands Again,” Salem News, February 02, 1920.
20. “The Jewish New Year is Soon to be Celebrated,” Salem News, September 06, 1912.
21. Ibid.
22. “Form Nucleus of Jewish Church; Elect Officers,” Salem News, October 18, 1917.
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid.
25. Salem News, June 12, 1917, p 4.
26. “Knable-Newmark,” Salem News, July 06, 1916.
27. “Cohen & Newmark Win Water Case Against City,” Salem News, February 03, 1920.
28. “Economy Store Sold to Former Owner,” Salem News, June 02, 1923.
29. Salem News, April 20, 1923, p 11.
30. Salem News, December 07, 1923, p 11.
31. “Economy Store Sold to Former Owner,” Salem News, June 02, 1923.
32. “Named Special Agent,” Salem News, December 03, 1917.
33. “Employees Attend Greenberger Rites,” Salem News, May 24, 1929.
34. Obituary of Mrs. Jennie Caplan, Salem News, January 26, 1944.
35. “Fisher Gives $5,000 Year to Fund,” Salem News, June 12, 1972.
36. “Jeannette Fisher Wed in Detroit Sunday,” Salem News, September 19, 1946.
37. Randy Hansell, email to author, July 11, 2023.
38. Salem News, August 04, 1926, p 3.
39. “Jack Sarbin is Victim of Heart Attack,” Salem News, March 03, 1959.
40. Pearl Walker, “Goldie Schwartz, Business Women,” Salem News, January 22, 1972.
41. “Jews Observe Atonement Day,” Salem News, September 18, 1931.
42. “Jews will Observe Succoth Festival,” Salem News, September 24, 1942.
43. American Jewish Yearbook Vol, 42, Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society of America,
1940, p 237,
http://www.ajcarchives.org/AJC_DATA/Files/1940_1941_3_SpecialArticles.pdf.
44. “Axelrod Offers Parts for All Makes of Cars,” Salem News, March 05, 1930.
45. Obituary of Eva S. Chentow, Salem News, June 08, 1994.
46. Ibid.
47. Obituary of Hyman Chentow, Salem News, December 19, 1961.
48. “Fruit, Vegetable Market will Open,” Salem News, May 07, 1937.
49. “Crash Kills Dr. Falkenstein,” Alliance Review, January 19, 1960.
50. “Walkens Plan Improvements at 2 Theaters,” Salem News, March 28, 1931.
51. “Walkens Plan Theater Treat,” Salem News, December 20, 1937.
52. Tad O’Rourke, “Local Showman Ends Career,” Salem News, May 02, 1964.
53. Ibid.
54. Obituary of Mrs. Louis Bloomberg, Salem News, February 11, 1966.
55. Obituary of Elliott Hansell, Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2004.
56. Tad O’Rourke, “Local Showman Ends Career,” Salem News, May 02, 1964.
57. “Jewish Women Form Section, Name Officers,” Salem News, October 12, 1948.
58. Dean Hansell, email to author, September 29, 2023.
59. “Jewish Women Form Section, Name Officers,” Salem News, October 12, 1948.
60. Ibid.
61. “New Season Opened by Jewish Women,” Salem News, October 13, 1950.
62. “British Engineer, Here Two Years, Unable to Find Job,” Salem News, July 11, 1950.
63. Ibid.
64. “Couple Marks 43 Years of Marriage,” Salem News, August 01, 1961.
65. Obituary of Leo Gumertz, Salem News, May 25, 1957.
66. Ibid.
67. Obituary of Mrs. Leo Gumpertz, Salem News, December 30, 1971.
68. “Jewish Women Form Section, Name Officers,” Salem News, October 12, 1948.
69. “Jewish Women Complete Plans to Finish Parlor,” Salem News, January 17, 1951.
70. “Floor Covering, Drapery Store Opens Tomorrow,” Salem News, June 10, 1949.
71. “Beta Sigma Phi Sorority Holds Spring Rush Party,” Salem News, March 22, 1952.
72. “Store Employe [sic], Police Nab 2 Shoplifters,” Salem News, November 01, 1954.
73. “Thieves,” Salem News, November 08, 1957.
74. “Jewish Women’s Council Opens Year; Names Committees,” Salem News, October 22, 1954.
75. “New Season Opened by Jewish Women,” Salem News, October 13, 1950.
76. “Jewish Women Plan Annual Purim Party,” Salem News, March 04, 1957.
77. “Brotherhood Week Program Plans Made by Jewish Women,” Salem News, February 14,
1955.
78. “Committee Named for Israel Bond Drive to be Held Here,” Salem News, February 21, 1952.
79. Ibid.
80. “Haganah Fighter to Speak at Israel Bond Drive Here,” Salem News, April 06, 1953.
81. “Senior Citizens See Alaskan Photos,” Salem News, May 02, 1960.
82. “Senior Citizens Club to Observe Fourth Anniversary,” Salem News, December 20, 1960.
83. Randy Hansell, email to author, September 28, 2023.
84. Thomas A. Corfman, “Story Teller [sic] Developer Harvey Walken Dies,” Crain’s Chicago
Business, June 18, 2009,
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20090618/CRED03/200034465/story-teller-developerharvey-
walken-dies.
85. “Alan Freed, Disk Jockey, Dead at 43,” Salem News, January 21, 1965.
86. “Former Resident Heads Law Staff for Cyrus Vance,” Salem News, January 21, 1977.
87. Alesha Hanson, “Tarrytown House Estate Celebrates 50 Years, Offers Celebratory
Packages,” Daily Voice (Tarrytown, NY), March 05, 2014,
https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/tarrytown/lifestyle/tarrytown-house-estate-celebrates-50-yearsoffers-
celebratory-packages/435172/.
88. “Dean Hansell – Denison,” Phi Delta Theta,
https://phideltatheta.org/2016/06/dean-hansell-denison/.
89. “Dean Hansell Training Award,” Sustainable Opportunity Development Center,
https://sodcenter.com/resources/dean-hansell-training-award.