Monday, December 3, 2012

THE SECOND GENERATION


Arthur L. Finkle



South Broad Street looking north toward State 1937
For first generation Jews, it was difficult adapting to a new culture, new methods of doing business, new interaction between the government and the individual and of course conquering the difficult English language. Besides the threatened competition with other newcomers, ‘liberals’ like Edward A. Steiner, Dean of a New England Collage, believed that the Jew would accept the Messiah as well as his Christian brethren. However, he found there was always immigrant problem, wherever he lived. In his ‘empirical study,’ Steiner believed them to be over-optimistic.

He acknowledged that the Jews are smart, making up 20% of Columbia University and having a chilling effect for others to matriculate. He also found it irritating that his Jewish students, few that they were, to anticipate his intellectual and emotional needs.

He admonished that antagonism toward non- sectarian social and ethical practices in public school (Lord’s Prayer and Bible reading) not well placed. See Steiner, 1909.

In high school, Trenton Jewish students thrived in the free public schools. Yet they also encountered a caste system because Trenton had a segregated junior high school system until 1943!

They were a couple of 12-year-old kids who wanted to go to the same classes as their playmates.

But in September 1943, when Leon Williams and Janet Hedgepeth tried to get into their neighborhood school in Trenton's Wilbur section, they were told no.

Junior High No. 2 was "not built for Negroes," the principal explained.

And Leon and Janet, good students thought they might have been, were black.

Therefore, they had to walk 2 1/2 miles to a different school -- the all-black New Lincoln School.

Those were the rules of the Jim Crow era in Trenton. But to the angry mothers of Leon Williams and Janet Hedgepeth, the rules just weren't fair. Indignant, they filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education of Trenton, demanding to let their children go to the same school as white kids.

The Hedgepeth-Williams lawsuit would lead the state Supreme Court to make a historic ruling -- abolishing racial segregation in New Jersey.

It would even be cited by the U.S. Supreme Court a decade later in the historic Brown vs. Board of Education case, which made integration the law of the land throughout America.
http://trentonhistory.org/cgi-bin/sitestats.gif?t=1329334079044;b=;s=;c=;j=1.4;o=300;p=http%3A//trentonhistory.org/Old%26New.html;r=http%3A//www.bing.com/search%3Fq%3Drice+family+%252bjewish+trenton%252c+nj%26FORM%3DSSRE; http://trentonhistory.org/Old&New.html


Indeed, Richard Green, in writing “Reuben Cohen Comes of Age: American Jewish Youth and the Lived Experience of Cultural Pluralism in the 1920s,” the protagonist, Reuben Cohen,  enters an elite American college during the mid-1920s and was well-liked by his professors.

Professors described him as a typical collegian. But the fact was Reuben was part of the first generation of Jewish students (Second Generation of Jews) in the United States to attend college in significant numbers. He a child  Jewish immigrants, who found ways to integrate themselves more fully in American ways than their parents.

Although living with many reminders of Jewish difference, Reuben had grown up in "the home of a businessman who was comfortably well off." His immigrant father had shunned Orthodox Judaism and embraced Reform as he became a successful entrepreneur.

Predictably, when Reuben's father turned to Reform Judaism, his children followed. Instead of gaining his Jewish education in an Orthodox shul like his father, Reuben attended a "fashionable temple on the Upper West Side" of Manhattan.

Still, the Cohen family maintained significant boundaries between themselves and non-Jews. Reuben's parents had only Jewish friends. They insisted that Reuben not attend school on Yom Kippur.

Mixing with non-Jews had stark and real limits; for Reuben's mother, the "conception of a Gentile daughter-in-law" remained simply "remote and impossible."

Reuben's favorite professor observed that despite the Cohen family's "casual Judaism," Jewishness seemed "profoundly to have shaped the history of Reuben."

Reuben thought. "One must not develop a persecution complex" and become what he called "one of the chip-on-the-shoulder Hebrews." This conundrum of separate but different reflected Reuben's perspective and mediated determining how to express his Jewish identity rested with him alone. Like many of his Jewish peers, he had difficult decisions to make about whether and how to incorporate Jewish religious and cultural interests into his life while in college.
Many of his professors did not even know that Reuben was Jewish, perhaps because being Jewish seemed so unimportant to Reuben himself. During Reuben's junior year, something changed. He vaguely began to articulate that being Jewish mattered to him, but he grew frustrated because he could not find satisfying ways to express his Jewish identity. But, when matured, Reuben felt that his newfound exploration of Jewish heritage conflicted with his modern interests and desires. Rabbis, synagogues, and the Zionist movement disappointed him. The new world was secular to a boy whose heritage was steeped in Yiddishkeit.

Yet he strove to gain an education to prepare him as a professional (physician, lawyer, dentist, accountant, etc.) while ignoring his real self. Without know it, Reuben has one foot firmly placed in the secular American society based upon Christian principles and the other foot still mired in his own Jewish culture.  See Daniel Greene.

Quota systems reared its head in universities, medical schools, law schools, etc. There was almost a total absence of Jews in the banking industry, the securities business, accounting firms, law firms, medical privileges in hospitals, and generally any national chain of enterprise etc.

The largest initial businesses were the Junk Business and the Liquor business, which was a carryover from Poland and part of Russia where Jews had a virtual monopoly.
 

Education was the way to economic security. Besides business, education also would produce the many professionals seen in the second generation (the first to natively speak English).

Those in South Trenton ultimately graduated from Trenton Central High School. Trenton High covered all of Trenton, Hamilton, Ewing, and Lawrenceville.
Jewish students distinguished themselves in academics and sports. Moreso in academics than sports.

But the male persuasion likes to see what sports figures predominated amongst second generation Jews at Trenton Central High. In perusing the Bobeshela (High School Yearbook) from 1922-38, we find the table below.

In addition to the athletes, Dave Weisberg became the famed soccer coach in 1935. His innovations and motivation created state dominating teams for a decade. Teams still use some of his innovations. Dave alter became an Assistant Principal, giving up his coaching.

For those old enough, the following names are recognizable, representing the best and brightest of the Trenton community. Most of these students remained in Trenton to become pillars of its Jewish and general community.



 






Bobeshela Staff
Football
Basketball
Baseball
Tennis (not listed for most years)
1922
Afred Habas
Edgar Fiestal
Sidney Wolberg
not listed
Milton Konovitz
Edgar Fiestal
Nathan Lavine
Solomon Klein
1923
not listed
Sidney Beck
Levin
Edgar Fiestal
Eckstein
1924
Milton Konovitz
Bert Lefkowitz
not listed
Sidney Stark
M. Rosenthal
Seymour Aronson
Sidney Beck
Sidney Beck
Morris Forer
Edgar Fiestal
Robert Pinerman
Sidney Greenwald
Henry Levin
Adele Wolf
Aaron Axelrod
1925
Sidney Stark
Simon Sloshberg
Morris Robinson
Robert Pinerman
Louis B. Singer
Philip Albert
Sidney Geenwald
Henry Levin
Aaron Axelrod
Morris Forer
1926
Lester Finkle
not listed
Joseph Deitz
Sidney Siegel
Leo Goldman
Samuel Lavine
Joseph Forer
Bobeshela Staff
Football
Basketball
Baseball
Tennis (not listed for most years)
1927
Joseph Forer
Morris Robin
not listed
Lester Finkle
Simon Bahr
Morris Aroniss
Philip Albert
Daniel Rednor
1928
Simon Bahr
Harry Gerofsky
not listed
Morris Aroniss
Sol Movsovich
Morris Rosenthal
Bernard Breen
Morris Forer
Arnold Levine
Jack Rosenthal
Daniel Radnor
Irving Wilner
Lester Fisher
1929
Morris Forer
Lester Klempner
Lester Klempner
Red Levy
Arnold Levine
Morris Aroniss
Samuel Adler
Irving Wilner







Bobeshela Staff
Football
Basketball
Baseball
Tennis (not listed for most years)
1930
Harold Hoenig
David Speigel
Isadore Aroniss
Eli Albert
Isadore Aroniss
Leon Cohen
David Eckstein
Albert Finkle
Harry Kusslovitz
Morris Miller
David Rosenberg
Esther Frankel
David Eckstein
Sidney Spiegel
1931
D. Greenberg
not listed
Sidney Spiegel
P. Zeltt
Max Greenberg
L. Cohen
Oscar Rosenthal;
H. Levine
Edith Klein
A. Klotz
Arthur Teich
S. Levine
Abraham Kunes
Disney Safir
Matilda Siegle
Isabel Steiner
1932
Ralph Fineberg
Meyer Bloom
Jerome Levy
Archie Zabinsky
John Hirsch
Daniel Robinson
Nathan Petchat
Milton Kauffman

Bobeshela Staff
Football
Basketball
Baseball
Tennis (not listed for most years)
1933
State Titleist
not listed

Honor Society = 27%
Meyer Bloom

John Hirsch

Harry Litowitz

Henry Adler

Nathan Puchat

Stanley Apple


1934
Albert Bash
State Titleist
not listed

Honor Society = 23%
Max Feldman
Meyer Bloom
not listed

Stanley Apple

1935
Albert Bash
(David Weisberg becomes coach of Soccer Team)



1936
Ben Olinsky
not listed

not listed
Harry Olinsky


1937
Ben  Olinsky
Howard Miller

not listed
Manfred Levy

Monroe Levy

Leon Rappaport

Lewis Applstein

Milton
Rosenthal














To summarize, Jews' representing about 4% of the student population in the years between 1922 and 1938.,  they generally represented  50% of the Bobashela (yearbook) staff. Many of these participants will go on to become their generations of professionals (physician, lawyers, accountants, dentists, etc.). In addition, they became the titans of local business in Trenton.

This generation, as in other similar communities, disproportionately represented Jews in the professions and in business. The opportunity for education and the motivation to be financially secure was the immigrants' dream for their children.

Their appearance on sports teams was disproportionate o the tennis team. Otherwise, it was below their percentage in high school. The big exception was that the 1935 and 1936, when Trenton high won the State tournament, with at least three on its twelve man squad.

The Second Generation also GAVE BACK to the Trenton Jewish community. Indeed, there was no less Jewish activity during this generation than the previous generation. Indeed, save for the Orthodoxy of the ‘Old Country,’ the Second Generation fleshed the start-up organizations with their leadership and also became local bastions of national Jewish movements, such as the Jewish National Fund, Hadassah, ORT, and the Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods of the newer congregations.

The Second Generation also became more prominent businessmen in the community. Beginning small, they disproportionately owned  ‘downtown’ commerce.


Normal  Department Store – Swamp Angel (Isaac Finkle)
S.S. Allen – (Karl Urken)  S. Broad near the Second Precinct
Urken and Cohen’s (Hy Urkin)
Finkle’s Dry Goods – Willow and Spring  (Samuel Finkle)
Cohen’s Dry Goods
Alexander’s Dry Goods



Trenton Laundry - Samuel Levin
Stacey Laundry – Sidney Vogel and Carl Schipper
Lincoln Laundry – Max Levine
Honey Gordon
Mort Parker
Dr. Jacob Berman
Dr. Eckstein
Copeland
Dr. Lester Finkle
Dr. Arthur Randelman
Dr. Kagan
Dr. Ivy smith
Blaugrand
Dr. Sam Freidman
Irv Poyas
Dr. Percy smith
Dr. Drezner
Dr Barney Lavine
Dr. Epsten
Dr. Sacks-Wilner
Dr. Zimskind
Dr. Levin
Ed Feistal
Dr. Yale Byer
Dr. Mo Byer

Miller
Ben Vine
Herman Moss
Greenwald
Sam Byer
Norman Vine
Nat Popkin
Ben Miller
Sacks-Wilner
Stein
Ed Fier
Saloons
Chick Bash
 Murf Cohen
Mugsy Resnick
Jumbo Saperstein
Orville Cohen
After prohibition, several in the Jewish community applied for liquor licenses and retail stores. Indeed, in 1934, twenty-nine of 209 liquor licenses went to Jews. For retail stores five of 17 licenses.
Generally using 1930 census statistics, Robinson make several noteworthy findings were:

Data on the age, sex, nativity, citizenship, family composition, occupations and ward distribution of the Jews enumerated in Trenton in 1937, led to the following conclusions:
3.  The ratio of aliens among the Jews was about half that recorded for all foreign-born males in the city.  Of the foreign-born Jews half had lived in Trenton for 23 years and in the U. S. S. for 31 years.
4.  T h e  occupational  distribution  of  the Jewish  population  differed  widely from that  of the total population,  the  former being concentrated in trade and commerce; latter  in manufacturing and  mechanical industries.
5. Trade   accounted  for  59 percent  of  the  gainfully  occupied  male Jewish population  of Trenton a  ratio is more  than  three  and  one-half  times the trade proportion  of  males in  the  city's  tot al   population in  1930.
Perhaps the most striking common characteristic of the ten communities lies in t h e concentration of the gainfully occupied group in retail trade.  In  no  city studied  was  t h e  ratio  of  gainfully occupied Jews in  trade  fewer than  43  percent (Passaic), whereas in Pittsburgh it  was a s  much as  60 percent. 
Another category in which Jews are found more frequently than non-Jews in proportion to their numbers is the professions.  Professionals represented no less than 8.5 percent of Jews (compared to fewer than 3% in 1905. The second generation took the opportunity that education allowed them.) .  Industries, in public service, in domestic service, in skilled and unskilled occupations anywhere near that of the ratio in the total population.  The ratio of Jews in the manufacturing occupations varied from 11.7 percent in Trenton to 35.5 in Chicago.







Although there were a disproportionate amount of professionals (Physicians, Attorneys, Certified Public Accountants, Dentists), most reverted to the family business of selling merchandise. However, they did it on a much larger scale. 
Trenton was known for its ‘downtown.’ Between Willow and City Hall, there were 100’s of stores, both small and large. The interesting fact is that most of them were owned by the sons and daughters of ‘Jewtown.’
During the era of the 1920’s, Jews had difficulty getting onto college, if for no other reason that they were Jewish. If they were ‘lucky’ enough to attending college from 1929 on, they returned home to support a Depression-starved family.
Downtown Trenton had been a busy commercial district after the Greene St. (Broad St.) over pass was built to fjord the Assinpink Creek. In addition, it originally housed the most prominent families of Trenton, such as the Roebling’s, the Kuser's, etc.
The retail trade in Trenton saw its heyday in the 1930’s 1960’s. Jews owned most the major Department stores in the downtown area, bordered by State St, from Montgomery to Warren Sts. Dunham’s (Charles Levy and Jules Aresty and later the Plapinger Brothers); Swern’s (Swern family), Goldberg’s (managed by Wolf from the Federated Department  Stores), Yard’s (Buddy Hano) and Stern’s.
Men’s Stores
Croyden (Holland Brothers)
F. W. Donnelly Mens’ Clothiers  (Gene Howard)
Eton Clothes – Levin Family
Robinson’s – Murray Robinson
George’s – George, Herman and Harold Lavinson
Joe Finkle’s Furnishings (Joes Finkle)
Men’s Shoes
Handis Shoes
Schulman Shoes
Fischer’s Shoe ear (Abby Haveson)
Josephson’s Shoe
Florsheim - Florsheim –geo weiss
Kahn's "Treadeasy" shoes
Ladies Stores
Charm Aronson – Bill Aronson
Stacy’s – Bob Albert
Rifkin’s – Evelyn Rifkin
Lillian Charm (Lillian Charm)
Lavenson’s
Joyce Women’s Clothing – (Charofsky)
AS Beck
Miller – Isidore Miller
Women’s Shoes
Kitty Kelly
National Shoes (Joe Hayfer)
Jewelry Stores
Siegel’s Jewelers (Irving Siegel)
Walter’s Jewelry (Rae Walters)
Kind’s Jewelers (Sam Kind)
Dietz Jewelers.
Miller AND Leavitt
Litmann’s Jewelers – Steve Holzman)
Jewelry – Haskel Levinststein
Furniture Stores
Spiegel’s
Ethan Allen Furniture
Tire Stores
Black and Freidman

Richman Tire
Appliance Stores
Bea Greenberg's NJ Plumbing Supply, ( before she became "Mrs. G",
Trenton Lighting – Morris and Max Levine
Harold Feinberg appliance
BOB Binders – Lightings fixtures
Nath Floor Covering

Trenton Floor Covering – Levie Brothers – Morris, Max

Printing Press
Mort Parker
Manufacturers
Circle F – Ed Ring
Homasote – Irving Flicker
Neapara Rubber - Rosenthal
Horsman Doll – Harry Freidman
See Koslow

Clothing Manufacturers
Metropol Clothing Co. (Walcoff)
Baxter Clothing
Hardware
Levy’s Hardware
Olinsky Hardware
Lumber
Millner’s’ Lumber -  Artisan Ave. - Irv Millner –
Ajax Lumber – So Broad St. Lavine
Insurance
David Rosenberg
Marvin Gandelman
News Dealer
Harry Levenson
Whitey’s Newsstand – Warren St
Advertising
I. Louis Finkle
Albert Finkle
Specialty Stores
Sam’s Shoe Repairs (Sam Lavinthal)
Luggage – (Abby Botwinick)
Norman’s Gift Shop – Arnold Norman and Ted Henschel)
Hal’s Record Shop
Patio Furniture (originally Extension Toys) Max Intrologator,
Richmond Bus Company – Sidney Sussman and Arthur Levie
Sack’s Dishes
Trentonian Newspaper – Sam Jacobs
For 1937 City Directory of Downtown Trenton, see Appendix 4, p. 76



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