Trenton's Jews by Arthur L. Finkle Local history from 1850 to 1970

1. At its industrial height,
Trenton housed more
than 62 potteries, major
rubber and steel
manufacturing plants.
• What attracted Jews?
• They did not work in the manufacturing
businesses.
• They generally served as store operators
(independent entrepreneur).
• Jewish professional initially were clergy.
• In the second generation, increasing
NUMBERS joined the professions
(physicians, lawyers, dentists,
accountants)
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2. 2

3. Two Great Waves of Jewish
Immigration
• 1840’s Naar Family - Sephardic
• 1840-1880 – Germany, Austria
• 1881-1914
– Russian – Pale of Settlement (Lirvakland (Vilna,
Grodno, Minsk, Kovno) 75%
– Romania 1901-1904
– Hungary
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4. South Trenton
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5. Jewish Institutions
Shuls
Har Sinai 1857
Brothers of Israel 1883
People of Truth 1901
Workers of Truth - 1905
Ahavath Israel
(Hungarian, 1919)
Adath Israel 1923
Mikveh
Kosher butchers - 8
Kosher bakers – 6
Talmud Torah 5

6. The Progress Club
• In November 1894 as the Young Men's Hebrew
Club, prosperous Jewish businessmen and
professionals, membership of twenty-seven),
held its first meetings on South Broad Street,
below Factory Street South Trenton). ‘
• The Club later moved to East State Street,
between Broad and Warren Streets. Arthur
Schwartz was the first president of the old club,
which was interested in improving the mental,
moral, social and physical conditions of its
members to protect Jewish interests.
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7. Progress Club (Cont)
• Its officers in 1901: M. A. Fuld, President; S. Kahn, Vice
President; Sol Papier, Secretary. The Governing Board:
S. Kahn; P. Lazarus; A. Klinkowstein; M.A. Fuld; L. A.
Fuld; L. L. Friedman; A. Seigel; E. R. Fox; S. Levy; Sol
Papier; and William Vogel
• In 1925, the Progress Club men bought a country
place on the Lawrenceville Road, where they have
established a golf club. After this purchase, the official
name changed to the Progress City and Country Club.
• Consisting of mostly successful German Jewish
businessmen who also attended Har Sinai Temple,
they used the club to host Temple functions.
• .
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8. Greenacres CC
• The Progress Club had its Golf Course in
the present location.
• Chick Bash, the County Gol Camp, was
denied entry at a nearby local private
country club.
• To accommodate Jewish golfers,
Greenacres Country Club incorporated
as a nonsectarian club. Nothing in the
certificate of incorporation indicates
that it was an exclusively Jewish club.
• The charitable requirement of
Greenacres, in fact, indicated that
Jewish members were required to give
annual donations to the Trenton Jewish
Federation; non-Jewish members could
give their charitable contribution to the
United Way (Larger community charity). 8

9. MAJOR PHILANTHROPIC
AND SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
............
Hebrew Immigration Mutual
Aid Soc
Drama and Theater
Jacob Gordon Hebrew
Dramatic Club
Russian-Turkish Baths
The Kachunkie
Cemeteries
Mikveh (Jewish Ritual Bath)
Trenton Jewish Federation
Abrams Foundation
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10. Fall of Trenton’s Economy
After World War II, large industry consolidated
(amalgamated) into national and international
companies located outside of Trenton. Factory plants
and their jobs left in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Accordingly, this reduction in workforce detrimentally
affected local (Jewish) merchants.
Pottery industry began to deteriorate after WWW1.
John A. Roebling sold to Colorado Fuel and Iron.
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11. Jewish Trenton’s Third Generation +
11
Jewish Trenton’s Third Generation +
The 1949 and the 1961 increases in the professions:
1970, nearly 30 percent of all professionals.
40 Jewish philanthropic organizations, including three
Conservative congregations as well as two Orthodox and
one Reform congregation.
By the beginning of the new millennium, the Trenton
Jewish Community diminished to three congregations,
one Orthodox, one Conservative and a Reform
congregation.

12. Percentages of Jews Represented in
the Professions 1915-1956
Trenton Jewish Professionals
1915 - 1956
Professions 1915 1935 1946 1956
Accountants 0% 36% 40% 48%
Physicians 6% 13% 14% 24%
Lawyers 12% 25% 29% 37%
Druggists 16% 15% 20%
(Source: Donnelly's Trenton City Directory for raw data)
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13. OUTSTANDING TRENTON JEWISH
PERSONALITIES
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Hon. Philip Forman Zalman King (Lefkowitz)
Ho. Sidney Goldmann Richard Kind
Benjamin Kauffman Henry Levin
Sol Weinstein Peter Dan Levin
Alex Siegle Mike Bloom
Sol Linowitz Tal Brody
Judith Light Tony Siegle
Amy Robinson