WILKES-BARRE AND KINGSTON

WILKES-BARRE AND KINGSTON , cities in N.E. Pennsylvania with a Jewish population of 3,000 (in 2005). The first Jews were Moses Libien from France (1835), Hirsch Koch (1836), and Martin Long (1838) from Bavaria. By the 1840s, 13 Jews lived in Wilkes-Barre and held Orthodox services as Congregation B'nai B'rith which became Reform in 1860. Rabbi Albert Friedlander was their leader. In 1970 they moved to Kingston, had 220 members, and were led by Rabbi Arnold Shevlin. By 2005 they had 200 households, with Rabbi Fred Davidow officiating.

East European Jews arrived in the 1870s, forming five Orthodox congregations. The principal Orthodox congregation is Ohav Zedek, founded by Hungarian Jews in 1902. Rabbi Isadore Mayer Davidson became chief rabbi in 1920.

Conservative Temple Israel was founded in 1922 and is the largest with 450 families, led by Rabbi Larry Kaplan and Cantor Ahron Abraham. Abraham D. Barras was rabbi from 1952 to 1983 and initiated bat mitzvah ceremonies. He took Christian clergy on Temple Israel tours to Israel and Egypt and led a mission to Israel and Rome, where they had an audience with the pope and the chief rabbi of Rome.

The Jewish Community Center was founded as the ymha in 1863. Louis Smith was the director of the jcc from 1925 until 1976. He was very influential and recognized for his excellence by national uja. Julia Lieberman created Home Camp, and K'Ton Ton camp was directed by Evelyn Gurbst. In 2005 jcc membership was 901 families, its executive director was Don Cooper. The jcc lists 1,500 men and women who served in the military. A senior kosher meal program and day care were initiated, and the jcc camp was renovated. The Jewish Federation sponsors the United Jewish Campaign. In 1999 there appeared a book on Wilkes-Barre Jewry, The Jews of Wilkes-Barre: 150 Years 1845 – 1995 in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania, edited by S. Spear, P.J. Zbiek, E.C. Levin, and M. Levin.

The first Jew elected to office was Abram Salsburgh who served as district attorney of Luzerne County from 1904 to 1910. Some long-serving communal leaders were Rabbi Marcus Salzman, 35 years; Rabbi Isadore Davidson, 43 years; Rabbi Mayer Pernikoff, 47 years; Rabbi Abraham D. Barras, 31 years; Arnold Shevlin, 22 years; and Louis Smith, 52 years.

Men and women of achievement were Judge Max Rosenn and Jesse Choper, who became dean at the University of California Law School; Dr. David Rutstein, first chair of Harvard Medical School's department of preventive medicine, and Harry Reich, the first surgeon to perform a laparoscopic hysterectomy; Mendy Rudolph, nbca referee, and Sandy Padwe, dean of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Barbara Weisberger was with the Pennsylvania Ballet; Louis Teicher joined Arthur Ferrante playing duo pianos. Martin Yudkovitz was president of nbc Interactive Media. Sanford J. Ungar, author, editor, and former npr host, was President of Goucher College. David Horowitz was a United Nations journalist, and his brother Emanuel Winters Horowitz wrote short stories. Their father was Cantor Aaron Horowitz.

The United Hebrew Institute is the local Jewish day school. It provides an academic foundation with modern technology in secular and religious studies. The current director is Rabbi Eli Kugielsky. There are two other denominational Hebrew schools. The Jewish Family Service, directed by Dorothy Schwartz (1952–74) and now by Howard Grossman, offers counseling and assistance.

Wyoming Valley has excellent interfaith relationships. Five churches contributed to the construction of Temple B'nai B'rith's first building. Esther B. Davidowitz was the Jewish editor of Your Life is Worth Living by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.

The five local colleges exemplify this cooperation. Penn State, w.b., had many Jewish advisory board members, faculty, and administrators. Mimi Unger Fredman has been chair of the Penn State Board of Trustees. King's College has Jewish members on its board, faculty and administration. Attorneys Harold Rosenn and Murray Ufberg served on the College Misericordia Board of Trustees as vice chairmen with other Jewish board members. Sister Carol Rittner and Sister Siena Finley taught Holocaust courses. College Misericordia has an outstanding Jewish Elderhostel program. The first president of Wilkes University, Dr. Eugene S. Farley, invited Jewish participation. There were many Jewish faculty, administrators, and trustees. Robert S. Capin was a teacher, dean and president of Wilkes College. Buildings were named by Aaron Weiss, Max Roth, Nathan Schiowitz, Robert Fortinsky, Arnold Rifkin, and Robert S. Capin. Louis Schaffer, Joseph Savitz, and Eugene Roth served as chairmen of the board of Wilkes University. Luzerne County Community College was founded in 1966. William Davidowitz was co-chairman of the building committee. Jewish citizens served on their Board of Trustees and as faculty members. Sheldon Spear taught a Holocaust course. Generous Jewish philanthropy has been consistent for all institutions.

In 1911 Seligman J. Strauss was elected judge on the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, followed by Jacob Schiffman from 1962 to 1970. Perry J. Shertz sat on the Superior Court as an associate judge in 1980. Nochem Winnet became judge of the Municipal Court. The Honorable Max Rosenn has a life appointment as judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals on the Third Circuit, with a courthouse named after him. Rosenn, Jenkins and Greenwald was the first law firm with Jewish partners, followed by Winkler, Danoff and Lubin. There were approximately 60 Jewish lawyers (in 2005).

Wilkes-Barre city councilmen included Joseph K. Weitzenkorn, Maurice Ziegler, and Jacob D. Groh. Marvin Rappaport, Sallyanne Rosenn, Mimi Cohen, and Wilbur Troy were elected to Kingston Borough Council. Ethel Price served as County Commissioner. In 1931 Herman J. Goldberg was an assistant district attorney. Richard Goldberg became chief Luzerne County solicitor and retired as a full colonel in the pa National Guard. Arthur Silverblatt was first assistant district attorney. David Schwager became solicitor for the county assessors.

The physicist David Bohn wrote a quantum mechanics text and reformulated Einstein's theories. Architect Samuel Z. Moskovitz designed 600 buildings and was president of the American Institute of Architects. Photographer Mark Cohen exhibited at the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Judge Rosenn said, "The Jews of Wilkes-Barre and Kingston have the support and friendship of the larger community. And we have a history of over one hundred and fifty years to learn from and build upon."

bibliography:

S. Spear et al. (eds.), The Jews of Wilkes-Barre: 150 Years 1845 – 1995 in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania (1999); M. Greenwald, Temple B'nai B'rith: A Chronological History, 1845 – 1987, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (1989).

[Esther B. Davidowitz,

Alfred S. Groh, and

Steven Davidowitz (2^nd ed.)]