1916 AND 1921: SIMON SHANKMAN - NOTED TRENTON MENS' WEAR

 

I have always had an interest in the ethnic makeup of early Trenton as the Irish, Jewish, German, English, Hungarian and various other immigrants came to America to find a better way of life. My Irish, Italian and Jewish folders are being added to an a regular basis. I recently heard from Mr.Ron Schnur who referred to a column I wrote a while back wherein I mentioned Mr. Aaron Schnur's department store that was once located on South Olden and Hamilton Avenue where today's Dunkin' Donuts is located. Mr. Schnur was a kindly man and I remember my mom taking me there many Septembers to be outfitted for school with a new pair of "cancellation" shoes which were lifesavers for us poor folks.

1944: THE FINKLE BOYS "BACKING THE ATTACK" IN WWII

When I started this website back in 2005, I coined the slogan, "Local History With A Personal Touch."
As I page through the millions of pages in my personal collection of Trenton newspapers from the past 145 years, I often find notable and historic articles, ads and photos relating to folks with whom I am familiar. Such is the case here when I hand-scanned this article on the Finkle brothers of Jackson Street. These Finkle boys may or may not be related to my friend and fellow historian Art Finkle whose Trenton Jewish Historical Society website provides a fascinating view of Jewish life in Trenton.
(http://trentonjewishhistoricalsociety.blogspot.com). Recalling how my mom worried with two of her sons involved in WWII, I imagine Mr. and Mrs. Finkle had a triple WWII worry with two sons serving honorably in the military during the war.

1905 (Ca. 1905) PEOPLE OF TRUTH SYNAGOGUE

 

 
 The Jewish section of Trenton before "Urban Renewal" destroyed most of that area of what we fondly called "Jewtown." It is a fascinating part of Trenton history. The "JEWISH" folder in the Hamilton Library database is, has been, and will continue to grow as additional material surfaces. I extracted the highlighted map from the 1905 Mueller map of the city of Trenton in order to place the location of the Synagogue. The photographer took the photo as seen from Fall Street. Union Street is the street in the background where the Synagogue was located. The graphic came from my favorite local historian, Sally Lane (Graf). Her "Time and Again" and many other history columns in the past in my opinion eclipse those of predecessors John Cleary, Harry Podmore and Bill Dwyer. Sally's offerings almost always included rare Trentoniana photos of persons, places, and things which were largely lacking in the aforementioned Trenton writers. I credit the photo above to Sally, and it is possible it came from the Trentoniana Collection at the Trenton Free Public Library. Sally has always been my very favorite Trenton "bygone days" columnist. I have a collection of MANY of her columns and will be digitizing them as time permits, and posting them on this website. 
NOTE:The Second Presbyterian Church was relocated to Mill Hill.

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Many thanks to Mr. Arthur L. Finkle for the historic information on the People of Truth Synagogue:

Congregation of the People of Truth (Anshei Emes) was an offshoot of the 1200 family membership of Brothers of Israel. organized 1891. In 1902 the new congregation purchased the Second Presbyterian Church, on Union Street, refitted it for a synagogue; dedicated it on  March 15, 1903.

Congregation People Of Truth (Anshei Emes - ORTHODOX) 1891

 In 1908, Max Surfnoss was the rabbi of the People of Truth synagogue. He lived nearly at 59 Union street. Born Vilna, Russia, he attended college in his native city; became a Rabbi. His first congregation was at Old Kinek, Province of Vilna. He emigrated to America in 1892. He was Rabbi of a New York congregation for about four years, and came to Trenton in 1896 at the call of the People of Truth congregation,

Before he died, Isaac Levy, President of Brothers of Israel for ten year s, was also President of this new congregation. His obituary is seen below:

Rabbi Max Surfnoss

Its officers were: President Peter Unger, Louis Kaplan, Isaac Goldman, Harry Kohn, Charles Smith, Harry Cooper. Isaac Goldman, Harry Kohn, Abraham Schultz and Solomon Jaffe.  In 1893 the congregation established a cemetery near Cedar Lane, Hamilton Township.

Anshie Emes, or People of Truth con­gregation two structures at Union and Fall streets: the synagogue and a school for a capacity of 200 students. There are two teachers, H. Hinkin and Hyman Vroblinsky. The Sabbath school has for its teachers Miss Fannie Bushnon and Eleak Budsin.

  

ISAAC,  LEVY One of the Most

Prominent Residents of South Trenton Died

Saturday: '' July 28, 1909  Trenton Times – Advertiser

 

SKETCH OF HIS Life

The funeral service of Isaac Levy of 304 union street, one of the oldest find *most prominent members -of the Jewish race in South Trenton, who died Satur­day, following a lingering illness of -over a year) yesterday afternoon from his late residence at 4 o'clock; Services- according to the Jewish rite by the -Rev. Hersh Elitzer, of the Synagogue of the Israelites Brotherhood.

Gathered around the coffin were the im­mediate members or the family, while a lair number of relatives, friends and many who were befriended in life, filled the house and the sidewalk in the vicinity.

.  •             •

Mr. Levy was one of the earliest He­brews to ,settle in South Trenton, where 'he has remained all his life, and from e first day his chief mission was to aid -his countrymen. Being a contractor, the deceased was the promoter of the build­ing of the present- beautiful synagogue of the Israelites' 'Brotherhood, of which he was a member, and the first and only free Hebrew school in Trenton.

He aimed unceasingly at Jewish pro­gress, and to this end gave much time and money. His work with the members" of the congregation was met with their heartiest approval, and several medals were presented to him as a taken of their appreciation.

His labors did not cease even when the dread disease that removed him from life, first compelled him to retire from business. During the past nine months Mr. Levy organized and financed a pro­ject to help the poorer classes of his own people, a scheme which already, though its infancy, is doing great good among the Jews.

There is a really good website featuring Jewish history in the Trenton area:

http://trentonjewishproject.blogspot.com/2012/10/were-back.html