A journey into our history and our place in the world
On September 2, 1945, with the formal surrender of Japan, World War Two, the deadliest conflict in modern history, was over. Buoyed by the triumphant return of troops and the end of the Great Depression, the United States welcomed both an economic and housing boom. Here in Westfield, the population grew rapidly. By 1950, over 21,000 people lived in town, up from roughly 18,500 in 1940. Of these 21,000 people was a small, but strong Jewish population. Jewish residents included David Berse, who, with his brothers Leo and Ralph, started Westfield
Storage Battery and Supply in 1919, which would become Berse Brothers, a full service automobile dealership. In 1924, Freda and Hyman Solowe opened a dry cleaning establishment on Elm Street. Bernice and Gerson Barondess owned Baron’s Drugs, and Ruth and Bernie Bernstein opened Westfield Liquors.
Early on, Jewish families in town experienced anti-Semitism and exclusion. There was no synagogue and many traveled to neighboring towns for services. Soon, though, that was to change.
This is the story of Temple Emanu-El.
From a group of 35 people who had a vision for a permanent synagogue to the vibrant community we are today, we invite you to take a walk through the important moments that define our congregation and the events that shaped our world.
Follow along with our guided Audio Tour
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Berke
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Bernstein
Mr. and Mrs. David Berse
Mr. and Mrs. Gurson Berse
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Berse
Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Cohen
Dr. and Mrs. Murray Babbitt
Mr. and Mrs. Gerson Barondess
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bernstein
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Irving Freiman
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Fritz
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Goldstone
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Greifer
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Jaffe
Visit our website to explore the cultural context of each decade in greater depth, along with select soundbites from key moments featured in this exhibit. Simply locate the icon and play the corresponding audio on the site.
Additionally, printed booklets with transcribed audio are available for you at your convenience.
FOUNDING MEMBERS
Mr. Jerry Craft
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Epstein
Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Feldman
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gettis
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Klion
Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Lockfeld
CHARTER MEMBERS
Mr. and Mrs. Morris Kamler
Mr. and Mrs. Julian Levy
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Miesel
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Meltzer
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Newall
Mr. and Mrs. William Needell
Mr. and Mrs. Morton Newburgh
Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Ox
Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Schneck
SPECIAL THANKS
Mr. and Mrs. Karl Millman
Mr. and Mrs. David Schimmel
Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Silberman
Mr. and Mrs. James Victor
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Wyatt
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wyatt
Mr. and Mrs. Herman Seiden
Mr. and Mrs. Harris Shapiro
Mr. George Spector
Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Stritzler
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Wallack
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Weintraub
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Weiss
Dr. and Mrs. Sidney Winett
Special thanks to Evelyn Averick, author of A Historic Narrative, Lois Essenfeld and Deborah Holz, creators of Temple Emanu-El’s 60 th Anniversary video, and the editors and contributors to the book Learn. Pray. Do Justly., for their extensive archives of historical information; to past and present clergy, lay leaders and Temple presidents; to Jason Horowitz and Sophie Tananbaum for lending their voices for the audio tour; and to the many other members of our congregation who shared memories and photos and provided assistance in putting together this timeline of Temple Emanu-El.
• FEBRUARY 16 31 people meet to formalize plans for new Temple, originally called Congregation Emanu-El
• MARCH 29 Certificate of Incorporation for new Temple signed; first membership dues: $20.00
• APRIL 7 1st Congregational Church in Westfield hosts inaugural Friday night service
• SEPTEMBER Congregation officially renamed Temple Emanu-El
Rabbi Ezra Spicehandler assumes role of Senior Rabbi Cantor Marshall Glatzer named Senior Cantor
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• MARCH 21 Groundbreaking for new Westfield High School on Dorian
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• MARCH 31 Kenneth Fritz celebrates Temple’s first Bar Mitzvah
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• MARCH 1 Dedication services of new Temple building
• FEBRUARY 4 Classes held at new WHS
• NOVEMBER 4 Joseph McCarthy delivers speech accusing State Department of being “infested” with Communists, igniting second Red Scare
• JUNE 25 Iran formally recognizes Israel
• JANUARY 10 UN headquarters in NYC opens
• NOVEMBER 4 Dwight D. Eisenhower elected 34th President of United States
• MARCH 19 First Academy Awards televised on TV
• JULY 26 Korean War ends with signing of Armistice
• OCTOBER 25 Mock A-Bomb attack drill in town
• AUGUST 7 President Eisenhower signs Refugee Relief Act of 1953; over 200,000 visas granted to refugees, including many European Jews. Cantor Paul Silbersher installed as new
• MAY 17 Brown vs. Board of Education decision rules segregation unconstitutional
• Temple Emanu-El purchases land for new religious school building; cost: $2,000
• Cantor Martin Rosen assumes role as Senior Cantor
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• DECEMBER 5 Rosa Parks ignites bus boycott in Montgomery, AL after refusing to sit in back of bus
NOVEMBER 6 President Eisenhower re-elected to second term
• Groundbreaking for new religious school
• Cantor Sidney Kaiser becomes
• Nursery School opens
• OCTOBER 20 “Salute to Israel” held at Temple to raise money for UJA Israel Emergency Fund in response to Yom Kippur War
• DECEMBER 3 Cantor
• FEBRUARY Rabbi Kroloff leads Temple’s first mission to Israel
• SEPTEMBER 25 Temple welcomes first Youth Group Director, Leonard Thal
JANUARY 10
Temple members march down E. Broad to protest plight of Soviet Jewry
• MARCH 21
Temple Members join nearly a quarter million others marching in DC for Russian Jews
• APRIL 23 Celebration weekend for 20 th anniversary of Temple Emanu-El
• Edith Anderson Feisner commissioned to design tapestry representing traditions of Judaism; members of TEE’s Sisterhood create 31 panel piece of art. Tapestry still hangs today.
NOVEMBER 17
Author Amos Oz lectures at Temple
Temple Religious School thrives with over 600 students; first recorded enrollment was 38
JANUARY 16 Rededication Shabbat Service in honor of Temple’s 25th Birthday
JUNE 11 First Adult B’Not Mitzvah of the inaugural Adult Mitzvah class
OCTOBER 9 Rabbi Kroloff’s 10 th Anniversary celebration
Chai Celebration SEPTEMBER 10 Dedication of library in honor of member, Fritz Lehr
• FEBRUARY 5 Board of Ed discusses controversial curriculum that includes sex education
• JUNE 20 Westfield Memorial pool opens
NOVEMBER 9 Westfield resident, John List, murders family; his disappearance makes national news
AUGUST Gas shortages in local area force stations to close on Sundays
• WHS adopts state mandate and begins co-ed gym classes
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• SEPTEMBER 24 Groundbreaking for Charles A. Kroloff Center for Jewish Learning
• SEPTEMBER 9 Dedication of Kroloff Center for Jewish Learning
• SEPTEMBER 19 Interfaith, community-wide service at Temple Emanu-El in aftermath of 9/11
• Temple launches “I Have A Dream” program, “adopting” Kindergarten class, promising support and guidance through school, free in-state college tuition after graduation
• MARCH Mandy Reichman Feeding Program established in honor of preschool teacher Meryl Reichman’s daughter
JUNE 1
• JUNE 4 TEE reopens after being closed for more than a week as a result of threat against congregation • DECEMBER 15 Application for development of parking lot denied by town
JUNE 4
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Novick • JUNE 4 Despite opposition from local residents and group called UNITE (United Neighbors Investigating Temple Expansion), new Temple parking lot constructed
• OCTOBER 14 TEE launches new Facebook page for updates and congregational news
• OCTOBER 14 300 people gather at TEE to build replica of the old city of Jerusalem, using 50,000 Legos
• JUNE 97% of the ‘I Have A Dream’ students graduate high school, after 13 years of support from TEE community
• FEBRUARY 25 First meeting of Westfield Fun Club, supporting local refugees
• OCTOBER 28 Temple community, along with elected officials, attend candlelight vigil for victims of Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh
MARCH 16
Malinowski visits Westfield Fun Club to learn firsthand about plight of refugees
• MAY 1 TEE organizes March for Love, an interfaith march down East Broad to stand up against hate and antisemitism
• OCTOBER 6 Instagram launches
FEBRUARY 19 Whitney Houston buried in Fairview Cemetery, drawing crowds of news crews, fans and paparazzi
• OCTOBER 29 Hurricane Sandy causes serious damage in Union County; power outages last days
• JUNE The “Watcher” house on Boulevard gains national attention after new owners report series of disturbing letters
• DECEMBER 31 China reports dozens of case of unknown virus, later confirmed to be Covid-19
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