THE UNFOLDING STORY OF TEMPLE EMANU-EL:
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 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 MEMBER S 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
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
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
CH A RTER MEMBER S 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
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
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
SPECI A L TH A NK S Special thanks to Evelyn Averick, author of A Historic Narrative, Lois Essenfeld and Deborah Holz, th creators of Temple Emanu-El’s 60 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.