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The Jewish Community in Danville
This page was inspired by a visit to the MCGS Genealogy Room
in 2002 from Pete & Jeff Dreifuss who were searching for information on their Dreifuss
ancestors. We became acutely aware of the lack of resources pertaining to
the Jewish citizens of Montour County. Since that time, Jerry Zeisler and
the Dreifuss brothers have been exceptionally helpful in the process of building
a collection focusing on preservation of the heritage of the Jewish citizens of
Montour County. If you can help in any way, please see
"Can You Help?" below.
At left is a photograph of the B'nai Zion Synagogue, erected in
1871.
Local History
Dr. Daniel Brower, founder of the Montour American and the
Danville Record, included a history of "The Israelites" in his book Danville,
Montour County, Pennsylvania, A Collection of Historical & Biographical Sketches
published in 1881. He states that the B'nai Zion Congregation in Danville was
granted a charter in 1854, with the charter members being A. Levi, Jacob Loeb,
Lewis Lang, Moyer Lyon, Jacob Weil, Solomon Meyer, Jacob Mayer, Jacob Levi,
Sandel Dreifuss, Feis Blum and Simon Ellenbogen. The frame school-house
which they had built in 1853 continued to be used for a school house after the Synagogue was
erected in 1871. Dr. Brower names the following Rabbis beginning in 1853:
Rev. Friendlich, Rev. Emanuel Oppenheim, Rev. Oppenheim, Rev. Hommer, Rev.
Heilbrenner, Rev. Simon Gerstman, Rev. Nusbaum, Rev. Friedenthal and Rev.
Newmark. At the time that article was written there were over twenty
families connected with the "Benai Zion" congregation. The President was
Jacob Leob, H. L. Gross was secretary and Samuel Goldsmith treasurer. The
trustees were Moses Bloch, Jacob Goldsmith and Jacob Moyer.
The first Jewish settlers of Danville are said to have come
from Germany. Some of the familiar surnames are Lang, Rosenbaum, Dreifuss,
Levy, Lyon, Jacobs, Loeb, Miller, Marks, and Bloch. They worshipped in a
synagogue on Water street purchased about 1854. Later, about 1881, the
Russian Jews arrived. Among the first of the Russian Jews was probably
Lieut. M. Rosenstein. Due to the cultural and language differences between
the groups they were separate until about 1915- therefore the two B'nai Zion
Jewish cemeteries.
The application for Charter and the Articles of the
Constitution can be found in the Montour County Little Common Pleas dockets, May
Term 1854 #31.
The property on which the synagogue was built was conveyed to
Jacob Loeb and Louis Lang, trustees of the congregation, by the School Directors
of the Borough of Danville on December 10, 1852 for $275.00. The lot
fronted on Front Street on the South, adjoining the lot of Moyer Lyon on the
East, "other part of same lot now owned by A.G. Voris on the North, lot of Jacob
Loeb on the West". (Montour County Deed Book 3, pages 819-1821).
This property was sold on December 28, 1993.
On May 30, 1857, for the sum of $500.00 Daniel Campbell granted
to the Benai Zion Congregation two contiguous town lots beginning at the
southwest corner of Front and Church Streets, extending along Front Street 100
feet to lot of ? Frick, thence along line of said lot Southwardly 150 feet to an
alley, along said alley Eastward 100 feet to Church, thence along Church St.
northwardly 100 feet. (Deed book 2, pages 682-684). This appears to
be the location of the Jewish School which is evidenced in the 1876 Atlas of
Montour County. This same property was eventually sold, the first portion
to Alexander Wormser on November 25, 1870 (recorded January 27, 1896). For
a sum of $750.00, that part of a town lot in First Ward beginning at the corner
of Front and Church Streets, fronting Front Street on the North, Church St. on
the East, an alley on the South and the other part of named lot owned by said
Benai Zion on the West, containing 30 feet on Front St, extending back to alley
100 feet was sold to Mr. Wormser. The document was signed by Jacob Loeb,
President and Simon Geystmann, Secretary, and Jacob Goldsmith, Treasurer.
(Deed book 17, pages 410-411). Then on May 21, 1907, the remaining lot was
sold. For sum of $1100.00 Benai Zion conveyed to Arthur D. Myerly the
parcel of land situated on the South side of Front St. , fronting on Front St.
on the North, lot owned by Alexander Wormser (now by Herbert Myerly) on the
East, an alley on the South and lot of John Bartholomew estate on the west,
containing 40 feet on Front St., back to alley 100 feet, being part of the same
two lots of land which Daniel Campbell granted to Benai Zion on May 30, 1857.
The document was signed by Simon Dreifuss, President, Harry Ellenbogen,
Secretary, R. G. Marks, Trustee.
At this time (March 2005) I do not have a documentation on
when the synagogue closed, nor when the congregation disbanded.
I welcome any information which readers can provide. Please e-mail the
webmaster.
Can You Help?
The history of Montour County would not be complete without the
acknowledgement of its vibrant Jewish population. From May, 1854 when
congregation B'nai Zion was chartered, until the
Synagogue was sold, the Jewish people of Montour County were intimately involved
in the business and affairs of the region. As the years progressed, the
vast majority of Jews left small towns such as Danville and Bloomsburg to find
their future in the large cities.
But in June of 1972, Hurricane Agnes tore through Montour
County, flooding the area. The flood destroyed the vast majority of the
historical records of the Jews, their congregation - and of their life and
families here in Montour County.
Several descendants of these families have been attempting to
re-build the history of the Jewish population of the region and of Danville in
particular, and are asking for your help. If you have any material,
photos, documents, newspaper articles or family stories related to the Jewish
population of Montour County that you would like to donate to the Montour County
Genealogical Society, it would be most appreciated. So far, we have found
the 1890-1947 minutes book from the congregation that had been donated to the
American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati, OH; the columns from the Synagogue's Ark
and the two Torahs. A copy of the minutes book is now housed at the MCGS.
We would love to acquire similar material that documents the businesses, people,
and life of this important segment of Montour's history.
For more information, or if you have a donation, you can
contact either
Cindy Elder at MCGS or
Jerry
Zeisler, whose great-grandfather, Joseph Zeisler, was a rabbi for the
congregation during 1883 and again in 1905/6. (Submitted by Jerry
Zeisler; used with permission).
Jerry
Zeisler is also interested in information about any of the former Jewish
families of Danville, other than the Dreifuss and Miller families.
Rabbis in the Congregation B'nai Zion, Danville, PA
| April 1890 |
Mr. Prossman resigned. |
| July 1890- Oct. 1890 |
Mr. Burgheim of Wabash, IN |
| March 1891-July 1904 |
Adolph Meyer from Baltimore |
| Sep. 1905 - Aug. 1906 |
Joseph Zeisler |
| Jan. 1907 - Jan. 1908 |
I. E. Wagenheim |
| Jul. 1908 - Dec. 1911 |
F. W. Jesselson of Grand
Rapids, MI. |
| Feb. 1912 - May 1913 |
Rev. Jos. Leiser |
| Aug. 1913 - Jul. 1915 |
Dr. Louis Schriber |
| Jan. 1916 - Nov. 1918 |
S. J. Schwab of Memphis, TN |
| Dec. 1918 - Oct. 1919 |
Theo. F. Josephs of NY |
| Dec. 1922 - Dec. 1923 |
A. Rosenberg |
Rabbi Joseph Zeisler
Rabbi Joseph Zeisler is pictured above. He served as
the Rabbi in Danville in 1883 and from September 1905 to August 1906.
Photo courtesy of Jerry Zeisler.
Resources at MCGS
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Copy of the Minutes Book of the B'nai Zion Congregation,
1890-1947 contributed by Jerry Zeisler with permission from the American Jewish
Archives in Cincinnati.
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Copy of the charter application of the "Benai Zion"
congregation, Montour County Common Pleas Docket, May Term 1854, #31.
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List of Rabbis at B'nai Zion, compiled by Jerry Zeisler.
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Lists and photographs of tombstones in the B'nai Zion
Cemeteries, Danville, PA, contributed by Jerry Zeisler.
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Genealogical information on the following Jewish families of
Danville: Dreifuss, Zeisler.
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B'nai Zion Old and New Jewish Cemeteries
Jerry Zeisler, whose ancestors spent some time in Danville, spent several days here
in the summer of 2003 photographing the headstones in the cemeteries.
He has compiled a revised list of those buried there and is in the process of
having the Hebrew inscriptions translated. The information will be placed
into a database with links to the photos of the headstones and will be donated
to JewishGen, a non-profit organization that assists people with their family
research. The list and a CD of the photos is available at the MCGS genealogy
room.
Links
"The
Selinsgrove Connection" website by Pete Dreifuss. Early History
of the Dreifuss and other Jewish families from Schmierheim and Altdorf in
Pennsylvania, Selinsgrove, Danville and Mifflinburg.
JewishGen: The
Home of Jewish Genealogy. The primary internet source connecting
researchers of Jewish genealogy worldwide.
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