A History of Jewish Life in Auburn, New York and Surrounding Areas

Introduction: The First Jews in Auburn
A Place to Gather: The Beginnings of Organized Jewish Life in Auburn
A Place to Call Home: The Establishment of the B’nai Israel Synagogue on Seminary
A Period of Challenges and Change: Jewish Life in Auburn During the Great Depression and World War II
A Period of Growth: Jewish Life in Auburn from 1945 to 1970
A Time to Move: The Creation of the Second B’nai Israel Synagogue on John Smith Avenue
The Dissolution of B’nai Israel and the Legacy of Auburn’s Jewish Community

Introduction: The First Jews in Auburn

Located at 8 John Smith Avenue is a modernist building that formerly housed Congregation B’nai Israel, the only organized Jewish community in Cayuga County’s history as of 2023. While B’nai Israel closed its doors in 2013, Jews continue to live in Auburn and surrounding areas ten years later. Similarly, the establishment of B’nai Israel on March 24, 1903, does not mark the beginning of Cayuga County’s Jewish history. Jews are known to have lived in Auburn by the early 1870s. Jacob Levi, a Civil War veteran, is believed to be the first Jew to establish long-term residency in Auburn, supporting himself by operating a clothing store. Another early Jewish resident was Louis Marshall, who immigrated to the United States in 1857 from Central Europe and moved to Auburn in 1871. Starting as a traveling clothing salesman, he eventually opened L. Marshall & Son with his son Milton. This business, later known as Marshall’s Clothing Store, operated for 123 years until closing in 1994 following a fire.

Economic opportunities continued to draw Jewish residents to Auburn. By 1888, six or seven Jewish families lived in the city. In The Sabbath Visitor, published in Cincinnati, Stella Fullman mentioned her family among them. Her father, George Fullman, operated Fullman’s hat store at 123 Genesee Street, while her mother, Amanda, was active in civic organizations. Other early Jewish businesspeople included Eli Cohen, Julius Kraft, and Isaac Liberman. Eli Cohen, an immigrant from modern-day Poland, moved to Auburn in 1884, becoming a successful cattle trader. Julius Kraft, who arrived by 1879, founded a business dealing in hides and furs that evolved into a glove manufacturing company, operating until 2005. Isaac Liberman immigrated in 1874 and later established Auburn Jewelry Company, which remained active for decades.

During the 1890s, Auburn’s Jewish population grew with the arrival of families such as the Blanks, Blumbergs, Goldmans, and Kalets. Morris Blank operated the Auburn Mattress Factory, while Samuel Blumberg, a jeweler and optician, established a business later managed by his son Gabriel. Initially a door-to-door clothing salesman, Israel Goldman opened The Liberty Store, which remains in operation as of 2023. Abraham and Gulia Kalet, immigrants from the Russian Empire, moved to Auburn in 1899 and founded Kalet’s, a women’s clothing store that operated until 1984.

The prominence of Jews in Auburn’s clothing manufacturing and retail sectors reflects broader national patterns. Many Jewish immigrants in the late 19th century found opportunities in these industries due to the burgeoning garment trade and limited access to other professions. This historical overview highlights how Auburn’s Jewish community contributed significantly to the city’s economic and social development, creating a legacy that remains remembered today.

A Place to Gather: The Beginnings of Organized Jewish Life in Auburn

By the early 1890s, Auburn’s Jewish residents began to organize religious services locally, having previously traveled to Syracuse to attend services at Temple Concord. The growing Jewish population, fueled by new immigrants from Eastern Europe, created a demand for religious and community life within Auburn. Rabbi Adolph Guttman of Syracuse, serving both Temple Concord and Auburn Prison, was one of the earliest religious figures to support Auburn’s Jewish community, ministering to Jewish inmates and officiating life-cycle events. His Orthodox counterpart, Rabbi Jaffe, arrived around 1890, serving as both a religious leader and kosher butcher, reflecting the more traditional practices of the newer Eastern European immigrants.

In 1903, Auburn’s Jewish community formally organized with the establishment of Congregation B’nai Israel, founded by 26 individuals. Key founders included Moses Saperstein, the first president, Louis Bernson, Israel Goldman, and Isaac Liberman. The congregation initially met in rented spaces near State Street, moving services several times before settling into more permanent quarters. Rabbi Jaffe served as the first rabbi, earning a modest salary supplemented through teaching and butchery. The early membership primarily comprised entrepreneurs operating small businesses, such as Saperstein’s clothing store, Liberman’s jewelry business, and Gardner Brothers’ retail enterprise.

Women were active in community life by forming the Ladies’ Auxiliary of B’nai Israel, established shortly after the synagogue’s founding. This group supported religious education, organized charitable activities, and held fundraisers. Rachel Saperstein served as the auxiliary’s first president, and active members included Sarah Blumberg and Bertha Schwartzberg, who contributed significantly to Jewish and broader civic life.

Men also organized through the Independent Order of Brith Abraham, a fraternal society established in Auburn in 1913. Its members, such as Samuel Liebschultz and Solomon Wetzler, supported mutual aid, citizenship efforts, and Jewish burial customs. Many were small business owners, notably in clothing and hospitality, reflecting the community’s entrepreneurial spirit.

By 1907, Auburn’s Jewish population was estimated at around 80 individuals, growing to approximately 100 by 1912. New immigrants and the expansion of established families drove this growth. Younger generations formed social and cultural organizations, including the Hebrew Social Club and the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA), promoting community engagement through dances, athletic activities, and educational programs. Although many young men enlisted during World War I, temporarily halting some activities, the war also galvanized Auburn’s Jewish community, fostering greater organization and collective efforts to support soldiers and war-impacted communities abroad.

A Place to Call Home: The Establishment of the B’nai Israel Synagogue on Seminary

In 1911, six years before the United States entered World War I, the members of B’nai Israel purchased their first property at 18 Seminary Avenue for $3,500 from Annette Hall. The house served as a center for religious services, Hebrew school classes, and a residence for the rabbi. At the time, Rabbi Simon Levine, an immigrant from Minsk, led the congregation while supplementing his income as a cattle dealer. In 1915, B’nai Israel hired its first full-time rabbi, Charles Tomares, though tragedy struck his family when his seven-year-old daughter, Fannie, was killed in an accident two years later. Rabbi Tomares left Auburn in 1918 for a new post in Hartford, Connecticut.

Though the property on Seminary Avenue accommodated many activities, it was too small for holiday services, which were held in rented spaces such as the auditorium annex of Woodmen’s Hall. By 1915, B’nai Israel was listed alongside Auburn’s Christian churches in the city directory—indicating its growing presence. The Jewish community continued to expand, attracting worshipers from Geneva, Seneca Falls, and surrounding areas for major holidays.

World War I had a profound impact on Auburn’s Jewish community. At least 11 local Jews, including Harry Chadwick, Myron Cohen, Simon Kalet, and Robert Tecler, served overseas, with Tecler wounded in action. Others, like Meyer Branse and Robert Cohen, were drafted but remained stateside. On the home front, B’nai Israel’s president, Nathan Mendelsohn, supported the war effort through Home Defense Reserves and Liberty Loan campaigns. In June 1918, a service flag featuring eight stars—one for each Jewish service member abroad—was prominently displayed at Woodmen’s Hall.

Jewish residents also mobilized to aid suffering Jews in Eastern Europe and Palestine, where war and persecution had created a humanitarian crisis. The local Jewish Relief Campaign Committee raised funds for Jewish communities in distress. In 1918, over 100 people attended the inaugural meeting of Auburn’s Zionist organization, which sought to support Jewish settlement in Palestine. Initially chaired by Mendelsohn and later by Max Wilner, the group also helped fund Hebrew education and youth programs such as Young Judaea.

The war delayed efforts to construct a permanent synagogue, first initiated in 1913, but regained momentum in 1919. By October 1920, 50 Jewish residents pledged $5,325, though another $10,000 was needed. The synagogue’s Ladies’ Auxiliary played a key role in fundraising efforts, securing $1,000 in 1920 alone. To further reduce costs, memorial windows, and furnishings were donated by congregants, including a ner tamid (eternal light) from Bella and Solomon Wetzler and a candelabra from Alexander and Celia Levy. Non-Jews in Auburn also contributed, just as local Jews previously supported church-building funds.

Despite initial delays, construction of the synagogue proceeded, and on April 9, 1922, B’nai Israel’s new home was dedicated. The original house on the property was relocated to 17 Franklin Street. The dedication ceremony drew 175–200 people, including local dignitaries such as Mayor A. Percival Burkhart and Judge Edgar Mosher, as well as guests from Geneva, Rochester, Seneca Falls, and Syracuse. A highlight of the event was an auction in which Myer Cooper won the right to have his name inscribed on the ceremonial key to the synagogue. Governor Nathan Miller was invited but could not attend, sending a letter of congratulations instead.

At the time of the synagogue’s dedication, estimates of Auburn’s Jewish population varied, with reports ranging from 30 to 70 families. The American Jewish Year Book estimated the local Jewish community at 250 people in 1918. The 1920s saw continued Jewish immigration to Auburn, with families such as the Aarons, Baums, Dorsons, and Rothschilds establishing themselves in business and community life. By the early 1920s, Jewish-owned businesses in Auburn included jewelry stores, furniture shops, and auto parts companies, demonstrating the significant contributions of local Jewish families to Auburn’s economic life.

Despite this growth, the Great Depression, beginning in 1929, would soon pose new challenges for Auburn’s Jewish residents, affecting their businesses and community life.

A Period of Challenges and Change: Jewish Life in Auburn During the Great Depression and World War II

By the early 1930s, many Jewish families had left Auburn, and by 1935, only 40 families remained affiliated with B’nai Israel—a decline from a possible peak of 70 households in the 1920s. The synagogue’s closure was considered for a time, but key families, particularly the Goldmans and Schwartzs, played a crucial role in maintaining it. The Goldmans were the most prominent Jewish family in Auburn, comprising a significant portion of the congregation. Their presence expanded when Goldye Jean Goldman married Maurice Schwartz in 1931 in a wedding with around 1,000 attendees. This wedding, which united Auburn’s two most prominent Jewish families, was possibly the largest Jewish wedding in Auburn’s history. The Schwartz family, originally Schwartzberg before shortening their name in 1927, operated a successful scrap business, Samuel Schwartz Sons. Maurice Schwartz later became a civic leader, contributing to organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Salvation Army, and the Fort Hill Cemetery Association. He was also a political leader and more about this will be found later.

In 1935, under Samuel Schwartz’s leadership, B’nai Israel affiliated with the United Synagogue of America and transitioned from Orthodox to Conservative Judaism. This shift marked a significant change in religious practice, reflecting broader trends in American Judaism. Eleazer Levi was the first Conservative rabbi to serve B’nai Israel, followed by a succession of rabbis, none staying for more than two years.

During the late 1930s, Auburn’s Jewish population rebounded, in part due to the arrival of European Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. The newcomers were Joseph and Rose Eisner, Richard and Susanna Joachim, and Edith and Geza “Gus” Policzer. Richard Joachim, a physician, became active in the Cayuga Medical Society. At the same time, Gus Policzer, an Austrian-born machinist, contributed to local organizations such as the Red Cross and Boy Scouts. He later earned the Silver Beaver Award for his volunteerism. Post-war, Jakob Policzer, a Holocaust survivor, joined his relatives in Auburn.

The city also saw an influx of Jewish professionals, including David and Janet Chodorow, Paul and Minnie Palmer, Benno and Eva Rothfeld, and Frank and Minnie Silverman. Unlike earlier Jewish immigrants, primarily merchants or artisans, these families were more likely to be in management, medicine, or law. Others founded new businesses, including Auburn Auto Supply, Rose Bakery, and Martin’s Jewelers, which became long-standing fixtures in town. Marriage also shaped the community, with new arrivals like Leonard Bass and Joseph Weinstein bringing their expertise in manufacturing and retail to Auburn.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, 58 Jews from Auburn served in World War II. Among them, Benno Neuman and Sidney Taylor were wounded in the European theater. Neuman, who following the war was an active member of B’nai B’rith and the American Legion, ran Ben’s Dry Goods. Taylor worked at the Auburn Spark Plug Company after the war. Women from the B’nai Israel Sisterhood, the successor to the Ladies’ Auxiliary, supported the war effort by preparing care packages for soldiers and assisting in local Red Cross initiatives.

A poignant connection to the war came through Rabbi Hyman Goodkowitz, who led B’nai Israel from 1944 to 1946. His son, Rabbi Alexander Goode, perished aboard the SS Dorchester on February 2, 1943, alongside three other military chaplains. Known as the “Four Chaplains," they sacrificed their lives by giving away their life jackets and linking arms in prayer as the ship sank. Congress later honored their heroism with the Four Chaplains’ Medal in 1960.

As World War II raged, Auburn saw a rise in interfaith initiatives, mainly through a partnership between B’nai Israel and St. Luke’s United Church of Christ. In 1938, the congregations launched an annual pulpit exchange called “The American Way,” promoting religious tolerance. The initiative lasted at least 30 years and included joint social events during Brotherhood Week, a national interfaith effort. While Auburn had seen public expressions of anti-Semitism in the 1920s, by the late 1940s, such sentiments had largely faded, reflecting a broader trend of Jewish acceptance in post-war America.

The years following World War II marked when Auburn’s Jewish community reached its largest size. During this post-war boom, Auburn’s Jewish community solidified its contributions to the city’s civic, economic, and religious landscape.

A Period of Growth: Jewish Life in Auburn from 1945 to 1970

Between 1945 and 1970, Auburn’s Jewish community experienced growth, mirroring national postwar trends. Much of this growth occurred during the 1950s baby boom, with B’nai Israel’s Sunday School reaching its highest enrollment of 55 children in 1953. A Hebrew School met twice weekly, and Jewish teens participated in a youth group and Junior Congregation. Shabbat services were held three times a week. Jewish fraternal and communal life also flourished, with the founding of a B’nai B’rith lodge in 1956, which replaced the long-inactive Brith Abraham organization. B’nai B’rith’s community initiatives included an annual Man of the Year Award, recognizing individuals, Jewish or not, who made significant contributions to Auburn. The B’nai Israel Sisterhood remained vibrant, drawing members from surrounding towns such as Cato, Moravia, and Seneca Falls. By 1953, it boasted 89 members and organized events such as the Mothers and Daughters Banquet, a Harvest Tea for new members, and a Torah Fund luncheon.

A key development during this era was the establishment of B’nai Israel Pine View at Fort Hill Cemetery in 1950, which provided a dedicated Jewish burial section for the first time. Previously, Auburn’s Jews were buried in Syracuse, particularly at Frumah Packard Cemetery. This effort was spearheaded by Harry Tecler, then president of B’nai Israel. Tecler was a longtime Auburn resident and furniture salesman.

In May 1953, B’nai Israel celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with special Shabbat services and a banquet at the Masonic Temple on South Street. Honorees included charter members Abraham Kalet and Isaac Liberman. The congregation also expanded significantly, adding new Sunday School classrooms and building out the synagogue’s facilities. A decade later, B’nai Israel marked its sixtieth anniversary with the dedication of the Annie Abuza Aronson Center at 20 Seminary Avenue. The center, named after a prominent community leader and philanthropist, was funded by donations from her husband, Julius Aronson, and others. It provided additional religious school classrooms and a study for the rabbi. The dedication ceremony was attended by more than 125 people, including famed singer Sophie Tucker, Annie’s sister, who had frequently visited Auburn and even helped at the Aronsons’ children’s clothing store, the Julianna Shoppe.

The postwar period also saw an influx of new Jewish families. Among them were Norbert Bernstein, who worked at the Seymour Library before joining Brandeis University; Dr. Egon Fisher, a physician at Auburn Memorial and Mercy hospitals; Jean and Seymour Greenwald, real estate agents and active community members; and attorney Edmund Port, who later served on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Other arrivals included Dr. A. John Oliker, a urologist, and David and Gretchen Klugman, Bavarian natives who opened a catering business. Additionally, many descendants of Auburn’s earliest Jewish families remained prominent in local civic, business, and political life. Charles Goldman, son of Bella and Israel Goldman, revitalized the Fred R. Drake oil company and later led Auburn’s Chamber of Commerce and Community Chest. His wife, Rose, was president of the Auburn Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the March of Dimes. The Saperstein family continued to shape Auburn, with Gerald Saperstein serving as assistant district attorney for Cayuga County before being elected judge of the Surrogate’s Court in 1964.

One of the most notable figures of this era was Maurice Schwartz, who served as Auburn’s mayor from 1959 until he died in 1967. Schwartz was also an advocate for education, having served on the Board of Education for 12 years before becoming mayor. His contributions to the city were honored in 1972 with the dedication of Schwartz Towers, a nonprofit residential community for older adults, partly made possible by his brother, Herman Schwartz. Auburn’s Jewish community was also represented in state politics, with Benjamin Wetzler serving as secretary of the Democratic State Committee and George Michaels representing Auburn in the New York State Assembly. Michaels became best known for his pivotal vote in 1970 to legalize abortion in New York, a decision that influenced Roe v. Wade. His change of vote cost him reelection.

The Jewish population of Auburn peaked in the 1950s, with B’nai Israel reaching around 110 member families. According to the American Jewish Year Book, the city’s Jewish population was estimated at 250 in 1960, similar to 1918. However, by the 1950s, B’nai Israel’s reach extended beyond Auburn, with members from towns such as Moravia, Union Springs, and Seneca Falls. Jewish professionals and business owners in these communities, including attorneys, physicians, and manufacturers, contributed significantly to the region.

By 1969, however, Auburn’s Jewish community began to contract. Younger generations increasingly sought opportunities elsewhere, mirroring broader demographic shifts affecting small-town America. That year, discussions also began regarding the relocation of B’nai Israel’s synagogue, which had stood on Seminary Avenue since 1922. With a growing percentage of Auburn’s Jewish population living in the eastern part of the city and the synagogue’s aging infrastructure creating accessibility challenges, a move seemed inevitable. This urgency was compounded when the New York State Department of Transportation slated the area for demolition to make way for the Arterial, a new highway designed to improve Auburn’s traffic flow.

A Time to Move: The Creation of the Second B’nai Israel Synagogue on John Smith Avenue

After several years of uncertainty, B’nai Israel’s members sold their synagogue to the New York State Department of Transportation in early 1973, finalizing plans for demolition. However, time was granted for the congregation to secure a new home. By July, a building committee composed of Norman Chadwick, Charles Goldman, Jean Greenwald, Jesse Rose, Gerald Saperstein, and Vincent Klein identified a new location at 8 John Smith Avenue. This site was chosen due to its proximity to many of Auburn’s Jewish families on the city’s eastern side. On July 29, a cornerstone-laying ceremony was held, attended by around 100 people, including local officials such as Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Robert Contiguglia, Mayor Paul Lattimore, and Assemblyman Steve Riford. Interfaith leaders participated, including Monsignor Joseph Sullivan of Holy Family Catholic Church and Reverend Roger Rishel, representing the Ministerial Association. Judge Edmund Port served as master of ceremonies.

B’nai Israel’s officers in 1973 included President George Michaels, First Vice President Ernest Loewenstein, Second Vice President Edward Schwartz, Board of Trustees Chairman Leon Goldman, Financial Secretary Lee Michaels, Assistant Financial Secretary Mike Palmer, Treasurer Abe Taylor, and Secretary Phillip Schwartz. The congregation transferred most of its religious articles, furnishings, and stained glass windows from the old synagogue to the new one. Construction, managed by the Sabotka Construction Company and designed by local architect John Critchley, completed a modern, two-level, 8,000-square-foot synagogue. The lower level housed classrooms, offices, and a small chapel, while the upper floor contained the main sanctuary and a social hall. A prominent design feature of the new building was a large Star of David made from wood and glass embedded into the second floor’s ceiling.

The new synagogue was officially dedicated on March 29–30, 1974. Around 100 people attended the final Friday night Shabbat service at the old B’nai Israel location on Seminary Avenue. Rabbi James Mitchels, the son of George and Helen Michaels, and Cantor Justin Isner officiated at the dedication. At the time, B’nai Israel’s membership had declined to approximately 75 families, a noticeable drop from a decade earlier.

During much of this transition, Rabbi Michael Kurz led the congregation. Having arrived in Auburn in 1963, Rabbi Kurz was one of B’nai Israel’s longest-serving rabbis, remaining for ten years. Beyond his religious leadership, he was active in the broader community, volunteering with the American Cancer Society and the Auburn School for Retarded Children. He also ministered to Jewish inmates at Auburn Correctional Facility, where, by 1972, fewer than 25 Jewish prisoners were incarcerated. Rabbi Kurz was succeeded in 1974 by Rabbi Robert Kravitz, a Reform-trained rabbi who led B’nai Israel while it remained affiliated with the Conservative movement. Rabbi Kravitz left Auburn in 1977 for Congregation Sha’arey Israel in Macon, Georgia.

Following Rabbi Kravitz’s departure, B’nai Israel struggled to find a permanent religious leader. By 1979, while still identifying as a Conservative synagogue, the congregation broadened its search to include Reform rabbis. At the same time, its membership continued to decline, shrinking from 90 families in 1969 to just 60 by 1979. By 1990, a reporter with the local Citizen newspaper described B’nai Israel as “struggling to survive.” The congregation’s religious school enrolled only ten students, and most members were older and had no children at home. By then, 50 to 55 Jewish families remained in the Auburn area.

Despite demographic challenges, B’nai Israel endured for another 23 years through the dedication of its leaders and members. The final chapter in its history will be explored in the next section.

The Dissolution of B’nai Israel and the Legacy of Auburn’s Jewish Community

Although Auburn’s Jewish community had begun to shrink by the late 1960s, many Jewish families continued settling in Cayuga County during B’nai Israel’s final decades. Arlene and Simon Markind were among them, as were Mannie and Marion Siegle and Elaine and Michael Wineburg. The Markinds arrived in 1972 when Simon, a physician specializing in rehabilitation medicine, took a position at the Rehabilitation Center at Mercy Health. Mannie and Marion Siegle had moved to Auburn in 1967 when Mannie began working for the Victor Kraut Company, a sauerkraut manufacturer. Notably, Mannie was a Pearl Harbor survivor, having served in the U.S. Navy during the December 7, 1941 attack. The Wineburgs relocated in 1970 when Michael accepted a position as a law clerk with Judge Edmund Port. In 1972, he joined the Michaels law firm, while Elaine became an active community member, volunteering with the League of Women Voters of Cayuga County and the Cayuga County Children’s Committee. She remained highly involved with B’nai Israel until its final years.

As B’nai Israel’s membership declined, lay leadership became increasingly vital. By 1980, the congregation could no longer support a full-time rabbi. Instead, members arranged for student rabbis from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City to visit periodically, offering them pulpit experience while providing Auburn’s Jewish community a part-time rabbinic presence. Congregants such as Elaine Cohen, Leon and Marilyn Goldman, Ernest and Sandra Loewenstein, Vivian Rothschild, Herb Sussman, Abraham and Irving Taylor, and Sidney Taylor played key roles in keeping the synagogue functioning. The Taylor brothers, for example, traveled regularly to Rochester and Syracuse to procure kosher food for local Jewish families as kosher products became increasingly unavailable in Auburn. As B’nai Israel’s education director, Elaine Cohen ensured that Jewish religious instruction continued in Cayuga County until the synagogue closed in 2013. Religious school enrollment, which had dropped to just ten students by 1990, declined further to eight by 2004.

As Auburn’s Jewish population continued to age and contract, other Jewish organizations faded. The B’nai B’rith lodge appears to have disbanded in the 1990s, while the Sisterhood of Congregation B’nai Israel ceased meeting in the early 2000s. The Sisterhood had long played a key role in the congregation, organizing the synagogue’s newsletter, oneg Shabbat meals following services, and annual break-the-fast gatherings at Yom Kippur’s conclusion. Despite these losses, interfaith initiatives remained active into the mid-2000s. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, an interfaith Thanksgiving service was revived, leading to additional programs that fostered dialogue among Christians, Jews, and Muslims in Auburn. B’nai Israel developed a particularly close relationship with First Presbyterian Church, frequently hosting church youth groups interested in learning about Judaism. Interfaith marriages also became increasingly common within Auburn’s Jewish community, reflecting a national trend.

In 1999, B’nai Israel welcomed Rabbi Charles Dobrusin as a part-time rabbi. A Chicago resident, Rabbi Dobrusin traveled to Auburn once a month to lead Shabbat services and officiated during major Jewish holidays. Lay leaders continued to lead services in his absence. He remained with the congregation until 2012, marking the last period of rabbinic leadership at B’nai Israel.

In 2005, The Citizen published an article questioning B’nai Israel’s future, noting that the congregation had dwindled to 25 families, most of whom were older and without children at home. The article was later reprinted as a historical feature on April 28, 2020. In 2004, a flood severely damaged B’nai Israel’s lower level. While the congregation managed to repair the building, the incident highlighted the growing challenge of maintaining the synagogue with a shrinking and aging membership. Auburn itself was also experiencing population decline during the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. In 2012, longtime lay leader Elaine Cohen retired and moved away with her husband, Herb Sussman. By this time, nearly all the remaining congregants had either passed away or relocated. With membership dropping below a minyan—the quorum of ten needed for traditional Jewish prayer—B’nai Israel’s leaders began making plans for closure. The congregation held its final service in 2013.

With assistance from the Jewish Community Legacy Project, B’nai Israel’s last members ensured the preservation of their religious artifacts and financial assets. The synagogue’s three Torah scrolls were donated to various Jewish institutions: one went to Temple Kol Tikvah, a Reform congregation in Davidson, North Carolina; another was given to 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, a Jewish summer camp in Massachusetts; and the third was sent to Israel, where it became part of the Eisendrath International Exchange Semester program for American high school students. Other sacred artifacts, including the synagogue’s historic stained glass windows, were donated to the Cayuga Museum. The B’nai Israel building was sold to a Christian congregation and, as of 2023, houses United With Christ Church.

The congregation’s remaining assets were entrusted to the Jewish Federation of Central New York in Syracuse, which continues to use the funds to support Holocaust education, Jewish summer camp scholarships, and the Kosher Meals on Wheels program through Syracuse Jewish Family Service. One of the Holocaust education projects funded through this endowment is the upkeep of a sapling at Emily Howland Elementary School near Aurora, New York. This sapling is one of eleven cut from the horse chestnut tree Anne Frank looked upon from her family’s hiding place in Amsterdam. The original tree, which stood for over 170 years, died in 2010 due to disease and storm damage. The fund also supported Holocaust education programming in Auburn, which in the past had included a visit by Marion Blumenthal Lazan, author of Four Perfect Pebbles: A True Story of the Holocaust, who spoke about her family’s experiences during the Holocaust.

Although Auburn no longer has an organized Jewish congregation, a small Jewish presence remains in the city as of 2023. Many former members of B’nai Israel have made lasting contributions to Jewish life elsewhere. Rabbi James Mitchels, the only Auburn native known to have become a rabbi, has served Jewish communities in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Maryland. Allan Goldman, another Auburn native, has held leadership roles with the Union for Reform Judaism and the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

While Auburn’s Jewish population never exceeded one percent of Cayuga County’s residents, the community played a vital role in shaping the city’s civic, cultural, and economic life.

Sources: Auburn, New York, City Directory. 1915 (Auburn, New York).
Burke, Jennifer. “Auburn Leaders Hold Interfaith Talk.” Catholic Courier (Rochester). August 26, 2006.
Chadwick, Norman, and Minnie Palmer. Golden Jubilee Journal of Congregation B’nai Israel Auburn, N.Y. (Auburn: 1953).
Fusco, Andrea. “Jews Have Rich Heritage in Auburn.” Citizen, December 16, 1990.
Segelken, Roger. “Memories Linger for Attack Survivors.” Herald-American (Syracuse). December 07, 1975.

Newspapers Utilized

 Advertiser-Journal (Auburn, NY).
Auburn Citizen (Auburn, NY).
Auburn Morning Dispatch (Auburn, NY).
Citizen (Auburn, NY).
Citizen-Advertiser (Auburn, NY).
Hebrew Standard (New York, NY).
Herald-American (Syracuse, NY).
Herald-Journal (Syracuse, NY).
Indiana Jewish Post and Opinion (Indianapolis, IN).
Manchester Evening Herald (Manchester, CT).
New York Times (New York, NY).
Port Byron Chronicle and Cayuga County News (Port Byron, NY).
Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY).
Sabbath Visitor (Cincinnati⁩, OH).

Secondary Sources

“Anne Frank Center Sapling Project.” Southern Cayuga Central Schools.
“Case Studies B’nai Israel Congregation, Auburn, New York.” Jewish Community Legacy Project.
Gutstein, Morris. “Brith Abraham.” Encyclopaedia Judaica. Cengage. 1937.
King, Ormie. “Many Jewish Legends in Auburn.” Post-Standard (Syracuse). May 02, 2002.
Mack, Michael. “Auburn, NY - 200 Years of History 1793-1993.” Slideshare. Scribd. January 19, 2022.
Rudolph, Bernard. From a Minyan to a Community: A History of the Jews of Syracuse (Syracuse: B. G. Rudolph. 1970).