A History of Jewish Life in Mansfield, Ohio, and Surrounding Areas

Early Jewish Presence in Mansfield and Plymouth
The Beginnings of Organized Jewish Life in Mansfield
Developments During World War I and the 1920s
A Period of Challenges and Growth: Events from 1930 to 1945
The Post-War Years, 1945 to 1960
The Merger of B’nai Jacob and Temple Emanuel
Conclusion: Into the Twenty-First Century

Early Jewish Presence in Mansfield and Plymouth

Mansfield, the seat of Richland County, was founded in 1808, just five years after Ohio achieved statehood. During its early years, the village’s population was predominantly Protestant, with the presence of Congregationalist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. By the mid-19th century, Mansfield’s religious diversity expanded to include Catholic, Episcopalian, and Lutheran congregations. During this growth period, the first Jewish residents arrived in the area.

The earliest known Jewish resident of Mansfield was Myer Miller, a German immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1845 before settling in Mansfield in 1848 after a brief stay in Alabama. In 1851, Myer married Barbara, another Central European immigrant, and supported his family by operating a clothing store. He was active in the local Masonic lodge and played a key civic role, organizing Mansfield’s second volunteer fire department, Torrent Fire Company No. 2, in 1852.

Approximately 20 miles northwest of Mansfield, the village of Plymouth also saw the arrival of Jewish families in the mid-19th century. Hannah and Moses Billstein were among the first Jewish residents known to settle there. Like the Millers, they were immigrants from modern-day Germany and raised five children—Jennie, Rachel, Rena, Sarah (also referred to as Stella in some records), and William. Moses operated a business dealing in grains, seeds, and wool, a precursor to the Bachrach Company, a livestock business that remained active in Plymouth into the 1970s. Future Ohio Governor Myron T. Herrick (1904–1906) worked for Moses Billstein early in his career.

Other early Jewish residents of Plymouth included Solomon Spear, who arrived in 1857 at age 14. Likely a relative of Hannah Billstein, Solomon began his career as a peddler before entering the livestock and clothing businesses. He became the first Jewish elected official in Richland County, serving 27 years on the Plymouth Village Council and local school board. In 1867, Solomon married Augusta Billstein, his cousin, and the couple raised six children. In 1868, he went into business with his brother-in-law, Moses Shield, who had recently married Betty Spear.

The 1860s brought additional Jewish families to Mansfield and Plymouth. In Mansfield, Abraham and Bertha Heineman arrived from New York in 1866. Abraham initially operated a horse stable on what is now West Fourth Street, later becoming one of the nation’s most successful horse dealers, selling over 3,000 horses annually by 1892. He was active in fraternal organizations, including the Elks, Knights of Honor, and Masons, and his donation of land helped establish Mansfield’s Sherman-Heineman Park in 1887.

Several Jewish families arrived in Plymouth in 1866, likely drawn by marriage connections with the Billstein family. Herman Aaron (husband of Betty), Israel Bachrach (husband of Rosa), and Aaron Kappenberg (husband of Yette) all established themselves in Plymouth’s livestock and meat industries. Another relative, Henry Bachrach, was married to Mollie Birkenruth by 1869. The Bachrach family remained active in the Plymouth cattle business into the 1970s.

Ashland, located about 13 miles northeast of Mansfield, was also home to Jewish residents by the mid-1860s. Jacob Cahn, the earliest known Jewish resident of Ashland, operated a clothing store by 1864 and married Regina Tillman in 1872. Their son, Louis Cahn, would later lead the Jewish Charities of Chicago (1920–1930). Jacob was elected mayor of Ashland around 1879, making him one of the earliest Jewish mayors in Ohio. By 1878, Nathan Strauss, a Kentucky native, joined Cahn’s clothing business, later taking full ownership in 1909 and renaming it N. Strauss and Son, which remained a fixture in Ashland until 1991. Nathan also played a role in establishing Ashland’s volunteer fire department in 1883, later serving as fire chief.

Other Jewish families established themselves in the Mansfield and Plymouth areas during the late 19th century. In 1871, Henrietta Miller, daughter of Mansfield’s Myer and Barbara Miller, married Adolph Dittenhoefer of Cleveland. Adolph joined Myer’s clothing business, which became Miller & Dittenhoefer by 1886. Upon Myer’s retirement in 1892, Adolph continued running the store until he died in 1905.

Meanwhile, in Plymouth, William and Betty Schoenberg, another branch of the Billstein family, settled in the 1870s. William was involved in the livestock, grain, and wool trade before he died in 1902 when he was regarded as one of the area’s oldest Jewish residents. However, the Schoenberg family’s presence in Plymouth did not endure, as all their children relocated to Chicago.

By the 1870s, Mansfield and its surrounding communities were home to a small but visible Jewish presence, with families engaging in commerce, civic leadership, and philanthropy. These early pioneers laid the foundation for organized Jewish life in Mansfield, which would take shape in the coming decades.

The Beginnings of Organized Jewish Life in Mansfield

During the late 1870s and 1880s, a few new Jewish families settled in Mansfield, contributing to the area’s economic and communal development. Louis Freundlich, Samuel Lowenstein, and Joseph New were all engaged in the clothing business. Louis Freundlich, a native of Waldsee, Germany, immigrated to the United States around 1878 and arrived in Mansfield in 1888 with his wife, Laura. That same year, he opened a men’s clothing store at the Miller Opera House. Tragedy soon struck when Laura passed away, but Freundlich remained in Mansfield, expanding his business. An early partnership with David Wertheimer was short-lived, and within a few years, the business became known as the Freundlich Company. As the business grew, it relocated multiple times before establishing itself in a three-story building at the corner of West Third Street and Walnut Street in 1928. This building, which later housed a Girl Scouts office and Westfield Bank, remained standing as of 2022.

In 1893, Freundlich married Retta Eppinger, a Cincinnati native who remained in Mansfield until her passing in 1946. Both husband and wife were deeply involved in the Mansfield community. Louis was an influential civic leader and a member of multiple fraternal organizations, including the Elks, Kiwanis, Masons, Modern Woodmen, and Odd Fellows. At the time of his death in 1932, the Mansfield News described him as a man of “perseverance, honesty, and kindness,” widely respected for his philanthropy and leadership. Retta was a noted musician and a member of the local Women’s Club and Woman’s Federation. She also served on the board of directors for the Friendly House, an organization that played an essential role in local social services. Louis and Retta were also active in Mansfield’s first Jewish congregation, Temple Emanuel.

Like Freundlich, Samuel Lowenstein and Joseph New were also in the clothing business, operating stores along North Main Street. Lowenstein had settled in Mansfield by 1883, while New arrived by 1888. That same year, all six clothiers listed in the Herald’s Directory to Mansfield, Ohio, were Jewish, reflecting a broader national trend in which many Jewish immigrants established themselves in the clothing trade. This development was driven by advances in steam-powered looms and machinery that allowed for the mass production of textiles, coinciding with increased Jewish immigration from Central Europe. Many Jewish families entered the retail and manufacturing sectors, and their descendants remained prominent in the industry for generations. Unlike Freundlich, Lowenstein and New eventually left Richland County, with Lowenstein relocating to Canton and New moving to Youngstown. However, Joseph’s brother and business partner, Theodore New, remained in Mansfield until after 1904.

While modest, the Jewish community of Mansfield and surrounding towns had grown enough by the 1870s to organize religious services in private homes. The city’s current Jewish congregation, Emanuel Jacob, traces its roots to these informal gatherings, though no contemporary records of these early services exist. Some later sources place the beginning of Mansfield’s organized Jewish community in 1886 when a group of Jewish women gathered to sew clothing for European refugees. One of the earliest members of this group was Bertha Heineman, who played an active role in Mansfield’s Jewish communal life for years.

During the 1890s, the Jewish population of Richland County continued to grow, with new arrivals including Moses Goldberg, Joseph Goldberger, Bertha and David Goldsmith, and Israel and Anna Schoenfield. A Polish immigrant, Moses Goldberg settled in Mansfield by 1900 and worked as a jeweler and pawnbroker. Joseph Goldberger operated a scrap metal business in Shelby, about 12 miles northwest of Mansfield.

Bertha and David Goldsmith arrived in Mansfield in 1890 and raised four children: Aaron, Carrie, Julius, and Louis. David worked at Freundlich’s for nearly 40 years, though some sources suggest the family did not settle in Mansfield until 1894. Of their children, only Aaron remained in Mansfield beyond 1923. Carrie married Jacob Marder and relocated to Newark, New Jersey, while Julius and Louis eventually settled in St. Louis, Chicago, and finally Brooklyn. Aaron spent part of the 1910s in Indianapolis before returning to Mansfield to manage Freundlich’s. In 1924, he opened Goldsmith’s Men’s Store on North Main Street, where his father later joined him.

The Schoenfield family also played a role in Mansfield’s early Jewish history. Israel Schoenfield, one of 16 children raised by Doretta and Moses Schoenfield, settled in Mansfield by 1880. He and his wife, Anna, raised at least five children, and Israel supported his family by operating a clothing store and later a hotel. The Schoenfields left Mansfield shortly after 1907, following Anna’s death in 1901. Israel passed away in 1914 in Pittsburgh but was buried alongside his wife at Mansfield Cemetery.

By the early 20th century, Mansfield’s Jewish population reflected broader national immigration patterns. While most early Jewish residents were first- or second-generation Americans with roots in German-speaking Jewish communities, many new arrivals traced their origins to Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine. This shift occurred between 1880 and 1924, a period when approximately two million Jews immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe, fleeing economic hardship and violent persecution. These more recent immigrants and their descendants played a critical role in shaping the Mansfield Jewish community.

In January 1904, the Jewish Review and Observer of Cleveland reported that Mansfield’s Jewish community had formally organized a congregation. The first officers were Myer Miller as president, Louis Freundlich as first vice president, Israel Schoenfield as vice president, William Foust as secretary, and Solomon Loeb as treasurer. The congregation had about 20 founding members, including Samuel Dittenhoefer, Moses Goldberg, Abraham Marks, Henry Weil, and Alex Weissager, most of whom worked in the clothing industry.

The congregation’s first initiative was to establish a religious school. Early students included Henry Haupt, Ruth Loeb, Doris Marks, Harold Marks, Mortimer Marks, and Leon Schoenfield. The community also secured the services of visiting rabbis, including Rabbi Alfred Godshaw and Rabbi Isador Philo of Akron. The congregation, officially named Mansfield Reformed Jewish Congregation, identified with the Reform movement, emphasizing Judaism’s ethical principles over ritual laws. Like other Reform congregations of the era, Mansfield Reformed Jewish Congregation introduced mixed seating, permitted instrumental music during services, and discouraged wearing kippot (head coverings).

During its early years, the congregation met in various rented locations, including the YMCA building at 45 West Park Avenue, the Mansfield Public Library basement, and a room above the Knights of Columbus Hall at Fourth and Main Streets. By 1910, the congregation had become more established, and the city directory published this same year listed it as the “Jewish Congregation,” with its meeting place in the Bowers Block at Fourth and Main. In 1922, the congregation formally adopted the name Temple Emanuel.

Jewish women played an essential role in the growth of Mansfield’s Jewish community. Some sources trace the beginnings of Jewish communal life in the city to 1886 when women first gathered to provide clothing for refugees. By 1890, this group became the Jewish Ladies’ Aid Society, which raised funds for charitable causes, including a $5 donation in 1900 to victims of the Galveston hurricane. Prominent early members included Bessie Bein, Marie Haupt, Selma Loeb, and Bertha Weil. By 1920, the organization was renamed the Temple Sisterhood of Mansfield, later becoming the Temple Emanuel Sisterhood, which supported synagogue operations, education, and social events.

The formation of Temple Emanuel in 1904 marked a turning point for Mansfield’s Jewish community, establishing a formal religious and social structure. As new waves of Jewish immigrants arrived, the congregation grew, reflecting broader patterns of Jewish life in many small towns across America during the early 20th century.

Developments During World War I and the 1920s

In 1907, the Jewish population of Mansfield was estimated at approximately 50 individuals. Over the next two decades, the Jewish community experienced significant growth, with new families and additional communal organizations taking shape. This period saw the formation of a B’nai B’rith lodge, the establishment of a second Jewish congregation, B’nai Jacob, and the eventual creation of a dedicated synagogue for Temple Emanuel.

Between 1902 and 1927, several new Jewish families settled in Mansfield, including Robert and Shirley Block, Henry and Stella Cominsky, Jacob and Gussie Cousins, Hannah and Israel Fineberg, Effie and Samuel Fox, Edgar and Selma Joseph, Gertrude and Samuel Krosinsky, Esther and Hyman Mosberg, Abraham and Rebecca Rappaport, Moses and Rebecca Ratner, Bessie and Philip Rosenbaum, and Carl and Mary Sternbaum. These families engaged in various industries, including clothing retail, scrap, jewelry, and real estate, further strengthening the economic presence of Jewish entrepreneurs in the city.

Jacob and Gussie Cousins were particularly notable members of the community. Arriving in Mansfield by 1902, Jacob founded the J. M. Cousins Scrap Iron Company, which later became Cousins Incorporated. This business operated until its merger with Metal Conversions Limited Company in 2002. Beyond business, Jacob was involved in numerous civic organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Elks, Knights of Pythias, Masons, and Odd Fellows. He was remembered for his quiet acts of charity. His wife, Gussie, was also active in the Eastern Star, Knights of Pythias, and the Red Cross.

By 1917, Hannah and Israel Fineberg operated a clothing store on North Main Street. Effie and Samuel Fox moved to Mansfield in 1922 when Samuel took a position at Rodger Jewelry Company. Samuel later opened his store, Sam Fox Jewelry, in 1940. Similarly, Moses and Rebecca Ratner operated the Rodger Jewelry Company from 1923 to 1945 before selling the business to a family relative, Harry Morris. Carl and Mary Sternbaum, immigrants from Warsaw, arrived in Mansfield in 1917, initially running a meat market before expanding their business into one of Ohio’s most prominent family-owned supermarket chains by the early 1950s.

On April 6, 1917, the United States entered World War I. Jewish residents of Richland County, alongside their non-Jewish neighbors, contributed to the war effort on the battlefield and at home. At least five local Jewish men served in the military: Louis Bachrach, Maurice Bachrach, Royal Bein, Jerome Freundlich, and Benjamin Loeb.

Louis Bachrach, a dentist, enlisted in the Dental Corps and later practiced in Mansfield for over 40 years following his discharge. Maurice Bachrach returned to Plymouth to continue working in the livestock business, while Royal Bein resumed his studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Jerome Freundlich, the son of Louis and Retta Freundlich, continued his work at the Freundlich Company after the war and rehabilitated former inmates incarcerated at the Ohio State Reformatory. He offered jobs to many and also led Jewish services at the prison. Benjamin Loeb, the son of Lena and Solomon Loeb, served with the 29th United States Regimental Band before returning to work at Loeb & Son, a clothing store at 80 North Main Street.

On the home front, Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Ladies’ Aid Society, supported the Red Cross, sewed garments for soldiers, and raised funds for Liberty Loans. Louis Freundlich chaired several Liberty Loan committees, helping to secure additional funding for the U.S. war effort.

In 1917, Mansfield’s Jewish community also established a B’nai B’rith lodge, affiliated with the national organization and designated Lodge No. 797. Within its first year, membership had grown to 33, marking an essential advancement in Mansfield’s Jewish residents’ social and fraternal life.

Following World War I, in 1919, discussions began about constructing a dedicated synagogue for Temple Emanuel. At the time, the congregation had approximately 75 members, and this community envisioned a space that could serve Jewish families from surrounding towns, including Ashland, Bucyrus, Crestline, Galion, and Shelby. Several Jewish families had settled in these smaller towns between 1895 and 1919, including Nathan and Nettie Fliegel, Belle and William Glick, Anne and Louis Goodman, Samuel and Sophia Grundstein, Estella and Louis Komito, Hattie and Solomon Meyers, Mary and Max Oxman, and Ida and Jacob Roth. Many of these individuals were involved in clothing retail and the scrap metal industry, reflecting the same economic patterns in Mansfield.

Despite raising $10,000 for the new synagogue in 1919, the project was delayed for a decade. Finally, in 1929, Temple Emanuel acquired the former home of Thomas Barnes at 132 West Second Street and converted it into a synagogue. Key donors included Jacob Cousins and Jerome Freundlich. Several years previously, in 1924, Temple Emanuel received its official charter as a religious organization from the State of Ohio, further solidifying its presence. The congregation’s new home became known locally as the Second Street Temple.

By 1927, Mansfield also witnessed the formation of a second Jewish congregation, B’nai Jacob, which practiced Orthodox Judaism. The congregation began with 13 families and was named in honor of its first president, Jacob Cousins, and the biblical patriarch. However, evidence suggests that Orthodox services may have been held in Mansfield as early as 1922 when city directories listed a separate “Jewish Congregation” meeting in the Purdy Block at 24 South Main Street, distinct from Temple Emanuel in the Bowers Building.

During its early years, B’nai Jacob held services in various locations, including the American Legion, Bowers Building, Eagles Lodge, and Moose Lodge. By 1930, the congregation moved to the Dixon Building at the corner of Fourth and Main Streets. From 1934 to 1942, B’nai Jacob shared space with Temple Emanuel at 132 West Second Street, reflecting the interconnected nature of Mansfield’s Jewish community.

Rabbi David Rub, a Hungarian-born immigrant who arrived in Mansfield in 1925, provided religious leadership for B’nai Jacob. By 1932, Rabbi Rub also occasionally officiated services for Temple Emanuel and served as a chaplain at the Ohio State Reformatory, where he ministered to Jewish inmates.

The 1920s represented a period of both communal growth and internal religious diversification. While Reform Judaism remained dominant in Mansfield, Orthodox Jews established a separate space, ensuring that the city’s Jewish population could worship in their own way.

Jewish-owned businesses also continued to thrive, particularly in the clothing retail, grocery, real estate, and scrap industries. The work undertaken by the Jewish community laid a foundation for Jewish life in Mansfield as it entered the challenges and changes of the 1930s.

A Period of Challenges and Growth: Events from 1930 to 1945

Between 1930 and 1965, the Jewish community of Mansfield experienced significant growth, shaped by national and international events. The Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war baby boom left lasting marks on the community. To better capture this period, two sections have been created. The first half of this historical period’s documentation will explore Jewish communal developments during the Great Depression and World War II, while the second half will examine the post-war years leading up to the demographic contraction of Mansfield’s Jewish community.

By 1937, the United Jewish Appeal estimated that 270 Jews lived in Mansfield, reflecting an extraordinary 260 percent increase from 1919. For comparison, the total population of Mansfield grew by 33 percent between 1920 and 1940. While exact Jewish population figures can be challenging, this rapid growth demonstrates the substantial expansion of Jewish life in Mansfield.

Among the many Jewish families who settled in Mansfield and the surrounding towns between 1925 and 1935 were the Berick, Booksbaum, Chernoff, Ellison, Frankel, Goldman, Goldstein, Goler, Hayfer, Klein, Levant, Marcus, Meisel, Mintz, Munster, Post, Preis, Selfman, Silverman, and Stern families. Many became entrepreneurs and business owners, contributing to the local economy through clothing stores, real estate firms, manufacturing enterprises, and other efforts. Meyer and Beatrice Berick operated the Mansfield Fish Company by 1932. Benjamin and Rose Booksbaum ran the Mansfield Pants Store, which later became Main Surplus Sales in 1958. Samuel and Ada Frankel moved from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and founded the Mansfield Plate and Window Glass Company, which expanded significantly over the years.

Additional contributions were made in the areas of manufacturing and retail. Harry Goldman founded the Mansfield Bag & Paper Company in 1931, a business that continues to operate as of 2025. Andrew Klein, a Hungarian immigrant, opened the Klein Fur Shop in 1941, and his wife Esther became an active leader in the Jewish community. The Levant family established an auto wrecking company in Galion, while the Marcus and Meisel families worked in food distribution and accounting, respectively. Many Jewish-owned businesses flourished despite the economic challenges of the 1930s, demonstrating the community’s resilience.

Jewish women in Mansfield continued to play an essential role in communal life and philanthropy. By 1939, three organizations for Jewish women existed in the city: the B’nai Jacob Sisterhood, the Temple Emanuel Sisterhood, and the B’nai B’rith Women’s Auxiliary, founded in 1938. The B’nai B’rith Auxiliary worked closely with the men’s B’nai B’rith lodge on civic and charitable initiatives, and their annual donor luncheon became a major social event in Mansfield’s Jewish calendar.

By 1934, Mansfield’s B’nai B’rith lodge was renamed the Louis Freundlich Lodge in honor of one of its most engaged members, who had died two years earlier. The lodge also supported a local youth group, Aleph Zadik Aleph. Jewish organizational life was not limited to Mansfield—nearby Jewish residents of Galion established their own B’nai B’rith lodge in 1938, with 32 members and around 200 attendees at its inaugural event. The lodge met above the Wisterman clothing store and actively supported civic initiatives like the Girl Scouts and Red Cross while contributing to national Jewish causes.

In 1941, B’nai Jacob acquired its first permanent property, purchasing a home at 50 Sturges Avenue and converting it into a synagogue and parsonage. The first religious services at this location were held in May 1942, and the space could accommodate around 200 worshippers. Two years later, Temple Emanuel sold its synagogue on West Second Street and began sharing space with B’nai Jacob—reflecting ongoing collaboration between the two congregations.

New Jewish families continued to arrive between 1935 and 1945, including the Bloom, Cogen, Doppelt, Glattke, Goettinger, Hurwitz, Lapine, Lewis, Lifson, Lockshin, Mandel, Mittman, Negin, Shaffer, Shapiro, Shuster, Tuber, and Zavelson families. Many were drawn to Mansfield by employment opportunities, particularly at Dominion Electric Company, a firm founded in Winnipeg, Canada, that relocated to Mansfield in 1935. Several Jewish business leaders—Nathan Lifson, Benjamin Shaffer, and Samuel Shapiro—were instrumental in bringing Dominion to the city, and by 1959, the company employed 400 people. However, it closed its Mansfield plant in 1971.

Several Jews who grew up in Mansfield achieved national recognition in the arts. James Lapine, son of David and Lillian Lapine, became a Tony Award-winning playwright and collaborated with Stephen Sondheim on productions like Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Falsettos. Another Mansfield-born Jewish writer, Lee Adams, won a Tony Award for Bye Bye Birdie and contributed to Broadway musicals like Golden Boy and Applause.

The entry of the United States into World War II in December 1941 profoundly shaped Mansfield’s Jewish community. At least 29 Mansfield and Richland County Jewish residents served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Some, like Jacob Sternbaum and Jerome Fellenbaum, never returned home. Jacob, a first lieutenant in the Air Corps, died when his plane crashed in the Himalayas. In his memory, his parents, Carl and Mary Sternbaum, donated land for Mansfield’s Friendly House, a community center that continues to serve residents today.

By 1942, B’nai Jacob established the first Jewish cemetery in Richland County on Park Avenue West. A monument at the cemetery honors four local Jewish servicemen who died in World War II: Jacob Sternbaum, Alvin Bachrach, Morris Chasin, and Howard Weinberg. The monument also includes names from Toledo and Willard, reflecting the regional ties among many Jewish families in Ohio at the time.

The Holocaust also impacted Mansfield’s Jewish community. Eugene Klein, a Hungarian-born clothier, lost immediate family members in the Shoah, and a 1948 article in the Mansfield News-Journal documented his visit to postwar Hungary. The Mainzer family, who arrived in Mansfield in 1939 after fleeing Nazi Germany via Mandatory Palestine and New York, became prominent in medicine. Ernst Mainzer practiced internal medicine and later served on the Mansfield General Hospital board, while his wife, Lizabeth, a pediatrician, became a pioneer in adolescent health education in Richland County. Lizabeth’s family had lived near Cologne for 700 years before being nearly wiped out during the Holocaust. Their son, Daniel Mainzer, later became a well-known photographer.

In 1951, Hans Walter, a Holocaust survivor, relocated to Mansfield. A native of Berlin, Walter survived five concentration camps and was the last known living member of Operation Bernhard, a Nazi counterfeiting scheme run out of Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

By the end of World War II, Mansfield’s Jewish community had become a vital part of the city’s cultural and economic fabric. Establishing several Jewish institutions, growing civic engagement, and the profound impact of global events ensured that Jewish life in Mansfield continued to evolve in the following decades.

The Post-War Years, 1945 to 1960

Jewish life in Mansfield flourished following World War II, mirroring the city’s overall growth. In 1947, an estimated 308 Jews resided in Mansfield, accounting for approximately 0.70 percent of the total population. Jewish families from surrounding towns also remained active in Mansfield’s Jewish institutions. For example, in 1948, ten children were confirmed at B’nai Jacob, with confirmands from Ashland, Greenwich, Mt. Vernon, and West Salem participating alongside Mansfield residents. Among the Jewish families in West Salem, located 29 miles northeast of Mansfield, the Lillian and Myer Swack household was particularly notable. With ten children, they were the most prominent Jewish family in the community. Originally from Ashland, Lillian was previously married to Arthur Grundstein, a scrap dealer who died in 1933 in a tragic explosion at his yard. Myer, an immigrant from Poland, relocated from Cleveland to West Salem for work, eventually founding Myer Swack Truck Company and M. Swack Iron and Steel Company. The family also operated a dairy and crop farm, which remained in the family until 1988. The Swack children later settled across the U.S., including California, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Zanesville, and Mansfield.

Returning to Mansfield, two new Jewish organizations, a local Hadassah chapter, and the B’nai Jacob Men’s Club, were formed before 1950. The Men’s Club was affiliated with the National Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs. Older Jewish organizations also flourished in the years following World War II. An estimated 116 people were members of B’nai B’rith and B’nai B’rith Women in 1951. One philanthropic effort the two allied groups undertook during this time was to furnish a room at the Mansfield Hospital. The B’nai B’rith organizations also supported Hidden Hollow Camp, located southeast of Mansfield, by dedicating a cabin on the grounds. In 1949, an estimated 75 people were members of the B’nai Jacob Sisterhood. The Temple Emanuel Sisterhood also continued to exist as a separate organization. Both organizations continued to support a variety of charitable causes both within and outside of the Jewish community.

Both B’nai Jacob and Temple Emanuel experienced significant developments in 1946. At B’nai Jacob, the congregation elected, after 19 years as an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, to formally adopt a Conservative Jewish practice. Conservative Judaism, which began in the mid-nineteenth century, maintains that Jewish practice and theology evolve. Yet, Conservative religious leaders emphasize that changes in religious practice ought to be done with care and due consideration for historical precedent. B’nai Jacob’s formal change from Orthodox to Conservative Judaism signified shifting religious practices among its members and a growing convergence with the practices of many Temple Emanuel members.

David Rub, the first rabbi at B’nai Jacob, left Mansfield in 1946 for Chicago. He was succeeded in 1947 by Rabbi Moshe Goldblum, who arrived in Mansfield from Minneapolis alongside his wife, Evelyn. Moshe was the congregation’s first Conservative rabbi. During World War II, he served as a chaplain in the United States Army. However, Moshe did not remain in Mansfield for long; in 1949, he left the congregation. Rabbi Zelig Chinitz, a graduate of Yeshiva University in New York City, succeeded him. About one year later, however, Zelig left Mansfield to serve as a military chaplain at the Scott Air Force Base near Belleville, Illinois. In 1951, Rabbi Israel Botwinick arrived at B’nai Jacob. Like Moshe, Israel served as a chaplain during World War II. During this time, he was awarded a Bronze Star for his work to support Holocaust survivors in Germany following the war. Israel, who remained in Mansfield until 1952, had lived in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, before moving to Ohio.

Moving back to developments in 1946, the members of Temple Emanuel, after sharing space with B’nai Jacob for two years, voted to purchase a plot of land at the corner of Cook Road and Lexington Avenue to build a new synagogue. This structure, which in 2022 is occupied by the Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church, was the first building constructed in Richland County to be used as a synagogue. On July 28, 1947, the cornerstone was laid for the synagogue. Nearly 14 months later, on September 26, 1948, the new synagogue was dedicated by Rabbi Bertram Korn and Rabbi Eugene Lipman. An estimated 200 people attended the ceremonies. Bertram served as a student rabbi at Temple Emanuel from 1946 to 1947. Eugene began ministering at Temple Emanuel as a student rabbi in 1948. He did not live in Mansfield but commuted to town to lead services and teach at the congregation’s Sunday School. In 1949, Eugene took a position with Hillel, a Jewish campus organization. The first and only full-time rabbi at Temple Emanuel was Milton Greenwald. Milton arrived in Mansfield from Brunswick, Georgia, with his wife, Ruth, in 1957. By the time Milton arrived in Mansfield, he had already served as a rabbi for 29 years. However, the couple did not remain in Mansfield for long, relocating to Indiana by 1962.

In 1950, it was estimated that B’nai Jacob had 80 member families. Temple Emanuel had an estimated 52 families. Both congregations sponsored active Sunday schools, and a community-wide Jewish youth group, Aleph Zadik Aleph, had restarted its activities. At Temple Emanuel, starting around 1959, the congregation hired students from Kenyon College as teachers. Some of these teachers, including Murray Horwitz, a future playwright, and Richard Baehr, a later conservative commentator, had notable careers. Some Mansfield families, including Blanche and Max Meisel, Beatrice, and Harold Oxman, were B’nai Jacob and Temple Emanuel members.

In August 1955, Rabbi Avram Hartstein began his time at B’nai Jacob. Avram would be one of the longest-serving rabbis in Mansfield, remaining in his role for 20 years. Avram, a native of Hungary, also known as Andre, married Deborah Feuerwerker, a native of Geneva, in 1936. In 1939, the couple arrived in the United States, and Avram found work as a rabbi in Akron. He remained in this role until 1952, when he accepted a job with Beth Jacob Synagogue in Regina, Canada. He arrived in Mansfield from Canada. While in Richland County, Avram also served as a chaplain at the Ohio State Reformatory. On March 3, 1957, the ground was broken by the representatives of B’nai Jacob for a new synagogue at the corner of Cook and Larchwood roads. A little over six months later, on September 25, 1957, the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the new sanctuary was opened. The structure included space for a B’nai B’rith meeting lounge, a kitchen, nine classrooms utilized by the congregation’s religious school, a rabbi’s study, and a social hall. Later additions and renovations included a library wing, which also served as a meeting place for the local B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and modern stained glass windows funded through a bequest in the will of Martha Shaffer. The B’nai B’rith Youth Organization was a successor to Aleph Zadik Aleph.

The Merger of B’nai Jacob and Temple Emanuel

In 1967, the American Jewish Yearbook, an annual publication in Philadelphia, reported that 480 Jews lived in Mansfield. However, between 1962 and 1966, the yearbook estimated a higher figure of 615 Jews, though this was likely an overcount. The 1961 edition of the yearbook listed Mansfield’s Jewish population at 525, which appears to be a more accurate assessment of the community’s peak size before it entered into a sustained, ongoing period of contraction. Many of the Jews living in Mansfield during the 1950s and 1960s were baby boomers who later left for university and did not return to the city after completing their studies. In 1974, The Cleveland Jewish News profiled the Mansfield Jewish community and highlighted this trend. That same year, Rabbi Avram Hartstein estimated that Mansfield’s Jewish population comprised around 90 families, with approximately 65 families affiliated with B’nai Jacob and 30 with Temple Emanuel. As in earlier years, some families held memberships in both congregations.

Jews who arrived in Mansfield after 1940 were more likely to be white-collar professionals, including Alvin Bales, Bernard Barton, Stanley Cowan, Harold Cohen, Robert Fagin, Robert Garber, Florence and Leo Levin, Phil Marcus, Seymour Schlossman, Bettie and Erwin Sherman, and Eugene Sherman. Alvin Bales, a native of Pittsburgh, first moved to Mansfield in 1948 as a general practitioner but left in 1950 for postgraduate training in surgery before returning in 1956. He practiced surgery until 1979 and served as chief of surgery at Mansfield General Hospital. Bernard Barton, who arrived around 1958, worked with the State of Ohio as director of prisons and later served as executive director of the Richland County Mental Health Board. Stanley Cowan, who had settled in Mansfield in 1942, worked as vice president of Mansfield Plate and Window Glass Company after marrying Sylvia Frankel, daughter of the company’s founder, Samuel. The couple later relocated to Oberlin and then Cleveland. Harold Cohen opened an ophthalmology practice in 1960, and in 1966 performed the first corneal transplant in Mansfield.

Other professionals included Robert Fagin, a pharmacist on Glessner Avenue by 1963; Robert Garber, a radiologist at Mansfield General Hospital and longtime member of the Temple Emanuel Board of Trustees; and Leo Levin, an attorney who moved from Minneapolis with his wife, Florence, in 1954. Florence Levin, a native of Corning, Ohio, taught biology at Mansfield Senior High School before becoming a professor at the Mansfield branch of The Ohio State University in 1967. She later joined Ashland College (now Ashland University) in 1975 and retired in 1993. Originally from Cincinnati, Phil Marcus moved to Mansfield in 1956 to work in the city engineer’s office and later served on the Mansfield City Council. Seymour Schlossman, a physical therapist and health administrator from New York, played a significant role in raising funds for The Rehab Center at 270 Sterkel Boulevard and served as its director for 18 years.

Other Jewish professionals included Erwin Sherman, a Cleveland native who opened a dental practice in Mansfield in 1950, and his wife, Bettie, who taught mathematics at Madison Jr. High for over 30 years before retiring in 2009. Eugene Sherman, a gynecologist from New Jersey, arrived in Mansfield in 1958 and partnered with Robert Ellison in a medical practice until 1976. Robert later moved to California. His brother, Joseph Ellison, was a well-known Mansfield attorney who opened his practice in 1939 and was active in local politics as a member of the Democratic Party.

Although many Jews in Mansfield found employment in professional fields after World War II, some local Jewish families founded new businesses, including Dunkin Jewelers, Five Cousins Discount Store, Sid’s Camera Shop, Sid’s Furniture Store, and Todd’s Jewelry Store. Dunkin Jewelers, co-founded by Oscar and Shirley Dinkin in 1948, remains in operation as of 2025. Five Cousins was established in 1959 by five families, four of whom were related. The business partners, including Irene and Jerry Friedman from Chicago and Leonard and Sylvia Biarsky from Cleveland, operated the store until the mid-1980s. Sid’s Camera Shop, located at 73 North Main Street, was opened in 1954 by Sid Yellen. Sid’s Furniture Store, at 118 North Main Street, was in business by 1957 and run by Edith and Sydney Lieberman, who had moved from Brooklyn. Todd’s Jewelry Store, founded in 1948 at Third and Main, was owned by Norman Lakin. Additionally, Daniel Markowitz owned the Mansfield Rangers, a semi-professional football team, during the late 1940s and 1950s.

In 1979, after supporting their synagogue building for 31 years, the members of Temple Emanuel voted to sell their facility at 473 Cook Road to Southwood Baptist Church and relocate their services to B’nai Jacob’s synagogue at 973 Larchwood Road. Eight years later, in 1987, after existing as separate congregations within the same building, B’nai Jacob and Temple Emanuel formally merged to create the Emanuel Jacob Congregation. As for many Jewish communities in smaller Ohio cities, Mansfield’s Jewish population declined during the late twentieth century. By 1990, the estimated number of Jews in Mansfield had fallen to approximately 250—a 52 percent decline since 1961. By 1999, the American Jewish Yearbook estimated that only 150 Jews remained in the city.

Conclusion: Into the Twenty-First Century

Since 1970, Mansfield has experienced a steady population decline. In that year, the city’s population was estimated at 55,047, but by 2020, it had decreased to 47,534. The Jewish community’s demographic decline has been more pronounced than the city’s. Factors contributing to this contraction include the relocation of younger generations to larger cities and the closure of many businesses that once supported Jewish families. The modest number of Jews who arrived in Mansfield after 1970 were increasingly white-collar professionals, including Dr. Ronald Goldbus, a surgeon, and Dr. Robert Mohl, a gastroenterologist. Several Jewish academics also relocated to Mansfield for positions at The Ohio State University’s Mansfield campus, such as Cass Foster, a professor of theater; Evelyn Freeman, a scholar in early and middle childhood education; and Mark Nadler, a professor of economics.

Jewish business owners remained active in the region after 1970. In 1969, Al Budin took over management of the Gourmet Room, a 1313 South Main Street restaurant. Al was the son of Leo and Mildred Budin, who were both engaged members of the Mansfield Jewish community. In Galion, Ralph Coby, the son of Harry and Minnie Cohen, continued the family’s legacy in local manufacturing as president of the Eagle Crusher Company. During the mid-twentieth century, the Cohen family—who later changed their surname to Coby—was associated with the Perfection Steel Body Company in Galion. Ralph Coby remained an active member of the Emanuel Jacob Congregation, reflecting how the synagogue continued to serve Jewish families beyond Mansfield. Additional congregation members included Fred and Thelma Gerson and Alvin and Selma Kasten, who were residents of Ashland.

Emanuel Jacob Congregation supported a full-time rabbi until 2000. Rabbi Bernard Bloomstone, the congregation’s last full-time rabbi, began his tenure in Mansfield in 1991. Before arriving in Ohio, Bloomstone lived in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was an adjunct professor at Springfield College and served as a rabbi at Sinai Temple. A native of Montreal, Bloomstone was actively involved in interfaith work in Mansfield, serving as president of the Mansfield Ministerial Association and frequently speaking about Judaism at Christian churches and schools. He also served as a chaplain at the Mansfield Correctional Institution and the Marion Correctional Institution.

Rabbi Bloomstone passed away suddenly in 2000 while visiting family in Massachusetts. Although he was buried in Massachusetts, approximately 300 people attended a memorial service at Emanuel Jacob Congregation, including many non-Jews. Rev. Gregory Kirk of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Galion wrote in a letter to the editor of the Mansfield News-Journal:

Rabbi Bloomstone’s efforts to promote Holocaust education continue to be remembered in Mansfield. The city’s Holocaust memorial along Park Avenue West is dedicated in his honor.

In 2001, Emanuel Jacob Congregation hired Cantor Sheila Case, an ordained cantor and a native of Kansas, as its religious leader. However, her tenure lasted only about a year. In 2002, the congregation retained Rabbi Michael Oppenheimer as a visiting rabbi. Oppenheimer, who served the congregation for 15 years, worked in Mansfield eight months out of the year. Reflecting on his tenure in 2017, Oppenheimer estimated that Emanuel Jacob had around 75 families when he first arrived, with 40 to 50 children enrolled in the congregation’s religious school. A 2001 source, however, estimated the congregation’s membership at just 66 families. By the time Oppenheimer retired in 2017, approximately 30 families remained members of the synagogue, and a typical Shabbat service had around ten attendees. Despite the decline in membership, Emanuel Jacob continued to host critical life-cycle events such as weddings. One of the more recent weddings held at the synagogue was the 2006 marriage of David Oppenheimer, son of Carolyn and Michael Oppenheimer, and Michelle Meyers, a native of Richland County. The synagogue also continued to host an annual Holocaust commemoration, engaging both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities.

After Rabbi Oppenheimer retired in 2017, Nancy Shimer took over his responsibilities at Emanuel Jacob. Shimer had already been active with the congregation before Oppenheimer’s departure. By 2017, it was estimated that Emanuel Jacob had fewer than 100 members. As of 2025, Shimer continues to serve as the congregation’s religious leader or morah.

In the spring of 2022, Emanuel Jacob’s members determined that their synagogue at 973 Larchwood Road no longer suited the congregation’s needs. The building was sold before October of that year. Some religious articles from the congregation were donated to Jewish communities worldwide, including in Côte D’Ivoire, Ghana, the Philippines, and El Paso, Texas. Historical records from B’nai Jacob, Temple Emanuel, and Emanuel Jacob Congregation were entrusted to the Columbus Jewish Historical Society for preservation. The society also received Judaica and other artifacts from Mansfield’s historic Jewish institutions.

As of 2023, Paul Hyman, a professor of biology at Ashland University, serves as the president of Emanuel Jacob Congregation. While Mansfield no longer has a synagogue, a Jewish community remains in Richland County. The members of Emanuel Jacob carry on a 174-year tradition of Jewish life in the region, dating back to the arrival of Myer Miller in 1848. Though Jews have never comprised more than one percent of the county’s population, they have impacted the civic, economic, and social fabric of Richland County. This legacy continues to merit preservation and remembrance.

Sources: 

Primary Sources

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Newspapers Utilized

Ashland Times (Ashland, OH).
Cleveland Jewish News (Cleveland, OH).
Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, OH).
Columbus Jewish News (Columbus, OH).
Daily Ohio State Journal (Columbus, Ohio).
Daily Reflector (Norwalk, OH).
Galion Inquirer (Galion, OH).
Jewish News of Northern California (San Francisco, CA).
Jewish Review and Observer (Cleveland, OH).
Mansfield News (Mansfield, OH).
Mansfield News-Journal (Mansfield, OH).
Mansfield Weekly News (Mansfield, OH).
News Journal (Mansfield, OH).
Norwalk Reflector-Herald (Norwalk, OH).
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Times Recorder (Zanesville, OH).
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Secondary Sources

“History of Emanuel Jacob Congregation.” Emanuel Jacob Congregation.
Schlechty, Jayson. “Two Jewish Congregations Become One.” Mansfield/Richland County Public Library. December 04, 2021.