A History of Lima, Ohio’s Early Jewish Community
By Austin Reid
Early Jewish Presence
The Establishment of Lima’s First Synagogue
Jewish Life in Lima: 1917-1933
A New Synagogue for Shaare Zedek
Jewish Life in Lima During World War II and the Postwar Years
Postwar Growth and Expansion
The Merger of Shaare Zedek and Temple Beth Israel
Lima’s Jewish Community in Recent Decades
Conclusion
Lima, Ohio, founded in 1831, saw its first Jewish residents arrive in the 1850s. Among the earliest were Jacob Abel and Levi Jacobs, both clothing merchants. Abel later moved to Delphos, while Jacobs, originally from modern-day Germany, operated a store in Lima before relocating to New York.
By the 1860s, Jewish families such as the Hershbergs, Warners, Weisenthals, and Wises had established themselves in Lima. In 1867, the community organized a congregation, Beth El (House of God), consisting of 16 families. However, records of sustained activity are scarce, suggesting it may have been short-lived.
Jewish life in Lima continued expanding through the 1870s and 1880s with new arrivals, including merchants, bankers, and manufacturers such as the Frankels, Goldsmiths, Heilbroners, and Michaels. Many of these families became prominent business leaders. In 1881, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, a leading figure in American Reform Judaism, officiated a wedding in Lima, highlighting regional Jewish connections.
By 1889, the community had organized a B’nai B’rith lodge, providing social and charitable support. High Holiday services were held in Mitchell Hall the following year, drawing an estimated 75–100 attendees. Jewish social and literary clubs, including the Longfellow Literary Society and the Phoenix Whist Club, were also formed.
By the mid-1890s, Lima’s Jewish community had grown into a thriving, prosperous group with expanding communal and business influence. However, challenges soon arose to shape the next chapter of its history.
The Establishment of Lima’s First Synagogue
The late 19th century saw Lima’s Jewish community solidify its presence despite setbacks. One such event was the 1898 robbery of the American National Bank, in which Nathan Michael and Gus Kalb, prominent members of the local Jewish community, were falsely implicated. Although later exonerated, the controversy strained relationships within the Jewish community, leading to the dissolution of the local B’nai B’rith lodge.
Despite this turmoil, Lima’s Jewish population continued to grow. By the early 1900s, new families, including the Bernsteins, Goldsteins, and Hofellers, established clothing, scrap, and manufacturing businesses. Among them, Max Bernstein co-founded the Gramm-Bernstein Truck Company, which later produced the Liberty Truck, widely used by the U.S. military in World War I.
Jewish communal life resumed with the formation of the Jewish Cemetery Association in 1902, followed by a Jewish Ladies’ Benevolent Society and a religious school in 1903. Rabbi David Lefkowitz of Dayton began visiting biweekly to lead services. By 1907, Lima’s Jewish population was estimated in The American Jewish Yearbook at 150, though the Yearbook later revised this estimate down to 100.
Early religious services were held in rented halls or Christian churches. In 1903, a group of Jewish families formed a Reform congregation named Ahabath Achim (Brotherly Love), later renamed Beth Israel. In 1911, the community purchased land for a synagogue at 533 West Market Street, extending fundraising efforts to the broader Lima community.
The cornerstone of Temple Beth Israel was laid on July 11, 1914, and the congregation dedicated its first synagogue on February 7, 1915. The ceremony, attended by hundreds, included participation from Christian clergy and Rabbis Louis Wolsey of Cleveland and David Alexander of Toledo.
Nathan Michael, a driving force behind the temple’s construction, called it the fulfillment of a 25-year dream. The sanctuary, which seated 300 worshippers, also featured classrooms for religious education, and its exterior bore an inscription from Isaiah 56:7:
In 1917, the congregation welcomed its first resident rabbi, Herbert Strauss. However, just as the Jewish community celebrated this milestone, broader global and local challenges soon shaped the next chapter of its history.
Jewish Life in Lima: 1917–1933
Lima’s Jewish community actively supported the war effort during World War I on the battlefield and the homefront. Local relief drives raised funds for Jews and other populations affected by conflict in Eastern Europe. Local Jewish women organized fundraising and sewing efforts for soldiers and the Red Cross.
At least five Jewish Lima residents served in the war, including Dudley Bernstein, who received the Navy Cross for his role in damaging German submarines.
In 1919, a fire severely damaged Temple Beth Israel, destroying its Torah scroll and organ. Though insurance covered repairs, services had to be held elsewhere until at least 1920.
Lima’s Jewish community continued to grow during the early twentieth century. In 1925, Shaare Zedek, the local Orthodox congregation, purchased 133 South McDonel and converted a home into a synagogue.
Lima’s Jewish population was estimated to be between 200 and 400 people during this period. Several Jewish organizations flourished, including a B’nai B’rith lodge, a women’s literary club, Delta Sigma Nu, a Jewish sorority, and Iota Nu, a Jewish fraternity. A youth group, the Judean Club, also existed.
Jewish civic and economic contributions remained strong, with notable figures such as Samuel Kamin, founder of Neon Products Company, and Benjamin Ackerman, chairman of Temple Beth Israel’s board of trustees. The community also engaged in philanthropy, raising funds for Jewish relief efforts abroad and local charitable causes.
Though Lima’s Jewish population grew, the 1920s and 1930s saw the presence of antisemitic groups like the Black Legion and the Ku Klux Klan in Allen County. However, by the late 1930s, these organizations had significantly declined.
In 1937, the American Jewish Year Book estimated 75 Jewish families in Lima. By the early 1930s, Lima’s Jewish community had established itself as a thriving and engaged population, setting the stage for the next major milestone: the construction of Shaare Zedek’s first purpose-built synagogue.
A New Synagogue for Shaare Zedek
By the early 1930s, Shaare Zedek had outgrown its first synagogue at 133 South McDonel. On major holidays, services were held in rented halls, highlighting the need for a larger space.
In October 1936, ground was broken for a new synagogue at 125 South McDonel, with Samuel Kamin leading the building committee. The Jewish Ladies’ Auxiliary played a key role in fundraising through community events.
Dedicated in August 1937, the new synagogue cost over $20,000 and seated 200 people. It also featured classrooms and a social hall. The original 133 South McDonel property was converted into a parsonage for the rabbi.
Dedication events included an open house, banquet, and religious services, with Cantor Philip Gellman of Columbus and Rabbi Irving Weingart of Fort Wayne participating.
New Jewish families arrived during this period, contributing to local business and civic life. By the late 1930s, both Lima congregations had full-time rabbinic leadership, and Jewish-owned businesses flourished in retail, hospitality, and manufacturing.
Jewish Life in Lima During World War II and the Postwar Years
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, brought the United States into World War II, and members of Lima’s Jewish community contributed both on the battlefield and at home. At least 24 Jewish residents of Lima served in the military, including Dr. Ralph Goldin, who was awarded the Bronze Star, and Marvin Lubinsky, who received the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying 30 missions in Europe. Marvin later donated his bomber jacket to the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, where it eventually served as a model for G.I. Joe dolls.
On the homefront, Jewish women like Ruth Blattner and Pearl Gross volunteered with organizations such as the Servicemen’s Canteen and the Red Cross. Benjamin Rakowsky also contributed to the war effort by serving on the Rubber Allocation and Advisory Board in Washington, D.C.
The war also led to several Jewish refugees settling in Allen County. Among them were Dr. Martin and Elizabeth Sondheimer and Dr. Michael and E. Margarete Rabe, who fled Nazi persecution. Dr. Sondheimer, a World War I veteran of the Imperial German Army, had practiced medicine in Stuttgart before immigrating to the United States. Ohio’s lack of mandatory medical internships for foreign doctors made Lima an attractive destination. Elizabeth Sondheimer, a Holocaust survivor, became a well-known speaker, educating students in Lima, Toledo, and Dayton about her experiences.
Following World War II, Lima’s Jewish community continued to grow. In 1947, Temple Beth Israel sold its synagogue at 828 West Market Street to the Lima Church of God, preparing for the construction of a new synagogue at 2105 Lakewood Avenue. Rabbi Alfred Goodman, who had served since 1944, briefly left Lima from 1945 to 1947 to work as a U.S. Army chaplain in Japan. During his absence, student rabbis from Hebrew Union College led services.
Ground was broken for the new Temple Beth Israel on May 31, 1948, a two-story structure costing $80,000. Key figures on the site committee included Sherman Abrahams, Joseph Ackerman, Simon Fishel, and Louis Glazer, while the building committee featured Sheldon Ackerman, Nathan Levy, and Elizabeth Sondheimer.
On May 1, 1949, Temple Beth Israel’s dedication ceremony attracted 300–400 attendees. Rabbi Bertram Korn, a renowned scholar of American Jewish history, delivered the keynote address. Several Christian ministers also participated, reflecting the congregation’s longstanding interfaith relationships.
Lima’s Jewish community maintained an active Brotherhood, Sisterhood, and youth programs during this period. In 1953, a youth group affiliated with the National Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) was founded, led by Sanford Glazer. Additionally, B’nai B’rith sponsored Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA), a Jewish youth group, by 1947.
Meanwhile, Shaare Zedek saw its leadership changes. Rabbi Akiva Ostrovsky served from 1940 to 1943, followed by Rabbi Myron Movsky, a graduate of Yeshiva University, who led the congregation from 1946 to 1958. Shaare Zedek’s traditions continued, including its annual Yom Kippur Dance, which, after 1950, became a community-wide Jewish event.
During the 1940s, Lima’s Jewish population grew as new families arrived, including business leaders, physicians, and retailers. Builders like Benjamin Cogen, physicians like Dr. Leon Stone, and entrepreneurs like Morris Goldberg all contributed to the city’s economic and civic life.
The Merger of Shaare Zedek and Temple Beth Israel
By the 1950s, Lima’s Jewish community likely peaked in size. The decade saw the founding of a Hadassah chapter in 1950, expanding the number of active Jewish women’s organizations to four. Philanthropic efforts also grew, including a local Israel Bonds campaign in 1955 to support Israel’s economic development. Lima’s Federated Jewish Charities raised $17,500 that same year for local and international causes.
During the 1950s, Shaare Zedek gradually shifted from Orthodox to Conservative Judaism, culminating in its first bat mitzvah ceremony in 1957 for Marlene Kay of Findlay.
However, both congregations faced challenges in retaining long-term rabbis. By the mid-1960s, Lima’s Jewish population had begun to decline. In 1966, with membership shrinking and difficulties in rabbinic retention, Temple Beth Israel and Shaare Zedek merged to form Temple Beth Israel-Shaare Zedek, affiliating with Reform Judaism.
At the time, Rabbi Sol Oster, a Holocaust refugee from Berlin, had recently arrived to lead Temple Beth Israel. He would become the longest-serving rabbi in Lima’s history, remaining for 26 years until his retirement in 1991.
The merged congregation chose to retain the Temple Beth Israel building on Lakewood Avenue and sold Shaare Zedek’s synagogue on South McDonel. While the former Shaare Zedek building is a church today, elements of its Jewish heritage remain visible in the exterior architecture.
Upon the merger, community leaders Milton Kamin, Shaare Zedek’s last president, and Rudolph Rakowsky, Temple Beth Israel’s previous president, expressed hope for the future, citing the Psalmist:
Lima’s Jewish Community in Recent Decades
Since 1966, Lima’s Jewish community has declined in size, reflecting broader demographic trends. In 1995, Temple Beth Israel-Shaare Zedek reported 84 member families. By 2001, membership had fallen to 40 individuals.
Despite these changes, Temple Beth Israel-Shaare Zedek remains Lima’s sole synagogue, continuing to serve the community as a center of Jewish life in Allen County.
The history of Lima’s Jewish community is one of resilience, adaptation, and civic engagement. From the first Jewish settlers in the 1850s to the creation of Temple Beth Israel-Shaare Zedek, the Jewish residents of Lima have played a meaningful role in the city’s economic, social, and religious landscape.
While Lima’s Jewish population has declined, the legacy of its institutions, leaders, and families endures. Through philanthropy, business, and communal leadership, Lima’s Jewish community has left an indelible mark on the city’s history—one that continues to be written today.
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