Men of
Life Magazine, (
It is clear that Eastern European Jewish
immigrants followed the pattern of all 19th century immigrants that came into the port of
Boston. They settled with their predecessor compatriots directly in the
neighborhood adjacent to the port, the North End. Former church structures were
available and were converted into synagogues to meet the religious and communal
needs of the immigrant population. As they became familiar with the country and
sought better housing and business opportunities the immigrants migrated to the
suburbs. Some preferred to leave their families in the familiar surroundings
and only developed business ventures in the suburbs. Others inverted this process.
Cambridge and Somerville had distinct advantages over the North End with
respect to housing amenities, (significantly less dense), a higher demand for
the unique services they could provide, and more expansive business opportunity
potential, there was space to keep a horse and storage of goods and materials.
The suburbs however, lacked the Jewish institutional structure of the common
meeting house, the communal synagogue and existing church structures were not
available for conversion as in the North End.
The first Somerville
Jewish Congregation named Aghal Jacob received Commonwealth of Mass.
Corporation charter number 7416 on 8 October 1897.
The first Cambridge
Jewish Congregation Anshe Sfard received Commonwealth of Mass. Corporation
charter number 7699 on 6 May 1898.
The Cornerstone of
Cambridge’s Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue, chartered in 1900 and the first
grand synagogue built in the
The Hebrew name "
Anshe Sfard ," in English " Men of Spain," confirms that the
incorporators were East Europeans associated with the "Polish (i.e.
Hasidic) " Rite or mode of Jewish worship. The Hasidic religious movement
of the mid nine-tenth century dropped the prevalent Ashkenazi rite of the
region and adopted the Spanish version developed prior to the 1492 expulsion.
The difference is of only minor significance one which is associated with how
the Kadish, the ancient Aramaic prayer said after reading the Torah or
completion of the service is recited.
The stated purpose of
the corporation was "establishing and maintaining a permanent place for
religious worship according to the Hebrew faith." The Anshe Sfard group
was observing their tradition in private homes and rented facilities prior to
apparently partly achieving their goal with the dedication of the Beth Israel
Synagogue in September1903.
Why then did the Anshe
Sfard group proceed to purchase and modify a separate property to perform the
same function? We hypothesize in addition to meeting the geographic needs of
constituents, that there was both a cultural and economic division between the
two communities. The Anshe Sfard people essentially preferred a smaller place
of worship in keeping with the small towns from which they originated. They
regarded the Beth Israel Synagogue as too grandiose for their modest purposes.
It is clear that most of the Anshe Sfard people were a lower economic class and
probably more rationally observant than the more upwardly mobile Americanizing
leadership of the Beth Israel congregation. Junk collectors and dealers were
juxtaposed against manufacturers, real estate developers, and high fashion
tailors. The Beth Israel group also included persons whose origins were from
Lithuania who retained the Ashkenazi rather than the Hassidic or Polish rite.
(They broke away in 1906 and formed Agudat Ashkenaz on Tremont St.)
On 30 Dec 1902, a
Boruch Rosenbaum one of the original incorporators of Aghal Jacob group (A
Barouch Rosenbaum is listed in the 1903 Somerville directory as being in junk
and residing at 9 Church St. ---He later enters the dry goods business)
purchased from William Breyant a 2 and ½ story eved wooden structure, built
prior to 1871, at 85 Webster Ave. Somerville. On 28 Aug. 1903 Barnet Rosenbaum,
listed as both builder and architect submitted required plans to the state
building inspection department to assure the modified ( with the $2030 of
mortgage money) building met the standards required for public safety for a
synagogue. The drawings which would have specified any modifications to the
structure have not been located at the Mass. State Archives.
It is assumed that the
congregation met and observed their ritual in a minimally modified structure.
The property was officially transferred from Rosenbaum to the corporation
Congregation Anshey Sfard on 28 Feb 1906.
On 1 Sept. 1911 a set
of four drawings specifying an addition to the existing building were submitted
to and approved by the state building dept. The Architect was not identified.
The Front Elevation drawing
figure
2 figure 3
Figure 2, the front elevation,
gives a good idea of original structure prior to major modification. The
Front and rear elevation, figure 3, specifies the addition of a new South wall
and additions to the existing East, West, and North walls, a replacement of the
eved roof with a curved one to achieve an unobstructed full height third floor.
The first floor (figure
4) is partitioned into 3 rooms. Separate entries are provided for males and
females. Each entry chamber provides access to the third room at the rear which
is configured as a mikveh (ritual pool). Each entry chamber has a staircase
that ascends to the second floor. The second floor (figure
5) houses the main sanctuary with the ark which holds the torahs on the
eastern wall and the Bimah, raised platform for the reading of the Torah and
from which the service is led. The Bimah is centered in the sanctuary per the
traditional European synagogues. Only males were permitted in this section. Two
second floor stairwells lead to the third floor (figure
6) Mechitza, the section dedicated for females. An opening in the floor
surrounded by a guard rail provides a view of the Bimah for the female
constituents.
The 1907-8 American
Jewish Year Book page 214 identifies the officers of the Anshe Sfard
congregation @ 85 Webster Ave. Somerville organized 1 Dec 1902, as Pres. H
Arinowich, 1007 Cambridge St. Cambridge, Treas. A. Height, 12 Union Sq; Sec.
Kamanish, Elm St. Cambridge. It was claimed to have 25 members and an income of
$350 as compared with Beth Israel’s 65 members and $3000 yearly income.
It should be noted
that both congregations essentially functioned without a dedicated full time
rabbi until 1917. Aaron Gorevitz arrived in 1917 and acted as the town or city
rabbi. The function of the Town rabbi as expert of the Talmud was adjudication
of questions and disputes which might arise, particularly with respect to but
limited to Kashrut, the ritual cleanliness of food. The rabbi also oversaw
life-cycle events such as birth, naming, circumcision, confirmation, marriage,
and death... Cantors were hired by Beth Israel for the High Holidays but both
congregations had sufficiently trained traditionally knowledgeable laypersons
capable of holding and leading regular daily and Sabbath services. Beth Israel
hired its first full time rabbi (Rose) in 1924. Anshe Sfard never hired a full
time rabbi.
.
The closing of the
Anshe Sfard synagogue reflected the inevitable process of generational moving
on of the newly Americanized immigrant community to the suburbs.
The Anshe Sfard
building was sold, torn down, and used as a car park.
The outline of the
Synagogue is shown @ 83 and 85 Webster Ave on the 1933 Sanborn Map of
Somerville, page 20, Webster Ave odd side. Mr. Stern’s Commercial Auto Parts
business is also shown located between 425 and 441 Norfolk St. According to the
Somerville Journal of 12 August 1999 these properties were to be turned into an
"Urban Paradise" to be called, "Union Place." The process
appears to be well underway. The Columbia St. Beth Israel building was declared
a national landmark and the interior was converted to artist
studio/condominiums in 1970’s after its abandonment. (The Cambridge Historical
Commission plans to add its blue oval marker to further identify and
acknowledge the historical significance of the building.) The two Cambridge
Jewish congregations merged in 1962 as Temple Beth Shalom at the Tremont St.
location.
The conversion of the
properties, on Norfolk and Webster Ave on the Cambridge border, to
artists living and working quarters, mixed housing, and last but not least a
place to park the ubiquitous urban automobile, is certainly a higher and better
civic use from its 80 year immigrant origin pioneer environmentalist junk/parts
reclamation depot for old or wrecked automobiles, i.e. a used auto
dismemberment and parts retail yard, and is in keeping with the generational
progress made by the same immigrant families. Despite the increasing housing /
property demand, a few have innovated, adapted and survived to continue in the
legacy business that their immigrant forefathers began. Most progeny no longer
reside in the area; they have acquired professional expertise and abandoned
their dirty and difficult inheritance.
In the late nineteenth
century, the city borders were extremely porous. The small congregation drew
support from the neighborhood. Mr. Shertzer founder of the still extant
Shertzer Low Bed Trailers, of Prospect St and Union Square was an active
member. All of his (3) WW2 veteran sons were bar mitzvahed (confirmed) in that
synagogue. Mr. Morris Stern founder of now defunct Commercial Auto Parts (the
Norfolk Street property) was in conjunction with other local immigrant auto
parts businessmen active in raising funds to support and maintain this local
institution during its lifetime.
The law of supply and
demand makes it clear that future immigrant generations will be less able to
afford to live and work in the regenerated Cambridge and Somerville. This
should not preclude us from honoring past immigrant origins. The architects of
the new "Union Place," structures and the Somerville Historical
Commission must find an appropriate way to acknowledge the historical origins
of the first immigrant Jewish congregation of the cities of Cambridge and
Somerville.
Fran &
Arny Schutzberg
54 Fayette St., Cambridge MA. 02139
617 868-8190
arnolds@gis.net,
"Jewish Cambridge" www.gis.net/~arnolds
http://www.gis.net/~arnolds
“Jewish
Immigrant Cambridge”
http://home1.gte.net/vze4khjv/index.htm