WELCH - McDOWELL COUNTY - WEST VIRGINIA
"Former" Congregation Emanuel
Ark & pulpit photos courtesy: Greenwich Reform Synagogue, Greenwich, CT - website
Synagogue exterior photo, ca. 1930's, from: "McDowell County History"
Charter Members Plaque Photo 1962 - from the Collections of the American Jewish Archives
Synagogue exterior photo 2002 - Photo Courtesy of Deb Weiner
Welch Jewish Community Information & History
Congregation Emanuel of Welch was formed perhaps around 1914. The synagogue on Riverside Drive was erected in 1922. The congregation affiliated with the Reform movement officially in 1950, though it was Reform since its inception. Though the Jewish Community never had more than 15 to 30 Jewish families, they maintained a strong Sisterhood and Congregation that participated fully and enthusiastically in the life of the town of Welch and the surrounding area. Early Jewish families in Welch were: Effron, Herzbrun, Levinson, Lopinsky, Samath, Solins, and Talmage. And early Jewish settler and founder of the synagogue, Josef Herzbrun, served on the Welch City Council and was Director of the First National Bank in Welch. Congregation Emanuel ceased to exist ca. the 1980's as the Jewish population dwindled to only a few families. The ornate ark, pulpit and reader's table and pews from the former Congregation Emanuel of Welch, were purchased by the Greenwich Reform Synagogue in Greenwich, Connecticut for use in their new sanctuary. A fitting tribute and place where the history of the Welch congregation can live on.
The charter members of Congregation Emanuel were: Joseph Effron, Harry Einsohn, Louis Gottlieb, Joseph Heller, Josef Herzbrun, Moses Hyman, Herman Josephy, Isadore Katzen, Harry Klein, David Kohn, Louis Leventhall, Isaac Levinson, Jack Liebman, Solomon Liebman, Eugene H. Lopinsky, Harry Milner, Samuel Polon, Dr. Joseph Sameth, Nathan Schechter, David Scott, Morris Simon, Simon Solins.
+Welch Sisterhood - established in the late 1910's as the "Emanuel Temple Ladies’Aid"
+ McDowell County B’nai B’rith Lodge - No. 1265. Established prior to the 1940's.
+McDowell Public Library - 90 Howard Street, Welch - The "Herzbrun Room" is named after a prominent Jewish family in Welch. The first president of the library when it moved into new facilities in 1955 was a prominent member of the local Jewish Community, Samuel Solins
Jewish-Owned Businesses & Stores, etc
Attorney - Eugene Lopinsky
Dry Goods Store - Kimball, WV - owned and operated by Harry Bank. Est. After 1933?
Dry Goods Store - Keystone, WV, owned and operated by Harry Budnick
Dry Goods & Clothing Store - War, WV - operated by Jacob Shore and son Louis.
Finance & Loan Office - Welch, WV - owned and operated by brothers Isaac & Herman Diamond
Furniture & Clothing Store - Welch, WV - ca. 1920's owned and operated by Samuel I. Abrams
General Store - Welch, WV - one of several in the area owned & operated by Ben Hurvitz and Joseph Lopinsky, closed by 1918.
General Merchandise - Welch, WV - owned and operated by Aaron Totz.
Jewelry Store - Welch, WV - Owned and operated by Sidney Freidman, est. ca. 1930's.
King Cut-Rate Drugstore - Welch, WV - Originally owned & operated by George & Lillian Taxey, then by Sheldon & Teddie Alpert. Also a store in Mullins, WV
L. Leventhall Tailor - Welch, WV, located on McDowell Street, established prior to 1915
McDowell Supply Company - Welch, WV - Trucking company started by the father of Emanuel Katzen.
Men’s Clothing Store - War, WV - operated and owned by Samuel Rosen and son Irving
Men’s Smart Shop - Welch, WV - owned and operated by Herschel Fleck, sold ca. 1970's.
Merchant Tailor - Welch, WV - Josef Herzbrun was the first "Merchant" Tailor in Welch.
Merchant Tailor - Welch, WV - Max Michaelson
Michaelson’s Department Store, War, WV - Women’s Clothing - owned and operated by Sidney Michaelson, possibly established by his father Louis.
Music, Notions & General Merchandise Store - Welch, WV - owned and operated by Herman Samans.
People’s Store - Men’s Clothing - War, WV - owned and operated by Milton & Sarah Gottlieb, closed around 1955
Physician - Welch, WV - Dr. Joseph L. Sameth had a private practice
Real Estate - Welch, WV - Josef Herzbrun and Samuel Polon were very involved in real estate development in the area.
War Theater, and Grand Theater - War, WV - owned and operated by Mannie and Louis & Belman Shore
Women’s Clothing Store - War, WV - owned and operated by Louis Shore
Jewish Families
Alpert, Bell, Budnick, Effron, Einsohn, Epstein, Fleck, Forman, Franks, Friedman, Goldblume, Gottlieb, Hastings, Heller, Herzbrun, Hurvitz, Hyman, Josephy, Katzen, Klein, Kohn, Leventhall, Levinson, Liebman, Lipman, Lopinsky, Michaelson, Milner, Newman, Polon, Robinson, Rosen, Rosenzweig, Roston, Sameth, Schechter, Scott, Sherman, Shore, Simon, Sneider, Solins, Talmage, Taxey, Totz.
Samuel Polin; Josef Herzbrun; Mrs. Josef Herzbrun
Photos from an early history of McDowell County - Courtesy of Sandra Lassen
Left Photo: L. Leventhall Tailor - McDowell Street, Welch, WV (from a ca. 1915 postcard)
Courtesy of David Grubb & Patrick Damron
1963 ad from the Welch Daily News - King Drug Company, Welch, WV