Jewish entrepreneurs shape community history
Albert Schwartz operated Schwartz’s Dress Shop in Dover in a space purchased from William Fienberg in 1944 and also served as the Tuscarawas County Jewish Center’s president for a time.
Jewish families who settled in Tuscarawas County beginning in the 1840s had great success, particularly in apparel sales, law, medicine and the arts. An extensive history of Jewish life in Tuscarawas County, written by Austin Reid, can be found on the Columbus Jewish Historical Society’s website.
The Wolf brothers, Abraham and Elias, first settled in Uhrichsville and became the first to bring communal Jewish services to Tuscarawas County. Originally from Hinzweiler, now part of Germany, the Wolfs would attract merchants and others to the county.
Nephew Simon Wolf would train in law under Judge Joseph Hance in New Philadelphia and eventually become recorder of the District of Columbia, serving from 1869-78.
President and Fremont, Ohio native Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Simon Wolf as one of the civil judges at Washington, but he resigned in 1881 to accept the appointment to become consul-general of the United States to Egypt.
Around 1862 the Rothschild brothers would open a clothing store in New Philadelphia, and Philip Falkenhoff would open a clothing and furniture store in Uhrichsville in 1884.
Joseph Fried opened the Joe Fried Clothing Company in Canal Dover in the 1890s. It would operate until 1923. Fried was very civic-minded and served as president of the Union Hospital Board of Trustees.
William Fienberg would operate Fienberg’s on West Third Street in Dover for many years. Fienberg’s wife Ella, Jacob Klein and others would plant the seeds that eventually led to the founding of the Tuscarawas County Jewish Center, which opened in 1937. The first meetings were held in the Miller-Brown block on First Drive Southeast in New Philadelphia and later at 210 Fair Ave. NW.
From the 1920s through post World War II, Tuscarawas County’s Jewish families clustered in areas where informal real estate purchase agreements restricted them to live.
One such neighborhood was Hance Avenue between Union Avenue and Sixth Street Northwest in New Philadelphia. This did not discourage Jewish entrepreneurs from locating to the area and starting successful businesses. In 1929 Samuel Hassin and Benjamin Adelman opened the H & A Drug Store on West High Avenue in New Philadelphia and in Uhrichsville. Joseph Adelstein would establish the Adelstein Metal Company. Sarah R. Falkoff would open Falk’s Ready-to-Wear at 139 E. High Ave., which would operate until 1951.
The Rapport family, led by patriarch Joseph, who was originally from Lomza, Poland, would first arrive in Uhrichsville in 1918 and later open the Joe Rapport Company, a scrap metal operation, in New Philadelphia.
Wife Sarah would become president of the Tuscarawas County Jewish Center Sisterhood and also maintain national memberships in Hadassah, a Jewish women’s organization, and the Modern Woodmen fraternal society.
Brothers Albert and Larry would open together the Tuscarawas Auto Wrecking Company, and Albert would start Tuscarawas Auto Parts, which continued to operate into the 2020s. The Rapport brothers also were active in local American Legion and VFW posts.
Lester Cohen opened Dover Pharmacy in 1935. Samuel Winston practiced optometry in Dover from 1928-73. Roy Geduldig would serve local communities as a popular pediatric doctor in Dover, where his pet monkey entertained patients. Geduldig led county-wide polio and rubella eradication campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s and promoted the construction of the Tuscarawas County Health Department building on East Iron Avenue in Dover.
Albert Schwartz operated Schwartz’s Dress Shop in Dover in a space purchased from William Fienberg in 1944 and also served as the Tuscarawas County Jewish Center’s president for a time.
Jeraldine and Stanley Eigner would relocate from Youngstown and purchase Schwartz’s business in 1957. The couple would become active in local civic and business organizations. Stanley Eigner, in partnership with Warren Fuerman, an executive at New Philadelphia’s Daniel’s Dress Shop, also would help develop Monroe Mall, which opened in 1974.
Lewis and Triva Jaffe would open Jaffe’s in 1954, and the business would operate in New Philadelphia, first on North Broadway and later on West High Avenue into the 1970s.
Around the same time, Jack and Shirley Rickel opened the “Jack and Jill” children’s clothing store on North Broadway in New Philadelphia. The Rickels would, starting in the mid-1950s, be active in The Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County, along with Mike and Miriam (Mim) Rapport, popular New Philadelphia educators.