The Bearmans were a North Side family with a successful produce business. They sponsored a baseball team that played in the municipal league. Of note is the unidentified African-American player at the far left.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Queens from three Beth El fundraisers posed for this photograph, including Mrs. Louis Rubenstein on the left. The woman selling the greatest number of tickets to the event was named Queen.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Confirmants dressed in white and arranged in two rows sit and stand with Rabbi Aronson seated in the middle. Rabbi Aronson came to Beth El in 1924, and served the congregation for 35 years. Beth El, at the time the photo was taken, was on the North Side of Minneapolis. The congregation is now in St. Louis Park .
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
George Gordon began his life-long career as a Jewish educator at the first Hebrew Free School on Minneapolis's North Side, where as a twenty-year old, he helped teach the Hebrew alphabet to young students. He earned an M. D. degree in 1900, then devoted the rest of his professional life to promoting all aspects of Jewish education. Dr. Gordon taught at Hamline University, and created and oversaw adult, collegiate, high school and Hebrew education classes at the Minneapolis Talmud Torah.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
By 1924, when this photograph was taken, the Talmud Torah had moved to a new building space. The old building remained a community center, but the Hebrew school moved to the Emanuel Cohen Center. The school was also gaining national recognition at that time as a place of innovative teaching methods and rigorous curriculum. The Elementary Level lasted for 5 years and was the first level of Hebrew instruction.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Joe Numero and his business partner, Fred Jones, were responsible for the creation of the first refrigerated truck. Their invention, financed by Numero and engineered by Jones, revolutionized interstate commerce. A trucking company could deliver perishable products to far-flung markets without fear of spoilage en route. The invention happened at a fortuitous moment--the beginning of WWII, when the country had need of moving large quantities of produce and meat across long distances to feed hungry troops.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Joseph Schanfield was born in Romania, and became successful in Minneapolis' booming turn of the century real estate and insurance markets. At 23, he became the head of the Adath Jeshurun congregation on Minneapolis's South Side. During his years of service to the community, there were few leadership positions he did not hold, including president of the Jewish Sheltering Home and the Jewish Home for the Aged, as well as the Adath Cemetery Association.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
This portrait of Hiram Mendow was taken after his graduation from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1915. Mendow had a extraordinary career as a practicing attorney in Minneapolis, where he represented "Kid Cann" Blumenfeld, head of Minneapolis's bootleg syndicate, among others. The family immigrated from Lithuania, and Mendow began work at the age of six, delivering newspapers and shining shoes. Mendow litigated a number of famous cases, and continued practicing law well beyond his 100th birthday.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Leonard Levy, better known as "Butch", was a football and wrestling standout at the University of Minnesota. He served in the Navy during World War II, and afterwards played football for the Los Angeles Rams. His athletic versatility enabled him to wrestle professionally during the off-season. When his athletic career ended, he went on to be a successful insurance agent and securities salesman.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph showing members of the Minneapolis Workmen's Circle. Workman's Circle members were non-religious, politically active Jews, many of whom were Socialists. They espoused a classless society, favored the use of Yiddish for cultural expression, and created a variety of services for members, including medical and insurance benefits.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph showing men associated with the Mercury Athletic Club. The Mercury Club was founded in 1930 as the Wells Mercurys, a boy's and girl's athletic club affiliated with the North Side Well Settlement House.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph of the Mercury basketball team in uniform. The Mercurys were the city and state basketball champs in the settlement house league in 1923. Max Winter is in the back row on the far left.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph of the Minneapolis, Mars basketball team with Max Winter as coach. Max Winter coached a variety of Minnesota sports teams, and later in his career co-owned the Minnesota Vikings and the Minneapolis Lakers. Winter was born in Austria: his family immigrated in 1913 and settled on the North Side of Minneapolis. Winter is on the left in the back row.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph of the North High men's basketball team. North High had a large Jewish population from the turn of the century through the early 1960s.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Photograph showing the young men of the Minneapolis Talmud Torah Bar Mitzvah class. Bar Mitzvahs celebrate the coming of age at 13 of Jewish boys. At this age, young men become obligated to observe scripture. They may also lead prayer services and count towards a minyan. No service is required: however, it is customary to mark the occasion with a service and celebration. In the 20th century, young women were also welcomed into the adult community with a bat mitzvah. Both bar and bat mitzvahs participate in several years of Hebrew and religious study before the public occasion.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A portrait photograph of the Minneapolis Talmud Torah football team. When plans for the new Talmud Torah building were being formulated in the mid 1910s, there was a groundswell of support for a facility that would include not only classrooms, but social and recreational space for young people in the community. There was a plea for funding for a Talmud Torah gymnasium. Public pressure resulted in several community organizations pledging to fund activities for teenaged boys and girls. The sports programs were overseen by a new administrative unit, the Talmud Torah Social Service department.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A portrait photograph of the Minneapolis Talmud Torah football team. The Talmud Torah attempted to engage young people not only through studies, but through social activities including sports. This stems in part from the early affiliation of the school with the Jewish Family Welfare Association.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Dr. Moses Barron was instrumental in the creation of Mt. Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis. Prior to hospital construction in 1949, Jewish doctors were denied admitting privileges to local hospitals. Determined to address this discrimination, the Jewish community raised the capital to build Mt. Sinai hospital in South Minneapolis. Initially, Dr. Barron pushed for a Jewish-sponsored hospital out of concern that Jewish doctors serving on the war-front and had full permitting privileges would be frustrated in their practices upon returning home. Dr. Barron served as Mt. Sinai's first Chief of Staff.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Etta Zrive and Abraham Bearman were born in different Lithuanian shtetls in the 1870s. Their clothes and home furnishings suggest they were economically comfortable by the time that this photo was taken in the early 1900s.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Harry Goldie had an interesting career, which included amateur boxing, coaching, and real estate development. He spearheaded the creation of the Calhoun Beach Club. While the club was chartered in 1928 and building began in 1929, financing for it foundered during the Depression, and it didn't officially open until 1946. Goldie's dream for the club entailed an egalitarian social and athletic space that would welcome members regardless of race, religion or sex.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives