The "Images of America" series by Arcadia Publishing offers the opportunity to explore local and regional history of many communities throughout the United States. Each volume consists of about 128 pages and 200 photographs together with background material and annotations of the photos.
I was pleased to discover several Arcadia volumes on Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For my first 21 years, I lived in Milwaukee, but I haven't been back since. I wanted to use the Arcadia volumes to bring back memories that were close to me of the city. This particular volume, "Jewish Milwaukee" (2006) was of special interest to me as it covers my own background and upbringing.
The book was written by Martin Hintz, a local writer who has written extensively about Wisconsin, Jewish history, and other ethnic communities in Milwaukee. Hintz' book has a broad scope, covering the period from the 1880s up to the early years of the 21st century.
I lived in Milwaukee from 1947 to about 1968, and this was the time of most interest to me. There were several photographs in the book I found moving in their familiarity. An image early in the book shows a float for Camp Sidney Cohen, a place where I spent many summers. I also was moved by a photograph of a storefront school, the "New Method Hebrew School" run by over 50 years by a Russian immigrant named Harry Garfinkel. My three brothers studied at Garfinkel's school and I myself knew it well. I remembered several of the spiritual leaders whose pictures are in the book, including Rabbi Jacob Twerski and Rabbi David Shapiro. It was good to be reminded of them and their ideals.
This book operated on a very personal level for me. But I learned a great deal from it beyond the scope of my own experience. The book consists of ten brief chapters which explore various aspects of Jewish life in Milwaukee over a substantial time. The subjects covered include early Milwaukee, family life, community activities,education, religious observance, business activities, activities pertaining to Israel, sports, and military service. The book documents a vibrant close-knit community which has participated actively in Jewish life and in national life.
I was struck by the level of detail in the book. There are many photographs of individuals and of groups of people meeting at various community or business functions. Hintz identifies the subjects of the photographs in meticulous detail, frequently naming every person included in a photo consisting of row upon row. This gives a sense of personalization to the book. Few readers will know anything about the specifics of the lives of these people -- other than their status as community leaders -- but Hintz individualizes them in the annotations to the photographs.
A great deal of emphasis is placed on the business activities of Jewish people in Milwaukee. There are scenes of individuals hawking tobacco products from carts, selling fruit (as part of the fruit peddlars union), engaging in the trade of butcher and meat packer, selling clothes, working as policemen and firemen, doctors, dentists, and lawyers, and much more. The book gives emphasis to individuals who achieved great economic success and to their philanthropic activities. There are also many photographs of Jewish people with a connection to Milwaukee who went on to become famous, including Golda Meir, Victor Berger (a socialist Congressman early in the Twentieth century), Edna Ferber, Bud Selig (of major league baseball fame), Senator Herb Kohl, and others. Yet the book is more impressive when it tells of people who remain unfamiliar, but who led fulfilling and interesting lives in Milwaukee. There is an intriguing photograph of one Alter Esselin who was actively writing poetry in Yiddish during the time I lived in Milwaukee. I would like to learn more about him.
I enjoyed learning something about the history of Jewish Milwaukee before my time and even more I enjoyed seeing he many schools and other institutions that the Jewish community has created in the many years since I left the city. As I have no family remaining in Milwaukee. Hintz' book gave me the first exposure to the continuity of Jewish life in Milwaukee that I have had for many years.
This book will appeal most to those readers who, as I do, have a personal interest in the subject matter. The book offers a window into Jewish life over the years in an important American city.
