History of the Jews in the American West
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The 19th century saw Jews, like many other people, moving to the American West.[1]
Today, California has one of the largest Jewish-American populations at about 1 million, and the state's main Jewish communities are found in Los Angeles (esp. the western side like Westwood and the city of Beverly Hills) and the San Francisco Bay Area (i.e. San Francisco and Berkeley near Oakland). Also recent Russian Jewish immigration are settling in urban Jewish communities, such as the state capital of Sacramento and a smaller yet well-known Jewish community in Palm Springs.
Jewish congregations
Lewis A. Franklin moved to San Diego in 1851 and organized the first High Holiday services in southern California. Lewis A. Franklin was not the only person who wanted to help Jews form a congregation in San Francisco in 1849. Congregation Sherith Israel was also being born at that time. Congregation Sherith Israel, like Lewis A. Franklin's congregation, also did not have a permanent home. Finally, in 1852, the congregation bought land on Stockton Street and asked for donations so they could build a temple of their own. They did get the opportunity to build a temple, which was completed in one year and they soon had 110 members mostly from Northern Europe and England. "The service follows the correct Polish minhag (rite) and is strictly Orthodox" noted Israel J. Benjamin. Another temple in San Francisco in 1854 was Congregation Emanu-el. Emanu-el had a different path from Sherith Israel, because Sherith Israel was an orthodox temple. Emanu-el was a "reform" community. Their rabbi was Dr. Cohen who was originally from Germany, where the "reform' movement started. The congregation had 260 members, made up mostly of Germans and French natives.
Jewish politicians
Jews such as Charles Himrod, Solomon Star, J.M. Sampliner, and Phillip Wasserman were all mayors. There were over 30 Jewish mayors in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One Jewish mayor was Adolph Sutro, he was the mayor of San Francisco, California, 1895-1897. Adolph Sutro came from Prussia for trade like many Jews. He ran as the "Anti-Octopus" candidate and served one term.
Solomon Star was born in Bavaria on December 20, 1840. When he was ten years old, he was sent to live with his uncle in Ohio. When the Civil War broke out he went to Missouri. He moved to Deadwood South Dakota and, in 1884, he was elected mayor of Deadwood. He was the mayor for nine years. In 1893 he was elected state senator. After his term he was elected for a second term as mayor in 1896. He died in 1917.
Edward Salomon became the first Jewish governor of a US State when he became governor of Wisconsin following the accidental drowning of Louis P. Harvey in 1862. States with large Mormon population were notably welcoming to Jews in the West and among the first to elect Jews to statewide office. Moses Alexander (November 13, 1853 – January 4, 1932) was the second elected Jewish governor of a US state, serving as the 11th Governor of Idaho from 1915 until 1919. Simon Bamberger was the third Jewish governor of a US State and the first non-Mormon elected Governor of the State of Utah, serving as the fourth Governor of Utah (1917–1921) after it achieved statehood from territorial status in 1896.
The first Jewish congresswoman in the United States was Florence Kahn, who represented California succeeding her husband Julius Kahn who died in the middle of his twelfth term. In addition to being a congresswoman, she taught English and history to high school students. She was involved in many Jewish organizations and motivated women across California to be a part of politics.[2]