History of the Jews in the American West

The 19th century saw Jews, like many other people, moving to the American West.

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.

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.

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.

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