Archives & Special Collections
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Mission Statement and Collection Policy
Donating to the Archives and Special Collections
Collections
History of UMass Dartmouth & the University Archives
Southeastern Massachusetts Historical Collection
Paul Rudolph & His Architecture
Archives of the Center for Jewish Culture
Franco-American Historical Collections
Congressman Barney Frank Archives Collection
Howard T. Glasser Archives of Folk Music and Letter Arts
South End Jewish Community, late 19th century
Many in the present Jewish community are descendants of those who came here from Eastern Europe starting around 1877, thirty years after New Bedford was incorporated as a city. This is the third chapter in New Bedford’s Jewish history. One of the earliest settlers at that time was Isaac Goodman, followed shortly thereafter by Simon Simiansky. A partnership was established between Simon Simiansky and Simon Davidson and when there was a sufficient number of Jews to form a minyan, services were held daily in the home of Simiansky on South Water Street.
Consequently, the South End, particularly the area of South Water Street (now Route 18) was the area where the Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe lived and owned businesses. Several of these businesses included Kroudvird’s Bakery at Grinnell and Howland Streets, Zeman’s Delicatessen at 481 S. Water Street, several kosher meat markets, Pildis’ chicken place, Sokol’s shoe store, Miller’s Public Market at 876 S. Water St., Genensky & Levine Clothing Stores, Kaplan Brothers Furniture Store at 1020 S. Water Street, Philip Shwartz’s Universal Hat and Cap Manufacturing at 1077 S. Water Street, Danis Jewelry Company, and Lesco’s near the Orpheum Theatre which is still standing today. Just drive down Route 18 from downtown and imagine thriving Jewish merchants doing business. This area was very much alive on Saturday evenings. According to Louis R. Liss’ oral history interview in the UMD Archives, “ Water Street, was 100% Jewish from one end to the other as far as the merchants were concerned, and they carried every variety of goods imaginable.”