HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY JEWS.
Mrs. Ethel Feineman Writes of Early
Settlers in Reform Advocate.
In the last issue of the Reform Advocate, a Jewish magazine published in Chicago, there appears an interesting article by Miss Ethel Feineman of this city, styled, "A History of the Jews of Kansas City." The article is liberally illustrated, with cuts showing buildings and views of the city, and a fine picture of Convention hall adorns the cover of the page.
Beginning with a brief history of the founding of the city, Miss Feineman goes at once into he subject with sketches of the pioneers among the Jews and shows how active this race has been in the development of this commercial center.
The Jews became identified with Kansas City as early as 1851, when Meyer Kayser and Moses Wolf settled here. M. Eisbach and W. J. Friedsam followed these two later in the same year, and the next year welcomed Herman Ganz. M. Waidsuer and Louis Rothschild. Mr. Ganz still makes this city his home.
B. A. Feineman, Miss Ethel's father, is another one of the old settlers who helped to make history For some years previous to the organization of the the Congregation B'Nai Jehudah, the Jews maintained a temple in which services were held twice a year, but in the fall of 1870, the first congregation was organized and Rabbi M. R. Cohen was called as minister. The Jewish Burial Association was also merged into this congregation. The congregation now has a magnificent house of worship at Oak and Eleventh streets, as have the Keneseth-Israel synagogue, the Tavares-Israel, and the Gomel-Chased congregations in other parts of the city. They also maintain several charitable institutions, and are in many ways interested in philanthropic work.
Among the leaders of the women are mentioned Mrs. H. H. Meyer, Mrs. Leo Lyon, Mrs. Helen Leavitt, Miss L. Hammerslough and Mrs. Ida M. Block. Excellent portraits with brief sketches are given of some thirty or forty of the leaders in society and church work.
