A look at Jewish Cleveland’s past, present, future | Jpro

When the Jewish Federation of Cleveland conducted its last population study in 2011, approximately 80,800 Jews called Cleveland home.

And over the last decade since, that number has remained generally constant, according to Sean Martin, associate curator for Jewish history at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland. But to understand Jewish Cleveland’s present, and eventual future, one must first understand the past and how Cleveland became one of the nation’s Jewish epicenters.

It all began in the early 19th century, when America was seeing general booming growth due to widespread immigration practices from overseas, Martin said. Jews were one of the earliest immigrant groups, along with the Irish, Welsh and Germans, to make their way to Cleveland, which had only been established 43 years earlier in 1796.

“There were Jews that were in and out of Cleveland in the 1830s, and there isn’t really any evidence of a Jewish presence earlier than that,” he said. “But by the 1830s, Jews were coming in and out of the community. One in particular, Simson Thorman, a fur trapper and trader from a small town in Bavaria, chose to settle in the city of Cleveland and brought his friends and family with him.”

That group settled in 1839, Martin said, essentially founding the community that would become the one we know today almost 200 years later. Within 25 years, the population of Jews in Cleveland grew to 1,200.

“They brought with them the people they needed for a complete community, including a ritual slaughterer, for example,” he said. “And from there, the community grew. Until that point, there were no permanent Jewish settlements.”

From humble beginnings to suburban living

But, Cleveland Jews didn’t stay centralized in the inner city for long, Martin said. First settling near downtown Cleveland, and then moving to the old Woodland neighborhood around East 55th Street and Woodland Avenue on the east side, Jews then moved further east to the Glenville and Mount Pleasant-Kinsman neighborhoods in the early to the mid-20th century. Soon after, Jews were taking to the east-side suburbs.

“By 1960, Cleveland had already begun to be called ‘The City Without Jews’ because Jews were no longer residents in the city proper,” he said. “But why that happened is simply part of the growth of this city, generally speaking. Jews are not unlike other immigrant populations who were also moving out of the city at this time.”

From the mid-1920s and even into the 1950s, Martin described a post-World War II growth in the city, paired with a lot of people, industry, dirt and noise, as well as conflict with other groups.

“So, people decided to move further out as the city grew,” Martin said. “Part of it was simply that they could also afford larger homes, property and space, and the geography of the city allowed for that.”

Over the following decades, Martin said the Jewish community moved to the east side in large groups.

“Cleveland Jews, en masse, moved from the downtown Jewish neighborhoods to the eastern suburbs,” he said. “It’s gotten a little further east and south since the ‘50s and ‘60s. Today, the center of the Jewish community is Beachwood.”

How Jewish community flourished

And that community has remained stable throughout the decades following, Martin said.

“What we see is simply a strong, stable community that has remained that way,” he said, referencing the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s 2011 population study and how numbers have continued to hover around 80,800 Jews, give or take. “That is not to say people haven’t moved out and others haven’t moved in, but it is to say that the community maintains itself. As children grow up and move away, others return.”

As other aspects of Cleveland deteriorated throughout the late 20th century, Martin said the Jewish community remained strong enough to attract newcomers and returning young families.

Part of that growth also lies in the flourishing Orthodox community in Greater Cleveland, centralized in Beachwood, Cleveland Heights, University Heights and Wickliffe, home to Telshe Yeshiva. This community is anchored by numerous congregations, including Heights Jewish Center, Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai Synagogue, Taylor Road Synagogue, Green Road Synagogue, Young Israel of Greater Cleveland, Chabad of Cleveland, Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple, The Temple-Tifereth Israel, Park Synagogue, B’nai Jeshurun Congergation and dozens of others, including many Shabbat shuls. Schools include Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, Fuchs Mizrachi School, Yeshiva Derech Hatorah, Gross Schechter Day School and the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School. The area is home to the state-of-the-art Mandel Jewish Community Center, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage as well as several mikvahs.

“This growth is interesting because we have to be able to recognize that this is a stable community and that Cleveland’s four oldest congregations, that are Reform and Conservative, are also still strong, but it’s these Orthodox congregations that are truly growing,” Martin said, specifically referencing Park Synagogue, founded by Polish Jews in the 1860s, and B’nai Jeshurun Congregation, founded by Hungarian Jews in the 1860s. “These Orthodox synagogues were smaller to begin with and still are, but we’re still waiting to see the full effect of this in lots of ways.”

Lifestyle options abound

While the school community and the synagogue network remain a big draw, Martin said the community truly shines within its lifestyle options.

Many organizations central to Jewish life call Northeast Ohio home, including the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Jewish Family Service Association, Kol Israel Foundation, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, Mandel Jewish Community Center, Friendship Circle of Greater Cleveland, Menorah Park, several Chabad locations and the Cleveland Jewish News, which has been published weekly since 1964.

Specifically lauding the Federation, Martin said its work in supporting social agencies has helped “keep the community cohesive.”

“That is why these organizations are important to the Jewish community – it is what makes it viable with a strong Jewish life that has been and will continue to be stable,” he said. “That, itself, attracts people. That is what is prime for Jews who are relocating from other places. They will look seriously at Cleveland because it is a known, thriving Jewish community.”

Other positive aspects of the Cleveland Jewish community lie in its kosher food options – including Unger’s Kosher Bakery & Food, Tibor’s Kosher Meats, Boris Kosher Meats, Arova, Grove Kosher Market, Issi’s Place, Jade Chinese Kitchen, Kantina, Milky Way, Preferred Kosher Catering, and the soon to open Nubiegel in Cleveland Heights and Mendel’s Kansas City BBQ in Shaker Heights.

A bright future

While the continued growth of the Orthodox community is something he will be interested in following, Martin said the general forecast for Jewish Cleveland will likely remain centralized on the east side. But, he also expects to see more Jews moving into downtown and near west side communities as housing opportunities arise.

“That is also something to watch, even though I don’t think it will change the community necessarily,” he said. “It will just be something different.”

Overall, the future is bright for Jewish Cleveland, Martin said.

“I remain optimistic about the future of the Jewish community as it remains strong,” he said. “We don’t fear a population decline. It’s also tied to the fate of the city in some way. Lots of people may think if Cleveland is declining, then the Jewish community must be too. But, the city is also doing much better than we might expect, and in turn, so is the Jewish community.”