have inspired the purchase of
A new field for Jewish social of his mines became known as Upon his arrival in the U.S. in
Alaska by the United States.,
1845,
he,
too,
became
a
peddler,
research has opened with the "Bessie Mine" and was the sub-
There are no known figures
admission of the Territory of ject of a feature article in Time in Mocksville, Ky., and later
also went to California where of the. numb e r of Jews in
Alaska as the 49th State in our Magazine 20 years ago.
Herbert Greenberg lived in he met Gerstle and both became Alaska. It is believed that there
Nation.
While it is known that Jews Alaska from 1897 to 1954. He partners, their business associa- are less than a thousand Jews
tion lasting for 50 years. He there. There is no organized
have lived in Alaska for more built the first Alaskan radio was active in philanthropies and Jewish community, but with the
than a hundred years, very little station and it was later taken was treasurer of the University formation of servicemen's
is known about their continuous over by the U.S. Army. His chil- of California for 17 years. He groups there, the Jewish Wel-
functions as a community, or dren now live in California—a
fare Board established its serv-
died June 4, 1903.
about their organizational life typical result of Jewish wander-
Gerstle and Sloss were mar- ices and organized congrega-
as a religious entity. ings away from small communi-
It has definitely been estab- ties where there is danger of ried to two sisters, Hannah and tions for the men in uniform
RT
as well as for the residents in
Sarah Greenbaum.
lished in several earlier studies intermarriage because of the
* * *
the major cities.
AMILY(
that individual Jews have ex- limited number of Jewish resi-
The JWB chaplain who is in
plored Alaska; that they have dents and the limitations in Jew-
The career of Gruening is now
participated in the numerous ish religious and cultural activi- a matter of record. It was due charge of the Alaska Jewish
mainly to his valiant and untir- servicemen is Rabbi Joshua B.
gold rushes; that there were ties.
* * *
ing efforts that the campaign Wachtfogel, who is attached to
Jewish traders there. But until
The
three
major
Jewish
per
for Alaskan Statehood material- the Alaskan Air Command in
very recently, there were no
sonalities
whose
names
are
asso-
ized. Ernest Gruening, like his Seattle, Wash.
firm Jewish roots in Alaska.
The JWB service committee
ciated with Alaska are Ernest f a the r, Dr. Emil Gruening,
* * *
Gruening, the former Governor earned a medical degree from chairmen for the Alaskan Ter-
MKH.
Alaska was discovered by the of Alaska and now its Senator- Harvard College. But upon re- ritory are: Burton H. Goldberg,
two Russians, Bering and Chiri- Elect; and the two California ceiving his M.D. in 1912, he Anchorage; Robert Sachs, Fair- oil dutiful Grand Traverse Bay
SUN RB AMER.JEWISH CUISINE
kov, . in 1741 and was then de- pioneers, Lewis Gerstle and turned instead to journalism banks; Charles Goldstein, Ju-
441' FEVER RELIEF
neau.
Glared a Russian possession. The Louis Sloss.
and held numerous important
The Governor of Alaska, Mike
Russian-American Fur Company,
Gerstle, who was born in Ba- editorial posts in Boston, Mass.,
A Delightful
f o r m e d in 1799, encouraged varia, Dec. 17, 1824, worked his and Portland, Me. He served Stepovich, upon his visit in New
trade between the newly-dis- way on a boat to the United as editor of the New York York after Alaska was admitted
Place to Stay
covered territory and the United States in 1847, became a ped- Tribune and the Nation. Then to the 'Union, spoke of the 49th FOR RESERVATIONS CALL
States. Alaska was sold to the dler in Louisville, Ky., was at- he was given major Federal ap- State as "the new frontier of
SUTTONS BAY
the United States." As such it
U.S. for $7,200,000—two cents tracted to California during the pointments.
BR 1-3240
is
beginning
to
attract
the
ad-
an acre—in 1867. A dispute over gold rush days of 1848 and tray-
As Governor of A 1 a s k a,
cost
of
your phone call
The
venturous
and
men
of
vision.
the Alaskan-Canadian borders eled by way of New Orleans Gruening formed the first
will be deducted from your bill.
was adjusted in 1903. through Panama to the Golden Alaska National Guard in 1940, We can well look to the near
Or call Detroit
These dates may be very vital State. He opened a fruit stand, and during the last war was future, when organized Jewish
Representatives
to Jewish historians and demo- labored in the gold mines, later the organizer and commander of communities will be among the Belle Martel — UN 4-1612
major
pioneering
groups
in
the
graphers in their search for data went into the wholesale grocery the Alaskan Territorial Guard.
Mrs. Pullberg — UN 2-9904
about J e w i s h experiences in business in Sacramento, t h e n He was a member of the com- advancement of the new U.S. Leonard Rachmiel — UN 4-4654
adv.
Alaska. In the 125 years of Rus- moved to San Francisco and be- mission that supervised the con- State.
sian control of the territory, came a mining stock broker.
struction of, the great highway
there had begun fur trading and When Alaska was purchased connecting Alaska to the United
fishing. Jews are believed to by the United States in 1867, States.
* * *
have shared in both activities. he joined two other firms in ac-
While government restrictions quiring the Russian-American
A great interest was taken in
and discriminations may have Alaska Company and acquired Alaskan possibilities as an im-
curtailed their participation in seal fishing r i g h t s. He also migration center for Jewish re-
fishing, fur trading certainly is established a steamship line be- fugees by Miss Ruth Gruber
believed to have attracted Jew- tween San Francisco and Alaska. (now Mrs. Philip Michaels, of
ish skill. Gerstle was active in California New Y o r k), the well-known
It is not to be inferred froin Jewish affairs — congregational writer, traveler and lecturer.
this, however, that the Jews and philanthropic—and served
Miss Gruber, as a member of
who were active in trading in as treasurer of the University the staff of the late Secretary
Russian-held Alaska were Rus- of California. He died Nov. 19, of Interior Harold L. Ickes, in
sian Jews. In all probability, 1902.
the Franklin D. Roosevelt ad-
* * *
they were mainly from neigh-
ministration, did most of • the
boring Canada, with a sprin-
Louis Sloss, who also was research for her department in
kling of American Jews.
born in Bavaria, was several Alaska. She prepared volumi-
* * *
months older than Gerstle, hav- nous reports on the territory
When the United States ac- ing been born July 13, 1824. and she envisioned Alaska as
quired Alaska, Jewish interest
a place of settlement for many
in the territory increased, and
thousands of Jews who were
Establish
Jordan's
adventurous Jews came there by
compelled to escape from Na-
ziism. But her idea never mate-
way of the states of Washing- Guilt in Death of
ton and California. The major
rialized.
* * *
links for several decades were UN MAC Chairman
Direct
JTA
Teletype
Wire
with California, many Jews from
Only
about
35 years ago, a
to The Jewish News
the Golden State having estab-
UNITED NATIONS—Lt. Col. Jewish merchant was one of the
lished businesses in the chief
Alaskan centers—Juneau. An- George A. Flint, chairman of leading citizens of the Alaskan
I EVERY ACCOUNT
the Israel-Jordan Mixed Armi- city of Juneau. Isadore Gold-
INSURED
chorage, Fairbanks and Ketchi- slice Commis-
stein was a popular merchant
kan. But there was an equal
TO $10,000
there and was highly honored
sion,
who
was
interest among Jews in the state
for his honesty and integrity.
of Washington, sailings by boat killed in battle
He was elected mayor of Juneau
on Mt. Scopus,
from this country to Alaska hav-
six times.
ing been arranged for many May 26, "was
His parents, Robert and Anna
years, during the latter part of shot by a bullet
CURRENT RATE
Goldstein, came from California
the last century; and the early fired from Jor-
and established a mercantile
OPEN AN
• No Certificates
part of the present, by way of danian con- i
business in Juneau. Their son,
ACCOUNT IN
trolled territo-
Isadore, acquired that business.
Seattle.
ANY AMOUNT
• No Maximum
Thus, with Seattle as the final ry." After two
Isadore was married to Miss
i•
point of embarkation from this months of in- <<y fi> `
Carol Kahn of San Francisco.
.4* . •
• No Minimum
country to Alaska in the '80s and vestigation, this
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in
'90s, the Klondike and Yukon fact was for-
World War II and temporarily
Col. Flint
gold rushes were attractions for m a 11 y estab-
left "Uncle Sam's Attic" to serve
C t
Jews as they were for non-Jews. lished Tuesday in a report re- overseas. But his family still
In a sense, this new attraction ceived from Maj. Gen. Carl C. continues the Juneau mercantile
the northwest also was re- Von Horn, chief of staff of the
business and may be known for
to
sponsible for Jewish migration UN Truce Supervision Orga- a long time among the great
Downtown: CADILLAC SQUARE Corner RANDOLPH
movements to the state of Wash- nization in Palestine.
The report circulated to the pioneering families in Alaska.
.
* * *
ington.
Northwest: 13646 WEST 7 MILE Corner TRACEY
members of the Security Coun-
* * *
Both offices open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday thru Friday
Among
the
early
American
A typical example of the set- cil by Secretary General Dag
Northwest office open Thursday Night till 9
Jews who came to Alaska was
tiers in Alaska in the late '90s Hammarskjold also blames Is- the fur-trading merchant, Jack
I Downtown, Friday till 6
was a former Detroiter, Herbert rael for contributing to possible
Goldstone, who was believed to
Robinson Greenberg, who died "further incidents and aggra-
last year at the age of 99. Green- vations" by limiting use of the
berg left Detroit for California road on Mt. Scopus leading
in 1896. From there he went by from the Arab village Issawia
boat to Seattle, and from Seattle to the Jordanian sector of
LEE FRANKLIN
he went to Alaska on a summer Jerusalem.
boat. It took him nine months
to make the trip to Alaska. Revisionists Establish
Today, by air, traveling time Pan-American Section
to Alaska from San Francisco NEW YORK (JTA)—A Pan
American section of the world
is five hours.
Greenberg joined the Klon- executive of the Herut-Revi-
dike Gold Rush and s t a k e d sionist movement was estab-
three successful gold-producing lished at the closing session
mines. He was in the habit, on of a three-day meeting of the
C.O.P.
10th District
his visits to his great-grand- executive. Joseph Klarman of
nephews in Detroit, to present Israel was elected to head the
Housewife
Educator •
Lawyer •
them with gold nuggets, and he new section which will have
was called "Uncle Nugget." One its headquarters here.

Pine Scented
Wonderland
Vacation

,

:

WHERE You Save ...

DOES Make a Difference

YOUR DOLLARS

EARN MORE

11

tr

, 1
G I INAX
RUMS

...

"Remember Me

Elect Lee"

■•■■•■ •4•1• ■■ •••• ■ •

WEINSTOCK

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

11 —THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS — F riday, Augu st 1 , 1958

The Jews in Alaska

Cornerstone for. Israel
Parliament Building
To Be Laid in October
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — The
cornerstone for the projected
Knesset building will be laid
at a ceremony here Oct. 14.
The building is slated to be
opened for use in 1961.

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

(Copyright, 1958, Jewish Telegraph Agency, Inc.)