A wonderful thing happened on the way to placing Temple Beth Israel of Stevens Point on the national Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Preparing the application to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Mark R. Seiler delved into the central Wisconsin city’s Jewish history.
The retired professor of German studies at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point found what he called “a significant, albeit unsung, chapter in the history of the City of Stevens Point.”
Seiler continued his work. The results: an expanded Jewish exhibit at the Beth Israel Synagogue Museum in Stevens Point; and creation of “The Jewish Community of Stevens Point” (2008, Portage County Historical Society), a well documented, photo-filled book that was printed and bound at no charge by Worzalla Publishing of Stevens Point.
Full disclosure: I wrote the preface.
The book covers the city’s Jewish history from 1871, when several Central European Jews arrived, through the larger Russian Jewish migration between 1881 and 1924.
Seiler documents the approximately 140 Jewish-owned businesses that operated at one time in the city until 2000. From 1930-1960, he writes, 20-30 of these businesses operated downtown. A colorful map accompanying the hardcover book shows the location of each establishment and displays advertisements from dozens of the businesses.
He also traces the history of Temple Beth Israel and the community’s other Jewish organizations and reviews the Jews’ involvement in civic benevolent organizations.
Unfortunately, the book is printed with sepia-colored ink on tannish paper, an aesthetic that seems to muddy some photos and advertisements. But that’s a minor issue.
“The Jewish Community of Stevens Point” is an unusually thorough examination of a population that never exceeded 50 families and is one of the few books of its kind nationally. It’s a wonderful tribute both to the Jews who helped build the city and the general population that welcomed them. By the way, Seiler isn’t Jewish.
The book retails for $39.99. To buy a copy, contact the Portage County Historical Society, 715-344-4423. The society’s web site, www.pchswi.org, may yet post information on the book.
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