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Found a Christian lady who lives just a few houses from me. At first Davidson demurred, but since he had all the necessary qualifications and needed a job, he went to Stockton and stayed there. By the first of the next year Davidson was fully accepted by the Congregation. He probably had to make adjustments of his own because he had been trained as an Orthodox cantor by his father, an Orthodox cantor himself, but there were some distinctly non-Orthodox elements present even though the Temple was committed to follow Orthodox observance.
These non-traditional elements included use of the organ on the Sabbath and the High Holy Days to accompany a choir which itself was made up of both sexes as well as non-Jews; male and female congregants sat together; Cantor Davidson did not himself keep Kosher; and Jewish businesses did not close on Saturdays.
All of these practices are neither condoned not tolerated among truly Orthodox Jews. The Temple maintained itself for the next decade, until , when poor business conditions in Stockton affected the Temple. At this point in time only the members of the board of trustees were paying their dues.
As a result, the congregation could not afford Cantor Davidson, so he took the opportunity to go to Europe and visit his family in Russia, particularly his aged parents. On his return to California, he spent some time as cantor for a congregation in San Francisco before returning to Stockton at a reduced salary. Except for the Hebrew School conducted by the Cantor, no provisions were made for Jewish children.
The Sunday School built on the Hunter Street site seems not to have been used in later years since both previous temple historians wrote that the first modern Sunday School of Temple Israel began in The initial enrollment was twenty-seven students, but this number increased; fifty-seven attended the first term, and forty one the second.
This organization, or reorganization, of the Sunday school was the first step toward reform in the Congregation. However, attendance in Sunday school was so irregular and fell off to such an extent that in teachers were forced to dismiss class because of poor attendance. Problems in the Sunday school reflected disaffection in the Congregation as a whole.
The membership, which had dropped to a low of nineteen members, took an interest in Reform Judaism, and one result of this change was the dismissal of Cantor Herman Davidson so that a Reform rabbi could be hired. As early as October 28, , a year before his dismissal, an article appeared in the Stockton Evening Mail discussing dissension in the Congregation, putting him at the center of the controversy.
The article went on to say that the progressive element wanted a cantor who could conduct services in Hebrew as well as give explanations in English. When Davidson was re-hired for another year, which turned out to be his final year with the Congregation, some members left the Congregation, while others would not attend services.
Between the change in the dues structure and the move from Orthodoxy to Reform, membership rose to forty men and twenty-one women. The shift to the Reform movement naturally enough caused a great deal of controversy in the Jewish community, controversy that was reflected in both Stockton and San Francisco newspapers. The Stockton Mail of October 26, carried a front page story that told of the controversy and the election of officers.
It also quoted an anonymous Stockton congregant who believed that the change to Reform should have taken place sooner. A sarcastic article in the San Francisco Jewish papers gave another view of the happenings in Stockton. This writer referred to Stockton as the home of cranks, and advised prospective rabbis not to apply for the vacant rabbinical position. He also pointed out the precarious financial position of the Congregation, and said that the people of Stockton were very demanding, but did not pay well.
Contrary to these accounts, Reva Clar, in her fine two-part article about Davidson, said that the complaints about the Cantor were without merit except for the one that said that he was not an outstanding public speaker. The leader for change on the Board was its president, Dr. Jaffe, a relative newcomer from San Jose, who proved able to lead the shift from conservative to reform. The congregation, however, completed its shift to the reform movement by adopting the Union Prayer Book.
With Herman Davidson officially gone, the Congregation needed to find a new spiritual leader by the High Holy Days. After a bitter experience with one candidate who made outrageous financial demands, the Congregation evidently had no professional to lead them until August 1, , when Rabbi Rudolph Farber, who had briefly served as a rabbi in San Francisco, was hired.
As sometimes happens when there is a radical change in a religious institution, several members of the Congregation did not care to be members of a Reform congregation. A contemporary newspaper contained an article about a meeting of some conservative members who were planning their own congregation. Jaffe attempted to speak at this meeting but was asked to leave. Whether because he could not get a united Stockton Jewish community to all be part of the Reform movement, or for other reasons, Jaffe relocated to Sacramento, and never more graced the Stockton scene.
Shortly thereafter, conservative Stocktonians formed two new congregations, one of which, Ahavas Achim Brotherly Love , was led by Davidson.
They accomplished this goal by purchasing land from the Catholic Church through the intervention of Father William B. This cemetery was dedicated March 24, , and is still in existence and used today. Even though Ahavas Achim was formed soon after its members left Ryhim Ahoovim, it was not incorporated until He was assisted by a nephew by marriage, Chaim Brodke, who had trained for a rabbinical career but was not ordained.
As older members passed away, they were not replaced. Further, many of the next generation joined Temple Israel or left Stockton completely. A resident shamus acted as a combined reader and caretaker. At times, starting in , the other conservative congregation, Adath Yeshurun, suggested a merger, but with no success. In a tentative agreement between the two conservative congregations was reached, but Ahavas Achim decided to wait two more years, but by then this small congregation was no more.
Adath Yeshuren Congregation of Israel , chartered in , continued on, even without the merger, although with a dwindling membership. Its long-time building, situated on Fremont, just west of California, was destroyed by a fire in , but its cemetery has been maintained and is still occasionally used for burials. The small membership meant that it could not afford full-time functionaries, and thus was dependent on lay people to lead services. From about until the untimely fire, services were led by Dr. T he changes of also brought to the fore the question of acquiring a new place of worship for Temple Israel.
In , a new building fund was established, and money raised early on through fundraisers sponsored by three groups. These were all considerable amounts for the time. Additional money was raised by various means, and by the annual meeting, enough money had been accumulated; the plans were approved, the building started, and on the fiftieth anniversary of the formal organization of the congregation Ryhim Ahoovim, the new building was dedicated on Hunter Street.
In , keeping with its shift to Reform Judaism, the Congregation joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the association of North American reform congregations. Joining the Union meant that the Congregation would be able to secure spiritual leaders. But even with its new temple structure, the Congregation, now formally known as Ryhim Ahoovim-Temple Israel, had trouble attracting a rabbi who would stay.
In the period to , only two rabbis, Louis Kopald and Emmanuel Jack, stayed more than three years, and they lasted four years each. In order, they were, Elias Margolis, ; Max Raisin, ; [? Kopald, ; Edgar F. Magnin, ; Harry B. Wessel, ; and Samuel Halperin, The most famous of these rabbis is undoubtedly Edgar F.
Magnin, a native of San Francisco, first served Stockton as a student rabbi for the High Holiday services. He performed so well that he was offered a regular position six months before his ordination. He returned to Stockton in as the regular rabbi, but stayed only to the end of While in Stockton he paid a visit to Fresno, and while there, organized Temple Beth Israel for that city, a temple that still exists. Another connection between Stockton and Fresno was David Greenberg, who served Stockton as a student rabbi in , when Temple Israel was between rabbis.
Part of this letter read, While we are a White, Gentile, Protestant Organization, we are always glad to be of some service to our Brothers of the Jewish Faith. The letter was signed by Otto B. Sparks, Kleagle of the Invisible Empire. In Temple Israel bought two lots at Madison and Willow Streets for the construction of a Jewish Community Center designed to serve the entire community.
The old temple building was moved from Hunter Street to the new location, and covered with a brick veneer to blend in with the Community Center building.
A few years later this old sanctuary was moved to American Street and a new one was built to take its place next to the Jewish Community Center. Money considerations precluded the immediate construction of these new facilities. The dedication featured an address by Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin, making another visit to Stockton. The dedication also marked the installation of the newly ordained Rabbi J. Aaron Levy, who, unlike his short-tenured predecessors, continued on as the rabbi, except for service as a chaplain in World War II, until For those who established it, the structure and its adjoining synagogue have become a center of spiritual, intellectual and social life.
From its rostrum eminent speakers have contributed richly to the thought of the community, the lectures being enjoyed equally by Jew and Gentile. The facilities of the center have come in good stead for the entertainment of Pacific Coast lodge gatherings.
Like our Civic Memorial Auditorium, the building has served to spread the fame of Stockton as a favorite convention city. The only drawback to the complete enjoyment of this rallying place of the Jewish people has been the debt that still hangs over the structure.