“Early German Jewry in Springfield”
In 1894, Temple Israel held Yom Kippur services, both evening and morning, in South Street Christian Church. These are the first known Jewish services to be held in Springfield.
Jews arrived to the bustling town of Springfield shortly after its founding in 1838, only five years after the birth of the state of Missouri. The first Jews to live in Springfield were Victor and Bertha Sommers with her brother Ferdinand Bakrow. They opened Victor Sommers & Co., a dry goods store in 1860. The Jewish community grew as merchants brought their families, tying Springfield to other towns along the Mississippi River through marriages. The first congregation was founded in 1893 by the German Reform Jews.Courtesy of the Springfield News-Leader
This event is free and open to the public.
For more information about the Greene County Historical Society go to http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gcmohs/. If you would like to learn more about the German-Austrian-Swiss Heritage Society of the Ozarks, please visit http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gcmohs/3rd_level/org_german.htm.