Among the luminaries were Michael Wormser, Emil Ganz, the Goldwater (Goldvasser) brothers and Isidor E. Solomon.
Michael Wormser, a French Jew, began acquiring land in the Valley around 1863. He later opened stores, first in Prescott and then in Phoenix. Upon his death he left land to Temple Beth Israel to establish the first Jewish cemetery in the Valley. Emil Ganz, a German Jew, became a three-term mayor of Phoenix, serving in the late 1880s and again in the late 1890s. Ganz’ granddaughter Joan Ganz Cooney, who was born and raised in Phoenix, and went on to co-create the TV series Sesame Street. The Goldwaters, after fits and starts, successfully established branches of their department store, first in Prescott and eventually in Phoenix. Their descendent, Barry Goldwater, is perhaps the best-known Goldwater; he represented Arizona as a U.S. Senator and was the Republican presidential nominee in 1964.
Among other retailers were Sam Korrick, who arrived in 1895 and established the long-lived Korrick’s Department Stores with his brothers; and Ike and Nathan Diamond, who opened the Boston Store, which became Diamond’s and was eventually purchased by Dillard’s. By the first half of the 20th century, Jewish individuals and families continued to participate in local political and business life, and Phoenix and Scottsdale Jewry began developing community structures. The original Temple Beth Israel was built in 1921. Through recent restoration, the building in downtown Phoenix now houses the Arizona Jewish Historical Society. A second synagogue, Beth El, came together about 10 years later and was officially dedicated in 1931.
Among notable Jewish women of this era were Freeda Marks, who was elected to serve in the Arizona State Legislature, and two women whose families established department stores, Helen Diamond and Blanche Korrick. The post-World War II years saw a serious explosion in Jewish population accompanied by new synagogues, a Jewish Community Center and numerous other Jewish community organizations. Along with these came successful and not-so-successful Jewish schools. Pardes, created by three synagogues working together, has grown into an independent, K-8, co-educational day school.
Among the early Orthodox synagogues was Beth Hebrew (built in 1954), at which Steven Spielberg became a bar mitzvah in the mid-20th century. Unlike Steven’s wonderful success and remembrance of his Jewish connections through his films, Beth Hebrew no longer exists as a separate synagogue. Many local rabbis have gained national prominence, most notably the late Rabbi Albert Plotkin, of Congregation Beth Israel, who made great contributions during the Civil Rights movement. Originally from South Bend, Indiana, Rabbi Plotkin graduated from Notre Dame, and was affectionately known as the “fighting Irish Rabbi.”
The post-World War II years saw a serious explosion in Jewish population accompanied by new synagogues, a Jewish Community Center and numerous other Jewish community organizations.
The Phoenix JCC has had many physical locations throughout its 60 years. It is now located in Scottsdale and is known as the Valley of the Sun JCC. A second community JCC is in the East Valley, where there is a significant Jewish population as well.
Today, in Phoenix and Scottsdale alone and not including the east and west valleys, two dozen very active synagogues represent all the various denominations of Judaism, as well as independent congregations. There are at least a half-dozen kosher restaurants. There are approximately 100,000 Jews in the Greater Phoenix area. The local Jewish community boasts many politicos as well. From Mayor Ganz to Freeda Marks, who served as a minority leader in the state legislature in 1922 and represented Arizona on the Republican National Committee, to Phoenix’s last mayor, Phil Gordon (2004-12), there has always been strong representation in both major political parties. While there were some difficult days of anti-Semitism, particularly among hotels, in the early to mid-20th century, today one can rub shoulders with Jews in almost every arena of Phoenix and Scottsdale life. No longer must someone like Senator Barry Goldwater joke that he’ll play nine instead of 18 holes because he’s only half Jewish; Jews can now be found as members of almost every golf club, athletic club and civic organization. Jews in Phoenix and Scottsdale run the gamut of financial success from working class to wealthy. Phoenix and Scottsdale Jewry has arrived.
Michael Alan Ross a Phoenix attorney and member of the New Shul, leads tours of Jewishsites in Phoenix and Scottsdale. Reach him at: [email protected].
