History of the Athol-OrangeJewish Community
and Temple Israel
In the beginning came the peddlers. The earliest recorded, in the Athol
Chronicle of 1871, was Julius Aishberg. Later came Esterman, Smargonsky,
Rothschild, Michelman and Baker. Some settled in Athol, rented stores or
bought farms.
One who made a lasting difference was Chaim Zack, who came to Athol in 1902
with a pack of pots and pans. Elke Zack's brother, Isaac Glaser, and his
wife later arrived at Ellis Island from Ponidel, Lithuania, with year-old
Sam, heeding a call from Elke: "Athol needs a Shohchet. Kumt." So Athol
got its first Shohchet, unofficial Rabbi, gentle philosopher and beloved
couple. A year later they begot Bertha, who has been secretary in Judge
Rowe's office since 1936 and is still a member of Temple Israel. Their son
Sam's widow, Florence, is also a member. When Isaac Glaser's brother Yankel
settled in Athol, his grain supplier misunderstood his last name, and Yankel
became Yankel Glazzin.
Soon an extended family collected in Athol. First were Chaim
Zack's brothers, Joe and Harry, and Reuben and Eva Katz (Eva's mother and
Chaim's mother were sisters). Reuben and Eva Katz's sons, Ed and Lou, are
present-day members. Then came Barney and Ada Freedman (Mrs. Yankel
Glazzin's sister). The Freedmans' children included Harry, who died in 1987,
and whose widow, Lee, is still a member. Barney and Ada's daughter, Marie,
married Joe Zack in 1912. It was the first wedding in our old shul. Joe and
Marie begot Mildred, who married Sam Krupnick. Sam and Mildred have moved
to Florida but often attend High Holiday Services in Athol with their sons,
Arthur and Harvey. The Krupnicks brought to Athol Sam's sister, Molly, and
Sam's brother, Carl. Sam Grossman's sister, Ann, married Ed Katz. And so it
grew.
During the early years Isaac Glaser, who was known for his piety and
kindness, acted as Rabbi. Louis Plotkin tells about one of Isaac's rulings:
"One year during Passover my cousin Izzy and I went to Boston to a Red Sox
game. Even though we were just a couple of young kids, we couldn't eat
chometz (non-Passover food). But to our dismay all the kosher restaurants
were closed, so we bought some peanuts, and that was all we ate all day.
When we got home and bragged about how careful we had been, we were told in
no uncertain terms that peanuts are not allowed during Passover. You can
imagine how bad we felt until Isaac Glaser told us, 'You have committed no
sin whatsoever. In fact, you have performed a great mitzvah because you
sincerely attempted to honor the law.'"
Louis, now 87 years old, concludes, "As long as I live never forget how
proud Isaac Glaser made me feel."
Louis's father, Leievik Plotkin, because of his height and
strength, had been selected during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904 to be a
member of the Tsar's guard. Although this was a unique honor for a Jew,
Leivik was more concerned about keeping his Judaism than serving the Tsar.
Leivik's father, Shiman Pesach, who remembered being Khapped as a
13-year-old boy and serving 18 years, urged his son to run off to America.
As a good Chasid, Leivik sought the advice of his Rebbe. "If I escape to
America, what will happen? How can I survive as a Jew in a traife land?"
"Gai," the Rebbe said. "A good Jew will be a good Jew wherever he goes."
Since he could borrow only enough to bribe his own way to the
border, Leivick left his wife Chyene and their children, Louis and Lena
(Gordon) in Ashipovich. Two sisters already in Boston had heard that Abraham
Baker, a peddler in Athol, needed help. With the seven dollars a week Baker
paid him, Leivik repaid his loan, rented a tenement on South Athol Road and
bought his first furniture, a table and chairs at Higgins Furniture, for one
dollar a week. The year was 1904.
Leivik borrowed more money, this time from the area's wealthiest man, Joe
Rome of Gardner, and sent for his family. Soon after, Leivik's brother
Jacob arrived in Athol with Nechame and the children, Izzy, Bill, and Rose.
Then came brother Joe, whom this same Joe Rome introduced to the beautiful
Bessie Arik. According to the Athol Transcript of June 10, 1906, "Joseph
Plotkin of Athol was married to Miss Bessie Arik of Gardner at Rome's new
block in Gardner last Tuesday and the affair was one of the most elegant and
elaborate ever witnessed in that town. . . .3000 guests participated in a
sumptuous banquet, dancing followed . . . . The bridal party left for a
wedding journey to Washington."
Leivik and Chyene's children - Louis, Lena Gordon, Bessie Knapp,
Melvin and Norman - and their daughter-in-law Jane are current members of
Temple Israel. Jacob and Nechame's daughter, Rose Wishnow, their
daughter-in-law Lillian, and their grandchildren Sherman, Charlie and
Richard are members, as is their great-grandson Jeff. Joe and Bessie's
children, Lillian and Charlie, and their daughter-in-law Min are also
members.
Later, when Bessie's niece Dora Moskovitz was having a hard time making a
living as a seamstress in Worcester, she and her husband, Israel, opened a
dress shop on Crescent Street in Athol. They lived in the back, working
from 6:00 a.m. to midnight while 4-year-old Charlie, now chairman of our
finance committee, slept under the counter.
Another early settler, Jacob Garbose, had been learning the cobbler's trade
with his father in Gardner. Just an ordinary young man, he felt fortunate
to be married in 1906 to his cousin Sarah, a girl whose father was
distinguished for his scholarship. Jake brought his bride to Athol and
opened his own shoe repair shop. An ad in the February 10, 1906 New Church
Record reads, "Boot and Shoe Repairing, rubber heels and taps put on at low
prices. Jacob Garburz."
Over the years Jacob turned his shop into Athol's leading shoe store, bought
the Capitol and York Theatres, the Fishman (Aubuchon) Block, the Woolworth
(S & S) Building, the Pequoig Hotel, and (in partnership with Charlie Kumin)
an inn, farms, and wood lots. He also sold the house at 411 Pine Street,
which became our first synagogue, Agudas Achim, Congregation of Brothers.
Charter members were Abraham Rothschil, Charlie Kumin, Louis (Leivik)
Plotkin, Harry Zack, Jacob Lessem, Hyman Zack, Isaac Smargonsky, Samuel
Nathanson, Isaac Glaser, Jacob Glazzin, Joab Garbose, Barnet Freedman,
Reuben Katz, Samuel Esterman, Abraham Baker, Joseph Plotkin, Jacob Plotkin
and Isaac Wolper.
The women of the congregation formed the Athol Hebrew Ladies' Aid Society.
Led by Sarah Garbose, the first president, they catered refreshments for the
opening celebration on March 27, 1911. Many years later Mrs. Garbose helped
establish a Hadassah Chapter. Another family that took a strong leadership
role in Hadassah as well as in The Ladies' Aid was the Housen family,
including Syde (Mrs. David) Housen, her daughter, Joan Rose, and her
daughter-in-law Marge. Ten years ago the Housens dedicated the
Ophthalmologic Research Wing of Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem .
By 1944, the Pine Street shul had become too small and was in need of major
repairs. David Housen (of the Erving Paper Mill), Sid Ansin and Bill
Garbose chaired various committees to raise $30,000 to build a new temple.
Assisting were Sam Uchitel, Sam Krupnick, Dr. M.J. Grossman, Dr. Morris
Diamond, Dr. Sam Footnick, Leo Wishnow, Harry Goldsher, Izzy Plotkin, Israel
Moskovits and Louis Plotkin . 
While the temple was being built, Rabbi Henry
Ucko arranged with the Methodist Church for us to use its hall for services.
Temple Israel (the original building is now the classrooms and social hall)
was dedicated in June 1950. The master of ceremonies was Bill Garbose,
taking over from his father, who had died only one month before.
As Athol-Orange's 33 Jewish war veterans returned home and established
families, we again needed more space. Bill Garbose chaired the building
committee, which also included David Housen, Dr. Norman Goldman, Jimmy Blum,
Sam Krupnick and Bill Plotkin. On May 30, 1956, the new sanctuary was
dedicated in memory of Sam and Rose Uchitel. Rabbi Ucko dedicated the
Eternal Light in memory of his parents who had been murdered in
concentration camps. Because the Uchitels' $40,000 bequest and their work
had helped build the sanctuary, our congregation continues to say Kaddish
for Sam and Rose every Rosh Hashanah, on the anniversary of Rose's death.
Rabbis who have led the congregation include Isaac Glaser, Louis Nathanson
[father of Sarah (Mrs. Charles Kumin), Cohen, Darbuk (c. 1924), Pincus Cohen
(c. 1925), Kramer (c. 1931-35), Yanosfsky (c. 1936-37), Shukovsky (c.
1937-39), Soloman Friedlander (1940-42), Solomon Seigel (1943-47), Henry
Ucko (1949-56), Stanley Math (who fooled us all, 1957-58), Gilbert Elfant
(1958-59), Irving Brenner (1959-62), Harry Lazaros (whose firmness,
gentleness, and jokes made him our longest serving Rabbi, 1962-70), his son
Jack Lazaros (now the Chasidic Rabbi in Framingham, 1970-71), Seymour Zahn
(1971-73), Samuel Leib (1973-75) and, after a 10-year period of decline,
Barry Krieger (1985-89 ), who brought us many new memberships.
( written 1980's )
Rabbi Robert Sternberg, the rabbi and spiritual advisor at Temple Israel Athol, is a graduate of Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, IL. He received his rabbinic ordination under the Chief Rabbinate of Israel at the Midrasha L’Rabbanut Machon Harry Fishel in Jerusalem, Israel. His undergraduate degree in education is from Roosvelt University in Chicago, IL and his graduate degree in education is from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.