Early Jewish Pioneers of Los Angeles – 1842 to 1899
The first Jewish pioneer arrived in Los Angeles in 1841 and was listed in a Mexican census in 1844.
The 1850 United States Census listed 8 residents with Jewish names residing in Los Angeles.
The 1870 Census showed 330 Jews out of a total Los Angeles population of 5,720 – or 5.77% of the total population.
The Jewish population of the entire United States was less than 1% of the total!
1850’s
Jacob Frankfort & the First Eight Jewish Pioneers of Los Angeles
Morris Goodman: First Jewish Councilman of Los Angeles & Founder of Anaheim, Part I
Joseph P. Newmark: The First Newmark in Early Los Angeles
John Jones: Early Los Angeles Jewish Pioneer
Solomon Nunes Carvalho: Early Jewish Community Pioneer, Artist & Photographer
Herman W. Hellman: Los Angeles Merchant & Banker
Bernard Cohn: Pioneer Merchant & Civic Leader
Kaspare Cohn: Creator of Many “Living Legacies” of Los Angeles
Jacob Elias: Los Angeles Jewish Pioneer Merchant & Leader
Isaias W. Hellman: Pioneer Banker of the Wild West, Los Angeles Years
Wolf Kalisher: Pioneer Jewish Merchant & Indian Advocate
Maurice Kremer: Very Early Pioneer Jewish Merchant of Los Angeles
Samuel Labatt: Created the First Los Angeles Official Charity Organization
Solomon Lazard: Jewish Pioneer of Early Los Angeles’ Infrastructure
Harris Newmark: The First Patriarch of Los Angeles
Louis Phillips: Rancher and Real Estate Pioneer
Samuel Prager: Early Los Angeles Jewish Merchant
Henry Wartenberg: Businessman and Community Leader
1860’s
Rabbi Abraham Wolf Edelman: The First Rabbi of Los Angeles
Abraham Haas: Purveyor of Food Stuffs, Wholesale & Retail
Emil Harris: Los Angeles’ First Jewish Chief of Police
Leopold Harris: Men’s Clothier of Los Angeles
Isaac Lankershim: Creator of the San Fernando Valley Breadbasket & A Jewish Enigma
Eugene Meyer: Los Angeles Merchant and Civic Investor
Simon Nordlinger: Los Angeles Pioneer Jeweler
1870’s
Eugene Germain: Pioneer Jewish Purveyor of Fruits and Nursery Products
The Jacoby Brothers: Pioneer Merchants of Los Angeles
Max Meyberg: Owner of the Crystal Palace and Creator of La Fiesta de Los Angeles
Rabbi Hyam Sneersohn: The First Chabad Rabbi in Los Angeles, 1870
1880’s
Rabbi Abraham Blum: The Third Rabbi of Congregation B’nai B’rith
Herman Frank: Partner of Harris & Frank Department Store
The Hamburgers: Los Angeles Department Store Family [Updated]
Al Levy: Jewish Pioneer Restaurateur of Los Angeles & Hollywood
Leopold Loeb: Organist at Congregation B’nai B’rith
Rabbi Emanuel Schreiber: The First Reform Rabbi of Los Angeles
Herman Silver: Los Angeles Jewish Civic Leader & Pioneer Water Commissioner
1890’s plus
Alfred Arndt: Jewish Religious Functionary of Early Los Angeles
Abraham Frankum Frankenstein: Musical Director of the Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles
Lemuel Goldwater: California Garment Industry Pioneer
Mina Norton & Jeanette Lazard: Early Professional Teachers in Los Angeles
Benjamin Platt: Music Retailer of Early Los Angeles
Victor Rosenstein: The First Cantor of Los Angeles
Alex Ratner: Founder of Ratner’s Deli in NYC & Early Jewish Pioneer of the San Fernando Valley
Sol & Ephraim Shirsper: El Monte Area Jewish Merchants & Public Servants
Rabbi Michael G. Solomon: The Fourth Rabbi of Congregation B’nai B’rith
