Danville Pennsylvania: "The Selinsgrove Connection"

Early 19th century emigration of German Jews brought Landsmen from Schmieheim, Altdorf and other Baden villages to Danville, Pennsylvania. There they established a new life for themselves with religious freedom. The Jewish community was begun 1842 or earlier. A school and a synagogue, B'nai Zion followed. My family was among those German Jews who sought a better life in that area of Pennsylvania in 1868. One hundred years later the only collective memory of my family's Pennsylvania roots involved Selinsgrove. After several years of research, we now understand that my family's "Selinsgrove Connection" was largely through the town of Danville. by Peter Dreifuss (great grandson of Leopold Dreifuss)

1903 New York photograph of my great grandfather Leopold (Center), flanked on the right by my 21 year old grandfather (Isaac or Joe) and his son-in-law, Louis Schlesinger (with the pipe)-husband of my great aunt, Ida Dreifuss). The young girl is Leopold's granddaughter Marcella Schlesinger, age 5

In the story that follows, I try to explain my family's connection (perceived vs. reality) to Selinsgrove 
Pennsylvania. I atttempt to reveal the truth story behind what was likely a distorted family legend 
formed from misconceptions, which had grown over the years. In my father's and grandfather's 
lifetimes, our Dreifuss family (all of my uncles, aunts. cousins, etc) lived in and around Brooklyn, NY.  
But in vague family stories told to my father, Selinsgrove, PA was thought in some way to be the 
first home of my great grandfather in the United States.  This article recounts what we have learned 
to-date about the "Selinsgrove Connection".  
Leopold Dreifuss (center of photo above) was the first of my Dreifuss ancestors to emigrate from 
Germany. Although he ended up in New York, we now know that he did actually begin his new life 
in Pennsylvania; not in Selinsgrove, but in nearby Danville, Pennsylvania.  Leopold's connection to 
Selinsgrove is still unknown and may never have existed.  However, we know of many specific ties 
that his two younger brothers and sister had to both towns.  They lived, worked and raised families 
there for many years.  
This article also describes the important historical role that Danville, Pennsylvania played as a focal 
point for the settling of Leopold, his siblings and many German Jews, especially those from Baden, 
Germany,who were seeking a better life in the New World.  If Leopold lived anyhere in Pennsylvania, 
it was only his brief stay in Danville, because there are no paper records of Leopold in Pennsylvania 
at all after February 1869.  Although it is still possible that Leopold may have briefly lived or worked 
in Selinsgrove, we know know that he set sail from Germany and headed directly to Danville, where 
he filed for American citizenship in February 1869. 
The most recent discovery (March 2008) that augments the story is that Leopold's younger brothers, 
upon their initial arrival in the U.S. (1874-1879), appear to have lived near Leopold in Brooklyn, NY.


1.   Voyage to a New Land (Immigration of Leopold Dreifuss to Danville, PA)
2.   The Selinsgrove Connection (Family Connection of Leopold to Selinsgrove, PA)
3.   The Importance of Danville (The small magnet for Jewish Immigrants)
4.   Early German Jewish Immigration (Understanding the Immigration of German Jews 1820-1880)
5.   A Brief History of the Dreifusses in the Danville Area (Leopold, Henry, Aaron and Rosa)
6.   Selinsgrove and Records in the Snyder County Courthouse (Courts Records Found of Family in Selinsgrove)
7.   The Dreifuss Family in Altdorf (Baden) Germany (Life in Altdorf before Emigration)
8.  Why did Leopold Leave Pennsylvania and Whatever Happened to Him? 
9.   B'nai Zion and the Danville Jewish Community (Roots of the Jewish Community Stem to the Early 1840s)
10. Timeline of Events (Timeline of the Jewish Community and the Dreifuss Family)
11. Dedication
12. Acknowledgments

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Voyage to a New Land:

The first known of my Dreifuss ancestors to immigrate to the America was my great grandfather, Leopold Dreifuss. Leopold left his home in Aldorf, Baden Germany, one month shy of his eighteenth birthday and traveled to Hamburg. There, Leopold left Germany forever on 16 September 1868 within the steerage of the steamship SS Westphalia. It was her maiden voyage, which sailed first to Southampton and then into the port of New York.

SS WESTPHALIA, Hamburg-America Line, 1868.
After her rebuild of 1877/78, at the Petersenkai in Hamburg.

Arnold Kludas and Herbert Bischoff, Die Schiffe der
Hamburg-Amerika Linie, Bd. 1: 1847-1906 (Herford: Koehler,
1979), p. 28.---

Like many of the early German Jews who emigrated to America, Leopold was young, just 18 years old and came alone. Leopold had come to the US seeking a life free from the persecution that Jews suffered in Europe and from the epidemics that ravaged his family. He chose Danville Pennsylvania. We believe it is because of known family ties to this town with a German Jewish community.

But Leopold, the oldest of five living siblings, came not only for himself but for his family, several of whom would soon follow him. By 1864, his mother and four of his siblings had died. His father, Isaac had lost his second wife, Rosina, who died in childbirth. Isaac, who was 56 years old, had been married twice, and had fathered 14 children was left with five children, ranging from 3 (Rosa) to 14 years of age (Leopold). He had at least two living adult children from his first marriage. It may have been decided in 1864 that the family should emigrate. But that would have to wait since the American Civil war was raging. By 1868 the American war was over, his family was ill prepared to care for the Dreifuss children, and with the gathering storm clouds of the Franco Prussian War the almost 18 year old Leopold left for the U.S.

We now know that he was headed for Danville (Montour County), Pennsylvania. Only a few months after leaving Germany he arrived in Danville, PA and on February 7, 1869 he filed a Declaration of Intention for Naturalization there. He came to Danville because there was an established German Jewish community comprised of Landsmen from Altdorf and surrounding villages in Baden Germany, and most likely there were already relatives from home. There were in fact other Dreifusses there including some I have traced to the Altdorf area, but there were few with known links to Leopold's family with substantial means to provide long term assistance. Danville had several families with the name Bernheim, his mother's family name. It appears that Leopold's uncle Henry Bernheim did in fact live there, but Henry does not appear to have been a man of any means. There are no records to indicate that Leopold lived or worked for him. It is likely that his father, Isaac stayed behind to provide for the family. Soon two brothers and a sister would follow him to the Danville area. It is possible that Isaac departed but never made it to the new land. He is not in the Schmieheim cemetery with his wife and his final resting place is unknown.

The Selinsgrove Connection:

But Leopold did not stay long in Danville - in fact none of Leopold's descendants, including my own family, had ever heard of a connection to Danville until recently. For reasons still unknown, Leopold ended up in New York. He and Eugenie were married in New York City (21 July 1873) and naturalized in Brooklyn (October 11, 1876). All of Leopold's eight children were born in Brooklyn, NY and knew nothing of Danville. Just how long he stayed in the Danville area is unknown and no 1870 federal census records for him or his wife have ever been found.

Leopold's descendants knew that he had some connection with the nearby town of Selinsgrove (Snyder County), Pennsylvania. Why he went there, what he did there and how long he lived there were all unknown. We knew he had a sister (Rosa Dreifuss Gunzberger) who, along with her husband (Albert), lived and raised a family there for many years. We had heard that after living in New York for some time, he had gone there with his wife, Eugenie seeking a business relationship with his sister and husband. But Leopold and Eugenie were unhappy with the Gunzberger business relationship and returned to New York. It gradually became important to our family to better understand the Selinsgrove Connection. We never suspected the connection would be Danville. We had in fact, never heard of it.

In late 1997 a previously unknown third cousin, Karen Dreifuss Burk and her husband Frank, found our common genealogy on my original genealogy web page, "The Leonard Dreifuss Genealogy". Karen's great grandfather, Henry, along with another brother Aaron, followed Leopold to the Danville area a few years later. It was only then that we began to suspect that Leopold came to the US to seek out a new home in Danville and not Selinsgrove. We learned that Henry's children, including Karen's grandfather (Morris or Maurice) were born and educated in Danville. We first learned of the B'nai Zion Synagogue and the early Jewish community from a few zeroxed pages from the 1881 book by D. H. B. Brower, "Danville A Collection of Historical and Biographical Sketches" provided by Karen. We learned that Henry and younger brother Aaron owned a business in Selinsgrove. These discoveries and others allowed us to begin to unravel some of the mysteries of our family's Selinsgrove connection and begin to explore the early German and later the eastern European Jewish immigration to Danville.

The Importance of Danville:

Finding out that Danville was the magnet that attracted our great grandfather to the U.S., my brother Jeff and I made our first trip to Danville November 2002. In our exploration of the old B'nai Zion Cemetery we began to realize that hundreds of Jews left Germany and traveled thousands of miles at least 25 years before Leopold to come to Danville. Later many more eastern European Jews would follow, seeking relief from the 1871 pogroms in Rumania and the violent Russian pogroms of 1881. Many of these extremely destitute immigrants sought acceptance into the small Danville Jewish community.

Today just about all that remains of the once vibrant Jewish community are two cemeteries, the closed and remodeled apartments from the unrecognizable B'nai Zion Synagogue and a few former elderly members of the Jewish community. However, Danville was a community which accepted many Jewish immigrants who found their way to America well before the holocaust. Today present day Danville residents are becoming aware of the lost Jewish community that is an important part of their history.

See Montour County Genealogical Society and its Jewish Community.

Early German Jewish Immigration:

Leopold and three of his siblings (Henry, Aaron and Rosa) came between the years 1868 and 1875, during the very unsettled post Civil War period of reconstruction. This was years before the great wave of immigration to the United States, which began in the 1890s. Early Jewish immigration was quite different than that which occurred after 1890 and is less well understood. The 1994 book, "Branching Out - German-Jewish Immigration to the United States, 1820 - 1914" by Avraham Barkai (ISBN 0-8419-1152-5) provides excellent insight into the subject.

Barkai explains that before 1890, Jewish immigrants to America were predominantly German. The first wave of early German Jewish immigrants (beginning ca. 1820) sought emancipation from persecution, especially in the form of hundreds of anti semitic laws. These laws included harsh restrictions on Jewish marriages (the Matrikel laws) and occupations (Education laws). These immigrants often sought out a new life in smaller towns rather than cities for several reasons: (1) they were generally not factory workers but shopkeepers and tradesmen, (2) larger cities like New York did not welcome Jews and (3) immigrants were better accepted in smaller towns and communities with some established German culture (as was the case throughout much of Pennsylvania).

Ironically, the far more oppressed eastern european Jews were not permitted sufficient education to understand the opportunities and freedom in the United States. But the German Jews sought freedom which they first partially achieved many years earlier under Napolean. According to Barkai:

"Most of the emigrants of this period came from lower-middle-class families whose economic ascent had already started to transform the socioeconomic structure of German Jewry. The ambitions, thrift, and enterprise that had spurred on this emerging class of shopkeepers and tradesmen must also have induced their emigrating children and grandchildren to try their luck overseas."

Persecution provided a "push" to emigrate. This was followed by a "pull" from family which had earlier set down roots in America. Only the Civil War interrupted the flow of German Jews to the United States and only temporarily.

"Before long, "chain-migration" of siblings following the first emigrants only a few years after their departure became the most decisive "pull" factor of increased emigration. In most cases, boys in their early teens were the first to join their elder brothers, who in many cases provided at least part of the fare and arranged the necessary formalities. Usually these younger brothers also started to work with them as partners shortly after their arrival, at least for some time. Unmarried sisters followed in many cases only after the death of parents, for whom they had cared in the old country, with financial assistance sent from America as the usual means of support. The emigration of aged parents was rather exceptional."

My great grandfather, Leopold (immigrated 1868- age 18) the oldest brother, was followed by his siblings, Aaron (1874 - age 16), Henry (1875 - age 16) and finally Rosa (1882 - age 21). Although it is not documented, indirect information previously suggested Isaac died 1880 or 1881. The fact that Rosa came over in 1882 seems to add support to this idea. This period following the Civil War represented the second wave of German Jewish emigration.

Even Leopold was part of the chain-migration. Undoubtedly, he left to join family already in Danville who left Germany perhaps well before the outbreak of the Civil War. The Jewish community in Danville definitely dates back to at least the early 1840s, as evidenced by the earliest monuments at the old Jewish cemetery.

A Brief History of the Dreifusses in the Danville Area

As stated above, shortly after arriving in the United States, Leopold headed for Danville. We are sure that he had family within the Jewish community there. But the only paper trail he left anywhere in Pennsylvania was the Declaration of Intention for Naturalization he filed on February 7, 1869. No documentation was ever found in Selinsgrove where family lore placed him. Leopold virtually disappeared during this early period in the US as far as a available recorded history is concerned. An 1870 census record has never been found for him, anywhere.

We know that Leopold didn't stay long in Pennsylvania but left for New York (see Timeline of Events below). Although he filed his Intention papers in Danville, we know that Leopold next shows up in July 1873 in New York when he was married and then in Brooklyn on October 11, 1876 when he was legally naturalized. We also know that he was in Brooklyn in the 1880 census with 3 daughters - the oldest 6 years. One reputable source has it that after living in New York for many years, Leopold and Eugenie went to Selingsgrove to enter a business deal with Rosa (Leopold's sister) and her husband, Albert (Abraham) Gunzberger. It didn't work out at all. Leopold and Eugenie returned to New York feeling they had been cheated. But once again history has not recorded this event. If such an event did occur, it is suspected that Leopold may have tried to partner with Albert in his scrap iron business.

Most of the documented Dreifuss family history found to date in Pennsylvania is that of his two brothers and sister. Leopold's younger brothers Aaron and Henry followed him, immigrating 2 February 1874 and 2 June 1875, respectively. His sister Rosa followed in 1882 who married to Abraham (Albert) Gunzberger in 1884. Albert was at first a fruit merchant and then a buyer of scrap iron.

Aaron and Henry and their families had first lived in Mifflinburg (Union County).   The 1880 census placed them on Chestnut Street.   Henry and his wife probably rented an apartment in Danville soon after this census since their first child Isaac was born there in January 1881. Five other children were born there over the next twelve years.

Aaron and his wife Hannah were eventually able to purchase land in the Borough of "Selins Grove". They sold this in February 1887, to Dr. B. F. Van Buskirk, for $350.00: "bordered on the North land owned by Jonathan Bianse, on the East by an alley, South by lot of Dr. B. F. VanBuskirk and West by High Street about 50 Feet wide x 150 feet deep with a 1 1/2 story frame dwelling and out building."

On March 12, 1888 Aaron and Henry Dreifuss together bought land with a larger house on High Street in Selins Grove for $600 from John and Mary Laudenslayer. The land was "bounded on the north by the lot of Lisi? Fisher, on the east by High Street , on the south by the lot of William H. Gimberling and on the West by an alley, along the Rail Road, being 50 feet front on High Street and 150 feet deep to the alley, whereon is erected a two-story frame house, a frame stable and other out buildings." Undoubtedly, this is the site of the Dreifuss Brother's Store which was advertised in 1889 and listed in a 1890-91 "Selin's Grove" directory as "Dreifuss & Bro, Clothing".

My brother, Jeff and I have visited the High Street location of their store several times and the most striking thing is the proximity to the Railroad and the Railroad Station (about 300 feet). They could readily bring in clothing from New York and Philadelphia.

The tracks immediately behind the Dreifuss Brothers High Street property as it looks today. The old white railroad station can be seen in the distance (with the green roof).

On April 1, 1890 Aaron, Hannah, Henry and Fannie sold the above land to Lydia Parks and Martha J. Bloomfield for $725.

Henry's family is known to have moved to Danville between the time of the 1880 census and January 1881, where they lived for many years. They were living at 228 Mill St in the Federal 1900 census. A 1905 newspaper article sites their home on Church Street. Henry was in the wholesale liquor business.   His son, Morris had graduated from Danville HS. The other children also may have.

Jerry Zeisler, a colleague researching his Danville family found the following Feb. 3, 1905 article in the Danville Morning News.

There were other unrelated Dreifuss families in Danville and some are known to be from the same area in Germany. Simon Dreifuss's Dry Goods business, for example, opened before June 14, 1850 on the west side of North Mill St.  There is also a record of "Neil & Dreifuss" which opened April 29, 1853. Over the years I have found much information on Simon who came from Schmieheim (a neighboring community to Altdorf) and his wife Lena Loeb Dreifuss.  I have been in touch with a direct descendant from them.   Simon is said to have fought in the Civil War in a regiment from Danville (although I have never found Civil War records of him).   Simon and Lena are interred in the B'nai Zion cemetery.   The cemetery also has the graves of several of their children who died young.

The two Jewish cemeteries like several other Danville cemeteries, are situated behind Danville High School's athletic fields.   We visited the old cemetery where the B'nai Zion families of German origin are buried. The old cemetery which contains only a few hundred graves, extends directly into the adjacent Episcopalian cemetery. It is fairly well maintained, although there are some broken and misplaced stones. The new cemetery was for Russian immigrants who came penniless into Danville, as a result of a major exodus of Russian Jews beginning around 1881.   As was the case throughout America, Russian Jewish immigrants were not accepted by the Danville Jewish community, predominantly of German origin. Things slowly improved by 1915, when they two groups merged.

I have noticed graves dating back to around 1843 (date of death).   There are a few new graves there. Samuel (aka Syke) Miller, a well respected citizen of Danville, formerly active in B'nai Zion is now buried there.   We were fortunate enough to have met Syke if only briefly a few weeks before his death in 2002. He told us a little about the synagogue, and was still upset about it's demise.   He remembered a Dreifuss (not very fondly) who was President of the congregation when he was a child. We found and photographed many with classic Jewish names from the community in Baden Germany where Leopold's family was from: Dreifuss, Weil, Bernheim, Ellenbogen, Bloch, a Wertheimer from Altdorf, etc.   Some time after the trip I learned that Dave Richards (david.richards14@verizon.net) from MCJS has already provided a list of names to the International Jewish Cemeteries Project and there is at least one effort underway to translate the stones which are in Hebrew.

Selinsgrove and Records in the Snyder County Courthouse

We first visited the charming township of Selinsgrove in November 2002. Next to Penns Creek which bisects the town, runs Highway US 11/15. The highway was built directly over the Susquehanna Division of the Pennsylvania Canal that once ran through Selinsgrove and was part of its early history. It is easy to spot the land between High Street and the alley along the Railroad track which Aaron and Henry Dreifuss bought in 1888 and undoubtedly where their business was located.   It is just a few hundred feet from the Railroad station.  

Rosa Dreifuss Gunzberger and her husband Abraham (Albert) lived here for many years where they raised a family. Leopold too has a strong connection to this town but it is unclear and not documented in the township records.

We found many records at the Snyder County Courthouse in Middleburg:

Deeds and Land Records:

•  On April 2, 1894 George M Moatz from Middleburgh sold to R. (Rosa) Gunsburger for $180.00 a piece if land in Middleburgh bordered on North and East land owned by George Moatz. On south by land of Philip Smireford and G. Moatz and on the west by Public Road leading from Middleburgh to Centerville, PA. Lot was 60 feet wide x 195 feet long.

•  On December 21, 1910 Albert and Rosa Gunzburger of Selinsgrove , sold house and lot situated on Isle of Iue in Selinsgrove to Isaac Gunzburger of Chicago for $1,000.00. Land situated on north by Chestnut Street , east by a vacant lot, South by an alley west by lot of Mrs Leonard being 50 feet wide x 150 feet deep.   This land was purchased by Albert on March 27, 1906

•  On August 8, 1918 Isaac and Clara Gunzberger from Chicago sold land on Isle of Iue in Selinsgrove to Robert Stauffer of Philadelphia, PA for $1,000.00. bordered by on the North by Chestnut Street, east by lot of George P. Fisher, South by an alley and on the west by lot of Mrs. Leonard.(50 x 150 feet).

Birth Records (Snyder County Birth Records 1893-1905) :

The two following birth records of Albert and Rosa Gunsberger were read directly from the original books all hand written (note spelling of names):

•  Gunsberger, Rachael born 5 Sep 1895 - Residence of Parents: Sugar Street -Occupation of Father: Merchant-Date of Record: 16 Dec 1895

•  Leon Gunzburger and Aaron Gunsgburger ( twins)   born 28 Nov 1897 -Father is merchant -Date of Record: 22 Dec 1897

We also found a typed "Delayed Birth Certificate" for Ester Cleveland Gunzberger which was filed August 24, 1942 and issued August 29, 1942. Esther's address at the time was 814 Oakdale Ave, Chicago, Illinois. Ester was born in Selingsgrove, PA on 17 November, 1905. The occupation of Albert was listed as a fruit seller and his age at time of this birth was 45 yrs. Albert was deceased at the time of the record (24 Aug 1942). Rosa's age at the time of this birth was 44 years old and she was deceased at the time of the record. The birthplace of both parents was given as Baden Germany. There were affidavits from two non-relatives: Evan P. Hassinger born in Selinsgrove and living in Middleburg, who knew Esther for 36 years and Chester L. Ludwig, born and living in Selingsgrove, knew her for 36 years.

The Dreifuss Family in Altdorf (Baden) Germany

Aaron, Henry and Rosa lived or worked for some time in Selingsgrove, PA. The brothers, Henry and Aaron married sisters, Fanny and Hannah Bauman, respectively (from Baden) and the four of them lived next door to each other in Mifflinburg. The 1880 census shows them as next door to each other on Chestnut Street in Mifflinburg, PA with Aaron and Hannah's infant daughter, Rosie. Aaron and Hannah had four children and raised them in Danville, Pennsylvania area. They had at least seven grandchildren.

At some point, Aaron and Hannah left the Danville area for Philadelphia. In the 1920 census, Aaron was a 63 year old salesman at a refreshment store living in Philadelphia with Hannah at the home of their daughter Bessie and her husband, Morris Bien age 33- a bank real estate manager. Also living with them were Bessie and Morris's two sons, Isadore L. (11) and Herbert A. (9). Another son, Robert was born about 1922.

Henry and Fanny also moved to Danville where their six children were born, including Morris (Maurice), the grandfather of Karen Burk.

Rosa married Abraham Gunzberger and had ten children. Part of the family legend has it that Rosa and Abraham went into a business venture with Leopold and Eugenia, who appear to have moved to Selinsgrove (date unknown but it was definitely after the turn of the century). Leopold and Eugenia felt cheated by the Gunzburgers and returned to New York. Years later, Rosa's and Abraham son, Aaron Gunzberger traveled to New York to visit Leopold and Eugenia and apologized. Aaron later went into the furniture business in Los Angeles.

Today, there are many descendants of Leopold, Aaron, Henry and Rosa. Leopold's descendants (my aunts, uncles and cousins) flourished in the New York area. Aaron's family moved to Philadelphia. Henry's family left Danville in 1906 for Detroit. The Danville Morning News reported on May 30, 1906, "Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dreifuss, Master Leon and Miss Rae Dreifuss have left for Detroit, MI where they will make their home." That is exactly what they did and the family prospered there (see family photos below)

1926 Photographs of Dreifuss Family at Detroit Residence of Morris (Maurice). Morris (center of doorway) went to school in Danville. Henry (partially obscurred and Fanny) can be seen near top center in doorway. Top row (Isaac Grabowski, Morris, Fanny and Henry). Henry's grandchildren shown are Bud, Richard and Tina. Grabowski was father-in-law of Morris.

Today my third cousin (great granddaughter of Henry) and others still live in the Detroit area today. Rosa and her husband lived for many years in Selinsgrove and moved to Chicago with their grown children about 1910.

Why did Leopold Leave Pennsylvania and Whatever Happened to Him?

It's not clear why Leopold left Pennsylvania but a theory of mine is that somehow, somewhere he met Eugenia Bloch, his wife to be and she had family in New York. Leopold worked as a butcher and ice man in the

meat markets of New York City. The picture to the right shows Leopold at the far left as a very young man. So he probably was in Pennsylvania for a short time. He married 20 year old Eugenia Bloch in 1873. Eugenia was born in Switzerland. Eugenia came to the US at about age 16, but the details have not been established with certainty. Her family appears to have been established in New York in the banking and insurance businesses. We know that in the 1880 census, he and Eugenia were living in Brooklyn with 3 daughters - the oldest 6 years. We have heard that after living in New York for many years, Leopold and Eugenie had gone back to Selingsgrove to enter a business deal with Leopold's sister, Rosa and her husband, Albert (Abraham) Gunzberger. Leopold and Eugenie had eight children. Leopold who died at age 59 (1909) apparently did not discuss too much about Danville but did speak of Selinsgrove.

B'nai Zion and the Danville Jewish Community

Its is known that the Jewish community of Danville built a frame schoolhouse in 1853 and a charter was granted by the court of Montour County in 1854, where the name, "Benai Zion" first appeared. According to the 1881 book entitled "Danville Past and Present" by D. H. B. Brower (and republished in 2003), the charter members included A. Levi, Jacob Loeb, Lewis Lang, Moyer Lyon, Jacob Weil, Solomon and Jacob Meyer, Jacob Levi, Sandel Dreifuss, Feis Blum and Simon Ellenbogen.

In an address given on November 2, 1975 at the B'nai Zion synagogue, Ms. Judith Weinberg of the Columbian Chapter of Hadassah and B'nai B'rith. described her research of the early Jewish immigration to Danville.   She describes it as part of the great German migration which began in 1815 or earlier.   Of the 5 million Germans who immigrated in those years, 200,000 were Jews. Typically they began peddling, saving for a horse and wagon.   They would send for their families and open a store in "some likely spot which they found through their business trips". According to Ms. Weinberg, the first Jew in Danville may have been Louis Lang who advertised a business there in 1846 (this is supported by our observation that the earliest deaths we found in the B'nai Zion cemetery were in the 1840s).   Other early names were Rosenbaum and Dreifuss (Simon advertised in June 1850).   Many came from Alsace Lorraine. Ms. Weinberg also mentioned an 1846 Bernheimer family bible that was on display during her address to the congregation. I am very interested in this, since I believe the Bernheimer family in Danville may be ancestors of mine. Perhaps, this bible might still be available somewhere. Danville's B'nai Zion synagogue was regarded to be one of the oldest reform synagogues in the US dating back to a school house built in 1853-54 and the "new" synagogue built in 1871.   But there is belief on the part of former synagogue members that it was not reform in those early years.

I have independently dated the B'nai Zion Jewish community back to at least the early 1840s. First, I observed a grave stone in the old cemetery for a Jew who died in 1843. I have also found known B'nai Zion charter families to be living in Danville in the 1850 census. Among these are Jacob and Fanny Loeb - two of their younger children, age 4 and 5, were born in Pennsylvania. A Simon and Helena Dreifuss family of Danville was also in the 1850 census, including an eight year old son, Joseph. Since the birth of Joseph Dreifuss dates to approximately 1842, it may be that a Dreifuss was the first Jew in Danville! Simon Dreifuss (a 30 year old merchant) was from Switzerland, although Helena (age 28) was from Germany. Living in their household was Joseph (8), Therese (6), Samuel (4), Henrietta (3 months), Baruch Levy (aged 77 years from Germany, who may be the father of Helena), a Henry Dreifuss (a 33 year old clerk), Eliza Dreifuss (28) and Esther Robison (28 from England). Perhaps Henry was Simon's brother and Eliza was Henry's wife.

The torah scrolls of B'nai Zion are now the property of and under the control of the Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove. They are not open for public viewing, even to members of the Jewish Community with ties to B'nai Zion! In a synagogue, torahs are kept in an Ark. In B'nai Zion, the ark was housed within a pillared housing, which was removed and now displayed at the Crossroads, about 10 miles outside of Danville.

The B'nai Zion pillars as they look today at the Crossroads.

Timeline of Events

Most Recent Updates:

March 8, 2008 : Timeline Update: Marriages of Aaron Dreifuss to Hannah and Henry Dreifuss to Fanny (Baumann sisters)

June 16,2005 : Reflects new findings on Aaron and Henry from July 2004 and May 2005 Pa. research trips, the discovery of marriage records on Leopold and Eugenie and 1910 Census records for the Gunzburgers.