Sunland Tribune

Volume 28 Article 7

2002

The Princes of Seventh Avenue: Ybor City's Jewish Merchants

Yael V. Greenberg-Pritzker

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Recommended Citation Greenberg-Pritzker, Yael V. (2002) "The Princes of Seventh Avenue: Ybor City's Jewish Merchants," Sunland Tribune: Vol. 28 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/sunlandtribune/vol28/iss1/7

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Yael V. Greenberg-Pritzker River. Yet, even as more Jews immigrated to Florida, persecution and prejudice s a people, Jews have left an remained a feature of life. It wasn't until an indelible mark on the state of act of Congress on March 3, 1821, when the Florida, making contributions to region became an American territory, that A its economic, political, religious, Florida pledged a new attitude of tolerance and social life. From the establishment of of religious diversity. This act made it more early known settlements of Pensacola to the attractive for persecuted immigrants to set­ creation of modern public institutions, Jews tle in the territory. During this period, have played a significant role. While most Florida's Jewish population only numbered Florida residents are more familiar with between 30-40 individuals, with the major­ arrival of Jews after World War II, docu­ ity of the population living in the northern mented Jewish history can be traced as far part of the territory. On March 3, 1845, the back as 1763 (see Figure 1). In that year, day the state of Florida was admitted to the Alexander Solomons, Joseph de Palacious, Union, Jews numbered fewer than a hun­ and Samuel Israel arrived in Pensacola. dred people, out of a total state population The majority of Jewish families began of 66,500.2 immigrating to the U.S. in the 19th century Jewish population figures continued to and to Florida in the 1920s and 1930s. rise steadily; six synagogues were estab­ Today, Florida boasts the third largest lished throughout the state by 1900. Jewish population in the United States Florida's first congregation was founded in (about 750,000) next to California Pensacola in 1876 and was named Temple (967,000) and New York (1,651,000), and Beth El. Avath Chesed followed in South Florida has the largest concentration Jacksonville, 1882; Rodeph Sholom, Key of Jews living outside of Israel (650,000). 1 West, 1887; United Hebrew of Ocala, 1888; The Jewish experience in Florida has Schaarai Zedek, Tampa, 1894; and B'nai not been without its share of achievements. Israel, 1899 in Pensacola. Remarkably, all Undergoing successive periods of accep­ of the congregations established more than tance and discrimination, Jews managed to a century ago remain in existence today, leave a lasting impression, despite their lim­ with the synagogue in Key West changing its ited choices of settlement and employment name to B'nai Zion and United Hebrews of in the early beginnings of statehood. With Ocala splitting into two separate institu­ the transfer of Florida from Spain to tions.3 England in 1763, Jews were legally permit­ Prior to 1900, all of the congregations ted to establish permanent residency. Prior formed in Florida were based on to this pivotal year, during early Spanish Ashkenazic Judaism, the religious tradi­ rule of Florida, Jews and other religious tions and practices that came out of eastern groups who did not practice Catholicism and Central Europe. While it is true that could only reside temporarily and were not Ashkenazic Judaism dominated the reli­ allowed to practice their beliefs. During the gious landscape of Florida synagogues, a few administration of President James Monroe, congregations followed Sephardic doctrine, a treaty with Spain was signed February 22, which originated in the Iberian Peninsula 1819 which conveyed to the United States (Spain and Portugal). With only six congre­ all the lands situated east of the Mississippi gations in 1900, Florida's synagogues have 55 1 Pensacola 1763 2 Micanopy 1819 3 Tallahassee 1137 4 Key West 1848a e 5 Jacksonville 1841 6 Ocala Ul50s ~ 7 Orlando 1865 8 Tampa 1865 9 Palm Beach 1892 10 Miami 1892 11 Sarasota 1913 12 Fort Lauderdale I

1880 LOBIDA.__...,._ ..______-·-C,.....• ..._ ------~

Figure 1. Jewish Immigration into Florida from 1763. (Used with permissionfrom the collection of 56 the Jewish Museum of Florida, Miami Beach.) grown to nearly 300 today and new facilities United States were from the Iasi and Husi 4 spring up each year. regions of Romania and ended up immigrat~ ing and living in Key West simply because of JEWISH MERCHANTS one man's mistake. As the story goes, in 1884, a man by the name of Joseph Wolfson For centuries, Jews have been linked to was on his way to Tampa when his ship the mercantile, dry goods (needles, buttons, encountered bad weather and he was forced ribbons, and non-perishable food items), to land off the coast of Key West. Having a and apparel businesses. Part of the reason limited command of English, and finding a for this association stems from historic small community of Jews already living anti-Semitic sentiments in Eastern Europe, there, Joseph mistakenly thought he had where Jews were often prevented from pur­ landed in Tampa and immediately sent for suing other occupations. Additionally, the his Romanian family to join him. This pat­ majority of Jews were forced into a cultural tern of chain migration was a common fea­ dependency given the discrimination they ture of eastern European immigration, and faced and had to rely on their own abilities became a reason why so many families and skills, including trading, selling and joined their relatives in Key West and provisioning in order to support them­ Tampa to work as cigar workers and mer­ selves. Generation after generation of Jews chants. 8 followed their ancestral footsteps, moving Jewish peddler merchants had traveled into the same trades and businesses of fel­ throughout small Florida cities and towns low family members. Immigrating to the during the 19th and early 20th centuries New World did not alter this earliest of selling their goods until they could afford to Jewish economic patterns.5 settle down and open small stores. While Unlike other immigrants to the United only a small number of Jewish merchants States who had thoughts of returning to remained mobile, catering to the economic their native homelands, Jews were know­ and health related needs of many commu­ ingly aware that once they left Eastern nities, the majority worked in order to be Europe, they would never be able to reset­ able to settle permanently in one place. The tle or visit their birthplaces again. Instead, small stores they opened would sell a wide they carved out new niches, moving from variety of merchandise including clothing, portable occupations such as peddling to groceries, cigars, dry goods, and furniture establishing permanent businesses includ­ to several generations of families. Some of ing pawnshops, dry goods, and haberdash­ these established merchants even managed eries. 6 to help their fellow immigrants and rela­ tives in extraordinary ways by providing MIGRATION OF JEWS TO FLORIDA, them with jobs or financial assistance to 9 TAMPA, AND YBOR CITY purchase their own stores. In an effort to destroy peddler culture in The first recorded evidence of Jews in 1891, the Key West City Council imposed a Tampa occurred in the year 1865. Seeking $1,000 tax on peddlers. This situation to find a refuge from political unrest and caused most peddler merchants to relocate anti-Semitic sentiments in their native their businesses further north. Unable to countries, thousands of immigrants were pay the tax, the Jewish merchants who had enticed by advertisements in newspapers to migrated to Key West from Romania packed seek work in cigar factories around the up their carts and headed towards Ybor state of Florida. One such ad, entitled "The City in Tampa. German, Russian, and Rush for Key West,'' appeared in the Polish Jewish immigrants were also part of Tobacco Leaf Journal on May 2, 1885 and the migration to Ybor, but came to Tampa made the case that in order for Key West to independently of Romanians. Hearing sto­ become a significant location for the manu­ ries of an expanding cigar industry in facturing of cigars, "an increased demand of Tampa, many Jews also left Key West fol­ labor was needed." Remarkably, a high pro­ lowing cigar manufacturer Vicente Martinez portion of Romanian Jews settled in Florida Ybor's decision in 1886 to relocate his pro­ and came to Key West after 1880 before duction plant to the city. While most Jewish making their way to Tampa. 7 merchants who followed Ybor concen­ The majority of Jews who came to the trated their efforts on opening stores and 57 businesses that would supply the needs of cigarworkers, a few did manage to operate their own factories and manufacture their own brand of cigars. 10 As Martinez moved his operations from Key West to Tampa in 1885, he sent for additional cigarmakers from Cuba and transferred many of his former employees to the new factories. Although the majority of laborers that Martinez brought to Ybor were Cuban, Jews were among the laborers albeit a very small percentage. Providing a bridge between ethnic groups, the cigar fac­ tories helped to foster the economy of an urban city like Tampa, while establishing organizations that assisted immigrant popu­ lations with settlement and health care issues. According to the 1911 Immigrants in Industries issued by the 61st Congress, "the order of numerical strength among the races employed in the cigar factories" was:

(above) The first Maas Brothers Dry Goods Store First, Spanish; second, Italian; third, - The Palace - was located at 619-621 Franklin Cuban; fourth, all other races, including Street. (Photograph courtesy of Special Creoles from New Orleans, Whites and Collections, University of South Florida Negroes from Nassau, Porto Ricans, Library.) German Hebrews, French, Chinese, Russian Hebrews, Greeks, and Americans. (below) Abe Maas, at right with hat, is shown in 1896 with employees outside his store - The Palace - on Franklin Street. (Photo courtesy of By 1890, Florida's Jewish population would 11 the Tampa Bay History Center.) grow to nearly 2,500 persons. As Tampa became the leading manufac­ Union Station. And by mistake my turing center in Florida during the early brother waited for me in Ybor City. So I 20th century, the economy continued to landed in Union Station and I was trying become more financially dependent on the to get a ride to Ybor City and they used booming cigar industry in Ybor City. to have those horse and buggies. And Driven by the wages of the cigar laborers, they wanted fifty cents (charge for ride), the local economy relied heavily on their but I only had thirty-five cents in my weekly salaries to support and maintain pocket, so I showed them here ... here's business and industry. For the merchants thirty-five cents. And they said they 'no doing business on Seventh Avenue, the we can't do it.' I gave them the address brunt of their and one man clientele con­ did pick me up sisted of cigar­ for the thirty­ workers, local five cents but residents in he let me off at neighboring the corner of areas, and to a Nebraska and lesser extent, Seventh farmers from Avenue. I had Plant City. to walk eigh­ While the larger teen blocks to population in get to my the small-town brother.13 South frequent­ ly regarded Jews In so many as being part of ways, Ybor the merchant City was a dis­ class, Jews in tinct commu. Yb or City nity for immi­ received similar grants in that attention. In it offered dif­ fact, so preva­ ferent popula­ lent was this tions, includ­ connection that ing Jews, the when dry goods chance to merchant Adam interact in a Katz announced multi-ethnic the birth of his environment. son, the Tampa Language also Tribune herald­ served in Ybor ed the event as as a unifying "A new Hebrew agent among merchant was Abe Maas, the "Merchant Prince" of Tampa, and owner of the diverse born today." Not Mass Brothers, is shown with his wife and daughter in a 1903 groups. even a day old, photograph taken in Wiesbaden, Germany. The photograph Spanish was Adam's son was is on a postcard he mailed home to Tampa and includes a the principal signed note of greetings to a friend. (Photograph courtesy of already desig­ the Tampa Bay History Center.) language of nated by the Ybor; Spanish, Tampa community part of the next genera­ like Romanian, was a part of the Romance tion of merchants.12 language family. It is conceivable that In the following excerpt, Manuel because Romanian shared "qualities of Aronovitz, a Jewish merchant, recounts his tone, inflection, and emotional context" experiences of his arrival to Ybor City: that are similar to Spanish, Romanian Jews had an easier time learning Spanish than In the month of June 1914, I arrived in those who spoke the other languages of this country and at that time there were Jewish Ybor, e.g. Yiddish, and Russian. 14 two stations, one in Ybor City and one in In Susan Greenbaum's book, More Than 59 Table 1: Jewish Dry Goods (Wholesale) Stores in Tampa: 1910

Last Name/Store First Name Address Abramovitz Bar 1807 14th Bergman EM 1813 7th av Britwitz Manuel 1612 7th av Buchman JM 1906 7th av Crackowaner Daniel 1012-1014 Franklin Crackowaner Morris 1514 7th av Essrig Meyer 1304 and 1605 7th av Falk 0 & Bro Offin 714 Franklin Fishman Solomon 1926 9th av Goldberg Solomon 2105 7th av Goldstein AN 1224 Franklin Guterman Daniel 1713 7th av Katz Adam & Co Adam 1430 7th av Katz Manuel 307 Main WT Kirstein Philip 26 City Sav Bank bldg Maas Bros Abe 619-621 Franklin Repp a Isidor 169 Howard av Rothman Jacob 1515 7th av W T Schwartz Solomon 1328 7th av and 311 Main WT Segall Philip 1727 7th av Simovitz Abraham 1806 7th av Simovitz Samuel 301 Main WT Steinberg EH 1611 7th av Weisberg Charles N .E. corner Main and Howard av W T W T= West Tampa Source: 1910 City Directory, Vim. X.

Black: Afro-Cubans in Tampa, Florida the century. Like Katz, many were mer­ 1886-2000, a story about the organization chants in Ybor City who spoke Spanish of the Marti-Maceo Society (black Cubans) and found a comfortable niche in the in Ybor City, she notes the willingness of immigrant enclave. Jewish merchants to learn Spanish as a means of attaining economic and social Motivated initially by Marti-Maceo's struggle positions in a Latin immigrant society: to pay off a substantial bank loan of $2,600, Adam Katz, a Romanian merchant, became Adam Katz owned a dry goods store at a friend to this group and assisted them 1430 7th Avenue in Ybor City. He was financially until his death on November 19, part of a small group of Jews in Tampa 1924. By learning Spanish, Jewish immi­ who had fled pogroms and discriminato­ grants were not only able to gain respect ry laws in Romania around the turn of with the dominant population in Ybor, but 60 also conduct business with few restraints. IS While few in number, the Sephardic population (Jews who came from Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East) in Ybor also had an easier time of communicating with the Spanish community than other merchants, because of their knowledge of Ladino. Originating in Spain, Ladino is a dialect still spoken by Sephardic Jews today and is largely a combination of Hebrew let­ ters and Spanish pronunciation. Immigrants began flooding into Ybor City seeking work. Cigar manufacturers, expanding their operations, adding branch­ es and relocating their factories, provided jobs and created opportunities for mer­ chants of every kind. The unincorporated city of Ybor was developing rapidly and res­ idents and city officials alike had to contend with growing problems of sanitation, utili­ ties, and transportation. Reluctantly, with the prodding of the Tampa Board of Trade, Ybor City became incorporated on June 2, 1887.I6 By the time the bulk of Jewish immi­ grants had come to the city around 1890, Tampa and its newly incorporated Ybor City were moving at a rapid pace, growing nearly to 6,000 people within a decade. From its beginning as a "sleepy coastal vil­ lage," to a bustling urban center, the expan­ Isadore Kaunitz (Photograph courtesy of sion of Ybor City necessitated a vibrant Special Collections, University of South Florida retail industry to meet the many needs of Libraries.) cigar workers who lived there and worked in the nearby factories. Seventh Avenue Jews did participate. For example, in the and its surrounding streets became a cen­ mid-1900s, the Rippa family moved their tral area in which immigrants worked, cigar-manufacturing factory from Key West socialized, and conducted the majority of to the Tampa area to produce their own their shopping. In a sense, one could say brand of cigars. German Jews also came to that Seventh Avenue helped to foster Tampa around 1910. The Hamburger, numerous exchanges between immigrants Regensburg, and Bucksbaum families are a from different countries and provided a dis­ few of the German Jews who came to tinctive environment in which business Florida seeking the prospect of lucrative could be conducted. Sharing the immigrant investment opportunities. IS experience, Cubans, Spaniards, and Italians understood the determination of Jews to JEWISH MERCHANTS' ROLE IN THE STRUGGLE succeed, leading to the formation of life­ FOR CUBAN INDEPENDENCE long friendships with merchants.17 Even as the majority of Jews participat­ In many larger communities in the ed in the economic growth of Ybor through South, Jews were viewed as being outside the retail trade, a small percentage was the mainstream population. By contrast, involved in the production of cigars. Tampa Jews were not prevented from par­ Although their contributions were minimal ticipating in the affairs of their community. in comparison with that of their Cuban, When Jose Marti began speaking around the Spanish, and Italian neighbors, the majori­ United States about his personal struggle ty of available literature on cigar production for Cuban Independence, Jews who were does refer to a handful of instances when working in the tobacco industry in Tampa 6I (1)- Rodeph Sholom Synagogue (29)- Russells Ladies Wear (Russell & jean (57)- Philip Weissman Clothing (2)- Knesses Yisroale Synagogue Bernheim) (58)- Louie's Department Store (Soloman (3)- (Meyer) Kisler Pharmacy (30)- David Kasriel Dept. Store/The jewel Simovitz & Sons) Box (Buddy Levine; then Dave Kartt) (4)- YMHA (59)- Buchman's Department Store & Royal (31)- Louis Wohl Household Supplies/The Palm Window Shades (Jacob Buchman (5) - American Pipe & Plumbing (Irv & Roy Palace (Louis & Mark Shine) Family) Salsbury) (32) - Max (&Sam) Argintar Mens Wear (60) - Martin's Uniforms (Spicola) (6)- House of a Million Auto Parts (Phil Grubstein & George !chi!) (33)- Rophies Linens (61) - Red Globe Store Ooseph Weissman) Martin Uniforms (Howard & [rving (7)- Milchman Kosher Deli (34)- Joseph Kasriels Ladies Dept. Store Weissman) (8)- (35)- Louis Wohl & Sons Restaurant Supply William Bass Scrap Metals (62)- Royal Palm Window Shades/Martin's (36)- (9)- Grocery (front) Printing (rear) (Julius Weber Ladies Uniform Dress Mfg. Uniforms Silverman) (37) - United Shoe Store (Leon Woolfe ) (63)- Leader Dry Goods & Notions (Toba (10)- Finman Kosher Market (38)- Ida's Ladies Ready to Wear (Max & Ida Margolis & Daughter Cecelia) (11)- EJozory Furniture Store Goodrich) The Palace Milchman Watch & Jewelry Repair (12)- Blue Ribbon Supermarket (Bobo (39)- Economy Ladies Wear (Oscar Po1ler) (64) - Red Globe Store/ A & Z Restaurant Families) (40)- Rippa Ladies Wear (Bob Rippa's Supply (Anton & Zack) (13)- Tick/Reznick Bags & Drums Grandfather) (65)- Julius & Fannie Buckman Store (14) - (2nd Ybor Post Office) Hallmark (41) - Haber's Ladies Wea r (Bob Rippa's (66)- Sam Hartzman (2nd Hand Suits) Grandfather) Emblems (Klein, Weissmans, etc.) (67)- Weissman Clothing Store; then to (15)- West Coast Army Store (became (42)- David Stein Furniture Co. Martins Uniforms Fremacs Mens Wear) (Fred & Mack (43)- Abe Wolfson Mens Wear (68)- Charles Haimovitz Mens Store (Barney Perlman and Sam, Alex, & Milton (44) - Pollers Ladies Wear (Nathan Poller) Haimes' Father) Bokor) (45)- Wolfson's Trimming Store (Adam (69) - The Leader Clothing Store (Hyman (16)- (Max) Star Grocery Wolfson & Son, William) Golden) (17) - Max Argintar Pawn & Clothing/ (46)- Modern Home Furnishings (Louis (70) - Corona Brush Co. (Gregory & David Martin's Uniforms Buchman & Son "Booky") Waksman) (18) - Adam Katz Family Clothing (Harry (47)- Manuel Aronovitz Store (71)- Louis Markovitz Clothing Wilderman) (48) - Herman Aronovitz Clothing Store I (72)- Ozias Meerovitz Mens Store (19)- Liberty Mens Store (Abe Herscovitz) (Buddy) Arnold's Shoes & Art Supply (73)- Tampa Typewriter Service (Martin (20) - Curtis Gimpel, Office Machines (49)- Dayan Linens (Victor Dayan) Haas) (21)- Dr.!. Einbinder. Dentist (upstairs) (50)- Dayan Linens (Nissam Day) (74)- Southern Iron & Bag (Louis Gordon) (22) - Blue Ribbon Supermarket (51)- Little Ka tz Fabrics (Fannie Katz & (75) - Peretzman Scrap Iron & Metal (23)- Isadore Davis Department Store nephew Irving) Edwards Childrens (76)- Zack Restaurant Supply (24) - Rophies Mens Wear Store (Morris Weisman & Son, Edward) (77)- Hillsborough Plumbing Supply (25) - Adorable Hat Store (Till ye Simovitz/ (52) - Steinberg's (William & Bootsic Oster) Waltzer I Freedman) (53)- Ike Weiss Department Store/Sunshine (78) - Anton Restaurant Supply (26)- Rainbow Mens Wear (Abe & Sam Department Store/Manuel Leibovitz & (79) - (Leo) Chardkoff Bag Co. Verkauf) Sons (80)- A & Z Restaurant Supply (27)- Isadore Segall Ladies Wear (54)- Milton Schwartz Tire Co. (81) - West Coast Sa lvage & Iron (Sidney (55)- Sunshine Department Store (28)- Isadore Segall Ladies Wear Bernstein) (56)- Philip Weissman Clothing (82)- West Coast Salvage & Iron (Sidney Bernstein) Figure 1: Jewish geography of Ybor City, 1920s-1970s. (Used with permissionfrom the collection of the Jewish Museum of Florida, Miami Beach.)

joined with Spanish activist groups to lend Seventh Avenue in Ybor, was an important their support. Laboring in the cigar facto­ supporter of Marti's cause and in November ries, Hispanics and Jews conversed about 1892, introduced Martf to organizations Cuba and its prospect for tremendous within the Jewish community as a way to growth and change in the coming years. If obtain funding for his movement. anything, eastern European Jews could Steinberg was later honored with a recep­ empathize with Marti's struggle fo r indepen­ tion attended by the Cuban leader. Due in dence from Spain, for most had been part to their experiences with repressive estranged from their homelands, too, and governments in their native countries, knew what it fe lt like to be without a per­ Jews, especially those from Romania, sym­ manent place to live. 19 pathized with Cuban cigarworkers and Steinberg, owner of H.R Steinberg's on believed that they should receive fair 62 Isidore Kaunitz owned the El Sombrero Blanco - The White Hat - that occupied 1407-1413 7th Avenue, Ybor City. (Photograph courtesy of Special Collections, University of South Florida Library.)

benefits and wages. Some individuals took Romanian immigrants could gather and action in other ways by volunteering to interact with one another. Albert Staar, son fight in the war with Spain. Men like Max of former merchants in Ybor City, and Joseph Steinberg even settled perma­ expressed his thoughts on the reasons for nently in Cuba after their War of Romanian support of Cuban independence: Independence. 20 The experiences of Jews in Eastern "Being from Europe and running away Europe caused both Russian and Romanian from army conscription by tyrants, immigrants to offer their support to the kings, and communists made us sympa­ Cuban struggle in rather distinct ways. thetic to a country where we were free. Historically, Jews from Romania "suffered You should support anything you wanted more through being considered an alien in especially freedom seekers Cubans. "21 the country of his birth than any other per­ secuted Jew of the present day." When Russian Jews responded in an altogether Romanian Jews began immigrating to the completely different manner to Marti's United States, many became so "complete­ cause, and were not as involved as the ly" devoted to their new country and took Romanians. In fact, by the time Marti visit­ such strong interest in political affairs that ed Tampa in October of 1892, the majority they established their own organizations of Russian businessman began making including the Romanian American plans to move their shops out of Ybor City Republican Club and the Romanian making way for larger businesses. Unlike American Independent Citizens the Romanians, Russian immigrants were Associations. These organizations not only always looking for ways to expand their served as a forum for the expression of their businesses, pushing to move downtown in opinions, but also as a place where the hopes of capitalizing on the growing 63 Edward H. Steinberg, at right, was the owner of Steinberg's Dry Goods, 1310 7th Avenue, Ybor City. During the Cuban Revolution, Steinberg gave money to Jose Marti and was later honored with a reception by the Cuban leader himself. (Photograph used by permission of Special Collections, University of South Florida Libraries.)

customer base rather than remaining in particularly when Jews responded to the unpredictable economic structure of national incidents such as the 1913 trial of Ybor City. 22 Georgia citizen and Jewish businessman At this point it is important to note the Leo Frank. 23 significance of Jewish participation in the Cited as the "most publicized event public affairs of Tampa during this period. involving a Jew that ever occurred in the Along with other immigrant populations, South," Leo Frank's case ignited concerns Jews living in Tampa were allowed to among the Jewish community in Atlanta express their freedom by attending public and throughout the United States. assemblies and vocalizing their opinions Ultimately, the false conviction of Frank for without having to be concerned about killing a 13-year-old worker in his pencil retaliation by supporters of anti-Semitic factory taught Jews that no matter how movements. In stark contrast to the expe­ much they assimilated into southern soci­ riences of Tampa, Jews living in the Deep ety, the larger population would never con­ South witnessed many examples of hatred sider them "true southerners." In the minds displayed against them, and for fear of of many Jews, what happened to Leo Frank their lives often did not become involved could certainly have happened to them. in the public affairs of their communities. Frank was given life imprisonment by the This approach was not always possible, governor, but unfortunately was later 64 hanged by a lynch mob. Having experi­ owned and operated by Jewish merchants. enced first-hand blatant anti-Semitism, This economic expansion was short­ Southern Jews remained on alert, out­ lived however, and came to an end with the wardly displaying feelings of calm, but stock market crash of 1929 and the subse­ among themselves continuing to be fearful quent depression that began that year. The of the future.24 Great Depression of the 1930s clearly affected Tampa's cigar industry, as ISADORE KAUNITZ America's fondness for tobacco was quickly supplanted by more pressing concerns In 1903, Isadore Kaunitz, a native of caused by high unemployment and Buzei, Romania, constructed the first brick rationing of food staples and supplies by the building on Seventh Avenue in Ybor City. federal government.26 Hearing stories of a "golden medina," a Forced to deal with the prospect of shut­ golden land, where a person was free to live, ting down their businesses entirely, many work, and pray without being persecuted, merchants on Seventh Avenue attempted to immigrants like Kaunitz believed that they combat financial deterioration by diversify­ could make a better life for themselves in ing their existing shops or opening com­ the United States. Carrying few material pletely different kinds of businesses. For possessions, many Jewish immigrants who many, the idea of closing up their shops for came to Ybor did not have any relatives to an extensive period was an agonizing deci­ rely on, and often were pointed toward sion, one that was necessary if their fami­ Kaunitz to seek counsel and financial assis­ lies were to have any chance of making it tance. By 1910, only seven years after through the difficult times ahead. Others Kaunitz had opened his store, El Sombrero managed for as long as they could, relocat­ Blanco - The White Hat, the city directory ing their businesses to the downtown and listed 15 stores owned by Jews in Ybor City; West Tampa areas. From 1930-1940, busi­ all were recorded as dry goods businesses ness on Ybor's main shopping area, Seventh (see Table 1). Through the efforts of mer­ Avenue (La Gran Septima Avenida), contin­ chants like Kaunitz, Jewish immigrants ued to undergo tremendous changes, often were able to establish their credibility with­ leading to old stores being taken over in Ybor and be part of the tremendous entirely by new ones. During the decade of expansion that was taking place at the time. the 30s, Florida's Jewish population would In just a few years, Jews had managed to increase to approximately 25,000.27 become part of the economic force on From 1930 to 1940, business on Seventh Seventh Avenue providing the city with a Avenue continued to change as old shops wide range of goods, from everyday articles were replaced with new ones, including such as fabric and clothing, to items like Fin man's Kosher Market, Alma auto parts that were not so ordinary in Fleischman's Style Hat Shop, Dayan's those days. In 1910, the Whol, Buchman, Linens, and Sam Haimovitz's Active and Rippa families opened their stores in Lumber Company. As the United States Ybor City. No one, not even the families neared entrance into World War II, those themselves could have imagined that their merchants who were able to "hang on" into businesses would have such far-reaching the 1940s would experience a revitalization impact on the future development of of commerce that would have a tremendous Tampa.25 impact on Tampa and Ybor City. By 1925, names like Aronovitz, Shine, The war brought thousands of skilled Weissman, Verkauf, Weber, Weiss, Simovitz, workers and military personnel to Tampa. Segall, Katz, and Wolfson, were prominent The city was fast becoming a major center on storefronts and industries throughout for the shipbuilding industry. While build­ Ybor City and West Tampa (see Figure 1). ing and repairing ships required a steady In the first quarter of the 20th century, flow of trained workers, the opening of mil­ Tampa's geographical and economic devel­ itary bases such as Drew, Henderson and opment increased dramatically, in part to MacDill Army Air Fields also meant that the intensification of commerce and indus­ thousands of servicemen and women would try throughout Ybor City. By 1920, some 34 spend months and even years living in the years after Jewish immigrants first arrived Tampa area. Ybor City's close proximity to in Ybor City, a total of 30 businesses were the bases and Port of Tampa meant that 65 stores opening, the once vibrant city was beginning to show signs of physical deter­ ioration. Clothing stores owned by the Poller's and Haber's left Ybor to relocate downtown, while the Weissman's Hallmark Emblems and Martin's Uniforms remained until the 1970s. Though Ybor City went through many periods of highs and lows, the close-knit atmosphere that had been such a part of its charm during the first half of the century would never be the same after the U.S. embargo on Cuba in 1960 ended the importation of Cuban tobacco and permanently stifled the cigar manufac­ turing industry. According to Jose Yglesias's article, "The Radical Latino Island in the Deep South," cigar makers could not make fine cigars without tobacco from the Vuelta Abajo area of Pinar del Rio in Cuba. The Vuelta Abajo was considered by cigar man­ ufacturers as the finest area to grow tobac­ co, and once the land became unavailable, the industry began to decline steadily. Adding to the decline, manufacturers also moved from the production of hand-rolled cigars to machine-made, which cost half the price (about five cents each) and could be made more quickly. Unlike the fine cigars that had built Ybor's reputation world-wide, these cigars could be made with less labor and in far larger quantities.30 As early as the 1950s, many of Ybor City's historic buildings and entire neighborhoods began to be demolished to make way for new One of the last remaining Jewish-owned stores roads, subsidized housing, and proposed on Ybor City's Seventh Avenue is Max Argintar large-scale development. Urban renewal in East 7th Avenue. (Photograph Men's Wear, 1522 Ybor's situa­ courtesy of the author.) the 1960s further complicated tion and shifted the composition of long-time residents living in the area. In 1910, Ybor shipyard workers and Gis would venture City was largely inhabited by immigrants all into Ybor, spending large parts of their under the age of 40, and by 1960, the major­ weekly salaries in restaurants, bars and ity of these men and women were growing stores on Seventh Avenue.28 older.31 Race was also a factor, as large per­ In 1946, the Bobo family, one of the more centages of African-Americans began moving prominent Sephardic Jewish families living in into Ybor City after 1950. The demolition of the area, opened the Blue Ribbon Super­ many Ybor homes and businesses to make market; it remained a fixture on the Avenue way for construction of U.S. Interstate 4 just until June of 2000 when the family retired the north of the city's core business district fur­ business and sold it to a development group. ther added to Ybor's economic decline. The building, however, never made it through Florida first approved urban renewal leg­ further development, and was destroyed by islation in 1959, and in 1962 Tampa was the fire shortly after being sold.29 first city to reveal its plans for the creation The 1950s and 1960s brought further of an urban renewal agency. While bulldoz­ change to Ybor City with a large percentage ers began to tear down Ybor City in 1965, of established businesses moving out of the officials in the urban renewal office pro­ area. With their permanent departure or claimed that the city would become "a closing, and a decline in the number of new tourist attraction second to none in the 66 U.S." In the end, 660 buildings housing We're the oldest business big or small." 1,100 families were demolished at a cost of As Ybor City undergoes a rebirth and over 9.6 million dollars.32 revitalization, as renovations and new con­ Even through this difficult period, Jewish struction transforms entire blocks, as new merchants never completely abandoned stores and restaurants open, and the clang Ybor City, as evidenced by the arrival of fam­ of the streetcar returns after an absence of ilies like the Waksman family who fled Cuba over SO years, the only lasting remnants of in 1961 and opened the Corona Brush facto­ the Jewish merchants are their names, ry in Ybor and the Dress Mart in downtown which adorn many of the building facades Tampa. The significance of Jewish merchants on the Avenue. Who could have foreseen the in Tampa was made clear by newspaper arti­ impact and enduring presence that a small cles written shortly before the closing of group of people from Russia, Romania, and Louis Wohl's department store in 1977. After Germany would have on the history of com­ serving the community for nearly 80 years merce and trade in Ybor City?34 (open since 1897), Wohl's supplied Tampa residents with a myriad of goods, from ENDNOTES restaurant supplies and equipment to home furnishings. Lawrence Levy, an employee of Wohl's since 1933, fondly recalled the days Yael Greenberg-Pritzker received a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Arts in when "country boys" from as far away as Applied Anthropology from the University Ocala would come to the store to buy sup­ of South Florida. She plans to pursue her plies to make their moonshine. Levy recalled, Ph.D. in Anthropology, and teaches anthro­ "They'd come to our warehouse in a pickup pology part-time at Hillsborough Com­ tmck with 15 or 20 100-pound sacks of sugar munity College. Her areas of interest already piled on. Then they'd fill up the rest include ethnography, immigrant history, of the space with 5-gallon bottles." ethnicity and identity. Most recently, she Eventually, the government stepped in and was awarded the Presidential Award from ordered Wohl's employees to record the the Florida Historical Society for her paper license tag numbers of anyone purchasing "Southern Cultural Enclaves: Jewish five or more bottles at one time. Levy added, Settlement In Ybor City, 1880-1924." Currently, she is writing and publishing "that pretty well ended the business for us."33 articles which pertain to her work on the Through the revitalization of Ybor City in Jewish community of Ybor City. the 1980s and 1990s, a few Jewish business­ es returned and tried their hand at retail again; unfortunately their efforts were short­ The author wishes to thank Mr. Richard Bernardy for his assistance in preparation lived as Ybor continued to undergo urban­ of illustrations and graphics for this article. ization. Small shops could no longer com­ pete with the "economic boom" that was 1. Florida Jewish Heritage Trail (hereafter cited FI-IT), occurring throughout downtown Tampa. httpJ/www.flheritage.com/magazine/jht/. Although crowds of people filled Ybor's 2. Jewish Population of the United States, cafes daily giving Tampa residents http://www. us-israel. or2fj source/US-Israel/us jew­ the false pop.html. impression of the city's return, nearly a 3. Rachel B. Heimovics and Marcia Zerivitz, Florida third of Ybor's 2,229 residents in 1980 lived Jewish Heritage Trail (Florida: Division of Historical below the poverty level. Nonetheless, one Resources, 2000), 3. single Jewish family, the Argintars, has 4. Ibid., 3. managed to remain on the Avenue since 5. Craig Hamilton, Levi Strauss: The Man Behind the 1902. Argintar's Men's Wear has been a sta­ Britches, http://plnt1213.okstate.edu I biographies I Strauss I LeviStrauss-CROP2.htm. ple on Seventh Avenue (1414 7th Avenue) and continues to be the only store operated 6. Hurbert M. Blalock, Toward a Theory of Minority­ Group Relations (North Carolina: John Wiley and by a descendant of immigrants who fled Sons, Inc., 1967), 584-585. Romania in the late 1890s. When asked 7. Henry A. Green and Marcia Zerivitz, Mosaic, Jewish about his family's service to the communi­ Life in Florida: A Documentary Exhibit From 1763 ty, Sammy Argintar, son of the late Max to the Present (Florida: Hallmark Press, 1991), 30; "The Rush for Key West," Tobacco Leaf Journal, Argintar who originally founded the store in 1885, Volume 22 (14): 2. 1902, proudly replied, "We know about 70 8. Ibid., Green and Zerivitz, 15. percent of the people .. . we have been here, 9. Ybor City and the Jews notes, available at the our business had been here since 1902. Mosaic Archives, Miami. 67 10. Bellido, Susana, "Exhibit Focuses on Key West, Yael V. Greenberg-Pritzker, 29 March 2001. Cuba," The Miami Herald, 14 November 1993. 23. Jorge Manach, Marti: Apostle of Freedom, Coley 11. Omar Amador, "Ybor City: Making the Past Its Taylor, trans. (New York: Devin-Adair Company, Future," Americas (March-April 1988), 2-7; Ybor 1950), 285. City and the Jews; 1911 US Senate Immigration 24. Leonard Dinnerstein, Anti-Semitism and Jewish Report, Immigrants in Industries, XIV: "Cigar and Anxieties in the South, 1865-1980s (New York: Tobacco Manufacturing," Senate Documents, Oxford University Press, 1994), 175-179, 181, 183- Volume 77; Heimovics and Zerivitz, 3. 185, 187. 12. "A Fine Bouncing Boy," The Tampa 1hbune, 16 25. Ybor City and the Jews; Mormino and Pozzetta, February 1904. 276; Tampa City Directory: 1910, Volume X 13. Manuel Aronovitz, interview by Marvin Aronovitz, (Tampa: R.L. Polk and Company Publishers, 1910). 7 February 1975. 26. Heimovics and Zerivitz, 29; Westfall , 18; Ybor City 14. Ybor City and the Jews. and the Jews. 15. Susan D. Greenbaum, More Than Black: Afro­ 27. Ybor City and the Jews. Cubans in Tampa, Florida, 1886-2000 (Gainesville: 28. Ybor City and the Jews. University Press of Florida, 2002), 188. 29. Ybor City and the Jews; Sherri Ackerman, "Ybor's 16. Ibid., 190. Beloved Blue Ribbon Cut," The Tampa 1hbune, 21 17. Glenn L. Westfall , Key West: Cigar City U.S.A. (Key June 2000; Sean Lengell and Sherri Ackerman, West: Historic Key West Preservation Board, 1985), "Fire, Whole Bu ilding Going Up," The Tampa 5, 17. 1hbune, 15 August 2000. 18. Ibid., 18; Gary R. Mormino and George E. Pozzetta, 30. Ybor City and the Jews; Jose Yglesias, "The Radical The Immigrant World of Ybor City: Italians and Latino Island in the Deep South." In a Centennial Their Latin Neighbors in Tampa, 1885-1985 History of Ybor City, Theme Issue, Tampa Bay (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1987), 245- History (1985), 129, 168-169. 246. 31. A.M. de Quesada, Images of America: Ybor City 19. Ibid., Ybor City and the Jews. (Great Britain: Arcadia Publishing, 1999), 109; Ybor City and the Jews; Mormino and Pozzetta, 305. 20. Green and Zerivitz, 15-16. 32. Mormino and Pozzetta, 305-306. 21. Ybor City and the Jews; Centro Maccabeo Names, available at Mosaic Archives, Miami; Ibid., Green 33. Ybor City and the Jews; Leland Hawes, "A and Zerivitz, 16. Company Man for 60 Years," The Tampa 1hbune, 6 June 1993. 22. D.M. Hermalin, The Romanian Jews in America. In The American Jewish Yearbook, 5662,Cyrus 34. Ybor City and the Jews; Mormino and Pozzetta, Adler, ed. (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication 312-313; Sammy Argintar, interview by Yae l V. Society, 1901), 90, 95-96; Albert Staar, interview by Greenberg-Pritzker, 29 March 2000.

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