The Home of Peace cemetery on Stockton Boulevard replaced the original Jewish cemetery in East Sacramento in 1924. / Photo courtesy of Robert Wascou

Across the street from the area’s first cemetery, Sutter’s Burial Ground – later known as the New Helvetia Cemetery – which had its first interment in 1845, was the aforementioned Jewish cemetery.

Property for this Jewish cemetery, which was located on J Street, between what would be 32nd Street, if the street were to extend to this location, and 33rd streets, was purchased in 1850 from Ring Rose J. Watson by Louis Schaub, in trust for the Hebrew Benevolent Society.

Moses Hyman, a prominent merchant who came to the area from New Orleans in 1849 with Samuel Harris Goldstein, donated $150 to the Jewish Benevolent Society for the establishment of the cemetery.

Cemetery’s first resident

An account regarding Hyman and Goldstein is documented in the June 3, 1850 edition of the Placer Times – Sacramento’s first newspaper – as follows:

“On the downward trip of the (steamboat) Gov. Dana on Friday (May 30, 1850), Mr. Harris Goldstein, a merchant of Marysville, fell overboard in an attempt to get a bucket of water from the (Feather) River, about four miles below Marysville. He swam well at first, and all aboard, including his son, about 14 years of age, had perfect confidence that he would reach the shore. He was observed to turn on his back, as if to rest himself, and then sank to rise no more. He had some $1,600 in (gold) dust on his person. We are furnished with numerous testimony to Capt. Young’s exertions to rescue him. The scene, when hope had fled, was most distressing. The agony of his son (Jacob) drew forth many a manly tear of sympathy and the truest commisseration (sic) was expressed for the wife (Rosina) and children home in New Orleans.”

This headstone marks the gravesite of Samuel Harris Goldstein, who was possibly the first person buried at the Jewish cemetery in East Sacramento. / Photo courtesy of Robert Wascou

Although it is unknown where Goldstein was originally buried, his remains were re-interred in the Jewish cemetery on J Street and later moved to the city’s current Jewish cemetery, Home of Peace of Sacramento, which is located on Stockton Boulevard at El Paraiso Avenue.

Robert Wascou, cemetery project coordinator of the Jewish Genealogical Society, said that based on his personal research, he believes Goldstein may have been the first person to be buried at the Jewish cemetery on J Street.

“At the time of Goldstein’s death, there was no Jewish cemetery in Sacramento, so therefore he would have been buried in another cemetery,” Wascou said. “Since the New Helvetia Cemetery was closed to burials due to recurrent flooding, he was likely buried in the city cemetery (which was established at the present day corner of Broadway and Riverside Boulevard in 1849). Unfortunately, there was no superintendent of the city cemetery at that time and no records were kept. My feeling is that he was probably the first or one of the first people buried in the Jewish cemetery, because of his friendship with Moses Hyman.”

Hyman later had another connection with Goldstein, as he married his widow, Rosina.

Original location on J Street

During the existence of the city’s original Jewish cemetery, which is presently the site of about a dozen businesses, including the historic Club Raven at 3246 J St., about 500 bodies were buried at the cemetery.

Early additions to the Jewish cemetery occurred in 1863 with the construction of a chapel and a brick wall, which bordered the cemetery.

This present day view of J Street in East Sacramento shows the site of the city’s first Jewish cemetery. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

A reference to the Jewish cemetery in the May 29, 1886 edition of The Sacramento Union describes the site as follows: “This cemetery is well kept and contains many handsome monuments, five of which were placed in position during the last month. This cemetery is under the charge of Nicholas Mohns.”

Mohns, who resided at 2830 O St., where Meritage Insurance is presently located, maintained the title of the cemetery’s sexton, a position that he also held at the New Helvetia Cemetery by as early as 1889.

During this era, the cemetery was located near Nehemiah, Albert and George Clark’s Pacific Pottery at 34th and J streets.

The Clarks’ business, however, was destroyed by fire during the afternoon of Dec. 18, 1887. The fire was reported to have originated in the kiln room on the eastern end of the business’s two-story, wood-frame, main structure.

Move to present location

In 1924, the property for the Jewish cemetery on Stockton Boulevard was purchased from Walter W. Bassett, a bank cashier who resided at 1224 40th St.

Club Raven at 3246 J St. is the most notable landmark on the former site of the Jewish cemetery in East Sacramento. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

While observing historic Home of Peace records, Wascou presented the following information regarding the relocation of the remains at Sacramento’s original Jewish cemetery: “They started moving the 500 remains to Home of Peace in the spring of 1926 and by June 1926, 104 bodies had been moved,” Wascou said. “It was noted in the cemetery’s minutes of May 16, 1927 that 70 bodies were moved and 10 more would be moved in the coming week. In the May 21, 1928 minutes, there were yet 48 bodies to be moved from the old cemetery. In the Nov. 14, 1929 minutes, there were about 25 graves yet to be moved. The last section of the old Jewish cemetery was sold to Paul and Isabel Prom (of 1545 38th St.) on Nov. 6, 1945.”

Wascou added that about 250 bodies were moved to the Home of Peace cemetery and that other bodies were moved to the Jewish cemeteries in Colma in San Mateo County, or to other Jewish sites.

Today, the Home of Peace cemetery, which consists of more than 2,500 burials and is under the direction of its executive director, Lewis Rosenberg, represents a continuation of 160 years of serving the Jewish community of the Sacramento region.

The original main gate of the Home of Peace cemetery is located at the corner of Stockton Boulevard at El Paraiso Avenue. / Photo courtesy of Robert Wascou

For more than a half a century, Congregation B’nai Israel has had a temple in Land Park that has been a very important place for the local Jewish community. The site, however, is only part of the rich history of the congregation’s presence in Sacramento.

The roots of Congregation B’nai Israel, in fact, date back to the great Gold Rush of California.

During this time in history, Jewish immigrants arrived in Sacramento mainly from Germany and Poland. Others arrived from Russia, England and France.

Of these early Jewish immigrants, Moses Hyman, who resided at 56 Front St., is recognized as the first Jewish leader in Sacramento.

Congregation B’nai Israel was established in 1852 as an outgrowth from the Hebrew Benevolent Society, which was founded by Jewish pioneers during the later months of 1850.

Services of the congregation were held in private homes in the capital city until June 1852, when a building was purchased from the First Methodist Episcopal Church.

The prefabricated building, which was located at 7th and L streets, was shipped around Cape Horn from Baltimore to San Francisco in 1849.

The building, which was then brought to Sacramento and consecrated in September 1852, became the first synagogue west of the Mississippi.

From left to right, President Dalton Feldstein, Rabbi Phineas Smoller of Los Angeles, Rabbi Irving Hausman of Congregation B’nai Israel and Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath, president of the UAHC (now Union for Reform Judaism) participate in the temple’s 100th anniversary service on Jan. 18, 1952. / Photo courtesy of Congregation B’nai Israel

Unfortunately for the congregation, the original synagogue was burned down during a great fire, which also destroyed many other buildings in the area.

Following the fire, under Rabbi Z. Newstadter, a congregation met at a temporary temple on 5th Street.

By 1864, a new temple on 6th Street, between J and K streets, was consecrated and used for services and other gatherings for the following 40 years.

In about 1880, the congregation shifted from Orthodox Judaism to Reform Judaism.

A new, two-story synagogue with an upstairs sanctuary, a social hall, stage and kitchen, was constructed and opened on 15th Street, between N and O streets, in about 1904.

The history of the Jewish synagogue in the capital city includes many notable Sacramentans.

Among the more notable people who were members of the congregation were David Lubin and Harris Weinstock.

Many present day Sacramentans are familiar with the names Weinstock and Lubin due to the longtime existence of the department store, Weinstock-Lubin and Co., which was located at 11th and K streets. Other locations of the store, which was later known as Weinstock’s, were located in the greater Sacramento area.

The name David Lubin has also been memorialized through the David Lubin Elementary School at 3535 M St. in East Sacramento. The school, which had the previous address 3700 K St., opened in about the mid-1920s.

In addition to his connection to the Weinstock-Lubin store, Lubin is also recognized as the founder of the International Institute of Agriculture.

Weinstock, who was Lubin’s half-brother, was the co-founder of the Sutter Club, the Unitarian and Economic clubs of San Francisco and the Commonwealth Club of California.

Additionally, the temple’s records show that Weinstock, who occupied the temple’s pulpit when no rabbi was present, was responsible for bringing Rabbi Joseph L. Levy to Sacramento.

Children and others attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Riverside synagogue. / Photo courtesy of Congregation B’nai Israel

Levy was recognized as the “bright light of Judaism” and was invited to speak at a variety of temple and civic functions.

Other notable people who were members of the congregation were Isador Cohen, August Heilbron, Albert Elkus and Lewis Gerstle.

Following World War II, the Jewish community of Sacramento expanded immensely.

It was also during this time that the 15th Street synagogue was showing its age.

A joke about the building at the time was that the structure was held together with baling wire.

During the late 1940s, property was purchased for a $250,000 synagogue at the site of the old Riverside Baths, a public swimming pool on Riverside Boulevard and 11th Avenue.

Heading the drive to collect funds for the new temple was the congregation’s president, Dalton Feldstein.

So important was Feldstein’s assistance with the project to have the synagogue constructed that the structure became known as “the house that Dalton built.”

The cornerstone for the Riverside synagogue was laid on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1953 at 11 a.m.

Attending the event were representatives of Gov. Goodwin J. Knight and Congressman John E. Moss, Jr., who placed items in the cornerstone.

Following the cornerstone laying ceremony, public tours of the new building were led by leaders of the congregation.

On Friday, April 2, 1954, the then-recently completed synagogue was dedicated, as more than 1,000 Sacramento Jews, as well as Christians and others, gathered for the event.

The Sacramento Bee reported that the dedication ceremony presented “a spirit of brotherhood among all faiths and all men.”

During the dedication ceremony, Rabbi Irving I. Hausman read a prayer and introduced Feldstein, who he described as the “propelling force” behind the new synagogue.

In his dedicatory address, Feldstein said, “This is the first time in my life that I have had the honor and pleasure of dedicating a house of worship. The problems and the trials that went into bringing (the synagogue) into being are as nothing tonight.”

In the early 1960s, a religious school building, which was later named in memory of Bennett “Buddy” Kandel, was added to the temple grounds.

The synagogue’s records show that from about the mid-1940s until 1985, membership in the congregation grew from about 200 individuals to about 700 families.

It was also in 1985 that a groundbreaking was held for a chapel, a library and an office building.

Another feature of the temple site is the Opper Courtyard, an outdoor sanctuary named after Sy and Estelle Opper and dedicated in April 1998 to Sophia Dubowsky for her devotion to her family and the Jewish community.

On June 18, 1998, a firebomb destroyed the temple’s library, but through much support, funds were raised for the reconstruction of the building.

The trauma and destruction caused by the incident aroused the sympathies of many Jewish and non-Jewish people in the community.

The Opper Courtyard, an outdoor sanctuary named after Sy and Estelle Opper, was dedicated in April 1998. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

Following the bombing, Rabbi Mona Alfi commented about this tragedy.

“Ironically, I think that much more will come out of the bombing than any harm that was inflicted upon us,” Alfi said. “I think we’re going to come across as a stronger congregation (and) a more involved congregation.”

The congregation’s ability to persevere and overcome this dark incident in the synagogue’s history is a fine example of the outlook of its members.

In a 1999 documentary about the history of the synagogue, it was mentioned that the true spirit of Congregation B’nai Israel is not in its buildings, but instead in the soul of its members.

Working to serve the spiritual needs of its members and guests, weekly services are led by Rabbi Alfi on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Today, Congregation B’nai Israel, which is recognized as the city’s oldest Jewish congregation, continues to honor its traditions of heritage while “creating a Jewish experience that is relevant to today’s society.”

For additional information regarding Congregation B’nai Israel, call (916) 446-4861 or visit www.bnais.com.