West Virginia

West Virginia Jewish History
Archival Resources

CONGREGATIONAL ARCHIVES
Congregation L’Shem Shomayim - Temple Shalom Archives, Wheeling, West Virginia
Congregation B'nai Israel - Temple Israel, Charleston, West Virginia
Congregation B’nai Jacob Archives, Charleston, West Virginia
B’nai Sholom Congregation, Huntington, West Virginia
 

REGIONAL ARCHIVES
American Jewish Archives - Cincinnati
Congregational and local organizational records:
 

Charleston Temple Israel (Congregation B’nai Israel): Includes a major manuscript collection, MS 783, records, 1874-1960; a smaller collection, SC-1796, records, 1917-1945; and a photo collection, PC 670. Congregational and Sisterhood minutes included.
 

Charleston Congregation B’nai Jacob (Virginia Street), vertical file (nearprint)
 

Charleston Hebrew Benevolent Society, minutes, 1874-1897.
 

Charleston Hebrew Educational Society, historical sketch.
 

Huntington, Ohev Sholom Congregation, records 1946-1956 (microfilm).
 

Logan, Congregation B’nai El, records 1924-1970 (microfilm). Congregational and Sisterhood minutes included.
 

Parkersburg B’nai Israel Congregation, MS 427, records include Ladies Auxiliary and Sisterhood, 1909-1925.
 

Welch Congregation Emanuel, MS 379, congregational and Sisterhood records, 1921-1959.
 

Welch Hebrew Ladies Aid Society minutes, 1915-1927.
 

Wheeling Congregation Leshem Shomayim (Eoff Street Temple), MS 556, records, 1849-1904 (microfilm).
 

Williamson Congregation B’nai Israel, MS 781, congregational and Sisterhood records, 1913-1988.
 

Other organizational records:
Ohio Valley of Temple Sisterhoods, District 10, MS 63, records, 1962-2000, contains materials related to the West Virginia Temple Sisterhoods.
 

Hebrew Union College Collection includes student rabbi records pertaining to Logan, Martinsburg, Wheeling, Williamson. The Collection also includes correspondence from West Virginia residents and congregations.
 

Collections of individuals:
Abraham I. Shinedling Records, MS 128 and SC-2482. Rabbi Shinedling served congregations in Beckley and Bluefield. In 1963 he published the three-volume West Virginia Jewry, an essential resource on Jews in West Virginia.
 

Israel Bettan papers, MS 618. Rabbi Bettan was a religious and civic leader in Charleston, 1912-1922.
 

Jacob Rader Marcus Papers, MS 210. The “Dean of American Jewish History” was raised in Wheeling.
 

Jakob J. Petuchowski Papers, MS 653. Rabbi and scholar who served as student rabbi in Welch in the 1960s.
 

West Virginia Division of Culture & History - State Archives, Charleston
 

Birth, death, marriage, and naturalization records.
Newspapers of West Virginia cities and towns.
 

Goldenseal, statewide magazine which has printed several articles pertaining to Jews in West Virginia (index available).
 

Statewide  Historical Records Survey. List of West Virginia churches & synagogues by county, ca. 1940. MS 80-30
 

Special collections of interest include:
 

Charleston - Galperin Music Company, 1940-50. Sc82-54
 

Charleston - Mendelsohn's Quality Shop, 1916-1923. Account books. 2 volumes. Ms 2002-037
 

Charleston - Dr. Leo Seltzer Collection. Stamps, ration books, sheet music, World War II medical training handbooks and forms for practice of Dr. Leo Seltzer of Charleston, 1930s-70s. Sc96-12
 

Charleston - Programs, trade cards, dance invitations and letterheads from assorted Charleston businesses and hotels, ca. 1860-93. Sc86-90
 

Fairmont - Catalogue. Fairmont Aluminum Company, aluminum rolling mill products, ca. 1944. Sc96-19
 

Wheeling - Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company (Mail Pouch Tobacco), 1961. 1 item. Sc86-220
 

Wheeling - Printed and ephemeral material about Wheeling, including stock certificates for Wheeling area businesses, 1901-80. 51 items. Sc94-43. Receipts, business forms, 1893-95. Sc86-15
 

West Virginia & Regional History Collection - West Virginia University, Morgantown
Includes records pertaining to various West Virginia Jewish communities. Also has newspapers on microfilm for many West Virginia cities and towns.
 

Goldenseal, statewide magazine which has printed several articles pertaining to Jews in West Virginia (index available).
 

Special collections of interest include:
Mail Pouch Tobacco Newspaper. Volume 3, Number 2 (Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company), 1898
 

Tobacco Workers Union (Wheeling, W.Va.). Minutes, 1890-1905 (Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company)
 

Milton Cohen Papers, 1946-2006. Cohen was a resident of Morgantown, a community activist, and a member of the Tree of Life Congregation.
 

Morrow Library Special Collections - Marshall University, Huntington
 

Irene Drukker Broh Papers, 1880-1978. Resident and long-time activist for women's rights and civic reform. Includes material from scrapbooks illustrating activities of Mrs. Broh and her mother Sara Tobias Drukker of St. Louis and Cincinnati.

 

Information provided by Deborah R. Weiner. Some was taken from http://jpreisler.com/WVJewish/  maintained by Julian Preisler.