Donald Trump recently stated that “Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city.” He was specifically referring to crime, noting that “the crime numbers are terrible.” In response, Joe Biden tweeted a picture of himself with the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, saying “I happen to love Milwaukee.” German Jews first arrived in Milwaukee in the 1840’s. Most were Reform Jews, and many were secular and did not belong to synagogues. Eastern European immigration, mostly Orthodox, grew later in the 19th century, with many working in clothing and footwear manufacturing. The community continued to grow in the 20th century, and in 1938 the Jewish Vocational Service opened, the first organization in the country which focused on helping veterans get job training and employment. The current Jewish population is approximately 25,000, and the city features the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, which opened in 2008. What is another bit of Milwaukee Jewish history?

Milwaukee Skyline 2023 by Bfkenney is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

A. Miller Brewing Company was founded in 1855 by Ernst Meyerhof, a German Jew who emigrated to Milwaukee in 1845. He had worked as a brewer in Bavaria before coming to America. Not wanting to use his Jewish name for his company, he chose Miller as a take off from Milwaukee.

B. Harley-Davidson, Inc. company is headquartered in Milwaukee. The company was founded in 1903 when Milwaukee native William S. Harvey teamed up with a Jewish immigrant, Arthur Davidson, to design and market the motorcycle which is now an iconic brand. Harvey had worked as a salesman for Ford Motor Company, and Davidson was an engineer who had worked at Austro-Daimler in Vienna. 

C. In 1947 a Polish Jewish immigrant named Zalman Margulies opened a store, Margulies Dry Goods, on Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Milwaukee. Margulies later changed his name to Marshall, and when the store expanded, he changed the name to Marshalls. Marshalls eventually opened locations in 42 states, and in 1976 Zalman (Margulies) Marshall sold the chain to the Melville Corporation.

D. The Settlement Cook Book, published in 1901, was compiled by Lizzie Black Kander, who was the founder of the settlement house referenced in the title. The book, one of the first and still most famous Jewish cook books, contained Jewish recipes. cooking techniques, nutrition information and more. The Settlement House which Kander founded was located in Milwaukee, not New York City as most people assume.

E. Golda Meir grew up in Milwaukee after her family emigrated there from Kiev. Golda and her best friend Liba started a pro-Zionist club at Milwaukee’s North Division High School. As part of their activities, Liba and Golda would open every meeting of the club by dancing and singing the club’s theme song which they wrote, with the following lyrics: Ehad, Shtaim, Shalosh, Arba, Hamesh, Shesh, Sheva, Shmone./Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hok a tchynik, Pupick, Shvitzer. Gary Marshall read Golda Meir’s autobiography and based the TV show Laverne & Shirley (which was set in Milwaukee), on Liba and Golda, incorporating their Zionist club song into the show’s theme song.

Click here for the answer.

✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡ ✡