The Phoenix Jewish news., 1962-02-23
BEGINNINGS IN PHOENIX

BEGINNINGS IN PHOENIX
We cannot be certain when the
earliest Jews arrived in Phoenix.
But it would seem to have been
sometime in the 1870'S-approxi-
mately a decade after the initial
Jewish settlement of Tucson. One
of the first was Michael Wormser.
He came to Phoenix from Pres
colt, where he had arrived about
1865 to open one of that towns
earliest stores. In the nondeScript
village of Phoenix he began to ac-
quire land and, with others, he
formed one of the first ditch-hold-
ing companies, to tap the waters
of the Salt.
Michael Wormser made what
may have been the first formal gift
to Jewish welfare in the commn-
ity-donation of five acres of land
for what is now Beth Israel Gene
terry.
At his death. in 1895, Wormser' S
was the largest estate administered
in the probate court of Maricopa
County up to that time. He never
married.
WOrmser is said to have grub
Staked many prOSpectOrS. The
story is told of couple of them
who drifted in, found WOrmser
at a saloon and asked for stake
to develop their mine in the
mountains.
Wor m listened skeptically.
Then he said, What do you call
this mine?"
We call it the Juniper"
Wormser shook his head and
rose to depart. This" he declared
firmly, lis one Jew you won't
nipm
AND THEN there were the Gold
bergs.
Hyman, the founder of the line
was born in Germany and reached
| San Francisco via the Horn ir
1848. He was a merchant tailor ir
San Bernardino and Yuma before
he moved to Phoenix in 1875. Fol
awhile he remained at his trade
Then he bought 50-foot lot at 3rc
street and Washington for $50 anC
established a general store. Soor
he was joined by his two sons
Aaron and Dave. Isaac Goldberg
a brother of Hyman, also came
about the same time but didn'r
stay.
Both Hyman and his son, Aaron
served in the territorial legislature
Hyman. it is said, was the legis
lator who introduced the bill which
brought the capitol to Phoenix
The elder Goldberg died in the
1905 at San Francisco. The firm
meantime, had become known a.
Goldberg Brothers and moved t
the corner of 1St Street and Wash
ington. The Goldbergs brought the
first band instruments into PhOe
nix and the very first bottled beer
Git had to be shipped by boat tC
Yuma and then carted by buck
board across the desert to Phoenix)
They also conducted what amount
ed to a free employment service
1t consisted of blackboard mount
ed at the front of the store, OF
which employers listed what hireC
hands they needed.
Goldberg Brothers sold out in
1926 and Aaron and his son, Chet,
started a new mems wear busi-
ness as GOldberg's, which even
tually merged with Vic Hanny's.
The product of that merger be-
came the Hanny's of today.
B. Heyman, who helped founC
the Dorris-Heyman Furniture Co.
married a sister of Mrs. Aarol
Goldberg. Aaron's daughter, Hazel
who married Joe Melczer, was one
of the first teachers of a Jewisl
Sunday school in Phoenix, and the
Goldberg-Melczer marriage was The
very first to be solemnized in the
State of Arizona. 1t had been sohed
uled for Valentines Day 1912, anC
that turned out to be the day or
which Arizona achieved ia e
hood.
MOVING ALSO in that first thir
stream of Jews into Phoenix were
the Goldman brothers - Adolph
Leo and Charles.
Adolph set himself up in the
mercantile business, then sold ou
to his brother, Charles, and re