The Jewish MerchantsSalisbury has had many merchants come and go throughout the years but three of the first Jewish families in Salisbury left an indelible mark. None of them are still in business but they are certainly remembered by many people in Salisbury.
Probably the most influential in the community was Israel Benjamin. Not only did he have a retail outlet that expanded to other communities on the Shore but he was instrumental in the building of the first free standing synagogue on the corner of Camden and Wicomico Streets. Having moved up here from Exmore, Virginia, he made the Benjamin name synonymous with women’s fashion for a hundred years.
Another Jewish name familiar to many around Salisbury is Feldman Bros. They sold furniture to several generations of families in the area. Started in 1906 by two brothers, Sam and Bill, their first store was located on East Church Street. They moved to Market Street when their business grew and over the years other members of the family operated a section of the store as Ethan Allen furniture. Just recently has the last business at this location closed, that being Market Street Antiques.
Probably the most enduring of the first Jewish families were the Ulmans. The brothers, Simon and Isaac, had come to Salisbury in 1868 and opened their establishment in January, 1888. By the fact that several traveling opera companies put on shows there, it became Ulman’s Opera House. The arrangement was for the opera company to receive 70% of the proceeds and the opera house receiving the remaining 30%. It remained the only place in Salisbury to have permanent seating, so it was used for a variety of occasions such as high school graduations, plays and even the dedication ceremony for the new hospital in 1905. The first floor was originally a saloon and retail liquor store. When alcohol was prohibited in the County in 1900, they opted to change their operation to selling furniture, carpet and other sundries. When they opened again, they made a movie theater out of it. The building burned down in 1968, but not before it had given many a youngster in Salisbury their dose every Saturday of cowboys, cartoons, serials and news. The original seating for 610 occupants was far surpassed on a Saturday when a Roy Rogers film was on the marquee. Roy Rogers’ films were the only westerns shown in color and this was quite marvelous to a young fan in those days.
So, looking at the history of these three businesses, it is obvious that they had a long and successful run in downtown Salisbury.
2 comments:
I spent many Saturdays in the Ulman Theater.25 cents admission for a triple feature.Some movies were actually in 3-d,but a warning would appear on the screen telling everyone when to put their glasses on.I was 12 or 13 at the time.When the movies were over we would either go to the restaurant under Reed's or to the English Grill diner down the street.We always had an established location where our parents would pick us up 5 or 6 hours after they dropped us off.
As an old timer here, I enjoyed reading this George. My wife and daughter often got their clothes from Benjamin's and Hess's. The Ulman theater was a delight. Our prescriptions came from Kaminitz's pharmacy on the Plaza.
Something a lot of folks may not know is the Jewish merchants supported the Christmas lights for downtown and many other activities for non-Jews in town. They gave a lot to the community. Seems like there aren't many left in town any more.
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