Established 2023
Jewish Life at Eastern State Penitentiary
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Alexandra Morgan
Although decidedly a minority, Jewish inmates in Eastern State Penitentiary left their marks in the pages of The Umpire and the cultural life behind bars. Research for this essay stemmed from the mentions of Judaism in The Umpire, and expanded to searching through Ancestry.com and other local newspapers for information on the inmates that were mentioned by the paper. Hopefully, the information presented can shed some light on the people behind Jewish representations in The Umpire and their lives.
First Synagogue in an American Prison
As can be seen in The Umpire issues ranging from April 19th, 1916 to January 22nd, 1919, religious services were advertised in the newspaper. Jewish services were stated to be “held on Saturday’s at the Band-room” in all of these issues.1 An unknown author wrote these sections, presumably the issues’ editor. As stated in Eastern State Penitentiary’s website, starting in 1924, these Jewish religious services started taking place in “the first synagogue inside an American prison.”2 This was an unprecedented initiative at the time, as the band room was replaced with the Jewish inmates’ very own synagogue, reflecting the important presence of Jews in Eastern State Penitentiary. The synagogue was created when “several solitary exercise yards originally designed for isolation were combined and transformed into the Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue.”3 The synagogue was abandoned for decades, but has since been restored and can be visited on site.
Using the Emergency Hospital for Holidays
As written in Eastern State Penitentiary’s website, the Emergency Hospital was also used as a place of worship by the Jewish inmates before the creation of the prison’s synagogue. This can be seen in the October 8th, 1913 issue of The Umpire, which tells of Rosh Hoshanah, New Years, being celebrated in the Emergency Hospital. This section of the newspaper issue was written by George Harrison —alias George Shayne, Harry Goodman or Jacob Scheiner. He was identified as inmate B6076 during his time at Eastern State Penitentiary. He was a Jewish inmate who could read and write, which probably influenced his appointment as the writer of this piece. His religious background provided him with the knowledge needed to faithfully describe the religious holiday service. Prison records show he was originally from New York City, worked as a printer, had no spouse or children, and was convicted for “larceny from the person.”4 This newspaper section paints a vivid picture of the inmates’ holiday, complete with descriptions of the choir’s singing and how they told the story of Daniel. Harry Haspel, a Jewish inmate identified by the number B6676, acted as cantor and reader as he had a “pure tenor voice.”5 Prison records reveal Haspel was originally from “Roumania” and worked as an upholsterer.6 He could read and write as well and was married.
Gifts from Philadelphia's Jewish Community
In two separate occasions, the Jewish inmates of Eastern State expressed their appreciation of gifts received. In two separate issues of The Umpire from 1917, William Haskins —alias William Thompson— wrote about said gifts. Prison records identify Haskins as a Jewish man from Philadelphia who could read and write and worked as a plumber. His ability to read an write probably helped his designation as the writer of the section. In one issue, Haskins thanked Mr. Abraham Rosenberg for donating “useful books” and Mr. Frank F. Eiseman for giving “each Jewish inmate a copy of the Bible.”7 In an issue from October 3rd, 1917, he wrote of the Jewish inmates’ appreciation of Mr. Edward Kraupa for “special concessions” provided for the celebration of Yom Kippur.8 They also received a donation of Jewish bibles from the Jewish Publication Society. A section of a April 18, 1917 issue, written by an unknown author, expressed thanks for “the consideration and privileges extended during the recent holidays.”9 The section expressed thanks to “Rabbi Kotkov and the members of the B’nai B’rth Hebrew Prison Aid Society.” In a July 17th, 1918 issue, William Haskins wrote of a “notable visitor” when Dr. Joseph Medoff, “a local Jewish Chaplain, brought Mr. J.S. Prenowitz…of the Jewish Daily Forward.”10 Both Dr. Joseph Medoff and Mr. Prenowitz expressed satisfaction at the Jewish inmates’ adherence of their faith. These sections of the newspaper show how the Jewish community in the greater Philadelphia area helped care for Jewish inmates’ cultural and religious life by providing gifts and services needed. Their gifts and visits show a concern for the Jewish inmates’ welfare and ability to practice their faith while incarcerated.
Jewish Holidays while at Eastern State
An April 3rd, 1918 issue, with a section titled “Jewish Holidays” details the Jewish inmates’ celebration of Passover. The section was written by Louis Siegal —alias Louis Ehrlich or “Frog Legs”— a Jewish inmate from Philadelphia who could read and write and worked as a “prize fighter” prior to incarceration. He was born to an Austrian father and Romanian mother, both presumably from Ashkenazi Jewish origin, and had no spouse or children at the time of incarceration. In the newspaper section he identified fellow Jewish inmates, such as Michael Berkowitz and Harry Bermen, who oversaw the celebrations of the holiday. The warden, Robert J. McKenty, made sure “each man was allowed twenty pounds of matzos…as well as other necessaries.”11 Services were held daily with Rabbi Dr. Joseph Medoff officiating. The section closes with a poetic statement as to the importance of the Jewish inmates remaining connected to their faith. This is a testament to the newspaper providing Jewish inmates with the power of expression despite being deprived of their freedom. This section is furthermore a testament to how the inmates at Eastern State were able to celebrate holidays and maintain a vibrant Jewish community despite their incarceration.
Experiences with Abusive Prison Authorities
However, records also provide evidence of Jewish inmates’ unhappy experiences in the penitentiary. One of the Jewish inmates mentioned in the description of Passover celebrations, Michael Berkowitz, was mentioned in a Evening Public Ledger article about his cellmate’s suicide on December 24th, 1919. This article provides a worrisome portrayal of prison authorities’ abuse of power and how that affects the inmates’ mental health. When being asked about his cellmate’s suicide, Berkowitz was called a liar by Warden McKenty. He testified to how both his cellmate, William Stehlik, and himself were brutally clubbed by the guards. They were then taken to “the klondike,” which refers to the “punishment tier” of the prison.12 Later, Stehlik died due to what was ruled as suicide. This information supports the notion that The Umpire intentionally painted a positive portrayal of the Jewish inmates’ lives, especially pertaining to their adherence to faith, but rarely included information about the difficulties of prison life. This raises questions as to how prison authorities’ oversight affects the writing of the paper, as they would probably not approve of an unflattering report of their behavior. This information, found in the Evening Public Ledger, raises questions as to the actual quality of life Jewish inmates had during their stay at Eastern State Penitentiary.
Depictions in The Umpire Written by Non-Jews
In fact, the pages of The Umpire, beyond having positive and accurate representations of Jewish holidays and cultural life, also contain stories that further potentially offensive tropes and stereotypes about Jews. In a section from the June 26th, 1913 issue, a Protestant inmate called H.F. Mills wrote a story called The Irrepressible Jew. The section tells the story of a shark following a vessel with passengers, who start feeding it everything in the boat to appease its hunger. After everything had been thrown overboard, it was decided that they would feed the shark one of the passengers. It was decided that “Ikey Goldstein, a typical New York Jew” would be the one to sacrifice. He gladly jumps and is swallowed by the shark. After they harpoon the shark, they expect to find nothing left from Goldstein, but when they open the shark’s stomach they find “Ikey Goldstein, bright as day sitting on the three legged stool, selling bananas and oranges at five cents a dozen.”13 This story draws from stereotypes that depict Jews as shrewd, opportunistic merchants. It is remarkable, then, that the story was written by a Protestant about a Jew. It raises questions as to the attitude of non-Jews towards Jews, as the potentially offensive portrayal was written by someone who was not Jewish.
Concluding Thoughts on Jewish Life at Eastern State Penitentiary
Ultimately, records, such as the pages of The Umpire, provide valuable insight into the lives of Jewish inmates in Eastern State during the early 20th century. The previously analyzed excerpts show how Jewish life made it into the pages of the newspaper, supporting the idea that they had a noteworthy presence in the penitentiary. Remarkably, all the mentioned sections about Jewish life and celebrations were written by Jewish inmates. This highlights the inclusion and agency given to Jewish inmates to write their own stories and provide accurate representations of their culture. These sections further highlight the strength of the Jewish community at large, as they were looked after by members of the larger Philadelphia community that were not incarcerated at Eastern State Penitentiary. However, these positive portrayals of Jewish life most possibly provide an incomplete picture of life at Eastern State for Jewish prisoners. Records show evidence of how much inmates suffered at the hands of abusive authorities, with one inmate being driven to commit suicide. This raises questions as to the accuracy of the portrayals in The Umpire, and wether these depictions were policed by prison authorities. These leaves room for further exploration of Jewish prisoners’ experiences, as there are surely more stories to discover beyond the evidence of the current archive.
References
1 The Umpire, issue April 19th 1916
2 https://www.easternstate.org/about-eastern-state/blog/hanukkah-prison
3 https://www.easternstate.org/fall2024/letter
4 Ancestry.com Records
5 The Umpire, issue 1913 124 Record
6 Ancestry.com Records
7 The Umpire, issue 1917 144 Record
8 The Umpire, issue 1917 161 Record
9 The Umpire, issue of April 18, 1917 65
10 The Umpire, issue July 17th, 1918 113
11 The Umpire, issue April 3, 1918 57
12 The Evening Public Ledger, issue December 24, 1919. Vol VI No. 87
13 The Umpire, issue 1913 64 Record
Other Works Cited
- The Umpire
- Eastern State Penitentiary website
- The Evening Public Ledger
