Jacob Rosen Family Papers
M2007.5.virtual


"Jake Rosen in his Russian Army uniform from WWI" [rose001] Jacob Rosen Family Papers,
D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville 28804

Jacob was called "Jake" until shortly before he died. He was given the name change to stop the angel of death from finding him, an old custom from Europe. In 1939 Jake was at 88 Lexington and he listed Phillip as his assistant manager. The family lived at 13 Cumberland Avenue in the Montford neighborhood of Asheville. His wife Bessie opened a grocery store on Lexington below the Chicken Alley space where Jake slaughtered kosher and nonkosher chickens. She would sit and knit between customers until one day a salesman came into the store and said that while she was there she should try selling some canned peas. This worked and she added more canned goods and eventually had the largest grocery store on the street. The grocery closed during World War II when there were not enough men to drive delivery trucks, or work as clerks or butchers.

All Jake's children graduated from Lee H. Edwards High School and went on to college.

Ida's husband, Martin Belovin, opened a shoe store on Biltmore Avenue near Pack Square in the late 40's and moved to Haywood Street across from Bon Marche in the 50's as Marty's Cancellation Shoes. Philip (the oldest of Jake's children) and his wife Evelyn took over the store from the Belovins when they retired. It closed when Phil and Evelyn retired. Phillip's son Richard and his wife, Susan had a shoe store that went into the Winner's Department store location on Haywood Street.

Janette left Asheville in 1948 to go to the University of Michigan. She married the summer after graduation at the old Synagogue, Bikor Cholim, and never lived in North Carolina afterwards. Her "Ktuba" was signed by David S. Schandler, Samuel Robinson and Charles Heilpern, Rabbi on it dated June 12, 1951.

From an email from Janette:

"I remember in the '30's that Uncle Max and Aunt Anna lived on Chestnut Street (177 according to the City Directory) but I do not remember the number. The folks did live at 11 Cumberland (also 13 Cumberland according to the City Directory), in the Montford section of town and Dad was working for Uncle Max. He went into his own poultry and produce business about 1932. He started at 90 Lexington and then moved to 88.

"Don't know how to express how I as a child remember the businesses. Dad had a flat bed truck that he sent out to the country, I don't know where, to bring back crates of live chickens. They were tied on with ropes. The place was dirty. Chicken droppings everywhere. A large pot of boiling water was near a table that was used to kill the non-kosher chickens and after they were dipped in it, there was a rotating wheel with fingers sticking out that pulled the feathers off. There was a separate area and a barrel to put the kosher chickens into and they were dry picked. I remember Daddy doing them by hand. He hired "Black" men to do the non-kosher ones. The farmers would come in with home churned butter, eggs and produce and Daddy would always buy these items. The best quality was put downstairs for the retail market and he sold the rest to restaurants and hotels. He had to deliver early in the morning so he would leave home "during the night" about 5 a.m. He did not drive so he walked from the house to the store. His shoes were very dirty as were his clothes because of the blood and droppings. I still remember the box with a single round hole that had a light bulb in it that he used to hold the eggs up to, to make sure the eggs were not spoiled. Double yolks were always taken home, for the children.

"Mamma ran the retail store downstairs. I loved the store. There were open packages of things like candy that were sold by the ones. Cigarettes were a penny apiece, a package was a dime. There were sales books with names on the top because credit was given. The big customers, like the Blombergs were sent a bill each month, others would come in each week, mainly the "Blacks" and pay off and then start a new bill until the next payday. There was a great variety of items for rich and poor alike. Bread and deli was shipped in from Baltimore and Cincinnati each week. There was a special display case and slicer for the kosher items. We sold non-kosher meat. You had to buy a side or a quarter of the beef or lamb. So you had cheap and expensive cuts available. The can goods and fresh produce were the same way. Leftovers were taken home and were often the more expensive items that had not sold. It was always a busy place. Orders were phoned in and bicycles were used to deliver small orders nearby, the truck was used for larger orders to the wealthy areas such as Beaver Lake and Kenilworth.

"All the merchants on the street were friendly and would borrow items needed to make up orders if they were out of stock. The stores across the street were open stalls. Groceries were at the back and fresh fruits and vegetables were put out front each morning. Our store was enclosed and Mom bought equipment that was up to date at the time. Shelves lined one wall for can goods of all varieties and there was a refrigerated open case for the produce. At the back was the meat counter with butcher blocks and a 0walk in cooler. Phil helped in the store. We all did something; I remember using the old adding machine to add up the tickets so that the bills could be sent out. After everyone else was gone, Phil and Sam to service, Ida was in Chicago and Robert went off to work for the Army and then Medical School it was left to Mom and myself and so Mom felt she had to close down, it was around 1944 because the two of us couldn't do it. I was in school and always went in late and came back to the store in the afternoon."

• Photographs

(L to R) Ginger Grand, Tootsie Rubin, Millie Cooley, Mary Jane Sulton; front: Janette Rosen