D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections and University Archives

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

Title Jacob Rosen Family Papers
Creator Janette Rosen Krupsaw
Alt. Creator Sharon Fahrer, History @ Hand
Identifier http://toto.lib.unca.edu/findingaids/mss/rosen_jacob/default_rosen_j.html
Subject Keyword Asheville, NC ; Jacob Rosen Family ; Lee H. Edwards High School ; graduations ; 1947 ; Beth Israel Synagogue ; Montford ; Chicken Alley ; Lexington Avenue ; Cumberland Avenue
Subject LCSH Asheville (N.C.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.
Architecture -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Historic buildings -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Description A small collection containing family photographs and personal accounts from Rosen descendants. Biographical information reveals that the Rosens were important members of the Asheville community.
Publisher D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville 28804
Contributor Janette Rosen Krupsaw ; Sharon Fahrer ; History @ Hand
Date 2007-03-15
Type Collection ; Text ; Image
Format Virtual
Source M2007.1
Language English
Relation Congregation Beth Israel Papers (Asheville, NC), D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; E.M. Ball Photographic Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Ada and Lou Pollock Collection D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Louis Blomberg Family Papers, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Leo Finkelstein Oral History in Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Sol Schulman Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Schochet Family Papers, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; Choosing to Remember: From the Shoah to the Mountains, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA ; "Jewish Roots in the Carolinas: A Pattern of American Philo-Semitism,", Charlotte, N.C.: The Charlotte Israelite, 1955, in the D. Hiden Ramsey Collection printed material - various publications (M80.5.2.6) ; Carolina Center for Jewish Studies, UNC Chapel Hill ; American Jewish Historical Society ; "A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life," Documenting the American South, UNC Chapel Hill ; The Family Store Project: A History of Jewish Businesses, 1880-1990, a 12-panel exhibit displayed in a variety of locations in downtown Asheville in the fall of 2006 by History @ Hand.
Coverage Temporal early 1900's-present
Coverage Spatial Asheville, NC
Rights Any display, publication, or public use must credit the D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville. Copyright retained by the creators of certain items in the collection, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Some materials in collections are electronic rights only. Please ask for assistance from Special Collections staff.
Donor Donor number
Acquisition 2007-03-15
Citation Jacob Rosen Family Papers, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina Asheville 28804
Processed by Special Collections staff, 2007
Last update 2012-05-10, JF
Biography Jacob Rosen and his wife Bessie came to Asheville around 1920 from Poland on a ship that left from Hamburg, Germany (a busy port where ships full of immigrants embarked for America). Jacob had served in the Russian army during World War I. They had five children: Philip was a child and Ida an infant when they arrived in America. The other three children, Robert, Sam, and Janette were born in Asheville. Jacob’s brother, Max Rosen and his wife Annie were already living in Asheville. Max was first listed in the City Directory in 1912 as a coppersmith at 59 North Lexington Avenue, residing at 51 South Grove in Asheville. In 1914 Max was in the produce business at 82 Lexington. In 1920 Max had a junk business at 84 Lexington and a produce business at 86 Lexington. In 1924 Max had just a poultry business at 84 Lexington. In 1925 the City Directory lists Jacob and Bessie living at 11 Cumberland Avenue in Montford and Jacob working as a clerk for Max whose wholesale business was at 84 North Lexington. Max and Annie were listed living at the same address. In 1931 the directory lists Max as president and Jacob as vice president of Rosen wholesale produce at 86 Lexington. In 1935 they had separate businesses. Jacob had a produce business at 90 Lexington and Max and Jacob had a wholesale produce business at 86 Lexington. In 1936 Max was president, Annie C. vice president and Sol Rosen secretary; treasurer of a poultry business at 86 North Lexington. After Max died, in 1941, his wife Annie returned to New York to live. "I believe Max had three children, two boys and a girl from the first marriage and none from the second. To my knowledge they were never active in the businesses." (Janette Krupsaw)

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."

Series
  • Photographs
Item List
Box ID Number Description Thumbnail
M2007.5.virtual rose001 Jake Rosen in his Russian army uniform from World War I rose001_mod.jpg (107955 bytes)
  rose001b Back of photograph [rose001]: "Jake Rosen in his Russian army uniform from World War [Note on back of the photograph] rose001b_mod.jpg (106432 bytes)
  rose002 Bessie Rosen (right) in Poland with her Aunt Marsha rose002_mod.jpg (157774 bytes)
  rose003 Janette Esther Rosen, youngest of Jake and Bessie's children, 1930 rose003_mod.jpg (117791 bytes)
  rose004 Janette Esther Rosen, youngest of Jake and Bessie's children, 1932 rose004a_mod.jpg (147539 bytes)
  rose005 Mother Goose School and Kindergarten 124 Flint Street, Asheville run by Mrs. Marguerite Y. Hinsey (h. 312 Montford Avenue, husband Ralph), 1930s rose005_mod.jpg (147966 bytes)
  rose006 Rosen children: On the left, in the back is Robert and in front on right is Sam, Phillip is in back, Ida is in front of him, on right and Janette is in front of her. rose006-mod.jpg (131036 bytes)
  rose007 Rosen family on the steps of their house on Cumberland Avenue in the Montford neighborhood of Asheville rose007_mod.jpg (94851 bytes)
  rose008 Janette Rosen, n.d. rose008_mod.jpg (96941 bytes)
  rose009 Janette Rosen n.d. rose009_mod.jpg (108175 bytes)
  rose010 Janette Rosen, n.d. rose010_mod.jpg (174382 bytes)
  rose011 Janette Rosen Krupsaw, 1949 rose011_mod.jpg (132139 bytes)
  rose012 Sam and Janette Rosen Krupsaw, 1943 rose012_mod.jpg (126021 bytes)
  rose013 Ida and Bessie Rosen, about 1944 rose013_mod.jpg (115344 bytes)
  rose013a Bessie Rosen with Ida. rose013a_mod.jpg (80942 bytes)
  rose014 Janette Rosen Krupsaw around 1944 rose014 _mod.jpg (110068 bytes)
  rose015 Class in front of David Millard School, 1944 rose015_mod.jpg (125455 bytes)
  rose016 The gals for the Columbia connection, December 27, 1946

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

rose016_mod.jpg (77542 bytes)
  rose017 Janette Rosen Krupsaw, October 20, 1946 rose017_mod.jpg (79728 bytes)
  rose018 Summer of 1946, at home, Bessie, Janette (top) Edith Torn, Ida Rosen (bottom) rose018_mod.jpg (178527 bytes)
  rose019 Jake Rosen 13 Cumberland Avenue, in the Montford neighborhood, in Asheville rose019_mod.jpg (104633 bytes)
  rose020 Lake Lure, May 1947 (l) Marty Belovin and Ida Rosen; (r) unknown (?) and Janette rose020_mod.jpg (76834 bytes)
  rose021 Lake Lure, May 1947 (l) Sam Rosen and Marty Belovin (r) Irv Silver and Janette Rosen Krupsaw rose021_mod.jpg (73179 bytes)
  rose022 Janette Rosen Krupsaw dressed for her Senior Banquet May 23, 1947. Orchid from her boyfriend. rose022_mod.jpg (108011 bytes)
  rose023 Jake and Bessie Rosen at the wedding of Robert Rosen, June 1952 rose023_mod.jpg (99332 bytes)
  rose024 Bessie Rosen 13 Cumberland Avenue, December 1946 rose024_mod.jpg (124637 bytes)
  rose025 Manuel and Janette Rosen Krupsaw and children rose025_mod.jpg (89574 bytes)
  rose026 Jake Rosen, 1955 rose026_mod.jpg (142692 bytes)
  rose027 Manuel and Janette Rosen Krupsaw, 1970 (Beth Krupsaw's Bas Mitzvah) Janette's daughter. rose027_mod.jpg (64257 bytes)
  rose028 Philip Rosen rose028_mod.jpg (112593 bytes)
  rose029 Picture Postcard of Asheville, North Carolina, before the Beaucatcher cut was made through the mountain for the I-240 expressway rose029._mod.jpg (100841 bytes)
  rose030 Back of the above Picture Postcard of Asheville, North Carolina, before the Beaucatcher cut was made through the mountain for the I-240 expressway rose030_mod.jpg (29885 bytes)
  rose031
rose032
[Same as above]
Membership certificate to the B'nai B'rith Girls (Conservative Jewish youth organization), 1945
  rose033a Photo Collage of the Krupsaw Rosen Family. Includes Bessie Rosen with Janette's children, Beth on left, Kim on right and Sam in lap, 1958. rose033a_mod.jpg (94311 bytes)
  rose033b Manuel and Janette Rosen Krupsaw rose033b_mod.jpg (96719 bytes)
  rose033c Janette Rosen Krupsaw rose033c_mod.jpg (85596 bytes)
  rose033d Janette Rosen Krupsaw rose033d_mod.jpg (67932 bytes)
  rose034 Graduation from David Millard Junior High School, 1944
  rose035 Back of graduation photo from David Millard with autographs rose035 _mod.jpg (169455 bytes)
  rose036 Diploma from Bikor Cholim synagogue religious school, May 26, 1944 rose036_mod.jpg (103282 bytes)
  rose037a Cover of program for Graduation Exercises of Lee H. Edwards High School, Asheville City Auditorium, May 26, 1947  
  rose037b Inside program and listing of 1947 Graduating class of Lee Edwards High School  
  rose037c Inside program and listing of 1947 Graduating class of Lee Edwards High School  
  rose038 Dedication of the Jacob Rosen Memorial Library at Beth Israel Synagogue
  rose039 Wedding invitation of Janette Rosen to Manuel Krupsaw, June 12, 1951
  rose040 News clippings about Jacob Rosen
[Thumbnail only]
  rose041 Martin Belovin in front of Martin's Cancellation Shoe Store on Biltmore Avenue, 1949 rose041.jpg (486410 bytes)
  rose042 Jacob Rosen at 13 Cumberland Avenue, Asheville, NC rose042.jpg (179680 bytes)
  rose043 Ida Rosen Belovin with Jake Rosen, late 1940s rose043.jpg (242762 bytes)
  rose044 Bessie and Jake Rosen at 134 Cumberland Avenue, Asheville, NC, 1943 rose044.jpg (287045 bytes)
  rose045 Bessie Rosen, 13 Cumberland Avenue, Asheville, NC, 1940s rose045.jpg (449653 bytes)
  rose046 Martin Belovin, 1940s rose046.jpg (388932 bytes)
  rose047 Janette Rosen Krupsaw and Jake Rosen, late 1930s rose047.jpg (228329 bytes)
  rose048 Sam Rosen with Dad (Jake Rosen), late 1940s rose048.jpg (223981 bytes)
  rose049 "Mom and Dad Rosen" (Bessie and Jake Rosen, 195's) rose049.jpg (282404 bytes)
  rose050 Jake Rosen, 13 Cumberland Avenue, Asheville, NC rose050.jpg (206254 bytes)
  rose051 Sam Rosen with parents (Jake and Bessie Rosen, 1950s) Florida ? rose051.jpg (353192 bytes)
  rose052 "Mom and Dad Rosen" (Bessie and Jake Rosen, 1950s) rose052.jpg (341752 bytes)
  rose053 Martin Belovin's Shoe Store [Martin's Cancellation Shoe Store], 44 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC, 1950s rose053.jpg (323058 bytes)
  rose054 Martin Belovin's Shoe Store [Martin's Cancellation Shoe Store] 44 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC, 1950s. In old IXL Store, 1955 rose054.jpg (341965 bytes)
  rose055 Ida Rosen, 1936. Valedictorian of Lee H. Edward High School, Asheville, NC [Large 8 x 10" studio portrait, standing] rose055.jpg (550780 bytes)
  rose056
rose057
Ida Rosen Belovin
[Large 8 x 10" head shot]
[duplicate not shown]
rose057.jpg (503683 bytes)
  rose058 Group portrait seated at table.
From left: Philip Rosen, his wife Evelyn Meyers Rosen, Ida Rosen Belovin, Dr. Robert Rosen, Sam Rosen. Probably at the Sky Club, Asheville, NC, late 1940s
rose058.jpg (226068 bytes)
  rose059 Martin Belovin's Cancellation Shoe Store, Asheville, NC. (1955 - 1970) rose059.jpg (475856 bytes)
  rose060 Martin Belovin's Cancellation Shoe Store, Biltmore Avenue, 1949-1955. Bessie Rosen in middle, with 2 clerks. rose060.jpg (282509 bytes)
  rose061 Group portrait: Extreme right, sitting: Jake Rosen (others unknown, probably brothers or fellow yeshiva students in Europe), late 1890s or early 1900s rose061.jpg (681445 bytes)

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