Jewish Businesses in Western North Carolina Oral History Collection
OH-JBWNC

Hyman Dave 

Interview Date and Interviewers

May 10, 2004 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; VHS video tape ; DVD copy

Scope and Contents

Hyman Dave talks about work with Dave Steel, a manufacturer founded by his brother Joseph Dave during the Depression. Dave Steel was a major local contributor to the local war effort in WWII. The collection includes a video presentation showcasing his life through family photographs.

Associated Business

Dave Steel, 76 Roberts Street

Biographical Note

Hyman Dave was born in Durham, NC on October 27, 1910 and came to Asheville for the summer in 1929, and then moved here in 1934 as a civil engineer. He worked with his brother who started Dave Steel Company during the Depression. They had practically no equipment but worked hard and grew, putting up buildings and prefabricating steel for industries all over the country. He served as chairman of the board for the Asheville Downtown City Club, and was a member of the Temple Beth HaTephila.

Hyman Dave died on May 6, 2011, aged 100.

Related Collections

Hyman Dave oral history in Asheville Livings Treasures

Betty Dorb 

Interview Date and Interviewer

February 10, 2010 ; Sharon Fahrer

Format

Audio cassette tape ; copy audio cassette ; copy CDs ; text

Scope and Contents

Betty Dorb talks about the stores owned by her family in the early twentieth century. Her father Charles Book owned Asheville and Lake General general store, her uncle William Swartz had a general store on Central Avenue, and her aunt, Bessie Seagle owned a bakery.

Associated Businesses

Asheville and Lake general produce store ; Seagle Bakery

Additional Materials

emails with historical background

Restrictions

Cannot be copied

Ruth and Morris Fox 

Interview Date and Interviewers

June 7, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; copy DVD ; copy CD ; text

Scope and Contents

Ruth Schandler Fox and her husband Morris Fox recount the family's history, and their involvement in the community. They reflect on different businesses in Asheville during 1950s, and also their furniture company, Fox Reliable Furniture.

Associated Businesses

Fox Reliable Furniture ; Oak Street Grocery Store

Additional Materials

Transcript

Restrictions

Cannot be copied

Ruth Gaynes 

Interview Date and Interviewer

June 17, 2013 ; Sharon Fahrer

Format

DVD ; text

Scope and Contents

Ruth Gaynes describes her life as a professional weaver, including how she learned weaving skills in Peru and San Francisco, before moving to Penland School. She later specialized in making tallits - Jewish prayer shawls - working from her studio, Sacred Space - Handwoven.

Associated Business

Sacred Space - Handwoven

Betty Pollock Golden 

Interview Date and Interviewers

June 21, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tapes ; copy DVDs ; text

Scope and Contents

Betty Golden talks about her family, and businesses in Asheville, including those owned by her father, Lou Pollock. These included a bowling alley and Pollock's shoe store. She also talks about other Jewish families and businesses in Asheville.

Associated Businesses

Pollock's Shoes

Additional Materials

Transcript

Related Collections

Stan Golden oral history

Stan Golden 

Interview Date and Interviewers

June 21, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; copy DVDs ; text

Scope and Contents

Stan Golden describes how his father, who was a salesman, moved his family to Asheville in 1939. After working briefly in house remodelling, Golden's father bought a leather jacket factory, and later went into manufacturing ladies suits, coats and dresses, as well as a owning a furniture store.. The interview also covers Golden's military service in WWII and life with his wife Betty.

Associated Businesses

Highland Manufacturing Company ; Goldblums Inc.

Additional Materials

Transcript

Related Collections

Betty Pollock Golden oral history

Albert Jacobson 

Interview Date and Interviewers

March 7, 2004 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; DVD copy

Scope and Contents

Albert Jacobson talks about the grocery store in the Southside neighborhood that was run by his family. He also talks about other Jewish business in Asheville, particularly grocery stores.

Miriam Kell 

Interview Date and Interviewers

April 4, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; copy DVD ; copy CD ; text

Scope and Contents

Miriam Kell describes how her family moved to Asheville because it was a TB center, and how her father opened Field's Men Store in downtown Asheville. The interview includes details of Kell's childhood in Asheville, going to school at St. Genevieve's, and attending temple. Later, she talks about her husband who worked in Bigfield's store, which was also owned by Fell's father.

Associated Businesses

Field's Men's Store ; Bigfields

Additional Materials

Transcript

Restrictions

Cannot be copied

Ginger Lerner 

Interview Date and Interviewers

June 23, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; DVD copy ; CD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Ginger Lerner describes how her family came to Asheville from Russia, via Canada, and opened a fur business at 42 Haywood Street, that operated for 60 years. The interview covers Lerner's life in Asheville, and her recollections of businesses in Asheville during the 1940's and 1950's. The interview also includes details of Jewish life in Asheville.

Associated Business

Vogue Furriers

Biographical Note

Ginger Lerner was the daughter of Rose Schuman and Reuben Grand. Her father was a furrier, continuing with the family business which started in Russia. Lerner attended Claxton Elementary, David Miller and Lee Edwards High School. She attended Vanderbilt and completed her Masters in Psychiatric Social Work from Boston University. Ginger Grand married Paul M. Lerner, MD in October 1955, and the couple had three children. Lerner moved to Atlanta in 2002 and opened a knitting shop with her daughter Dana. Lerner died in Atlanta on April 8, 2013,

Additional Materials

Transcript

Milton Lurey 

Interview Date and Interviewers

August 6, 2006 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tapes ; VHS tape ; DVD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Milton Lurey describes the different business that were in downtown Asheville, as well as his involvement as a businessman. He initially ran his father in law's business, Biltmore Tire and Retreading, but later he and his brother in law formed the Vanderbilt Shirt Company. Lurey also talks about his membership at Congregation Beth Israel, and compares and contrasts the Jewish community in Asheville to those in South Carolina.

Additional Materials

Tape log [times are very approximate]

Harry and Mary Lee Mamlin 

Interview Date and Interviewers

July 25, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tapes ; DVD copy ; CD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Harry Mamlin describes how, around 1930, his family moved to Asheville for health reasons, but struggled financially for many years before his father worked at the Bootery, and later at Penny's, in Asheville. Mamlin talks about growing up in Asheville, working at Kress , J C Penny and Bon Marche department stores, and playing in the Asheville Symphony. Mary Lee Mamlin also grew up in Asheville and the interview included details of her and Harry's relationship, and their children. The couple also describe the businesses in Asheville in the 1950s and 1960s.

Associated Businesses

The Bootery ; Bon Marche ; J C Penny's

Additional Materials

Transcript

Trudy Packard 

Interview Date and Interviewers

July 24, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; DVD copy ; CD ; text

Scope and Contents

The interview begins with Trudy Packard describing how her mother's family, the Michalove's, moved to Asheville from Lithuania. Packard's grandfather, Solomon Michalove, owned the IXL store, that sold china and glassware in Asheville, and Packard talks about this. She also talks about her father's family, the Schwarzberg's, who had had a menswear business, the Gem Store, and her brother Milton, who owned the Varsity Men's Shop and Milton's Man Shop. The interview includes details of Packard's life in Asheville, including her involvement with the Jewish community.

Associated Businesses

The Gem Store ; IXL ; Varsity Men's Shop ; Milton's Men's Shop

Additional Materials

Transcript

Marilyn Patton 

Interview Date and Interviewers

February 23, 2004 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tapes ; VHS tape ; copy DVD ; text

Scope and Contents

Marilyn Patton talks about her father, Harry Blomberg, and his family, who owned numerous businesses in Asheville. She describes how her grandfather Lewis Blomberg owned the Rackett Store, a dry goods business, but that her father loved cars, and starting in 1924, opened a series of motor inns in Asheville. Patton talks about attending temple, and growing up in Asheville's Jewish community. She explains how her father bought Biltmore Industries from Fred Seely, and how, after her father's death, she and her husband, and her sister, developed Biltmore Industries into Grovewood Gallery, and started a car museum from her father's automobiles.

Associated Businesses

Harry's Motor Inn ; Harry's on the Hill ; Biltmore Industries ; Racket Store ; Grovewood Gallery

Additional Materials

Transcript ; Newspaper article about Marilyn Patton's uncle, Sigmund Blomberg, "America's foremost memory expert"

George Roberts 

Interview Date and Interviewers

June 15, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tapes ; DVD copy ; CD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

George Roberts was born in Asheville in 1911, and in the interview he describes growing up with five brothers, and the various jobs that they had. Roberts' first job was at Smith's Drugstore in 1923, and later worked for the Post Office. He talks in depth about the stores, businesses, and people that were in Asheville in the 1920's and 1930's.

Additional Materials

Transcript

Michael Robinson 

Interview Date and Interviewers

July 17, 2003 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

VHS tape ; DVD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Rabbi Michael Robinson talks about his family history, and his personal experience of growing up in Asheville. There are details about anti-Semitism, segregation, and Jewish life. Robinson describes his service in WWII, and his involvement in the civil rights movement.

Additional Materials

Summary ; tape log ; obituary for Michael Robinson

Leon Rocamora 

Interview Date and Interviewer

August 9, 2004 ; Sharon Fahrer

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; VHS tape ; copy DVD ; copy CD ; text

Scope and Contents

Leon Rocamora describes growing up in Asheville in the 1920's, a time when his family were poor and took in boarders. He talks about how his father, Leon Sr. started the Asheville Candy Company, that grew into Asheville Showcase, a company supplying restaurant equipment,and that, following his father's death, his mother took over the business, and Rocamora would help out after school. The interview includes descriptions of growing up in Asheville, and the impact of the Depression. Rocamora also discusses the rise of chain restaurants, the internet, and how they changed the catering equipment business.

Associated Business

Asheville Showcase

Additional Materials

Transcript

Frank Rosen 

Interview Dates and Interviewers

July 24, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; DVD copy

Scope and Contents

Frank Rosen describes how his family came to Asheville, and how he grew up in to Asheville at a time when there was no mall, and all the stores and movie theaters were located downtown. He talks about the Jewish community and the temples in Asheville, and how the his parents, Philip and Evelyn, ran Martin's shoe stores. Frank Rosen would subsequently run the store in Black Mountain, while his brother was in the Asheville store. In the interview, Rosen describes running the store, which he renamed, Frank's Shoebox, in Black Mountain.

Associated Businesses

Cancellation Shoes ; Martin's Shoe Store ; Frank's Shoebox

Arthur Sandman 

Interview Date and Interviewers

April 12, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; DVD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Arthur Sandman talks about his maternal grandparents, Hanna and Samuel Isaac, "S. I." Blomberg, who owned The Leader department store on Patton Avenue in Asheville. S.I. later owned B&R, a bar on Lexington Avenue, whilst Sandman's father ran Worth's, a ladies' ready to wear store on Haywood Street. Sandman also talks about Jewish life and businesses in Asheville.

Associated Businesses

The Leader ; Worth's

Additional Materials

Transcript

Jan Schochet 

Interview Date

Unknown

Format

DVD

Scope and Contents

Jan Schochet describes the location of her family's store and talks about the Bon March store opened by Solomon Lipinsky. The DVD seems to be outtakes from Down Home, Jewish Life In North Carolina, a project of the Jewish Heritage Foundation of North Carolina

Biographical Note

Jan Schochet's great-grandfather moved to Asheville in 1887, and her father was born there in 1916. Returning to Asheville after WW II, Schochet's father and mother and opened their first business, The Bootery. Schochet worked in the store from the age of five and managed a division as an adult. She now runs her own company helping women entrepreneurs but has undertaken much research into the history of Jewish businesses in Western North Carolina

Mary Schochet 

Interview Date and Interviewers

June 29, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; DVD copy ; CD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Mary and her husband, Sidney Schochet moved to Asheville in the late 1940's and opened The Bootery, a shoe store on Patton Avenue. Mary Schochet describes working in the store , and her brother in law's store, a western wear store called Star, that was next door to The Bootery. The interview gives details of the stores in Asheville at that time, their locations, and what they sold, and how the Schochet's opened a second store, Dancer's Place, selling dancewear.

Associated Businesses

The Bootery ; Star ; Dancer's Place

Additional Materials

Transcript

Bobbi Siegal 

Interview Date and Interviewer

June 22, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; CD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Bobbi Siegal describes how her great-grandfather, Solomon Lipinski, moved to Asheville, and in 1889 opened a store on Main Street, now Biltmore Avenue. The store was Bon Marche, and over the years, it moved to several different locations and became an Asheville institution. Siegal talks about how Solomon Lipinsky's sons were involved in running the store after their father died, and the effect of the Depression. She later talks about growing up in Asheville during segregation.

Associated Business

Bon Marche

Additional Materials

Transcript

Eva Solomon 

Interview Date and Interviewers

June 22, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tapes ; text

Scope and Contents

Eva Solomon describes growing up in Asheville, where her grandfather opened the Bon Marche department store, and her grandmother worked on the books for the store. She talks about the houses where the family lived, meeting her husband, Jesse Solomon, who would own a plumbing business and a drugstore in Asheville, and what it was to live in Asheville. The interview also includes Eva's daughter.

Associated Business

Bon Marche

Additional Materials

Transcript

Phyllis Sultan 

Interview Date and Interviewers

April 5, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tapes ; DVD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Phyllis Sultan describes how her family moved to Asheville because her aunts had tuberculosis, and how once the family was in the town, her father opened T. Galumbeck's, a wholesale dry goods store, at 54 Broadway. Sultan talks about the store, her family, and her recollections of growing up in Asheville, including the downtown stores and the families that owned them.

Associated Business

T. Galumbeck & Co.

Additional Materials

Transcript

Alan Thorp 

Interview Date and Interviewers

June 12, 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; DVD copy ; CD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Although he grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee, Alan Thorp would visit his relations in Asheville. These included his grandmother, and cousins, Mary and Sidney Schochet, and Gene and Will Schochet. Thorp talks about Dorays, the millinery store his grandmother, Dora Blomberg Rapport, had in Asheville. After his grandmother died in 1959, Thorp continued to visit Asheville, and he describes the stores and families that he knew in the town. There is also a comparison between Asheville and Johnson City.

Associated Business

Dorays

Additional Materials

Transcript

Dennis and Robert Winner 

Interview Date and Interviewers

February 2005 ; Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; DVD copy ; CD ; text

Scope and Content

Dennis and Robert Winner describe how their father, Harry Winner, owned stores in Haywood and Transylvania counties during the Depression, before selling most of these businesses, and opening Winner's clothing store in Asheville. They talk about the layout of the Asheville store, and the people who worked there. There is also a discussion about the stores that Winner owned in Canton, and Salisbury, NC.

Associated Business

Winner's Department Store

Recording Note

The audio quality is very poor due to a loud and constant background noise

Additional Materials

Transcript

Zageir Family 

Interview Date and Interviewer

August 10, 2004 ; Sharon Fahrer

Format

Mini DV video cassette tape ; VHS tape ; DVD copy ; CD copy ; text

Scope and Contents

Sisters, Dorothy Zageir Fligel and Joan Zageir Rocamora, talk about their father Coleman Zageir, who owned the Man Store, on Patton Avenue in Asheville, for over forty years. The sisters explain how the Zageir's came to Asheville, and describe growing up in Asheville, covering going to school, the people they knew, and the businesses in the town. They also talk about changes in Asheville, and the impact of out of town malls.

Associated Business

The Man Store

Additional Materials

Transcript