Completing the Jewish life cycle in Knox County, Ohio
Stories
Since the nineteenth century, Jews have built meaningful social and religious lives in rural central Ohio. Here we meet the merchants and business people, students, scholars, and family members who have made their way, with successes and challenges.
Our Worthy Townsmen:
The Forgotten Lives of Mount Vernon Ohio's Jewish Families 1847 - 1920
Lois Hanson tells the story of the earliest Jewish settlers, who “came for freedom, safety, and opportunities they could only imagine in their mother country. They braved the religious wilderness and settled in Mount Vernon, Ohio, where they made personal and economic decisions about how to practice their religion publicly and privately.”
A Jewish Wedding: 1865
Tuesday was a perfect day for a wedding, and not just any wedding. The Mount Vernon newspaper observed that Christian weddings were so common that they merited little attention, but today’s ceremony would be “conducted according to the ancient rules of the Hebrew church.”
Religion on a Human Scale:
The Jewish Community of Mount Vernon, Ohio (1930-1960)
Jazz Glastra (Kenyon Class of 2011) shares her honors thesis on the role of Jewish values and identity in the lives of local families and individuals, in particular Helen Zelkowitz.
Jewish Life in Knox County, 1999
As a minority in rural Ohio, Jews in Knox County have long felt a desire to connect with one another and to celebrate Jewish tradition. A Kenyon student research project recounts these experiences.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom
לִמְנֹ֣ות יָ֭מֵינוּ כֵּ֣ן הֹודַ֑ע וְ֝נָבִ֗א לְבַ֣ב חָכְמָֽה
— Psalm 90:12