Interview with Louis Hirshheimer, September 8, 1958, La Crosse, Wisconsin

Partial Transcript: Louis's father, Morris Hirshheimer, came to La Crosse in 1855 with his family. Louis's grandfather was the first in the family to come to the city and he owned a flour mill.

Partial Transcript: Louis's father was the president of the La Crosse Jewish congregation for a time. The regular rabbi left the congregation around the turn of the century and a congregation member had to lead services.

Partial Transcript: The La Crosse congregation held services every Friday night and Saturday morning. Louis's father would close his shop on Saturday to attend services and observe the sabbath.

Partial Transcript: Louis estimates that the German Jewish population of La Crosse in 1890 was about forty people.

Partial Transcript: Louis talks about a man who led services for the congregation. He was the second mayor of the town and was very respected by the community.

Partial Transcript: Louis says that the German Jews did not face any prejudice in La Crosse. They were the only merchants in the city at the time.

Partial Transcript: As of 1958, La Crosse no longer has a German Jewish population. Louis says that many lived out their life in the city and are buried in the Jewish cemetery. Most of their children moved away from La Crosse. Louis discusses members of the Jewish community.

Partial Transcript: The Russian and Polish Jewish immigrants that came to La Crosse in the 1920s and 1930s did not interact religiously with the German Jewish population.

Partial Transcript: Louis has not attended synagogue in two or three years.

Partial Transcript: The German Jewish congregation had a Sunday school that Louis attended. The Sunday school fell apart when the rabbi left the congregation.

Partial Transcript: Louis cannot remember the name of the rabbi that was with the congregation for three to four years.

Partial Transcript: Most of the original German Jewish settlers died in La Crosse.

Partial Transcript: Only two or three German Jews from La Crosse married non-Jews. Louis married a Catholic.

Partial Transcript: Jews have been involved with the La Crosse Masonic lodge since it was established. He discusses some of the Jewish members of the lodge. A few of the Russian Jews were members of the lodge as well.

Partial Transcript: La Crosse had a B'nai B'rith lodge, which was established in the city around 1860. The members met two to three times a year.

Partial Transcript: Louis says that the German Jews of La Crosse were interested in Zionism. His uncle Albert was a zionist and he raised money in the community for Zionism and a new temple.

Partial Transcript: Louis cannot think of any local Jews in La Crosse who were turned down if they asked for financial help. The La Crosse Jewish community had a fund to help poor Jews.

Partial Transcript: Louis cannot remember if the old German Jewish community ever sent money to Palestine or Israel. He does not know if his zionist uncle ever contributed money to the zionist effort.

Partial Transcript: In the early days of La Crosse, Louis says the Jewish and Gentile communities had great relations. He says this is because all the merchants were Jewish and so the gentile community had to get along with the Jews.

Partial Transcript: Louis cannot remember there ever being any interfaith activities between the Jewish congregation and churches.

Partial Transcript: Louis does not know of any Jewish cultural clubs.

Partial Transcript: Louis says that from 1890 onwards, there were institutions that did not welcome Jews. Some clubs and organizations had antisemitism in 1958.

Partial Transcript: Louis says the German Jewish and non-Jewish immigrants mingled and were often friends.

Partial Transcript: The Jews did not celebrate Christmas, but some would exchange presents. They always celebrated Hanukkah and all the other Jewish holidays.

Partial Transcript: Louis discusses the early Jewish settlers of La Crosse.

Partial Transcript: Not many of the German reform Jews were peddlers. When the Russian Orthodox Jews came, many of them worked as peddlers.

Partial Transcript: There was no Jewish neighborhood in La Crosse; They lived all over the city.

Partial Transcript: Many peddlers spent the winter in La Crosse in the 1890s and stayed in the European Hotel. They were well regarded by the La Crosse community.

Partial Transcript: Louis does not think that any of the Jews in La Crosse worked in factories, for the railroad, on steamboats, in the police force, or as farmers. A vast majority of the Jews in La Crosse worked as merchants.

Partial Transcript: Milwaukee had a large Jewish population.

Partial Transcript: Louis was born on April 22, 1879 in Milwaukee. His mother grew up in Milwaukee.

Partial Transcript: Louis says that when he was growing up, he did not get a sense from many members of the Jewish community that they wanted to move from La Crosse to a bigger city. Not many people of Louis's generation left La Crosse.

Partial Transcript: La Crosse had a Ladies Benevolent Society that was connected with the synagogue.

Partial Transcript: Louis can only think of one Jewish teacher in La Crosse. He thinks she taught in the city for around 20 years.