Page 8 - Nov Dec 2022 MFMW.indd

“Jews took part in the settling and pioneering terms of Solomon Star and Moses Morris account for
of the state of Montana from the earliest times,
attracted by stories of wealth and adventure. The
early Montana Jews shared certain characteristics.
Many were former Confederates who came to
Montana immediately after the Civil War to establish
businesses. Helena’s placer boom brought thousands
stampeding for gold. Of this number, 160 Jewish
‡ ƒ‡ –‘ ƒ•– Šƒ ‡ —Ž Š „‡–™‡‡ ͙͠͞͝ ƒ†
͙͙͟͠Ǥ ‡ˆ‘”‡ –Š‡ ‡ơ‘”–• –‘ ‘”‰ƒ‹œ‡ ‹ ‡Ž‡ƒ ƒ†
—––‡ǡ ™Š‡”‡ –Š‡ Ƥ”•– •–”‘‰ ‡™‹•Š ‘—‹–‹‡•
emerged, religion played a lesser role in the lives of
Montana Jews than good citizenship in the struggling
communities.
Furthermore, Jews who chose to scatter further
away from these two communities to a remoter area
in Montana grew isolated from their co-religionists,
lost much of their distinctiveness, and became
“characterized by their role as settlers, as pioneers,
rather than as Jews. Mining camps attracted Jews
who set aside religious concerns, at least temporarily,
to make a living. Only after the business was well
established did pioneer Jews undertake to erect
synagogues and send for Rabbis.
The apparent ease with which Jews assimilated
in Montana might be explained in several ways.
Perhaps Montana people were unusually open to
diversity. With over forty nationalities counted in
an early census, the majority were outsiders and
newcomers. With so many strangers in a strange
land, a group was less likely to be singled out for
reasons other than obvious racial characteristics.
One man said, “now, where (are there) such good and
accommodating people as in the state of Montana.”
Perhaps tolerance was necessary for survival in a new
town where everyone was a relatrive newcomer. A
man or woman may have been judged more for their
–ƒŽ‡–•ǡ ƒ„‹Ž‹–‹‡•ǡ ƒ† ™‘”–Š –‘ –Š‡ ‘—‹–›ǤdzΒǤ
“The Jews who settled in Helena during the early
years of the gold rush were important participants
in the day-to-day life of the community. Most were
merchants and, as such, boosters for the community
who worked to solve civic problems and to promote
cultural activities. Jews joined with other businessmen
‹ –Š‡ †‹”‡ –‹‘ ‘ˆ Ž‘ ƒŽ ƒơƒ‹”• ƒ† ’Žƒ ‡† –Š‡•‡Ž˜‡•
in the forefront of movements that promised to
„‡‡Ƥ– ‡Ž‡ƒ ƒ† ‘–ƒƒǤ Š‡› •—’’‘”–‡† –Š‡
establishment of local government, organized
˜‘Ž—–‡‡” Ƥ”‡ †‡’ƒ”–‡–•ǡ Œ‘‹‡† ˆ”ƒ–‡”ƒŽ ƒ† •‘ ‹ƒŽ
Ž—„•ǡ ƒ† Š‡Ž† ’‘Ž‹–‹ ƒŽ ‘ƥ ‡•Ǥ Š‡•‡ ‡–‡”’”‹•‹‰
Jewish people had their own futures in view when
they thought of Helena, but they nevertheless played
ƒ •‹‰‹Ƥ ƒ– ”‘Ž‡ ‹ –Š‡ ‰”‘™–Š ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‘—‹–› ƒ†
in the stabilization of the territory.
‘– ƒŽŽ ‘ˆ ‡Ž‡ǯ• ‡™‹•Š ƒ•‘• ™‡”‡ ‘ƥ ‡”•
‘ˆ –Š‡ ”ƒ† ‘†‰‡ ‘ˆ ‘–ƒƒǡ „—– ƒ› ™‡”‡
active members of their own local lodges. Helena
‘†‰‡ ‘Ǥ ͛ ƒ† ‘”‹‰ –ƒ” ‘†‰‡ ‘Ǥ ͝ „‘–Š Šƒ†
‡™‹•Š ‡„‡”•ǡ „—– ‹‰ ‘Ž‘‘ǯ• ‘†‰‡ ‘Ǥ ͡
™ƒ• –Š‡ ƒ•‘‹ ‘†‰‡ ‘•– ™‹†‡Ž› ƒ––‡†‡† „›
Helena’s Jewish pioneers. During its early years, the
lodge had numerous Jewish members, and most of
its Worshipful Masters were Jews. The combined
0RQWDQD )UHHPDVRQ
‡‹‰Š–‡‡ ›‡ƒ”• ȋƒ• ƒ•–‡” ‘ˆ –Š‡‹” ‘†‰‡Ȍǡ „—– –™‘
other Jewish men were also Worshipful Masters for
No. 9 during the territorial period. Isaac Haas was
elected Worshipful Master in December 1871 and
•”‡ƒŽ ƒŽŠ‹‰‡” ‹ ‡ ‡„‡” ͙͚͠͠ǤdzΓǤ
Š‡ ”ƒ† ‘†‰‡ ‘ˆ ‘–ƒƒ Šƒ• Šƒ† ˆ‘—” ‡™‹•Š ”ƒ†
ƒ•–‡”•ǣ ‘Ž –ƒ” •‡”˜‡† ƒ• –Š‡ •‡ ‘† ”ƒ† ”‡ƒ•—”‡”
Žƒ–‡” ƒ• ƒ† –Š‡ •‡ ‘† ”ƒ† ‡ ”‡–ƒ”› ƒ† –Š‡ •‡˜‡–Š
”ƒ† ƒ•–‡” ‹ ͙͛͟͠Ǥ ‘•‡• ‘””‹• •‡”˜‡† ƒ• ”ƒ†
ƒ•–‡” ‹ ͙͚͠͡Ǥ Ǥ ‘Ž ‡’‡” •‡”˜‡† ƒ• ”ƒ† ƒ•–‡” ‹
͙͘͜͡Ǥ ‡”› —„‹ ”ƒ Š‡Ž† –Š‡ ‘ƥ ‡ ‘ˆ ”‡ƒ– ƒ•–‡”
in 1905
^ƚĂŝŶĞĚ ŐůĂƐƐ ǁŝŶĚŽǁƐ ĨƌŽŵ dĞŵƉůĞ ŵĂŶƵͲ ů͘ ŽƵƌƚĞƐLJ ŽĨ ,ĞůĞŶĂ
Ɛ ^ŚĞ tĂƐ͕ ǁǁ͘ŚĞůĞŶĂŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ͘ŽƌŐͬdĞŵƉůĞͲ ŵĂŶƵͲ ů͘Śƚŵ͕ ĂŶĚ
ůůĞŶ ĂƵŵůĞƌ͕ DŽŶƚĂŶĂ ,ŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂů ^ŽĐŝĞƚLJ͘
Solomon Star. “Sol” Star was born into a Jewish family
‹ ƒ˜ƒ”‹ƒǡ ‡”ƒ›ǡ ‘ ‡ ‡„‡” ͚͘ǡ ͙͘͜͠Ǥ Š‡ ˆƒ‹Ž›
immigrated to the United States around 1850 and took
up residence in Ohio. Sol Star arrived in Montana in 1865.
He became a Master Mason on November 4, 1865. Star
had been actively involved in the Masonic movement in
‘–Š‡” ‰‘Ž† ƒ’• ƒ† ‹ ‹”‰‹‹ƒ ‹–›Ǥ ‡ ƒƥŽ‹ƒ–‡† ™‹–Š
‹”‰‹‹ƒ ‹–› ‘†‰‡ ‘Ǥ ͛͜ ȋ™Š‹ Š „‡ ƒ‡ ‹”‰‹‹ƒ ‹–›
‘†‰‡ ‘Ǥ ͙Ȍ ™‹–Š –Š‡ ‘”‰ƒ‹œƒ–‹‘ ‘ˆ –Š‡ ”ƒ† ‘†‰‡
‘ˆ ‘–ƒƒǤ ‡ ™ƒ• –Š‡ —‹‘” ‡ƒ ‘ ƒ– –Š‡ ‹”‰‹‹ƒ
‹–› ‘†‰‡Ǥ ͙Ǥ Š‡ –Š‡ ”ƒ† ‘†‰‡ ‘ˆ ‘–ƒƒ ™ƒ•
organized in 1866. He was one of the Master Masons who
attended the organizational session and was appointed
–Š‡ ”ƒ† ™‘”† ‡ƒ”‡”Ǥ –ƒ” ‘˜‡† –‘ ‡Ž‡ƒ ‹ ͙͟͠͞Ǥ
ˆ–‡” ‘˜‹‰ –‘ ‡Ž‡ƒǡ Š‡ ™ƒ• ‡Ž‡ –‡† ƒ• –Š‡ Ƥ”•–
‘”•Š‹’ˆ—Ž ƒ•–‡” ‘ˆ ‹‰ ‘Ž‘‘ǯ• ‘†‰‡ ‘Ǥ ͡ǡ
•‡”˜‹‰ ‹ –Šƒ– ‘ƥ ‡ ˆ”‘ ͙͟͠͞ –‘ ͙͟͠͡ ƒ† ƒ‰ƒ‹ ‹ ͙͛͟͠
ƒ† ͙͟͜͠Ǥ ‡ •‡”˜‡† ƒ• –Š‡ •‡ ‘† ”ƒ† ”‡ƒ•—”‡”ǡ ƒ†
‹ ͙͠͞͠Ǥ  ͙͟͠͞ǡ Š‡ •‡”˜‡† ƒ• ”ƒ† –ƒ†ƒ”† ‡ƒ”‡”Ǣ –Š‡
ˆ‘ŽŽ‘™‹‰ ›‡ƒ”ǡ Š‡ „‡ ƒ‡ –Š‡ •‡ ‘† ”ƒ† ‡ ”‡–ƒ”›
‘ˆ –Š‡ ”ƒ† ‘†‰‡ ‘ˆ ‘–ƒƒǡ •‡”˜‹‰ ƒ‰ƒ‹ ‹ ͙͠͞͡Ǥ
 ͙͙͟͠ Š‡ ™ƒ• ‡Ž‡ –‡† ƒ• ‡’—–› ”ƒ† ƒ•–‡”Ǥ  ͙͛͟͠
Š‡ ™ƒ• ‡Ž‡ –‡† ƒ• –Š‡ •‡˜‡–Š ”ƒ† ƒ•–‡” ‘ˆ ƒ•‘•
in Montana. He was also a member of the Scottish
Rite and was a past Potentate of Algeria Shrine. Other
organizations included: the Order of Eastern Star, Order
3DJH 1RY 'HF 9ROXPH 1R