The following is from Thomas Murphy's 1928 History of Lackawanna County , 1 I've left names as he spelled them, but point out some discrepancies with other sources.
There is little mention of the Jew in Luzerne County history, hardly any in Lackawanna histories, and yet he was an important factor. The "Federalist," a Wilkes-Barre weekly, in its issue of March 30, 1810, published the "Memorandum of a Stranger." telling of a visit to Wilkes-Barre in which was this brief paragraph: "March 21 -- At 7 o'clock went to the store opposite the ferry (West Market and River streets), found all closed and silent. Perhaps this may be the holy time with them. Inquired if they be Jews and this be Passover." Pearce's Annals of Luzerne says: "Prior to 1840 a number of Jews, the principal of whom was Martin Long, settled in Wilkes-Barre and in 1848 erected and dedicated a commodius brick synagogue." This brief sentence tells us definitely tha the Jew had made his way into the Wyoming Valley in 1840. There is record too that Jacob and Joseph L Suitan conducted a store at Market and River streets in 1803-04. The name would appear to be identifying and not unlikely it was the Suitan store that the "stranger" of the "Federalist" columns found locked when he passed that way.
When Scranton began to boom following the successful starting of the iron mills in the early forties we find the Jew in business, and a little later learn of his founding a religious congregation. N Kramer founded the clothing house which still bears his name in 1849. Jonas Lauer opened his store in 1851. Whem N Kramer began business there were only four stores on Lackawanna Avenues. The first city directory of Scranton, that of 1859, lists among the merchants of the town: Isaac Newhouse, 311 Lackawanna Avenue, draper and tailor; S Sutto, Lackawanna Avenue, men's clothing; David Ackerman, Lackawanna Avenue, grocer; J Josephson & Bro, Lackawanna Avenue, clothing; Jonas Lauer, Lackawanna and Wyoming avenues, clothing; S Wertheimer, Lackawanna and Wyoming, clothing; Ganglehoff & Morris, Lackawanna near Wyoming, tailors; N Kramer, Lackawanna near Wyoming.
In the directory of 1865 these distinctively Jewish names are found: S Rosenthal, 407 Penn Avenue, clothing; A Wolfson, 114 Penn Avenue, clothing; MOrris Goldsmith, 302 Lackawanna Avevue, shoes; Sahm & Selling, 119 Penn Avenue, clothing; S Morris, tailor; H Lowenstein, Cedar Avenue, dry goods. Frederic L Wormser, Penn Avenue, meat dealer, engaged in business in 1866; S Krotoski, clothier, about taht same time. Samuel Samter started the clothing house which he still directs in the seventies. S Driessen was in business in Scranton in the days when the city was in swaddling clothes. Practically all of the pioneer Jewish merchants in Scranton engaged in dry goods or clothing.
Samuel Newhouse who later won a countrywide reputation as a great captain in the Utah copper industry and financier and who helped in the development of Salt Lake City, was the son of Isaac Newhouse, one of the first tailors in the city. Samuel Newhouse for a brief time in the early seventies before going west was a deputy clerk of the courts of Luzerne County and not unlikely the first Jew to hold public office in Luzerne county. In more recent years Luzerne was served with distinction by Hon S J Strauss, a Jew, as additional law judge. Hon Abe Sahm was mayor of Carbondale; Frederic L Wormser, school director, poor board member and director of public safety, of Scranton; Robert Silverstein, Esq, is city treasurer of Scranton. Bertha Galland, some years ago a favorite on American stage, lived in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre as a child. N Vidaver, now a prominent New York lawyer, practiced at the Lackawanna bar several years. Jacob Druck is publisher of the Carbondale Leader and M L Goodman publisher of the Scrantonian. The proprietor of Scranton's largest department store -- Scranton Dry Goods Co -- is I Oppenheim.
There is no more law abiding group in the county than the Jews. Not only are they seldom found in criminal or divorce courts but maintain their own charites as well as schools for the cultural and religious training of their children. Yet they are generous subscribers to every worthy charitable and welfare movement.
In Wilkes-Barre there are 35 contributing families and 50 religious school scholars connected with the synagogue built in that city in 1848. The same account says: "At Scranton the Jews have 12 contributing families and hold services in a rented room but contemplate erection of a synagogue." The first Jewish congregation in Scranton -- Anshi Chesed (now Kenseth Israel) -- was organized Aug 20, 1860, with 16 members: G Brooks, I and M Newhouse, S and M Green, Jonas Lauer, Jacob Galeimer, S Krotoski and N Kramer. The congregation was chartered Jan 7, 1862, and up to 1868 worshipped in Alhambra Hall, on Lackawanna Avenue. In 1867 lots on Linden Street were purchased from the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Co and a synagogue was erected. The structure was dedicated in the spring of 1868 by Dr T M Wise, of Cincinnati. It is still in use. Other synagogues were built on Penn Avenue and lower Washington Avenue where many Jews took up their residence. In 1902 the Anshe-Chesed congregation erected a temple on Madison Avenue. Rabbi Abram S Anspacher, who died in 1927, was in charge. The newest congregation is the Temple Israel, whose beautiful house of worship was dedicated in June, 1927. There are Jewish congregation and synagogues in Carbondale, Dunmore, Dickson, Old Forge and several other towns of the valley.
The pioneer Jewish organization in Scranton and Lackawanna County -- Amos Lodge No 136, IOBB, was formed Dec 20, 1869, with 21 members who met in Lafayette Hall. S Sutto was first president, Morris Cohen vice president, Jonas Lauer treasurer, and Leo Lipschitz financial secretary. Scranton Deborah Hebrew Ladies' Aid was organized Oct 20, 1870, with 39 charter members. Dorothy Galland was first president. Centennial Lodge No 29, I O Free Sons of Israel, was instituted March 2, 1876, with 44 members. M Cohen was president and F L Wormser vice president. (An account of the organization and the activities of the YMHA will be found in another part of the book.)