Some historical background

From 1800-1850 Jews from German-speaking Central European locales such as Bavaria and Hesse were our main Jewish immigration. Families came for a better life. Single young men came for economic opportunity, freedom from restrictions on marriage (to limit population growth, many governments allowed only the oldest son in a family to marry) and for some, political liberty. Unmarried Jewish women would come, often with relatives, for in their home towns there were now fewer eligible single men, and the dowry custom meant that many would never find a worthy  husband -- except in a new world where dowries weren't expected.

Helped by the fact that America had welcomed German speakers since colonial times and that, after English,  German was our most widely used language, they soon became an integral part of the developing Midwest.

From a young man in the Bavarian village of Unsleben earning a bare living weaving wool socks, to founding our Jewish community, being head of a large and important family, a community leader and a successful businessman in fur, hides, textiles and retail dry-goods. Simson Thorman's life trajectory is remarkable.

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