Rosenbluth & Oppman advertisement in the 1906 Polk Directory of Weber County, Utah.

Benjamin Oppman may have certainly been the main contributor in establishing the first congregation in Ogden. Oppman also committed much of his time to organizing and campaigning for the construction of its first synagogue. In fact, Sidney Gordon, a member of Congregation Brith Sholem throughout the twentieth century, referred to Oppman as the pioneer due to his great efforts in forming Ogden’s religious Jewish community.[1] Oppman was born in Nagy Ker, Hungary, on April 3, 1861, to Martin and Hannah Gross Oppman. Oppman met and married his wife, Rose, born in 1863 in Hungary. No records could be found that indicate why Ben and Rose Oppman traveled to the States or the details of their travels, but both became citizens of Ogden in 1889.

Shortly after arriving in Ogden, Oppman partnered with fellow Jew Samuel Rosenbluth to open and operate Rosenbluth & Oppman, a merchant store catering to men’s apparel. Due to its prime location at 352 Twenty-Fifth Street, the business of Rosenbluth & Oppman thrived among locals and travelers. Both Oppman and Rosenbluth excelled in the merchant business, and their store became a popular stop for men looking for quality goods. The fact that the Union Depot, now called Ogden Union Station, was a short walk away contributed greatly to merchant businesses on and near Twenty-Fifth Street as many of the railroad laborers and travelers crowded the area for business and pleasure. Oppman also partnered with fellow congregation member Sam Kline. Kline owned the Ogden Trunk Factory at 270 Twenty-Fifth Street, which Oppman joined from 1890 to 1891.

Like Oppman, many emigrated Jews in the late nineteenth century immersed themselves in merchant roles as this provided them an opportunity to gain public status in their town.[2] Also many Jewish men began merchant businesses “so that their families and religious community might acquire a secure social status.”[3]

A newspaper article asking for the people of Ogden to help local Jews raise money to aid European Jews, 1916. [Click image to enlarge; click image again to further enlarge.]

In the same year that Oppman opened his own business in Ogden, he partnered with other Jews living in the area, such as his business partner, Samuel Rosenbluth, to form Ogden’s first Jewish congregation, Ohab Sholem. Oppman was extremely involved in the first congregation, even opening his store to accommodate religious services and other Jewish gatherings before the construction of the synagogue in 1921. His heavy involvement with keeping the congregation and Judaism alive in Ogden is evident in the newspaper articles pertaining to Jewish relations throughout the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. These articles show that Oppman held major roles, including the presidency of the congregation for a short time, chairman of the funding campaign to construct the 1921 synagogue, and assisting in organizing and raising funds for Russian Jews in need of aid during the early twentieth century. Oppman saw the importance of keeping the Jewish culture and faith alive in an area dominated by other religious groups. He dedicated much of his time to making sure Judaism prospered in Ogden and that they had a space to worship and gather for Jewish events and holidays.

Rosenbluth & Oppman advertisement in The Ogden Standard, Sat., Dec. 19, 1903. [Click image to enlarge.]

Even with his charitable and thoughtful contributions to the local Jewish community and European Jews, Oppman encountered devastating losses in the early twentieth century. In 1903, at the peak of a thriving business for Rosenbluth & Oppman, Samuel Rosenbluth suddenly died from unexpected causes at the age of fourty-three.[4] Fortunately, Samuel’s son, Henry Rosenbluth, stepped in and co-partnered with Oppman to manage the merchant store.

On December 19, 1915, Oppman’s wife, Rose, succumbed to an illness that lingered for six weeks. Similar to her husband, Rose involved herself in many organizations around Ogden and Salt Lake City, such as the Queen Esther chapter No. 4.[5] Rose bore no children, although several obituaries for Rose claim Henry Rosenbluth as her son. It is possible the journalists mistook Henry as the son of Ben and Rose since Henry’s mother had a very similar name, Rosa. Though it is certain Henry became very close to the family due to growing up around the Oppman’s and becoming business partners with Ben.

In the spring of 1912, Oppman parted ways from Rosenbluth & Oppman as Henry purchased the interest and goods from him, becoming the sole manager of the store. Henry changed the name from Rosenbluth & Oppman to R & O Quality Shop.[6] The reasoning behind this business decision is unknown, but it seems as though it did not hinder the relationship between Henry and Ben. In September 1919, Henry Rosenbluth permanently closed the retail business at 352 Twenty-Fifth Street. Oppman helped Samuel manage his affairs, such as selling the remainder of the store’s furnishings and collecting any unpaid loans, in a rented room located in the Broom Hotel on Twenty-Fifth Street.[7]

Newspaper article discussing the meeting of thirty-five Jewish members in Ogden to plan building a synagogue in Ogden, Utah, Ogden Daily Standard, October 13, 1913. [Click image to enlarge; click image again to enlarge further.]

These unfortunate events did not deter Oppman from moving forward with plans to construct a synagogue in Ogden for the new congregation, Brith Sholem. Talks of building a synagogue to accommodate the growing Jewish families in Ogden started in 1911. Slowly but surely, Jewish members of the congregation, like Oppman, held fundraising events to raise money to build a synagogue. The Salt Lake Tribune reported a meeting held by thirty-five Jewish members of the congregation with a proposed plan to construct a synagogue and hire an in-house rabbi to conduct services.[8] In 1917 The Ogden Daily Standard reported about a social gathering held by local Jews to raise funds for a synagogue. Over $2,000 was raised that night by the attendees. Also at this meeting, a building committee was formed, which included Ben Oppman as the chairman.[9] Another social was held in 1920 to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and to also raise funds to build a synagogue. According to The Ogden Standard-Examiner, “of the large number present, all contributed liberally to the building fund.”[10]

On August 21, 1921, Ben Oppman saw his dreams turn into reality as the cornerstone for the new synagogue was laid at 2750 Grant Avenue. With a loss of his cherished friend and business partner, Samuel, his loving wife, Rose; and his once thriving business, Rosenbluth & Oppman, permanently closed, the synagogue must have marked the light at the end of the tunnel for Ben.

After the synagogue was erected, Oppman continued being an active member of Congregation Brith Sholem. He also was a member of several lodges and organizations around Ogden. After the death of his wife, Rose, Oppman lived at the legendary Ben Lomond Hotel on Washington Avenue and Twenty-Fifth Street until his death caused by natural causes on December 31, 1949, at the age of eighty-eight.[11]

It is evident that Ben Oppman paved the way for Ogden’s Jewish community and the synagogue of Congregation Brith Sholem. Oppman contributed greatly to the city of Ogden as well as his Jewish brothers and sisters by showing his compassion for helping others with his merchant business, his charitable donations to aid Jews devastated by horrific violence in Europe and Russia, as well as his commitment to forming and continuing the Jewish faith in Ogden by founding its first congregation and raising funds for its synagogue. Ben Oppman’s caring and generous characteristics stayed true to his Jewish culture and faith and helped solidify the synagogue and Congregation Brith Sholem in Ogden, Utah.