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David Theobald
“He was a self-made man, rising from a poor boy to a position of marked prominence in the Jewish community. He was a guiding light; a man of whom the city was proud.”[1]
David Theobald was both one of the earliest and fundamental figures in the creation of an organized Jewish community in Youngstown. He was born May 17, 1825 in Ibesheim, Germany. In 1849, Theobald immigrated to America to avoid service in the German Army.
Once in the United States Theobald took a job in New Castle, Pennsylvania as a clerk at a dry goods and clothing store. In 1852, he left this position and opened his own clothing shop in Youngstown. Eight years later another prominent member in the Jewish community, Ferdinand Ritter, became his partner. The store, under the name David Theobald and Co., grew to become one of the most successful commercial enterprises in Youngstown’s history.
His personal life was dedicated to community service. Known to his friends as “Colonel”, Theobald served as a prominent Freemason and on several business boards, including the Youngstown Board of Education and a director of Mahoning National Bank. Theobald also played an influential role in the development of “The Youngstown Hospital Association”, later known as the Western Reserve Care System. He made the first donation to the hospital’s endowment fund with a generous gift of $300. Perhaps his most notable contribution to the community was his active role in helping establish Youngstown’s Rodef Sholom Congregation. David Theobald died in 1887 at the age of 62, an esteemed member of the Youngstown community.[2]
[1] This quote is from a Vindicator article on the death of David Theobald in 1887. The quote can also be found in Irving E. Ozer, et al. These Are the Names: The History of the Jews of Greater Youngstown, Ohio 1865-1990 (Youngstown, OH: 1994), 17.
[2] Irving E. Ozer, These Are the Names: The History of the Jews of Greater Youngstown, Ohio 1865-1990 (Youngstown, OH: 1994), 17-18.
Above: David Theobald. Acc. No. JA90-231, MVHS Collection
Theobald Store exterior with people. Acc. No. 70.29.1, MVHS Collection.
The Mahoning Valley Historical Society educates and promotes an interest in the history of the Mahoning Valley by collecting, preserving, and developing material representative of the people who have inhabited the region.
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