Camden People - Ellis Goodman

ELLIS GOODMAN was born April 24, 1898. He opened his real estate office in Camden NJ at 515 Market Street in Camden NJ in 1926. He moved his business to 427 Market Street sometime in the 1950s. He also was involved in insurance, and was the president of the Kaighn Saving and Loan Association. Ellis Goodman was also an active member of Camden and South Jersey's Jewish community. He was a director of Congregation Beth El, on Park Boulevard across from Farnham Park, and an officer of the Federation of Jewish Charities and the Zionist Organization of America.

Congregation Beth El
by
william m. hoffman, jr.
Ligonier, PA
Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University

Ellis Goodman lived during the 1940s and 1950s at 2596 Baird Boulevard in Camden NJ. He lived in Cherry Hill NJ in the latter years of his life. He passed away in September of 1982.

Ellis Goodman was married to Lillian Rosengarten, daughter of Robert Rosengarten, who was partners in Dewees & Rosengarten, a typewriter and business machine sales company on Market Street. Lillian Rosengarten Goodman carried the Ellis Goodman realty business forward until her retirement in 2004.

My Uncle Ellis Goodman's real estate and insurance business was at 427 Market from approximately 1950 to 1995. My Aunt Lillian Goodman retired officially a few weeks ago. Prior to 1950, Uncle Ellis was at 515 Market. I think he had the building there since 1926 when he went into business.

That fancy marble on the 427 Market façade was custom ordered by my Uncle Ellis when he refurbished the building before moving into it. Aunt Lillian said there was some extra put aside just in case it got damaged. Someone did run into that building damaging a piece last year but the money the insurance company offered to fix it wouldn't touch the cost of repairs, even with the spare marble.

Ellis Goodman was quite a philanthropist. He was a wealthy man but lived fairly conservatively. It is safe to say he contributed millions of dollars to the Zionist movement. I really wish I'd gotten to know him better, but when you're a kid you aren't interested in the same things you are at age 50. Hell of a guy and dearly loved by the Camden Rosengartens!

Uncle Ellis never spoke much of his childhood, but I guess I never asked. I know he came to the United States by way of Toronto, Ontario. He and I were looking at an atlas once as he tried to show me how he got to Camden . I am not sure why Camden- probably he knew someone there. I am guessing it may have been a brother, Morris Goodman who had come to the United States earlier and was in the Philadelphia-Camden area.

Most of Uncle Ellis's family perished in the Holocaust. One sister survived and went to Israel . I don't think he knew exactly what happened till the late 1940s. Aunt Lil said someone in Philadelphia had all the information and they went to see this person. She said she was so scared as she didn't know how Uncle Ellis would react. Two brothers were killed and the one sister escaped into the woods. I guess she lived in the woods and foraged for food at night. I am sure it was at that time my uncle became immersed in the Zionist movement.

Robert M. Rosengarten
November 2005

Camden Courier-Post - February 1, 1938

NOTED RABBI SPEAKS IN CAMDEN TONIGHT
Jewish Community to Fete Dr. Goldstein, President of Palestine Fund

Rabbi Israel Goldstein, of New York, president of the Jewish National Fund of America, will speak tonight at a mass meeting at the Hotel Walt Whitman, in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Jewish National Fund.

Preceding the meeting, he will be the guest at a dinner tendered by members of the Jewish community here.

Leon H, Rose, Camden attorney, who is president of the Jewish National Fund Conncil of Southern New Jersey, will be toastmaster. Rabbis N. H. J. Riff and Philip L. Lipis [of Congregation Beth El- pmc] will speak.

Dr. Goldstein is rabbi of Congregation B'nai Jeshrun, and active in Jewish communal, civic and interfaith movements. He is a member of the New York Regional Relations Board and of the National Executive Committee on Workers and Farmers Rights, and president of the Jewish Conciliation Court of America. The Jewish National Fund of America, of which he is head, has for its purpose the purchase of land in Palestine.

Those at the dinner will include:

David Breslau, Ben Zion Steinberg, Isaac Singer, Mrs. Samuel Kaplan, Mrs. Abraham Kaplan, Samuel Varbalow, Meyer Adelman, E. George Aaron, Jacob Leventon, Jesse Satenstein, Lewis Liberman, A. J. Rosenfeld, Judge Joseph Varbalow, Elias Klein, Mark Marritz, Albert B. Melnik, Dr. Samuel H. Blank, Barney B. Brown, Jacob Naden, Samuel Ginns, Ernest Dubin, Ellis Goodman, Leon Naden, Louis Rovner, Joseph Ruttenberg. Morris Liebman, Albert Caplan, Lester Abrahamer, I. J. Milask, Isadore H. Hermann, Milton C. Nurock, Harry Trautenberg, Manuel Winigrad, Hanan Yarden, Morris Drob and Mrs. Dora E. Rose.

Camden Courier-Post - February 7, 1938

Willson Says Busiest Month Was in November 'Recession' Realtor Sees Defeat of 'Lawyer's Bill as Feather in Cap of Board PREDICTS SLUMP WILL END/IN APRIL
	Harry A. Willson, who recently re tired as president of the Camden County Real Estate Board, wants the world to know that he is one of those "who is selling Camden and Uncle Sam long." In other words, the Camden realtor says he didn't know the real meaning of "recession" in 1937, that November was his best month, and that by the middle of April, 1938, he expects to see "things humming and business okeh everywhere again." "We had a busy year in 1937," declared Willson, speaking both as an official and a businessman. "And we had a good year in business and I want to say that November was the best month that I had, when everybody was talking about this recession." "The biggest accomplishment of the year for the real estate board was the defeat of the bill which would permit only lawyers to negotiate real estate transaction. It was the so-called 'lawyers' bill.' "Under its provision no realtor would have been allowed even to draw an agreement of sale. We know
HARRY WILLSON
that there are negotiations that require a lawyer's services, but we realtors feel we are fully capable of making an agreement of sale, drawing a lease and making a settlement. Realtors Capable "The majority of the realtors of Camden have a good technical working knowledge of the law. For myself I've been a member of the bar since 1912, and I know scores of other real estate men who are not only learned in the law, but are as capable of handling legal matters in their business as any member of the bar. "We consider that' victory as per haps the largest, feather in our cap for the year. But we're proud that we moved into decent headquarters as well. "We nave headquarters now at 421 Cooper Street, with an executive secretary in charge at all times. It is a headquarters worthy and fitting for, a group of businessmen with the personnel and extensive interests of the real estate board. "We are now able to issue a weekly bulletin, 'The Realtor.' which we send to the real estate men of the county, to various Chambers of Commerce and to other interests vitally concerned about real estate. "I think the real estate board has been of great help in solving municipal problems, too. Car1 Evered has been aiding in the matter of direct taxation and Ellis Goodman, on his committee on public parks and beautification has rendered a splendid service to Commissioner Frank J. Hartmann, who has charge of that department. Sign Nuisance Abated, "Their joint efforts have resulted in ridding the boulevards of unsightly signs that were bad advertising for the city. Goodman and his committee also aided in the movement that rid the city of buildings that were unsightly, and standing, gave Camden a bad reputation abroad. "So far as business is concerned I know that my business in 1937 was swell. I feel that the realtors would say the same thing, If each of them was asked regarding their business. November was my best month of the year. "It is a fact that early last Spring houses were occupied to such a great extent that it was impossible to get a house to rent. During the fall this demand slackened off, but I haven't one fault to find with business during 1937, and I think that things will be all right this year. "I look to see this recession come to an end in mid-April. I expect you'll see things popping then. The New York Shipbuilding Corporation should be right in the thick of its work building those two new naval vessels by that time. "The working force should be recruited to its full strength by that time, and that means money will be pouring into the city and business is bound t leap upward. "1 know, too, there is a more optimistic feeling at the R.C.A., and in that industry they expect to see business starting upward in marked fashion in the Spring "Altogether, speaking as an officer of the real estate board and a business man as well, I haven't fault to find with 1937, and I'm still selling Camden and Uncle Sam long."

Camden Courier-Post - January 9, 1928

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*Camden Courier-Post May 10, 1934**

Camden Courier-Post - October 28, 1936

Camden Courier-Post - July 9, 1950