Gallitzin

Gallitzin is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. It emerged in the late 1840s as an outpost along the new Pennsylvania Railroad and was incorporated as a borough in 1873. The population grew rapidly in the 1880s and peaked above 3,600 in the 1940s.

As the borough grew, it attracted a few Jewish families. In its June 21, 1907 issue, the Jewish Criterion listed Louis Persky of Gallitzin among those who had contributed at least $100 to pay down the mortgage on the Jewish Home for the Aged in Pittsburgh.^[1]“The Mortgage Fund Subscription List,” Jewish Criterion, June 21, 1907, p17 (online). Louis and Anna Isaacson opened a clothing or furniture store in Gallitzin soon after they immigrated to the United States from Russia around 1900. They maintained a presence in the borough as late as 1940. They had three children, Cecelia, Harry and William. Harry Isaacson had a law practice in Gallitzin and became its city solicitor. Samuel and Lena Pollock came to Gallitzin from Altoona in 1914 and opened Pollock’s Department Store, which sold “Everything to Wear for Men, Women and Children.” Their son Mel Pollock continued operating the store into the early 1950s. Solomon Spector and his wife ran a jewelry and general store with a watch repair department into the 1930s and 1940s.^[2]Pollock, Mel. “Could You Believe,” 2001, Pollock Family Papers [MSS 1031] (online).

The Jewish population of Gallitzin was never large enough to support formal institutions such as a congregation, a religious school, a charity, or a club. Jewish families in Gallitzin associated with larger communities in Altoona and Johnstown for religious school, youth activities, fundraising activities, and other religious and communal needs.

Galltzin, Pa. population (total and Jewish)

Bibliography

• Pollock Family Papers [MSS 1031] (catalog record).
• Melvin Pollock oral history and transcription (2011.0048) (online).

Exhibit history

• Author: Eric Lidji
• Created: April 26, 2017
• Current Version: February 14, 2022