Richard Winer Family Papers

Richard A. Winer

Dr. Richard A. Winer was born on October 20, 1927 in Salem, Massachusetts to Meyer and Dorothy Winer. He graduated from Saltonstall School on June 18, 1941 and then attended Salem High School, where he played football. He graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine and Tufts Dental School. He was a practicing endodontist in Salem from 1954 until his retirement in 1992. An active member of the community, Richard Winer created a protective plan to avert mouth injuries for Salem High school’s grid team, spoke on dental health, was a member of multiple city committees, and was president of the community council. He was also the founder and president of the Jewish Heritage Center of the North Shore and president of Temple Shalom.

Max Winer and his sons, Louis and Meyer Winer

Richard Winer's granfather Max was born on April 15, 1862 in Kovno, Lithuania to Maurice and Rebecca Vedoclefsky and was the third of six children. At the age of twenty-one, he married Blume Dembo, left her in the care of his family, and immigrated to the United States. He arrived in New York, adopted the name Winer, and soon after, moved to Massachusetts. He arrived in Boston and quickly moved to Salem, where he began his peddling business. In 1885, Blume joined him in America. Two years later, their first child, Rose, was born. Their second child, Meyer (Richard’s father) was born in 1890. One year later, Max was the first Winer to become an American citizen and their third child, Louis, was born.

Max ran a retail clothing store for forty years. The New England Supply Company, founded in 1895, later changed its name to Winer’s Specialty Shop. It flourished until 1919 when Max offered to the "people of Greater Salem the benefits of a selling-out sale with every garment in the store at a ridiculously low price, utterly ignoring former prices or cost.”

When Max arrived in Salem, there were only two other prominent Jewish families living there, and no organized Jewish community. Max was an essential player in the formation of the first Jewish congregation in Salem and served as Congregation Sons of Jacob’s first president in 1898. He also arranged for the purchase of land in Danvers for the first Jewish cemetery. By 1920, there were over 400 Jewish families in the community. Max and Blume’s children also became active in the Jewish community. Max Winer died in 1939.

April 15, 1862

Max Winer born in Kovno, Lithuania.

1883

Max Winer married Blume Dembo.

1883

Max Winer immigrated to the United States.

1885

Blume Dembo arrived in the United States.

1887

Rose Winer born.

1890

Meyer Winer born.

1891

Max Winer became an American citizen.

1891

Louis Winer born.

1895

Max Winer founded The New England Supply Company.

1898

Congregation Sons of Jacob was founded; Max was the first President.

1912

Meyer Winer graduated from Harvard Dental School.

1914

Louis Winer graduated from Boston University Law School.

October 20, 1927

Richard A. Winer born in Salem, Massachusetts.

1939

Max Winer died.

1958

Rose Winer died.

1975

Meyer Winer died.