Muncie, Indiana

Located along the White River in east-central Indiana, Muncie, the county seat of Delaware county, has long hosted a Jewish community. As early as 1850, Jews lived and worked in Muncie. Though the size has fluctuated over the years, a sizeable Jewish community still lives and worships in Muncie today.

Early History

The area that now comprises Muncie was the home of Lenape (Delaware) tribes forced west from their homelands in the Mid-Atlantic states and the river valley which bears their name. The name Muncie is an Anglicization of the Lenape term "Munsee", a subgroup of the Lenape people. Despite assurances to the land, in 1818 the Lenape were once again forced from their land by the Treaty of St. Mary's and pushed further west.

Following the expulsion of the Lenape, Anglo settlers arrived in Muncie around 1820. The Lenape village of Munsee Town was recristened Muncietown in 1827 as the county seat of the newly-formed Delaware County. The town would rename to simply Muncie in 1845.

Early Jewish History