In the Beginning: 1855
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
Here and there. — It took in New York the united efforts of twelve congregations, meetings, union schemes, officers, committees, and a heap of labor to buy five thousand pounds of matzot for the poor at a price of $450. The mountain labored and a mouse was born. In Cincinnati no great men met, no committees were appointed, no officers elected, no newspaper articles were written, still the two congregations Benai Israel and Benai Yeshurun gave away about two thousand pounds of matzot to the poor. We have not heard yet of the other congregations.
— April 6, 1855
150 YEARS AGO
Items
The Chevra Kadisha, of Vienna, had an income in 1870 of 19,412 guilders; in 1871, of 18,290 guilders, and in 1872 of 20,790 guilders. The whole sum is spent in support of poor patients. Dr. Kuranda, M.P., is the President of this charity.
——————
There live now in Vienna 45,000 Israelites. They have twenty-two temples and synagogues of various dimensions. But they are insufficient, and the directors of the congregation have resolved to build a very large central synagogue.
——————
The source of the Nile, and the ten lost tribes, have not been discovered yet. The tourist, Halewy, in a speech before the French Academy, maintained to have discovered the latter in Asian Minor, which Renan and Derenbourg refuted on the spot. Those of them who were faithful to Israel, returned and mingled with them in Medo-Persia, and the rest were amalgamated among the Gentiles.
In a single business transaction in the city of New York, Henry N. Smith is said to have lost and paid $4,000,000 and Daniel Drew $2,500,000. There are in the city of New York fortunes of private gentleman estimated from ten to sixty millions of dollars. The loss of the Chicago fire was over $200,000,000; by the Boston fully $80,000,000. Single horses are driven to carriage in the city of New York valued at $40,000. Private mansions are billet costing from $500,000 to $1,000,000. Incomes of single individuals range from one to fifteen millions annually. Jay Gould is arrested for stealing $9,000,000. The Tammany frauds are said to have cost the city of New York over $100,000,000. The National debt is $2,000,000,000. State debit are from one to fifty millions, and municipal debts from one to ten millions. The annual expenses of Government are $300,000,000. Private corporations deal only in millions. Stock companies for banks, mines, ships, water, gas, real estate, or organized on a basis of millions for capital. IN a word, we are living in the gold age, the age of millions.
— April 4, 1873
125 YEARS AGO
At a meeting at the Mansion, London, the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Adler, spoke in most earnest terms of the folly of Zionism. He said that while it was harmless in itself, it was calculated to encourage the suggestion that Jews are an alien people in England, with alien sympathies. We need hardly say that the same statements might be made in this country.
Editor’s Note: Isaac M. Wise was an anti-Zionist. Wise believed, like many Jewish Americans at the time, that the United States was the new Zion and that the roots of the Jewish people should be planted here in the US rather than abroad.
Jottings
The initial number of “The Temple” has been sent to us. It is to be published monthly by the Young People’s Temple Society of Washington, D.C. It is very neatly gotten up and is a creditable paper of its kind.
——————
While the disaster caused by the flood at Shawneetown, Ill., is not so great as it was first feared, it is bad enough to call for the generous aid of all good people in the Central West. We have no doubt that as ever it will be forthcoming its generous measure.
——————
If the newspapers in that State are to be believed Jews have become farmers in Maine in such numbers as to be recognized as a factor in trading, but it is said commonly in Lewiston that the Jewish farmer can be outwitted where the Yankee or Canadian farmer can not be.
——————
According to the “Tribune” of that city, a sad state of affairs exists in Pendleton, ORegon, for “There does not seem to be an orthodox Jew in Pendleton.” Yesterday was on the Hebrew calendar for the Rosh Hodesh Nissan, a religious feast, and none observed it here.
— April 7, 1898
100 YEARS AGO
Jottings
Congregation Temple of Truth, of WIlmington, Del., has added forty new members since Rabbi Lee J. Levinger took charge, an dis planning a building campaign. One hundred children took part in the Purim pageant, which was written and directed by Mrs. Levinger, who is a frequent contributor t the Jewish press of exceedingly well written Jewish stories.
——————
Establishment of a psychopathic laboratory as an adjunct to the Cours and the administration fo justice was advocated by Rabbi Maruis Ranson, president of The Capitol District Conference on Social Welfare, which was held at Albany, N.Y. Rabbi Ranson declared such a laboratory was a necessity if delinquency and crime were to be treated scientifically.
——————
According to the report of the Commissioner General of Immigration during the year ending June 30, 1922, immigrant Jews to the number of 53,524 and non-immigrant Jews numbering 1, 832, entered the United States and 830 emigrant and 1,089 non-emigrant Jews left the country. These figures show that the Jews who come from other lands com here to stay, and cast their lot with their adopted country.
——————
At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the “American Jewish Congress” in New York City, a special sub-committee, which carefully investigated teh reported opening for opportunities for Jewish migration into Mexico, reported unfavorably. The report was adopted by the Executive Committee.
——————
The Bloch Publishing Company of New York announces the publication of a new book, “A Jewish University in American,” by Louis I. Newman. There is absolutely n one for a Jewish university in American, and not the slightest possibility of a serious attempt being made to establishing one. Any discussion of such a project in these columns would, therefore, be a mere waste of good newspaper space that could be utilized for much better purposes.
— April 5, 1923
75 YEARS AGO
Gefulte Fish Available from Manischewitz
B. Manischewitz Co announces that a new product, Manischewitz Gefulte Fish, is proving very popular in New York City and now is available in Cincinnati.
The gefiulte fish comes six portions to the jar, in their own quick-jelling broth, vacuum-packed to seal. It is suggested as the basis of luncheon or dinner; for a snack, or hors d’oeuvres and party canapés.
Passover orders are being accepted for this product.
Fusion of 3 Principles Urged by Dr. Doppelt, on HUC Founder’s Day
To become a way of life for American Israel in the present era, American Judaism must be a fusion of three historical principles in Jewish life, Dr. Frederic A Doppelt, rabbi of The Temple at Fort Wayne, Ind., said Saturday afternoon, March 27th, at the Hebrew Union College in CIncinnati.
Dr. Doppelt spoke on “American Judaism as a Way of LIFe For Our Times” at Founder’s Day exercises honoring the late Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, who established the Hebrew Union College in 1875.
The three historical principles which are required in order to enable American Judaism to become a way of life for American Israel, Dr. Doppelt said, are Reform Judaism; Jewish Ethnicism or “that unique interdependence which exists between Judaism as a spiritual force in the world and the Jewish people as an ethnic identity in history;” and “the spiritual flame of Chassidic Mysticism, to being warmth and enthusiasm and a sense of robust joy into our forms of worship.”
— April 1, 1948
50 YEARS AGO
Director of Judaic Studies at UC Cites Rising Interest in That Field; Link with HUC-JIR Is Emphasized
Interest in this struggles of Israel, sufferings of Soviet and Middle Eastern Jews, and the impact of the Six Day War have contributed to a phenomenal growth in Jewish studies in America’s colleges and universities, according to Dr. Yehuda Shamir.
The recent UC-HUC link will be of special value to UC, Dr. Shamir pointed out, since the HUC library “is wealthy in manuscripts, rare books and Judaica.
“HUC also has an excellent group of minds and great knowledge in Judaica among its faculty and library staff,” he said.
“There is fertile land for Judaicia in UC and wehope this will create a future source of graduate students for HUC.”
Bas Mitzvah
We would be honored to have you share with us the joy of the Bas Mitzvah of our daughter, Julie Sue, on Saturday morning, the fourteenth of April, at 10:45 o’clock. Please join us at the service and luncheon following at Temple Sholom, Ridge and Longmeadow Lane.
Julie Sue is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Schwartz and Mrs. Ruth Perry and the late Jack Perry.
Irvin and Ida Schwartz
Bar Mitzvah
Mr. and Mrs. Lee J. Robbins proudly announce the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Ronald H. Robbins on March 31st at Adath Israel Synagogue.
Many tanks to Rabbi Goldfeder, Cantor Feifel, Mr. IL. Scheinbaum and Sarah Dombar for the lovely affair.
— April 5, 1973
25 YEARS AGO
Seminar on religious education to be offered
The Bureau of Jewish Education will host a four-part seminar series for teachers in religious education, in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati’s College of Education. The Thursday evening classes will be taught be Vanessa Allen Brown, assistant professor of education, and Darwin Henderson, associate processor of education.
The course is designed for both experienced and new religious school teachers.
“For those who already have formal teacher training, this will be like a refresh course,” said Rabbi Howard Ruben, executive director of the Bureau of Jewish Education. “in addition, many congregants are potential teachers who tend to know more bout Judaism than they do about teaching. This venture is a perfect match between the university’s desire to support the community and our need to have good pedagogic training.”
— April 9, 1998
10 YEARS AGO
Cedar Village recognizes Eight Over Eighty honorees
The fifth annual Eight Over Eighty event sponsored by Cedar Village will honor distinguished older adults, 80 years or older, who have dedicated their time, talents and lives to our Jewish community and the Greater Cincinnati area. The celebration will be held on Thursday evening, May 30, at Adath Israel Congregation.
Cedar Village will recognize Jack and Tulane Chartock, Miriam Cohen, Peggy Katz, Millard Mack, Gene Mesh, Bess Paper, Judge Burton Perlman and Gerald Robinson who were nominated to receive this honor.
Olympian speaks at Sisterhood annual library tea
Members and guests of Wise Temple Sisterhood are invited to spend an afternoon enjoying guest speaker, Olympic athlete Julie Isphording, and coffee, tea and refreshments, on Wednesday, April 10, at 1 p.m. in the Wise Center Library.
Isphording is an award-winning syndicated radio host, national keynote speaker and magazine columnist. She has written three books. She ran the first-ever women’s Olympic Marathon in 1984.
Isphording consults for many Fortune 500 companies, and is currently a leadership and training consultant for Procter & Gamble, Xavier University Leadership Center and the Barrett Cancer Center. She also volunteers to speak to schools in an effort to fight childhood obesity.
— April 4, 2013
