In the Beginning: 1855
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
K.K. Benai Yeshurun. — At a general meeting of this congregation it was determined that an organ should be placed in the synagogue after Pesach, and the necessary repairs be done in the building. The members subscribed about give thousand dollars to this purpose.
Editor’s Note: The K.K. Benai Yeshurun congregation is now known as the Isaac M. Wise temple. The organ was made by Cincinnati company Köehnken & Company and was installed in 1866. The same organ is still in place at Plum Street, having undergone only minor repairs since its installation. The Plum Street Organ was the largest organ built by Johann Heinrich Köhnken.
— January 5, 1855
150 Years ago
Big Invention
Lloyd, the famous map man, who made all the maps for General Grant and the Union army, certificate of which he published, has just invented a way of getting a relief plate from steel so as to print Lloyd’s Map of the American Continent — showing from ocean to ocean — on one entire sheet of blank note paper, 40×50 inches large, on a lightning press, and colored, sized and varnished for the wall so as to stand washing, and mailing anywhere in the world for 30 cents, or unvarnished for 25 cents. This map shows the whole United States and Territories in a group, from surveys to 1875, with a million places on it, such as towns, cities, villages, mountains, lakes rivers, streams, gold mines, railway stations, etc. This map should be in every house. Send 30 cents to the Lloyd Map Company, Philadelphia, and you will get a copy by return mail.
Items
– The Lord’s prayer was recently called to the attention of the San Francisco School Board, and after some discussion the Chair decided “that the Lord’s Prayer is partisan and sectarian, and that the use of it in our schools is contrary to the spirit of the school law.” Its chanting or reading was accordingly ruled out of the schools.
– Verdi is writing a new opera, with Shakespeare’s “King Lear” for a subject.
Editor’s Note: Verdi would never complete this opera. He was hoping it would be a masterpiece, according to letters with another writer, but it would not come to fruition.
— March 12, 1875
125 Years ago
Jottings
– Mr. Jacob Furth, a well known and highly respected members of the community, was murdered at Selma, Ala.
– Miss Aimee Cohen, a young Atlanta, Ga., girl of fifteen, is winning fame in the Southern cities as a coronet soloist.
– A special train containing over 500 Russian Jewish immigrants, bound from London to various points in the United States, passed through Augusta, Maine, on March 2nd.
– Dr. Sarah Vason, the resident physician and superintendent of the Jewish Maternity Home of Philadelphia, has resigned the positions to resume the practice of her profession in Quincy, Ill.
– The Funk & Wagnalls Co. of New York have invited Mr. Joseph Jacobs of London to become one of the Board of Editors of the forthcoming Jewish encyclopedia. Mr. Jacobs has accepted and will be in New York shortly.
— March 15, 1900
100 Years ago
Jottings
– The Indiana House on March 5 killed a “blue Sunday” bill by a vote of 48 to 44. The measure was sponsored by the Lord’s Day Alliance and provided broad restrictions against Sunday amusements.
– It is announced that a public hearing on the bill to make Bible reading in the public schools compulsory, now pending in the Ohio Legislature, will be conducted at Columbus on March 18th. Those citizens who are opposed to clerical meddling with the public schools should be prepared to have proper representatives to present their side of the case.
– A bill prohibiting the wearing of masks in public was signed by Miriam A. Ferguson. It provides sever penalties for persons entering public buildings while masked. Its as a Democratic Party pledge of the last campaign and resulted manning from flogging parties conducted by the masked bands in Texas during the last few years, said Representative Holbrook, author of the bill.
– Three of the trans-Atlantic steamship companies are maintaining at Eastleigh, near Southampton, a hostel in which over 600 people are housed, having been refused admission to the United States because of the immigration quota bar. About 80 percent of these unfortunates are Jews. Some them have been held up fully for a year. The “Atlantic Park Hostel,” as it is called, is a peculiar advertisement of the workings of human nature in the Twentieth Century.
— March 12, 1925
75 Years ago
Cincinnati Chapter of AJC Will Elect Leaders on Tuesday
At the annual meeting of the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Jewish Committee, Tuesday, March 21, at 8:15 p.m., at the Jewish Center, Fred Roth, chapter chairman, will make his annual report and set forth the Committee’s views and also for 1950.
Maurice Jacobs, vice president, will review the work of the local chapter.
The A.J.C. recently has changed its emphasis away from the defense against “Rock throwing type Anti-Semitism,” toward a long range program of intergroup relations in the interest of furthering the American democracy as a whole, it was announced.
At a recent meeting of the A.J.C. delegates in New York, Jacob Blaustein, National president, declared “by participating in and defending common American civilization — as well as enriching our own special spiritual and cultural traditions, honestly and without fear, we can contribute more to the America of us all.”
In Appreciation
The Avondale Talmud Torah PTA thanks Miss Bernice Harris, who consented, on short notice, to sing at the Purim Party March 7, when the scheduled soloist became ill. Miss Harris was accompanied by Mrs. Marian Quintele.
Good Times Club Purim Party
On Monday, March 6, the Good Time Club held its annual Purim Party.
A pre-party program, consisting of a Purim quiz and group singing, was led by Ed Davidson. Sol Blank, president, and Mrs. Fannie Kluber, vice president, gave brief Purim messages and Rabbi Bernard Greenfield, of Ohav Shalom Congregation, related stories and anecdotes. Mrs. Filed read two original poems. Refreshments and games followed.
Mesdames Kluber, Fried, Rappaport and Morrison acted as hostesses and Mrs. Kluber was in charge of decorations.
— March 16, 1950
50 years ago
Bas Mitzvah
Dr. and Mrs. William Cohen would like to announce the forthcoming Bas Mitzvah of their daughter, Ellen Beth, on Friday, March 21st, at 8:30 p.m., at Ohav Shalom, 1834 Section Road.
Friends and relatives are cordially incited to join them. Ellen is the granddaughter of Mrs. Sarah Schneider of Cincinnati and the late Mr. Abe Schneider and the late Mr. and Mrs. Max Cohen of Toledo, Ohio.
Bar Mitzvah
Our son, David Alan, will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah, on Saturday, March 22nd, at 9 a.m. at Adath Israel Synagogue, Ridge and Galbraith Roads. It would be our pleasure to have our relatives and friends worship with us on this occasion and join us for the Kiddish following the services.
David is the grandson of Senta Kaufman and the late Julius Kaufman and Selma Kraus and the late Rev. William Kraus,
-Barbara and Walter Kaufman
Postage Stamp to Honor Hero of Revolution
“Haym Salomon-Financial Hero” is a 10-cent U.S. postage stamp that will be on sale March 26th.
Featuring a prominent 19th century Jew, the stamp is part of a Bicentennial Series called “Contributors to the Cause.”
Haym Salomon helped finance the American Revolution and was a spy for the U.S. Although he only arrived in American in 1775 from Poland, he was a vigorous Colonial patriot and lent money without charge to James Madison and to other members of the Continental Congress.
His life was spared when he was captured as a spy because he served as an interpreter.
Later, as a leading broker, he worked for the political rights of Jews.
— March 13, 1975
25 Years ago
Cohen heads HUC-JIR for ethical study
By Joan Porat
Contributing Writer
Law and ethics have been Judaism’s dominant themes for more than 2,000 years, but it took the innovating thinking of an Israeli-born, British educated lawyer and scholar to bring them together in the context of a joint program between Hebrew Union College and the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Jonathan Cohen, who recently assumed the directorship of the HUC-UC Center for the Study of Ethics and Contemporary Moral Problems, designed and currently teaches the centers first for-credit class offered to both UC Law and HUC students.
UC and HUC are examining more going academic study opportunities that would bring together people of various professional backgrounds and religious demonizations to examine issues relating religion, law, and ethics, he explained in a recent interview.
— March 16, 2000
10 Years ago
A family’s commitment to innovation and involvement in the Jewish community
Quick! Can you name the only city in the country in which a local family has created and funded nearly 650 free events to benefit their Jewish community? It’s not New York, L.A., Chicago or even Cleveland. Believe it or not, it’s Cincinnati, and it’s all thanks to the generosity of The Mayerson Family Foundations, one more reason why people in our community are fortunate to live in a place that offers so many unique opportunities aimed at enriching their Jewish connections and experiences.
In addition to its many millions of dollars of grantmaking to nearly every organization in the local Jewish community, for the past 13 years The Mayerson Foundation has directly operated several programs which have provided multiple entry points for those looking for a no-strings-attached way to get involved in Jewish life. Through its popular Shalom Family and Access initiatives, our community has benefited from many hundreds of high quality programs at no cost to young professionals, young couples and families, interfaith families and others.
“Our Jewish community is filled with so many people who are desirous of making connections with one another and their Jewish identity—people who want to create meaningful shared experiences,” said Dr. Neal Mayerson, president of The Mayerson Foundation. “We are glad to be able to play a role in the vibrancy of our community!”
— March 13, 2015
