In the Beginning: 1855
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
Plagiarism. — If the Rev. A. P. Mendes of London should again find it convenient to transcribe one of our sermons and give it to the world as his own production, he would do well in not publishing it in the Jewish Chronicle as we read that paper. So he has done with the sermon on page 74 or the Chronicle.
— March 30, 1855
150 Years ago
Items
– A law forbidding the payment of different salaries in the public schools on account of sex has just passed the legislature of California.
– As a consequence of using bad ink the signatures to the original copy of the Declaration of Independence have faded so that they are scarcely visible.
– The Municipal Council of Besoul, France, have granted the Jewish congregation of the town a plot of ground on which to erect a new synagogue.
– A great national museum is to be erected at St. Peterbsburg. Foreign as well as native architects have been invited to send in plans for competition in the building.
– The citizens of Berlin have just honored with their confidence Dr. Strassman, a distinguished physician, whom they have elected President of the Municipal Council of the City of Berlin. This is the first time that a Jew has been called to fill so high a civil function.
– Pottsville, Pa. — Abraham Hexter, President of our Congregation, has been elected and installed President of the Borough Council of Minersville. Good for Mr. Hexter.
— March 26, 1875
125 Years ago
Jottings
– Isaac M. Wise died on Monday afternoon at six o’clock, at his home on Mound Street, Cincinnati.
– In order to facilitate traffic along the shores of the Dead Sea it has been decided to establish intercourse by means of small steamers, and the first steamer has been purchased. The steam engine shrieks and whistles now upon the surface of Gehenna and high above old Sodom and Gomorrah, teasing King Solomon, who said there is nothing new under the sun. A number of perplexing questions are opened up by the innovations: where is Gehenna now to be located, the old locality being sold to the J.J.R.R. company? What Berachah must one ask upon arriving in Gehenna? Our sages of old did not provide for that.
— March 29, 1900
100 Years ago
The true function of a Jewish newspaper is not always properly understood. Take the Israelite, for instance. Its purpose is to print news concerning Jews, or of special interest to Jews. The editor does not aim to instruct the readers of the paper. He leaves that to others, far more capable than he is himself. But he does aim to inform them and does this to the best of his ability, and by using all the available agencies to keep the readers fully posted as to what is happening of interest to and among Jews the world over.
Jottings
– Plans for one of the greatest educational conferences ever held in Pittsburgh are nearing completion. The conference, to be held by the Hebrew Institute of Pittsburg in conjunction with the United Synagogue of America, will be held Sunday, March 29.
– The steamship President Arthur pulled out from Pier 89, of west Houston street, Manhattan, last week with 500 prominent Zionists aboard for the maiden trip of the vessel to Palestine, where they will attend the opening and reception on April 1 of the first Hebrew university in Jerusalem. The next ship will sail in sixty days.
– According to the latest report of the Jewish Agricultural Society of America, the number of Jewish farmers in the United States have increased in the last twenty-five years from several hundred to 75,000. The amount of land cultivated by Jewish farmers in the United States is no less than one million acres. The products produced by Jewish farmers in all parts of the Union, include all branches of agriculture: wheat, corn, oranges, tobacco and poultry.
— March 26, 1925
75 Years ago
Camp Hanoar Registrations Open
Registrations for Camp Hanoar, the Jewish Center’s summer day camp, will be open to the public, tomorrow (Friday, March 31), announces Mrs. Milton Schloss, chairman of the Camp Hanoar Committee. Junior members of the center received their applications March 15.
Age requirements for Camp Hanoar have been lowered this year to include children 4 years 5 months old, as of June 26, 1950. The Jewish Center will not operate a nursery school during the summer and the nursery school building will be utilized for the younger campers.
Eddie Cantor “MC’s” Cincinnatians to $582,000 Start in Welfare Drive
Responding to the “emceeing” of Eddie Cantor, some 250 guests at a “kick-off” dinner of the Initials Gifts Committee of the Cincinnati 1950 Jewish Welfare Fund campaign, Saturday evening, March 25, at the Netherland Plaza, pledged $582,777.
Mr. Cantor’s roll call of those present, in the appeal for pledges, was personalized by jests about the hobbies and foibles of each. He had a fund of information about many.
The pledges averaged about a 10% increase over those made by the same individuals last year, an analysis made by Maurice J. Sievers, campaign director, disclosed.
Among the contributions was one for $60,000, made by one family; another for $50,500 by several business associates; several of $20,000 each; and many from $5,000 to $18,000.
Joseph H. Hoodin, campaign chairman, introduced Mr. Cantor.
“I am here because we are facing an emergency the likes of which has never confronter our race before,” Mr. Cantor said. “And I am here because I am a Jew. And I am here because I thank God I am an American.”
— March 30, 1950
50 years ago
Bas Mitzvah
Mrs. Harry David and Mr. Irwin Jaeger are pleased to announce the Bas Mitzvah of their daughter, Wendy Lynn, on Saturday, April 5, 10:45 a.m., at Rockdale Temple.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend the Bas Mitzvah and the Kiddish following the service. Wendy is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Messer, and Dr. Phillip Jaeger, and the late Mrs. Jaeger.
Bar Mitzvah
Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Dick are happy to announce the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Darryl Rand, on Saturday, April 12th, at 9 a.m., at Adath Israel Synagogue, Ridge and Galbraith Roads.
Relatives and friends are cordially invited to worship with the family and join them for the Kiddish following the services.
Darryl is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Meisel, and the late Mr. and Mrs. William Dick.
Mother-Daughter Team to present Program
A pianist and a flutist, a talented mother and daughter musical team, Mrs. Kate Foreman and her daughter, Sally, will present a program apropos of Passover at Freedom Sabbath Services, Friday, March 28. Their program, works by Quantz, Rousel, and Ben-Haim, contain thoughts of the Exodus.
Mrs. Foreman is president of Euterpe and past president of the Clef Music Club. She teaches music as she continues her studies in piano and harpsichord. Sally Foreman, a junior at Walnut Hills High School and a member of the Cincinnati Youth Symphony, is an accomplished flutist.
Mrs. Foreman and her husband, Richard, are members of the Wise Temple. They also have a son, James, who is an excellent trumpeter and plays with the Wittenberg Brass Choir at Wittenberg College.
— March 27, 1975
25 Years ago
Yom Ha’atzmaut community celebration begins
Carol Ann Schwartz, Israel Programs Cabinet Chair of the Council on Jewish Live & Learning of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, announced “The planning meetings have begun for the Yom Ha’atmaut Community Celebration to be held at the Jewish Community Center on May 10 from 4:30 – 8:30 p.m.
“All kinds of activities for everyone to enjoy and participate in will make the evening special as we celebrate Israel’s birthday. We want to have all Jewish organizations involved in every aspect of our celebration,”Schwartz added.
For Yom Ha’atzmaut, the Jewish Community Center will be transformed into Eretz Israel. The pavilion of the JCC will become Ben Gurion airport.
“Jewish National Fund will be administering passports to students to travel throughout the State of Israel. The passports will be distributed to students in advance so that their information can be properly completed ahead of time,” remarked Haviva Hrvitz, Walk for Water Co-Chair. “This year’s Walk for Water will occur throughout the JCC campus educating people about the history of each city in Israel. Everyone participating in the walk will need to visit 10 out of the 18 cities and have their passports stamped at each of these cities, explained Horvitz.
Mazal Roseenbaltt, Entertainment Chair explained, “We are looking at entertainment options for the day’s celebration. We would like to have college students and teachers dress up as topical Jewish figures and walk around ‘in character’ throughout the evening. We are also planning on having three Theatrons and a Pre-Schoolers Parade.”
— March 30, 2000
10 Years ago
Rockdale Temple Tree Planting
Twenty-one volunteers from Rockdale Temple, ages 15 to 85, planted trees at Salway Park with the Groundwork Cincinnati/Mill Creek for Taking Root Campaign on Sunday afternoon, November 9th, 2014. The Rockdale Temple Environment Committee selected the Taking Root project this year for one of the activities for the 7th Annual Mitzvah Palooza event. Each year Rockdale Temple members participate in several projects to make our community a better place. The organization’s goal is to plant 2 million trees in the tri-state region by 2020, one tree for every person living in the eight counties of Ohio and Kentucky; this is to replace trees lost to various environmental stressors including the Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Long Horned Beetle. Members at Rockdale made donations to purchase trees and volunteered their time that Sunday afternoon to plant them.
— March 26, 2015
