In the Beginning: 1854
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
Call for a General Meeting of Israelites of Cincinnati
The undersigned committee, impressed with the conviction, that the Israelites of this country should establish a college on the pattern of German universities, connected with a theological seminary, and a seminary for teachers, in order to promulgate science and the interests of Judaism among our fellow-citizens; furthermore believing that the Israelites of Cincinnati should take the lead and the initial steps in the accomplishment of this great undertaking,—hereby call on all Israelites of this city, to attend a general meeting for this purpose on Sunday, October 8, at 7 o’clock p.m., in the Hall of the Allemania, to resolve upon a plan of action for this grand purpose.
— October 6, 1854
150 Years ago
Local and Domestic
Cleveland, O.—A Jewish young men’s association attached to the Temple Tifereth Israel, was started by our Rev. Dr. Hahn, on last Friday. Its object is to hear a lecture each Friday evening. The following officers were elected:
President, Frank Strauss.
Vice-President, B. Mahlor.
Secretary, A. Rosenblatt.
Treasurer, Henry Lohman.
The Opening of the Hebrew Union College
Last Sunday evening long before the appointed time the spacious Benai Yeshurun Temple was filled to its utmost capacity by ladies and gentlemen, both Jews and Gentiles, of the highest intelligence of Cincinnati. Precisely half past seven the organ presidium opened the solemnity. That mighty instrument handled on this occasion by Prof. Eckert, sent forth a flood of powerful and impressive music. Now the gentlemen invited to the platform, were led into the house by the Chairman of the Committee of Arrangement, Sol. Levi, Esq.
City Items
Dr. Wise wishes to inform his friends, that up to twelve o’clock daily, Saturdays and Sundays excepted, he is to be found at No. 126 Dayton Street; from one to four p.m. at his office No. 150 West Fourth Street.
— October 8, 1875
125 Years ago
Literary
Nobody ever doubted that Mark Twain was an American of the Americas, yet he announces that he is one of those who believes that it is “Best for England, Best for America, best for the world that the Union Jack and Stars and Stripes should wave together.” To which all good Americans will say, Amen!
– The exceedingly pious editor of a Christian journal, who thinks it a deadly sin to go to a theater or to drink a glass of beer, tells his readers that he takes great pleasure in hunting. Slaughtering God’s innocent creatures to gratify the savage instinct inherited from a barbarous ancestry is not sinful, but to witness one of Shakespeare’s plays is an offense in the eye of the Lord. Truly, it is easy to condone the sins we have a mind to, by damning those we’re not inclined to.
Our College Youth
The hope of the future of our country lies in the cultural youth of today. The colleges throughout the land are the training schools where high ideals and generous enthusiasms are nurtured. The number of Jewish young men and women attending the colleges is fairly proportioned to our percentage of the general population. A serious question with us at this present day is how to reach these young co-religionists of ours and interest them in the work of Judaism. Most of the larger colleges at any rate have a sufficient number of Jewish students to warrant the services occasionally, if not regularly. Our young men in the colleges pass through this critical period of life when opinions are forming with scarcely any Jewish influences being brought to bear upon them.
— October 11, 1900
100 Years ago
Jottings
A survey made in 1924 by Dr. Charles S. Bernheimer for the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association shows that the estimated Jewish population in Philadelphia at that time was 240,000, of which 34,545 were children of school age, and about 17,000 of these are receiving Jewish education in one form or another. 7,534 of these are registered on the books of the Hebrew Sunday school Society of Philadelphia and it is hoped in the near future to reach as many more.
— October 8, 1925
75 Years ago
Bar Mitzvah
Mr. and Mrs. Pete Schneider, of 3958 Lowry Avenue, announce the forthcoming bar mitzvah of their son, Gary Lee, Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Forest Avenue Synagogue.
They will be at home in his honor Sunday, Oct. 22, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Relatives and friends are invited. No cards.
Americans to Hear Report on Recent Sessions in Israel
A number of American Jewish leaders will attend a national planning conference for Israel and Jewish reconstruction Friday-Saturday, Oct. 27-29, at the Hotler Statler in Washington, D.C.
The meeting has been called by members of the Sept. 3-6 delegation to Jerusalem. Americans and Israelis will speak.
The four calling the meeting were Dr. Nahum, Goldman, William Rosenwald, Rudolf Sonneborn and Edward M. M. Warburg.
Philip Meyers Chairman of the JDA Sessions in Cincinnati Nov. 10-12
Philip Meyers is chairman of the fifth annual meeting of the National Council of the Joint Defense Appeal, which will be held Friday-Sunday, Nov. 10-12, at the Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati.
The JDA is the fund-raising organization of the American Jewish Committee and of the B’nai B’rth Anti-Defamation League.
— October 12, 1950
50 years ago
Bar Mitzvah
Mr. and Mrs. Victor Schwartz are proud to announce the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Stuart M., on Saturday the 18th of October, at Adath Israel Synagogue at 9 a.m.
They would be happy to have relatives and friends join them on this happy occasion and be with them for the Kiddush following services.
Stuart is the grandson of Mrs. Louis Wiesen and the late Mr. Wiesen and the late Mr. and Mrs. Sam Schwartz.
Bat Mitzvah
Bat Mitzvah of Mrs. Edward Fidler from M/M Ben Royal
HUC Convocation Speaker is Kin of the Founder
Judge Bettman a great grandson of the Isaac M. Wise, founder of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, recalled at its centennial convention Monday, how Dr. Wise happened to come to America.
He said about 1840, the young rabbi happened into an antiquarian book store in Prague, Bohemia, and found a collection of American-English printings and journals describing life in this country 1780-1790.
Isaac Wise said he bought and read them with a whole heart rather than reason.
“That literature made me a naturalized American,” said the man who founded the College and The American Israelite.
It inspired him to go to America from the interior of Bohemia despite advice of friends.
— October 16, 1975
25 Years ago
Hadassah Lieberman speaks from the Heart
Wednesday, October 4th was another busy day on the campaign trail for Hadassah Lieberman. Attorney Stan Chesley, longtime personal friend of the Lieberman’s, hosted Hadassah at a luncheon in the garden of his Amberley Village home. A leader in our local and national Jewish and non-Jewish World, Stan knows how to throw a party. The garden, where Hadassah spoke, was filled with beautiful fall mums and yellow begonias. The luncheon buffet was a picture of culinary delights, and not a stone was left unturned for his more then 50 guests. Hadassah Lieberman, wife of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman, is a “mench,” a down too earth lady, a woman you realize could be your friend the first time you meet. Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, she and her family immigrated to the United States in 1949 and began a new life in Gardner, Massachusetts.
Bat Mitzvah
Saturday, Oct., 14: Bat Mitzvah of Sydney Reising
Daughter of Scott and Taryn Reising
10:45 A.M., Plum Tree Temple
Bar Mitzvah
Saturday, Oct 21: Bar Mitzvah of Benjamin Newland
10:45 A.M., Wise Center/WOHL Chapel
Annual Meeting of the Combined Generations of the Holocaust at Ohav Shalom
The Annual Meeting of the Combined Generations of the Holocaust of Greater Cincinnati, held at Congregation Ohav Shalom on September 24, was a time to celebrate the organizations accomplishments to date and to look ahead to work to be done.
In his remarks, Executive Committee member Sam Knobler described how far the Combined Generations of the Holocaust had come in a short time. It began, Knobler said, when a group of Holocaust survivors approached the children of survivors and “asked us to step forward and try to carry on the legacy of the Shoah. We were at a crossroads at that time, and they were fearful that their experiences and the lessons of those experiences, would be forgotten in this community. With others, Knobler approached Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion about creating a center for Holocaust education and he remembered there was some community skepticism that such an institution could be established.
— October 12, 2000
10 Years ago
Shabbat Around Town for Families at Wise Temple
On October 23, 2015 Wise Temple is hosting an event called, “Shabbat Around Town for Families.” On that Shabbat evening, temple members are gathering in homes throughout all of Greater Cincinnati to join together for a Shabbat Around Town—a night of Shabbat dinners in members’ homes. Families will set aside this night to spend Shabbat with friends both new and old.
— October 8, 2015
