In the Beginning: 1855
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
Future Reward and Punishment
The soul can exist, and does exist after death without a physical body. It retains all its faculties in an active state; it has an intellect, memory, will, sentiments and self-consciousness. Being in a purely spiritual state, it can participate in spiritual enjoyments or pains only, according to which future, reward and punishment must be defined. If we can ascertain what purely spiritual enjoyments or pains are, we can form an idea of future reward and punishment.
— January 12, 1855
150 Years ago
Dedication of the New Temple Achduth Vesholem, in Fort Wayne, Ind., January 7, 1878
The Congregation of Fort Wayne for many years will remember January 7, 1876, which was a great gala day, enjoyed by the whole Jewish population, and many Christian neighbors. It was the day of dedication of the New Temple, corner of Wayne and Harrison Streets.
This Congregation, numbering about fifty members (families), assisted by their friends, erected a magnificent structure in the Moorish style, tastefully frescoed, and elegantly furnished. The building is forty-five by ninety feet, with an audience room of forty-five by seventy feet, a large organ gallery, front halls, large porticoes, with school room and meeting room in the basement, and with all the modern improvements, at an expense of $25,000.
Banish Ignorance from the House of Israel
To banish ignorance from the House of Israel is one of the main aims of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. To accomplish that, it is the most solemn duty of every Israelite to join a congregation, and every congregation to enter the fold of the Union.
If every Israelite would become a member of a congregation, the congregational dues would be materially reduced, and allow, nevertheless, a very liberal remuneration to the rabbi and choir, making the house of worship as popular as any public institution, and thus enlighten the masses with true wisdom, that wisdom which calms our passions, ennobles our feelings and makes every hand industrious and liberal.
Moral Courage
Next to the possession of good health and intelligence, nothing is so valuable as moral courage. To have moral courage to acknowledge one’s self, and even to our fellow-men, one’s weakness and shortcoming and barely mend them, and firmly avoid their repetition; to have the moral courage to withstand many temptations in whatever form they may appear; to have the moral courage to cut loose from bad companions, and to say a firm NO! To everything that is bad and degrading.
— January 14, 1876
125 Years ago
Jottings
– At Indianapolis, Ind., Miss Ida Clifford was received into Judaism and married to Mr. Victor Silverburg, by Rabbi M. Messing. Both the young people are from Muncie, Ind., where Mr. Silverburg is a prominent citizen. Miss Clifford was brought up as a Protestant.
– It is reported from England that in the Queen’s birthday list there will be an earldom for Lord Rothschild. Should the Rothschilds receive the coveted promotion, they will outshine all the rest of titled Jewry throughout the world, besides being, by precedence, the first Jews in England.
Hamilton, Ohio
A pleasing program was rendered at the temple Sunday evening by the members of the Sabbath-school in commemoration of Chanukah. The Saturday afternoon Euchre met on Saturday afternoon, December 28th, with Mrs. Thomas Conner of S. 4th St. as hostess. Fortunate winners of prizes were: Mesdames Loeb, Jacobs and Miss Sauer. Mrs. Abe Ballinger will entertain the club at its next meeting.
— January 10, 1901
100 Years ago
Jottings
– Cardinal Dubois, the Archbishop of Paris, declared in an interview that there was no anti-Semitism in France at present, and that all efforts to sow the seeds of hatred immediately after the war proved unavailing.
– “The vindication of Rabbi Wise by the Zionist organization of which he is chairman,” says the Springfield Republican, “closes an incident which has been of social value though not without its unpleasant features. It had helped to widen the common ground upon which the world’s religions and people meet.”
The Close of the Wise Controversy As Seen By Yiddish Editors
The Rabbi Wise controversy, which has in the course of the past few weeks been a most dramatic event in Jewish public life in America and which has also resounded in Europe and in Palestine, has now been brought to a peaceful end with the refusal of the Zionist Organization and of the United Palestine Appeal of America to accept the resignation of the Chairman of the Appeal.
— January 14, 1926
50 years ago
Mrs. Schulman is “Woman of Year”
Mrs. Melvin L. Schulman has been chosen as one of the Enquirer’s ten outstanding women of the year.
Her activities include:
Chairman of the Fine Arts Committee at the Jewish Community Center; member of Human Relations Award Committee of American Jewish Committee; on the committee for refugees of Jewish Family Service; on Women’s Board of Jewish Federation as a past campaign chairman of the Women’s Division. She will give a Passover cooking workshop for Brandeis.
Bar Mitzvah
We cordially invite you to worship and rejoice with us on the occasion of the Bar Mitzvah of our youngest son, Robert Joel (R.J.) when he will be called to the reading of the Torah on Saturday, Jan. 31, 1976 at 9:00 a.m. at Adath Israel Synagogue.
R.J. is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Max Solomon of St. Louis, Mo., and the late Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Rothchild.
Bas Mitzvah
Mr. and Mrs. Art Effron of Fountain Valley, Calif., formally of Cincinnati, are proud to announce the forthcoming Bas Mitzvah of their daughter, Lauren, on Saturday, Jan. 31, at Temple Beth Emet, Anaheim, Calif.
Lauren is the granddaughter of Mrs. Esther Shelton and the late Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Effron.
— January 15, 1976
10 Years ago
Thelma Yellin Big Band gets standing ovation at Adath Israel
On Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 7:30 p.m., Adath Israel Congregation hosted the Thelma Yellin Big Band from Israel. Open to the community, the concert was sponsored by Adath Israel Congregation’s Hazak, Sisterhood and Brotherhood along with Rockwern Academy.
Over 300 attended. All proceeds went directly to the band’s travel expenses.
— January 14, 2016
5 Years ago
Harris Weston leaves Federation legacy, again
Although Harris Weston, often referred to as the “father” of the modern Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, passed away over 11 years ago, his vision for strengthening Cincinnati’s Jewish community is evident this year more than ever. That is because the Federation recently received from the estate of Harris and Alice Weston one of the largest legacy gifts in its 124-year history.
— January 14, 2021
