In the Beginning: 1855
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
Religious Reform
It is undeniably a fact that a strong feeling of Reformation is at present going on, both in this country and in Europe, and it is also undeniable amongst all classes of the community that some reformation is very much needed among us; but as to the method of bringing it about, and as to the means to be employed and the persons to be engaged in it, considerable difference of opinion exists. There are some among us whose early education, and strong Jewish feeling have so prejudiced them in favor of religious conservatism, that they will not for a moment listen to any argument in favor of a modification of forms, or even a removal of abuses, imagining as they do, that any infringement on the old formula, necessarily implies an indication to sap the foundation of our holy faith.
With all due deference to the sincerity of these gentlemen, and with every wish to respect their feelings and convictions, we must still be inclined to differ from their ideas. We wish we could convince them how much we respect their opinions, even though we must dissent from them in the manner of their belief. We know them to be sincere, and hope they will give us credit for sincerity, and can only regret, that a mere difference in forms, for it is in fact nothing more, should tend to lessen that regard, which should always exist among those who believe. We hope yet to live to see the day when the mere sectional differences will be removed, and when either we or they proving the correctness of our views, will forever put an end to those angry feelings which should never have been permitted to find foothold among G-d’s Chosen.
— April 20, 1855
150 Years ago
The Miracle of the Sabbath
If you speak of miracles, always remember that the greatest of all miracles is the Sabbath. We are told in the good book of the Sabbath, “Between me (G-d) and between the children of Israel it shall be a sign forever;” and here we stand, thirty-four hundred years later in history, and the same Sabbath day, with the same name in all modern languages is still the sign between G-d and Israel — the sign and symbol of G-d’s covenant with Israel, reaching back, clear back to the very dawn of man’s history, and up to our very days. Not one holy day in the history of mankind has so kept its rank, and has so uninterrupted a chain if traditions as the Sabbath.
Local and Domestic
CINCINNATI — The Rev. Dr. Lilienthal has gone to San Francisco to attend the wedding of his nephew, the son of the Lilienthal, M.D., of New York. We we wish them both a happy journey and a speedy return, and to the young couple our best wishes are herewith tendered.—Dr. Wise lectured this week, on invitation, before the Young Men’s Christian Association on the Logos of History, based on the ideas expressed in “The Cosmic God,” in the chapter entitled “Superhuman Intelligence in History.”
— April 21, 1876
125 Years ago
– A CORRESPONDENT, who has sent us a lengthy extract from the Boston Post containing the account of a savage literary onslaught by a certain Mr. Millimthaler on Rabbi Fleischer because of the latter’s expressions concerning Jesus of Nazareth, requests us for a statement of our opinion on the attitude of the modern Jews towards Jesus. By modern Jews is meant, as a matter of course, the reformers. The leaders of the reform movement during these latter years have expressed in many an instance their admiration of the beauty of the Nazarene’s character, the nobility of many of his teachings, the purity of his life. But this is all. Though we readily acknowledge the worth and high character of some of the teachings attributed to him, though we give him a place among the great ones of earth, we accord Jesus no exceptional position as the flower of humanity.
– EX-RABBI JERUSALEM MOSES is giving the lovers of the sensational their fill. Hardly had the news of his apostasy been published and the Jewish world formally consigned him to the care of his newly-found friends — with a left-handed blessing — when he proceeds to prove the truth of the lack of sincerity in his conversion to Christianity with which he was charged, by calling on Dr. Henry Berkowitz of Philadelphia, and professing sincere repentance and a desire to recant and be received back into the folds of Judaism. No doubt this will all be done formally in the near future, and Mr. Moses be put in the way of earning an honest living. His career as a rabbi is of course ended forever. He has been sorely tried and is much to be pitied.
– The prosecution of Jews for violation of Sunday laws at Boston is very much in the nature of a persecution. The state law exempts observers of the seventh day Sabbath from the operation of Sunday laws. The police authorities of Boston, however, make this law inoperative by ignoring the well-known fact that the Sabbath lasts from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, and treat those who open their stores on Saturday evening as non-observers of the seventh day and outside of the protection of this law.
— April 25, 1901
100 Years ago
Jottings
– Several thousand tourists arrived in Palestine during the Passover holiday, but the number is much less than last year. While the number of Christian tourists has increased, the Jewish tourists were not as many as before, due to the economic crisis in Poland and in other East European countries.
– The first Jewish Girls’ Agricultural School in Palestine was opened recently in the colony of Nahal in the presence of a large gathering in which representatives of many institutions participated. Dr. Chaim Weizmann, president of the World Zionist Organization, presided at the exercises and Governor Abramson of Northern Palestine and Bardi Bey, a high official of the Egyptian Ministry of Education, were among the speakers.
Judaism And Democracy
Democracy owes a debt to the Jewish people and the Jewish faith. English political institutions and laws as well as those of America have been influenced by the Bible. And the spirit that permeated and inspired the colonists was the direct result of their knowledge of and faith in the Bible. The Bible starts out with the conception that all mankind comes from a common stock. The emancipation of the Jews from the persecution of the Egyptians and the declaration of human freedom brought forth in that great epic story has touched the hearts and fired the imagination of all lovers of liberty throughout the centuries.
— April 22, 1926
75 Years ago
“The Journey” Is a New UJA Movie
“The Journey,” a new film depicting the arrival of newcomers to Israel and their problems of readjustment there, has been released by the United Jewish Appeal for exhibit through the country.
Produced in Israel for the United Jewish Appeal by John Ferno and directed by Robert Capa, “The Journey” tells the story of a group of immigrants with widely different backgrounds.
Israel Is Pictured At The Palace In “Wanderers Return”
Battlefields, still silently echoing the reverberations of yesterday’s conflicts, form the background to the special featurette, “The Wanderer’s Return,” a technicolor story of the building of the world’s newest democracy by the world’s most persecuted people.
The featurette, currently showing at the RKO Palace theater together with the comedy, “Molly” starring Gertrude Berg of radio fame, shows Israelis beating its plowshares into swords and living in equality with its erstwhile foes.
Interest in the short subject centers around the modern and ancient Holy Land. Topics include the fertilization of desert lands; the building of new cities; religious shrines; landmarks of the Crusades and other historic conflicts.
— April 19, 1951
50 years ago
Bar Mitzvah
Our son, Benjamin Daniel, will be Bar Mitzvah on Saturday morning, April 24, at 10:45 a.m. at Plum Street Temple.
All of our friends and relatives are cordially invited to worship with us on this happy occasion and attend the Kiddush following services.
Danny is the grandson of Mrs. Estelle F. Berg of Cincinnati and Mrs. Berdye Blatt of St. Louis, Missouri, and the late I.A. Berg and Henry Blatt.
Dabby and Bob Blatt
Bas Mitzvah
We would like to invite all of our family and friends to the Bas Mitzvah of our daughter, Harriet Debraly, on May 2nd, 1976, at 2:30 p.m. Agudas Israel (Golf Manor) Synagogue, 6442 Stover Ave.
Following services we cordially ask you to join us at a reception in her honor.
Harriet is the granddaughter of Mrs. Gloria Kaufman and the late Mr. Samuel Wolf and the late Mr. and Mrs. Louis Caplan.
Alvin and Sylvia Caplan
— April 22, 1976
10 Years ago
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Founders’ Day Ceremonies
Nine alumni of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and two dedicated staff members of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives were honored at the annual Founders’ Day Ceremonies on Wednesday, March 30 in the S.H. and Helen R. Scheuer Chapel on the Cincinnati Campus.
— April 21, 2016
5 Years ago
Congregation Sha’arei Torah celebrates Yom HaAtzmaut with BBQ
As rates of vaccination rise and the weather improves, some Jewish institutions in Cincinnati are resuming in-person events.
The Orthodox synagogues in Cincinnati opened for service last May. They started with services outdoors and last June moved to masked, socially distanced service indoors.
— April 22, 2021
