In the Beginning: 1855
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
We beg to call attention to the advertisement of L. Spielman, 119 5th street, between Vine and Race streets. We are informed by those who have had opportunities of judging his qualification, that he is expert and expeditions in his operations, and has the reputation of great success. We hope our friends will bear him in mind.
— May 25, 1855
150 Years ago
Local and Domestic
– In a few days the corner-stone to a new temple will be laid in Fort Wayne, Ind., The editor of the Israelite will deliver the oration.
– Stockton, Cal. — Miss Rachel Lowenthal, a young lady only fifteen years of age, has been singing first soprano at the weekly meetings of the Free Religious Association. The society, as a mark of their appreciation tendered her a concert, which passed off with the greatest success. The young lady is spoken of as quite a prodigy.
– Concert. — The members of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music will give a vocal and instrumental concert on Friday evening, May 29. The Cincinnati Orchestra, consisting of forty-five performers, will also participate. The programme is varied and well-selected; a musical feast may be anticipated.
Foreign Record
– The budget of the Austrian Empire assigns considerable sums as subsidies to every section of the Christian Church, while nothing whatever is voted to Jewish congregations.
– From statistics which have just been published at Vienna, showing the proportion of the inhabitants of each nationality in the western-half of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it appears that there are 820,000 Jews, or 4.1 percent of the whole population.
– On previous occasions we called attention to the various societies existing throughout the continent, whose principal object is the ornamentation of the interior of synagogues. A society of that nature in Paris, called “La Loi Sacree,” has voted 1000 francs toward the ornamentation of the new temple shortly to be opened in the Rue de la Victoire. The gift will be employed in purchasing a complete set of ornaments for a Sepher.
— May 22, 1874
125 Years ago
Jottings
– Professor Haupt, of Johns Hopkins, thinks that if the soldiers during the late war had been supplied with “kosher” beef, the mortality among them would have been much less, which very few will be included to dispute.
– M.J. Cazes, Director of the Alliance Schools at Teheran, has informed the Anglo-Jewish Association that good news on the situation of the Jews reaches him from all parts of Persia. Complaints of vexatious measures, injustice, and persecution are becoming every day more rare.
– Dr. Cyrus Adler, of the Smithsonian Institute, has been appointed the special agent for gathering Jewish church statistics for the next U.S. census. It is to be hoped that he will be more successful than was his predecessor, but the difficulties, owing to lack of church organization among the Jews, are almost insuperable.
– The interference with Jews occupied in lawful if humble pursuits by juvenile and half-grown loafers in the various cities is growing to be too great an evil to be any longer ignored. These poor people are frequently the victims of bodily assaults with sticks, stones and fists, besides being insulted and called vile names. It is time the prominent Jews everywhere best themselves and take steps to provide adequate police protection for their less fortunate brethren in faith.
— May 25, 1899
100 Years ago
Jottings
– Anti-Semites disfigured the synagog of the Zurich Jewish community by engraving a number of “Swastikas” (the symbol of the anti-Jewish Hakenkreuz organization) on its walls.
– It is good news that the Jewish Publication Society of America has issued 100,000 copies of the Bible translation. It is to be hoped that with this promising start the good work will be continued until the motto “the Bible in every Jewish home in America” is realized.
– The Polish artist Szczuka was wounded in a duel with the young Polish poet Anthony Slonimsky in Warsaw, which arose over an antisemitic article written by the latter. Szczuka, a Chistian Pole, took offense at the article and, meeting Slonimsky in a care, struck him, with the restful that Slonimsky challenged him.
– The results of the German elections show a considerable increase in the number of Monarchist and Nationalist representatives in the Reichstag. As most of the members of these parties belong to the rabid brand of anti-Semites, their election is likely to result in increased agitation on the part of the Jew-haters and Jew-baiters. Germany’s future would indeed be dark if these people were to control it. Fortunately, the election returns point to a more satisfactory outcome.
– It is not often that the Jews of Germany have anything to laugh at. An exception is the case of one Hermann. Hermann was the secretary-treasurer of the anti-Semitic Voelkesche party of Bremen, which for a number of days spread alarming rumors through the city that the Jews had, for ritual purposes, murdered Hermann. A great deal of feeling against Jews was aroused by this charge, which, however, was very much modified by the discovery that Hermann before disappearing had looted the treasury and decamped with all of its funds.
— May 22, 1924
75 Years ago
Israel’s Chief Rabbi Pleads for Help by Americans to needy
American Jewry is the material mainstay of world Jewry today, Chief Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog, of Israel, said in an address prepared for delivery to several hundred persons at the Cincinnati Jewish Welfare Fund campaign dinner at the Hotel Gibson Wednesday, May 25.
Chief Rabbi Herzog arrived Tuesday night and was welcomed by a committee that included Rabbi Eliezer Silver, honorary chairman of the dinner; Philip Moskowitz, chairman of the event; Frederick Rauh, general chairman and Joseph Hoodin, a vice chairman, JWF campaign; Maurice J. Sievers, campaign directors and other campaign leaders.
They escorted him and Mrs. Herzog to a suite at the Terrace Plaza.
Israel’s First Anniversary Celebrated
A thong which virtually filled Taft Auditorium celebrated Tuesday evening, May 17, on the occasion of the State of Israel’s first anniversary.
Dr. James G. Heller of Wise Temple was the speaker. Shoshana Damari and Joseph Goland, musical revue stars from Israel, entertained.
Dr. Heller compared Israel’s advent to the “turn of the tide, the coming of the rainbow that God has set in the clouds after the flood has subsided from view.”
— May 26, 1949
50 years ago
Bas Mitzvah
Mrs. Janet Abrams and Mr. Charles Abrams are happy to announce the Bas Mitzvah of their daughter, Melissa, on Friday, May 24th at 8 p.m.
Services will be held at Congregation B’nai Tzedek, Jewish Community Center, 1580 Summit Road.
Friends and relatives are cordially invited to worship with us and attend the Oneg Shabbat following the services. No cards.
Bar Mitzvah
– Mr. and Mrs. Norman Weiser are looking forward to worshiping with their friends and relatives on the occasion of the Bar Mitzvah of their son, Jeffrey Franklin, on May 25th.
Shabbat morning service at the Northing Hills Synagogue, 715 Fleming Road, Finneytown, begins at 9 a.m.
We hope that our friends are relatives will share in our simcha.
– Mr. and Mrs. Allen Singer are pleased to announce the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Joseph David, Saturday, May 25, at 9 a.m., at Ohav Shalom Synaoguge, 1834 Section Road.
Joseph is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Ritter and Mrs. Fanny Singer and the late Sidney Singer.
Relatives and friends are cordially invited to worship with the family and attend the kiddish following the services. No cards.
– On Saturday, May 25th, our son Richard Brian will be called to the Torah on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah. Services will be held at Golf Manor Synagogue at 9 a.m.
Richard is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Chernek of Cincinnati, and Mrs. Sylvia Tenenholtz of Tucson, Arizona and the late Michael Tenenholtz formerly of Cincinnati.
We would be very pleased to have our relatives and friends worship with us and join us at the Kiddish following the services.
Allen and Phyllis Tenenholtz
– Steve Bruce Cohen will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah Saturday, June 1st, at 9 a.m., at Adath Israel Synagogue.
Steve is the son of Mrs. Bert (Barbara) Cohen and the late Mr. Bert David Cohen.
He is the grandson of Mr. and Mr.s Henry Fettner and Mrs. Joe Cohen (Esther) and the late Mr. Joe Cohen.
Friends and relatives are cordially invited to worship and join us in the Kiddish following the service.
— May 23, 1974
25 Years ago
Wise Temple members spruce up cemeteries
On a sunny Sunday afternoon a group of volunteers from Wise Temple, with rakes in their hands, helped to spruce up the Walnut Hills cemetery as part of a Wise-Up project under the chairmanship of Barry Elkus.
The United Jewish Cemeteries in Walnut Hills, Clifton, Montgomery, Price Hill and Hamilton welcomed volunteers with green thumbs, and interest in gardening and willing hearts to help beautify the burial grounds.
In addition, the UJC has established a Beautification Fund with Alice Rosenberg as volunteer in charge of the tax deductible fund. Donor envelopes to facilitate contributions to the fund for trees and other plantings are available. Donors and recipe news will be sent cards of appreciation .
— May 27, 1999
10 Years ago
Inauguration of Rabbi Aaron D. Panken, Ph.D., as president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, June 8
The Cincinnati community is invited to join dignitaries and civic and religious leaders from around the world for the inauguration of Rabbi Aaron D. Panken, Ph.D., at Plum Street Temple on June 8, 2014 at 2 p.m. The inauguration will mark the formal installation of Rabbi Panken as the 12th President in the 139-year history of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR).
“This is a milestone occasion for the city of Cincinnati and for HUC- JIR, whose Cincinnati campus is the historic birthplace of Reform Judaism in America,” says Mona Kerstine, Inauguration Chair. “We take great pride in the strong relationships that link our campus with the larger Cincinnati community through our Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati Rabbinical Fellows serving in internships throughout our local Jewish institutions, and the extensive cultural and educational public programs offered with the Foundation’s support.”
— May 22, 2014
