In the Beginning: 1855
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
New York. — At the request of a considerable number of the members of K.K. Anshe Chesed, a meeting of this body took place in the basement of the Synagogue on Norfolk street, Sunday, May 27th. One hundred and thirty five members made a proposition that this congregation make the attempt of inducing the Rev. Dr. Lilienthal to continue in office with them; they also bound themselves to pay his salary if required. Owing to the hostility and intrigues of the almighty Parnass and his aids-de-camp, the proposition was not brought to a vote, and the meeting adjourned late in the evening, without being able to induce the Parnass to take a vote on the subject.
Editor’s Note: At this point, it is likely that Dr. Max Lilienthal had already agreed to come here, to the Queen City, and take up his position at Rockdale Temple (known then as K.K. Bene Israel). He was much beloved, as evidenced by his New York congregation’s attempts to keep him there. Lilienthal would join his friend Rabbi Isaac M. Wise as an editor at The American Israelite shortly after completing his move here.
— June 22, 1855
150 Years ago
Wanted
Information of Mrs. Mary, Wife of George Schweitzer, née Mary Hecht, and a resident of Portsmouth, O., eight years ago. Anyone sending her address to this office will confer a favor on the lady’s relatives.
Items
– Chicago. — A Christian gentlemen of this city offers to the Union of American Hebrew Congregations five acres of ground, gratuitously of course, in Englewood, three miles south of the city, to build on it the Hebrew Union College. The gentleman’s name is J.M. Coulton, an old and prominent citizen of Chicago.
– A sad event of a peculiarly melancholy character transpired here. Mr. Phineas Phillips and his good lady had made great preparations to celebrate their golden wedding on Sunday last. But on Saturday, the grandchild of the above couple, Solomon, a fine land of eleven years, was drowned in the Ohio River, which turned the joy into mourning. The funeral took place on Monday last, which was a scene of heart rending lamentation. God console the mourners.
– Mr. David Goldman, 29 Court Place, Louisville, Ky., is a successful lawyer, who commands a considerable practice and enjoys a fine reputation. Friends having any legal business to attend to will do well by placing it in the hands of Mr. Goldman.
— June 18, 1875
125 Years ago
Jottings
– Every once in a while we note that some lodge of a Jewish order has established a cemetery of its own. In cases where rabbis are asked to officiate in these cemeteries they or their congregations should demand a reasonable fee for the service. Membership in such organizations is usually intended as an escape from all congregational burdens by individuals who still desire to be regarded as Jews. They want to secure the benefits of Judaism at the lowest possible price.
– The coming meeting of the Central Conference of American Rabbis suggests the propriety of doing something to remedy the paucity of its fund for aged and incapacitated rabbis. Or, what would be still better, the society might take measures toward the creation of a general system among all reform congregations, by means of which no deserving rabbi can find himself condemned to poverty through old age or incapacity due to no fault of his own. It is time that there should be an end to the inhumanity which has at times signalized the treatment of rabbis who have served their congregations well, only to be cast upon the world’s cold mercy when age or sickness ended their usefulness.
– There is no question of moving the Hebrew Union College from Cincinnati to New York, Chicago, Baltimore, or any other city; nor is there a question of union with any others school. What confronts the friends of the school is the immediate necessity of securing an endowment fund. When that has been done, it will be time enough to discuss other problems as they may arise.
— June 21, 1900
100 Years ago
Jottings
– It is worthy of note, and more especially in the smaller towns, that the rabbis of local congregations are very much in demand for addresses at high school commencements. To this the K.K.K. seems to have made no objection anywhere. That this does not affect the pocketbook may have something to do with its attitude.
– The retirement of Samuel Ach from the Cincinnati School Board calls attention to the fact that in almost every city in the Union Jews have been prominent in the management of the public schools. The roster in Cincinnati contains such names as James Brown, Isaac Simon, Rev. Dr. Max Lilienthal, Rev. Dr. Isaac M. Wise, Bernard Bettman, Emil Pollak, and Samuel Ach. There were probably others, which the writer of this can not recall, but it is quite certain that all the country Jews have served the public schools creditably, as have all those mentioned above. It need early be said that all these gentlemen have saved without renumeration.
– “Unconscious Plagiarism” was the term applied by Judge Edwin L. Garvin of the United States District Court, New York City, in hading down a decision against Guy Bolton, a playwright in favor of Ossi Dymow, Russian Jewish playwright.
– The economic crisis in Poland has hit the Jews so hard that the Jewish masses have been compelled to give up meat because they cannot effort to pay for it. The Warsaw Jewish butchers sate that there has never been such a disproportion in the amount of meat per family consumed by the Jewish and Christian population in Warsaw as there is today. The drop has been so heavy that whereas kosher meat generally costs 50 per cent more than any other meat, the butchers have been compelled, because of the small demand, to reduce their prices to the same level as other meat.
— June 18, 1925
75 Years ago
Ground-Breaking Set for UAH For Sunday in New York City
The ground-breaking ceremony of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations new national headquarters, The Berg Memorial House of Living Judaism, will be held in New York City Sunday, June 25, at 12 noon.
The ceremony, at the state of the proposed seven-story white stone edifice on Fifth Avenue and 65th Street, opposite Temple Emanu-El, will begin at noon and will be seen by religious and lay leaders who are coming to New York for the ceremony and semi-annual meeting of the Union Executive Board.
Social and Personal Notes
– Rabbi and Mrs. Louis I. Egelson of Glenwood Avenue are in Cambridge, Mass., to attend the graduation of Mr. and Mrs. Louis I. Egelson, Jr., the former at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and the latter at Radcliffe.
– Richard R. Pichel Warner and Alan Freemond, seniors in the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati and members of the Phi Delta Epsilon Fraternity, said Thursday, June 8, on the Ile de France for a three month tour of Europe. A “bon voyage” party was vein in their honor at the home of Richard Warners parents, Dr. Benjamin and Dr. Marie Pichel Warner at 20 W. 87 Street, New York City. Among the 75 guests present were Mr. Harry Freemond of Cincinnati and many of their classmates from the College. Richard’s parents will join their son in Paris in August.
– Mr. Jerry Ransohoff of the Cincinnati Post staff spoke on “Good Writing Makes Good Reading” Tuesday evening, June 24, before the Cincinnati Industrial Editors, at the Hotel Sinton.
— June 22, 1950
50 years ago
Hadassah Receives Check
Mrs. Bernard Berg, President of the Hadassah Bowing League, presents a check of $500 to Mrs. Si Schulman, President of the Cincinnati Chapter of Hadassah. Since the leagues inception 11 years ago, they have presented over $5,000 to Hadassah. In addition, the league has produced many fine leaders and workers for the organization.
Bar Mitzvah
– Mr. and Mrs. David Seltzer take pleasure in announcing the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Richard Alan, on Saturday morning, June 28, 1975, at 10:45 a.m. at Rockdale Temple, 8501 Ridge Road.
We would be happy to have our friends and relatives join us on this occasion.
Ricky is the grandson of Mrs. Gus Cohen and the late Mr. Gus Cohen, and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Seltzer.
– Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Orlik of 1949 Oakcrest Drive, Oakland, Calif., announce the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Jeffrey, June 21 at Congregation Beth Israel, Berkeley, California.
Jeffrey is the grandson of Mrs. Ann Carmel and the late Mr. Max Carmel and the late Mr. Mitch Michaelson and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Orlik.
— June 19, 1975
25 Years ago
JCC hosts summer poolside dinners
JCC members and their guests can break up the long summer weeks with relaxing poolside dinners on Wednesday evenings by the JCC outdoor pool. Through July 26, these poolside dinners feature a different theme each week. Families enjoy a complete dinner buffet in screened-in comfort, followed by fun games and supervised activities.
Upcoming Wednesday programs feature a chicken dinner and board game night on June 28. July 5 is a Fourth of July-style picnic dinner with hamburgers, hotdogs, and traditional picnic side dishes. July 5 activities include music, beach ball volleyball, jump rope, and swimming.
Neil Bortz honored for community leadership
Neil K. Bortz was one of four community leaders honored by the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), Greater Cincinnati Region, at its 50th annual awards dinner on May 25. Also honored were Hon. Nathaniel R. Jones and Susan E. and Joseph A. Pichler.
The honorees received the Distinguished Service Citation, given to those who have distinguished themselves in their personal and professional lives in furthering the cause of intergroup understanding in our community.
— June 22 , 2000
10 Years ago
Book authored by Dr. Gary P. Zola named finalist for Ohioana book awards
“We Called Him Rabbi Abraham: Lincoln and American Jewry, A Documentary History,” written by Dr. Gary P. Zola, Executive Director of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives and the Edward M. Ackerman Family Distinguished Professor of the American Jewish Experience at Hebrew Union College–Jewish
Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2015 Ohioana Book Awards.
Zola’s book is one of 5 finalists in the category of nonfiction announced by the organization. The winners will be announced in July, and the awards will be presented at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Friday, October 9, 2015.
The Ohioana Book Awards, established in 1942, honors Ohio authors in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Juvenile Literature.
Valley Temple to hold services at HUC for seven weeks
The Valley Temple, a reform congregation housed in Wyoming, OH will hold services at Mayerson Hall on the HUC–JIR campus in Clifton beginning this week until August 7. The move to temporary quarters comes as the Temple enters a new phase in the enhancement and addition to the 43 year old structure on Springfield Pike in Wyoming.
“HUC has been very gracious to grant us space as we move services in order to allow the most significant phase of our renovation,” said Valley Temple Rabbi Sandford Kopnick.
— June 18, 2015
