In the Beginning: 1854
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
To the Jewish Ladies of our City
At a meeting held on Monday evening, the 18th, the ladies present concluded to defer their sewing till Tuesday, 25th, and also the following Tuesday, 2nd of January. Our meetings are so thinly attended, that I am fearful if the ladies do not come forward and lend an aiding hand, the society will certainly have to discontinue its meetings.
If the ladies could only see the distress among the women and children of our persuasion, I think they would exert themselves much more than they do.
Abby Mayer, Directress.
— December 29, 1854
150 Years ago
Items
- The register of the dead bodies found in the Seine and exposed in the Morgue, Paris, bears the strange name of “Le Livre des Maccabees.” Why it is so called has long been and is still a puzzle to French philologists.
- Milwaukee. — The Rev. Mr. Eppstein of this city will lecture January 4 and 5, in Appleton, Wis., where people are desirous to know something about Judaism.
- Mr. Hyman Moses sent this week to Amsterdam, by Heidelbach, Baum, & Co., for the poor of Palestine, 426.15 guilders. The whole amount forwarded by this gentleman in 1872 and 1873 to Palestine amounts to nearly $3000. Receipts of Mr. Isaac Prager, of Jerusalem, for the Doresh Zion School, to the amount of 50 guilders, was sent here directly.
- An individual named Beerman, who claims to have been converted from Judaism, made his appearance in Council Bluffs, Iowa, last week. Beerman evolves the amount of idiotic driveling usual to such characters, and challenges the world to answer his arguments. (?) Mr. E. Herzman, an Israelite of Council Bluffs, accepted the challenge, and gave Mr. Beerman more than that gentleman had bargained for. It has been definitely ascertained that it will take more than five dollars to reconvert Beerman to Judaism.
- Contributions to Cleveland Orphan Asylum came too late for this week’s paper. Will appear in our next.
- A young Jewess, Miss Mayer, has been appointed at Caswig, in Anhalt, inspectress of pork.
— December 26, 1873
125 Years ago
Jottings
- Das Volk, the journal of Pastor Stoecker in Berlin, the oldest and most efficient organ of anti-Semitism, is defunct; it ceases to exist with the last day of 1898. Pastor Stoecker with his family is leaving Berlin, being unable, as he says, to earn a livelihood in the German metropolis. “Das is der Lohn des boesen, that.”
Editor’s Note: The phrase at the end of this note is all in German except for the last word. It translates to “That is the wages of evil, that.” The editor decided to say “good riddance” to Pastor Stoecker in his own tongue, it would seem. - Tourists taking the Mediterranean trip this season will do well to remember that the town of Algiers in the French colony is practically in the hands of the mob, and that it is more or less dangerous for foreigners to land there. This is especially the case with Americans, and still more so if they happen to be Jews, as the Caucasian Algerians, who are largely the offscourings of the French and Spanish, display the French hatred of all that is not French and Catholic in an exaggerated degree.
- Rabbi William Friedman, of Denver, Colo., is suffering from an attack of Typhoid fever. The case is not considered a dangerous one.
- Christmas was first celebrated in the year 98, but it was forty years later before it was officially adopted as a Christian festival; nor was it until about the 5th century that the day of its celebration became permanently fixed on the 25th of December. Up to that time it had been irregularly obsessed at various times of the year — in December, in April, and in May, but most frequently in January.
— December 29, 1898
100 Years ago
Good Nature
God bless the good-natured, for they bless everybody else. He whose disposition is cheerful, imaginative, and humorous has a summer of the soul, and in that summer atmosphere reason will act more clearly, conscience will be sounder, fidelity will act better than if they are exercised in a frigid zone or in the chills and pelting of a morose disposition. Wherever you go, of God gave you gayety and cheer of spirits, shine and sing. — Henry Ward Beecher.
Jottings
- As Tuesday, January 1, is a national holiday, the Israelite will reach its readers one day later than usual. As no work is done in the printing department on that day the delay is unavoidable.
- The Fascisti in Poland have failed in their attempts to obtain from the Minister of Interior the legalization of their activities. The Fascisti decided recently to continue the anti-jewish work which is part of the Fascisti’s program.
- There are ten Jews in the House of Representatives at Washington and none in the Senate. Of the Representatives, five are Democrats, four Republicans, and one a Socialist, manifesting a wholesome variety of opinions.
- Martin Buber, noted Jewish thinker, has been invited to lecture at Frankfurt University on Jewish religion and ethics.
— December 27, 1923
75 Years ago
Rosenwald Says Israel Should Build Not Jewish but Israeli Nationalism
The Government of the United States, which has been so lately responsible for the creation of Israel, ought to insist, as a condition of American friendship, that Israel concentrate on building — not a “Jewish” nationalism — but rather an Israeli nationalism confined to its own boarders and inclusive of its own Christian, Moslem and Jewish population, according to Lessing J. Rosenwald, president of the American Council for Judaism.
He so asserted at a meeting of 200 clerical, professional, and business men of the Quill Club of New York, presided over by Dr. D.F. Howard Callahan, minister of the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew.
Taking as his subject “An Anti-Zionist Looks at Zionism and Israel,” Mr. Rosenwald citied various instances in which, he said, Zionists have exerted political pressure on the United States on a sectarian basis and “have put American Jews in a special relationship to the State of Israel as active participants in Israeli nationalism.”
Such pressures, the speaker said, include the assumption of “obligations for a large part of the financial responsibilities of the Israeli State and the supply of some portion of its population.”
“To what extent these activities are being conducted with the encouragement of the State of Israel is somewhat difficult to establish at the moment,” he said. “But if the State of Israel is an active partner in such activities, American Jews cannot continue to look upon this foreign State with approval.
“We contend that the political representatives and institutions of Israel can speak for its own citizens only and can now speak for or represent us, who are Americans of Jewish faith.”
Mr. Rosenwald stressed that he was not referring to legitimate expectations of humanitarian assistance such as that American Jews would “help finance the immigration of coreligionists from Europe’s displaced persons camps to the State of Israel, or contribute to the emergency aid which these immigrants will need after their arrival in Israel.
“But what we are on guard against is that present efforts do not exceed humanitarian support of this character. Pressures for an international load, more favorable boundaries, de jure recognition, and arms and munitions of war go beyond the bounds of humanitarian services. They are problems which are the inevitable concern of the State of Israel, its government, and its citizens.”
Editor’s Note: Lessing J. Rosenwald was president of Sears, Roebuck and Company from 1908 to 1923. He was a supporter of the America First Committee which, until the attack on Pearl Harbor, advocated American neutrality in WWII. He resigned shortly after the committee was formed, however, over concerns of antisemitism. From 1943 to 1955, he was President of the American Council for Judaism. During this time he participated in rescue efforts of European Jews and advocated the acceptance of Jewish refugees both during and after the war.
— December 30, 1948
50 years ago
Bar Mitzvah
- Mr. and Mrs. John Rosenthal cordially invite their friends and relatives to worship with them when their son, Jeffrey Michael, is called to the Torah on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah, 10:45 a.m., Jan. 5, at Temple Sholom, 3100 Longmeadow Lane.
There will be a Kiddush following the service to celebrate the simcha.
Jerff is the son of Mr. Norman Lew and the grandson of Judge and Mrs. Benjamin S. Schwartz, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert Rosenthal, Mr. and Mrs. Morris Sher, the late Mrs. Esther Schwartz, and Mark Lew. - Dr. and Mrs. Harold Pescovitz announce the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Charles Paul, on Saturday, Dec. 29, at 9 a.m., at Adath Israel Synagogue, Ridge and Galbraith Roads.
They cordially invite their friends and family to worship with them and to attend the Kiddish following the ceremony.
Charles is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Max Pescovitz and the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cohen.
— December 27, 1973
25 Years ago
More than 200 attend Ohav Shalom’s Chanukah party
More than 200 people attended Ohav Shalom’s Annual Chanukah party on Dec. 13.
The event opened with a variety of activities for the students and children. Teachers from the religious school supervised donut eating contests, Chanukah bingo, putt pet making, and Chanukah story telling. The students of the religious school presented a skit about Chanukah and then let the Chanukiah.
“This was a great beginning to Chanukah,” noted Michael Smolin, Ohav Shalom president.
“This was our largest crowd in many years. All of the children enjoyed activities and the food was great. It is indicative of the direction we are taking now that we are in our new facility.”
— December 31, 1998
10 Years ago
Two Cincinnati women selected for new Hadassah Leadership Fellow Program
Hadassah is proud to announce the creation of the Hadassah Leadership Fellows program (HLF), a two-year leadership engagement program designed to inspire, cultivate, impact and outreach to broaden Hadassah in our community as a whole. Twenty-five women from around the country were accepted into the inaugural class.
Of those 25, two are members of the Cincinnati community. LeeAnne Galioto and Beth Kotzin were selected to join this impressive program.
LeeAnne Galioto is an active member of the Jewish community; she sings at Cedar Village Retirement Community as the Cantorial Soloist for the High Holidays; volunteers with her synagogue, Adath Israel Congregation; helps lead services in the main sanctuary, and helps lead and participate in the special family services.
Beth Kotzin is an Assistant Editor at The American Israelite. She has been extensively involved in the Jewish Community in Cincinnati. She is currently serving the second of two years as Rockwern Academy’s PTO President. At Rockwern Academy, she has served on the PTO Board for 10 years, edits the school yearbook, and attends school board meetings as the PTO representative. In addition, she volunteers to assist the Hebrew teachers with projects related to life-cycle events held at the school, in addition to many other committees.
— December 26, 2013
