In the Beginning: 1854
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
Obituary.
MR. ABRAHAM FECHHEIMER, of the firm of Fechheimer & Bro. of this city, died at his residence, November 25th, after a lingering disease of several months.
Mr. A.F. was but forty-two years old when he died, leaving a widow, three children, and numerous relatives and friends to lament his loss. He was a native of Bavaria, and came to this country in 1838.
As a man and a merchant he enjoyed the confidence and the highest esteem of all who came in contact with him. He was an unpretending and faithful citizen, a tender husband and father, had a charitable disposition towards every man, especially towards the poor and needy who lost in him a noble benefactor.
Mr. A.F. was one of the founders of K.K. Benai Yeshurun, and a zealous supporter of it, having occupied nearly ever honorary office in the gift of that congregation. He was Parnass in the years 1843 and 1844. His pious and upright conduct secured to him the affections of his brothers-in-faith. May the Lord receive his soul in grace, and dry up the tears of the mourners,
— December 1, 1854
150 Years ago
Items
– Sweet are the lessons of adversity, but they are very apt to sour a man in learning them.
– The first attempt of the Russian government to have priests elected by congregations has taken place at Sanusberg and resulted in utter failure. Only ten persons offered to vote.
– London bestows over $15,000,000 annual upon public charities, the hospitals receiving the largest sums. Charities for children are well supported and are rapidly increasing.
– Throughout the civilized world there is an almost entire use of uniform weights and measures. France, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, the whole German empire and Austria, use the metric system. England and the United States are the only two great countries that stand in thew ay of its universal adoption.
– The promenade concert of the congregation Ahabath Achim takes place on Wednesday next, at Washington Platform, corner Elm & Court Streets, and promises to become a fine entertainment. The Committee conducting it consists of very able men. Seidensticker’s band is engaged, and all other preparations are made to make the affair a success. The congregation Ahabath Achim deserves particular attention by all friends of the good cause, and everybody and his wife should be present at the sociable. This congregation is Rev. Dr. Goldammer’s, has gone on the path of reform, and should be encouraged.
Editor’s Note: After community leaders were unable to get the site designated as a local landmark, the building that housed the Ahabath Achim congregation was demolished in 2020 to prepare for the FC stadium development.
— December 4, 1874
125 Years ago
Jottings
– Book making, it seems, is quite a lucrative business, but book publishing, it appears, from the late occurrences in the city of New York, has come down very low. Newspapers, periodicals and magazines drive the books out of the market. Books of reference, encyclopedias and story books occupy the largest space of the modern library. Among the readers, nine out of every ten wanted to be amused, and so fiction has the upper hand just now in typography. To be a well read person in our days means to have read all the popular works of fiction. We do not think that this passion improves the intelligence of the race very much.
– At Denver, Colo., Unity Church, temple Emanu-El and the First Universality Church joined in a Union Thanksgiving service.
– Mr. L. Sommer of Troy, O., sends us $5 for the Hebrew General Relief Society, for which we thank him on behalf of the beneficiaries.
– We would be much obliged to any of our friends who would send us their copy of the American Israelite of November 16, if they are not preserving a file of the paper.
– Thanksgiving was celebrated by a football game and various other sports and games, as well as by a turkey dinner with the usual accompaniments, at the Cleveland Orphan Asylum.
– A number of Mormon and other Christian divines trying to convert each other by means of what an ungodly daily says “appeared more a curbstone brawl than a religious discussion,” was one of the occurrences at Columbus, O., last week.
— December 7, 1899
100 Years ago
Jottings
At a conference of Jewish teachers in Bavaria, statistics were presented to show that Germany’s Jewish population is alarmingly diminishing.
– Approximately half a million children, of which a considerable percentage is Jewish, are homeless and starving in the famine districts of Ukrainia, according to data collected by the Ukrainian Central Commission for Relief of the Homeless.
– During the first nine months of the year 1924, 8,191 Jews entered Palestine, according to final official figures issued at Jerusalem. Of these, 3,226 are men, 2,522 women, and 2,445 minors. During the same period 1,701 emigrated.
– Six thousand textile workers in Lodz, the largest textile center in Poland, have declared a general strike, owing to the refusal of the mill owners to grant a wage increase of twenty-three percent. Thousands of Jewish workers are involved in the strike.
— December 4, 1924
75 Years ago
Last Session of Hanukkah Institute
The fourth and last session of the Women’s Hanukkah Institute, sponsored by the Bureau of Jewish Education, will be held Wednesday, Dec. 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at the Bureau.
Its theme will be “Hanukkah in the Home.” Morris H. Strassberg, director of extension activities of the Bureau, will conduct an actual demonstration of objects and crafts designed to introduce the spirit of Hanukkah into the Jewish home. There will also be a review of Hanukkah Songs.
The Institute is open to the public. Young children will be supervised at the Bureau in order to enable their mothers to attend.
Social and Personal Notes
– The Senior Dramatic Class of Hughes High School will present George M. Cohan’s play, “The Tavern,” on the evenings of Dec. 8 and 9. Jacob Stein, son of Mr. and Mrs. Morris Stein, will take the leading role.
– Dr. Morton Reiser, instructor in psychology and medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, was elected to active membership in the Central Society for Clinical Research at the annual meeting of that organization in Chicago.
– Mr. Lester A. Jaffe, chairman of the Board of Governors of the Hebrew Union College, is one of the six charter members of a Citizens Committee I support of the University of Cincinnati campus development plan.
— December 8, 1949
50 years ago
Bar Mitzvah
– Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Dick announce the forthcoming Bar Mitzvah of their son, Mark Steven, Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9 a.m. at Golf Manor Synagogue.
Friends and relatives are cordially invited tow reship with the family and attend the Kiddish following the service.
Mark is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Lisman and the late Rose and William Dick. No cards.
– Dr. and Mrs. James Tennenbaum, 45 South Merkle Road, of Columbus and formerly of Cincinnati, announce with great pride that heir son, Charles Val, will be called to the Torah on the occasion of his Bar MItzvah, Saturday, Dec. 14, at 9 a.m., at Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
Charles is the grandson of Mr. Lewis Tennenbaum, Cincinnati, and Mrs. and Mrs. Lewis Pittler, Warren, Ohio. He is a student at Bexley Junion High School.
Bas Mitzvah
Malcolm and Maxine Bernstein are pleased to announce the forthcoming Bas Mitzvah of their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, on Saturday, December 7, at 10:45 a.m., at Plum Street Temple.
Friends and relatives are cordially invited to attend a service, a Kiddish to follow and a reception the night at 8 p.m. at our home, 59 Oliver Road, Wyoming. No cards.
Sarah is the granddaughter of Charles and Alice Berkman, Mildred Bernstein, and the late Herbert Bernstein.
Sarah is the great granddaughter of Mrs. Ella Abrahams of Los Angelos.
— December 5, 1974
25 Years ago
Yavneh Students inducted
The annual Torah Induction Ceremony, Kabbalat HafTorah, which marks the beginning of a second grader’s formal study of Torah at Yavenh day school, was held Nov. 21.
“Because Torah study is such an important part of Jewish education, we at Yavneh really try to mark this milestone with true celebration,” says Cory Chargo, principal of Jewish education. The second graders had been working with their teachers, Dvira Dinar, Hagit Aslack and Rachel Rachovitsky for preparation for this day.
The ceremony included a presentation by the students demonstrating the importance of Torah study. The highlight of the program was when the students were given their first book of Torah, a beautiful Sefer Bereshit, the book of Genesis.
At the culmination of the program, parents were invited to bring their children under the Talit for a moment of prayer and a blessing for their children. The event is open to family and friends.
— December 9, 1999
10 Years ago
New Director for Cedar Village Foundation is passionate about the Jewish community
Stewart L. Bromberg, who has devoted most of his career to serving Jewish nonprofits because of his passion for the Jewish community, has been appointed executive director of the Cedar Village Foundation, the fundraising and investment arm of Cedar Village Retirement Community.
Bromberg comes to Cedar Village from the Jewish Community of Louisville, the organization that was formed five years ago with the merger of Louisville’s Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Center. He served there as vice president and chief development officer.
He was attracted to Cedar Village because of its growth in recent years as well as its reputation for innovative, high-quality programs. “I wanted to be part of that.”
Workum Fund internship program now accepting applications
The Workum Fund internship program is now accepting applications for the summer of 2015, with some exciting new internships!. This year, Camp Livingston, Rockdale Temple, Cincinnati Hebrew Day School, and the Halom House are offering unique opportunities. These are in addition to the American Jewish Archives, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), Jewish Family Service, The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, Cedar Village, JVS Career Services, Center for Holocaust and Humanities, the Jewish Community Center, and Cincinnati Hillel.
“I am thrilled about the new opportunities for internships in Cincinnati this summer,” said Sammy Kanter, Director of the Workum internship program. “We also have the opportunity to expand upon last year’s immersion into Cincinnati, with interns taking part in events in the Jewish community and larger city to become connected and passionate about Cincinnati.”
— December 4, 2014
