In the Beginning: 1855
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
Baltimore, Md. — A gentleman of this city was kind enough to send us a letter of his daughter, not quite twelve years old, who was educated in a Hebrew school. It is a beautiful specimen not only of penmanship, but also of a clear, simple and grammatical English style, proving the efficiently of the Hebrew school. Have no sectarian schools, but have the best schools.
— March 2, 1855
150 Years ago
A Few Words on Education
It is a fact much to be deplored that education has not heretofore received that attention at the hands of the Hebrew people which its importance demands. Therefore, I hail with pleasure the discussion going on in the columns of the American Israelite, relative to the mental culture of our girls; and I hope that the other side of the question — the education of our boys — will not be neglected.
The apathy of the American Israelites upon this subject is strange indeed. While costly temples are everywhere being erected; while schemes of benevolence are constantly devised, yet the question of education — that mighty pillar of national prosperity and national glory — is almost totally ignored.
Local and Domestic
– We have received from Mrs. S. Regenstein, of Monteralto, Ala., ten dollars as a donation to the Cleveland Orphan Asylum. We will take care that the money is duly forwarded.
– Miss Sophia Flora Heilbron’s concerts in New York are a success. She is acknowledged to be an accomplished and genial artist on the piano, which she masters with rare power and natural grace. The artists supporting her are spoken of very highly, and elicit much applause.
– Mr. Hyman Moses is well again, somewhat lame, and doing well as usual. He sends to the poor of Palestine, collected from the ladies, 410 guilders and 54 kreuzers, through Heidelbach, Bauer & Co. to A Lehren, of Amsterdam. The old gentleman wants some more money for that purpose. Let him have it; it gives him so much pleasure.
– Cincinnati. — Mr. J. J. Maas, German Principal of the Eighth District School, was presented with a silver-headed cane by his night-school pupils, as a token of their respect and appreciation of his kind treatment of the class. The usual presentation speeches, of course, were made.
The notice in one of our dailies that the daughter of a Jewish liquor merchant was reclaimed from a house of ill-repute is untrue and ought to have been refuted ere this.
— February 26, 1875
125 Years ago
Jottings
– Among those honored by the Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore with the Diploma of Doctor of Philosophy is also our friend, Rabbi Guttmacher of Baltimore, whom we hereby congratulate on the academic distinction. Dr. Guttmacher is a graduate of the Hebrew Union College and a B.A. of the University of Cincinnati. His thesis was “Optimism and Pessimism in the Old and New Testaments.”
– The editor would be very much obliged to any of our readers who will send us news items for this column.
– During the latter part of March, congregation Emanu-El of Denver, Colo., will celebrate the 25th year of its foundation.
– Governor Nash of Ohio has appointed Mr. Samuel Weil of Youngstown a member of the Board of Trustees of the State Hospital, situated at Cleveland. The Youngstown papers are unanimous in their opinion that Governor Nash could not have made a better selection.
– Morris Steinart of New Haven has given to Yale his collection of musical instruments and manuscripts, upon he condition that the University erect a building for the collection. The collection is the finest in this country and is well known. Included in the gift are 127 of the forerunners of the modern piano, 34 stringed instruments, 12 medieval missals and about 400 manuscripts, and photographs of both manuscripts and musicians, collected at great expense from all over the world.
Editor’s Note: The Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments is still on display at Yale today. The gallery is currently closed for renovations, but the entire collection is searchable in a database on the Yale School of Music website.
— March 1, 1900
100 Years ago
Jottings
– There is an aggressive campaign being waged for the introduction in the public schools of compulsory reading of the Bible (Protestant version) and even of religious instruction and exercises in nearly every State of the Union. It is being carried on through lobbyists who are unusually well-paid and unscrupulous in the methods that they use, the most common of which is the terrorizing of legislator by threats of defeat at the polls at the next election, if they are not complaisant and submissive to the demands of these self-constituted bosses.
– Congregation Ohab Zedek (Orthodox) of New York City proposes to build a new synagog and communal center on the upper West side, to cost $1,000,000. Rev. Dr. Phillip Klein has been its Rabbi for thirty give years.
– Eli Siegel, a twenty-two-year-old Baltimorian, born in Russia, and brought to this country when he was three years old, has won the first prize offered by the Hearst newspapers for the best poem. The prize winning poem has the rather unpromising title “Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana.” Nevertheless it won the victory over 4,000 competitions, and as a further award or perhaps in acknowledgment of his genius, he has been made a member of the reportorial staff of the Baltimore American.
– An exception to the black spirit of anti-Semitism, which pervades the armies and navies of Europe in nearly all the States, is military Switzerland, which offers a laudable exception. The Commander-in-Chief of the Swiss Army, the General Wille, who died on January 31, knew neither Protestant, Catholic, or Jew, and considered each soldier purely on his merit as a soldier. At his funeral, held at the Fraumunsterkirche on February 3, two Jewish Colonels, Scheurer and Steinbuch, Tok part and a large number of Jewish soldiers were present.
— February 26, 1925
75 Years ago
Hebrew Institute Children Lead in JNF Tree Drive
Children attending school at the Hebrew Institute at Beth Am contributed the largest per capita amount of any school in the city to the Jewish National Fund’s tree planting campaign according to word from JNF headquarters. The children donated $270, enough to plant 181 trees in Israel.
Sabbath services, followed by Kiddish, are conducted by the children every Saturday at 9:45 a.m.
Hillel
-The Purim Megillah is being adapted by Hillel’s religious committee for use March 3 at Friday evening services, at the Hebrew Union College chapel.
Sigma Delta Tau Sorority will sponsor services. The Megillah will be read in English and acted out in pantomime by Hillel members.
-“Hope and splash for no cash” is the theme of Hillel’s dance Saturday, March 11, at HUC gym. There will be swimming in the college pool and dancing in the gym to a jukebox. There will be a charge for refreshments. The dance is free to registered members of Hillel and dates; there will be charged the membership fee.
— March 2, 1950
50 years ago
Yavneh School Enrollment Passes 200
Yavneh Day School recently enrolled its 200th child, achieving the milestone as one of the largest Jewish Day Schools in the country, outside the main metropolitan centers.
When Sharon Weissman and her brother Bruce arrived in Cincinnati last month from Denver, Colo. their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Weissman, decided, after a search of suburban, city and other schools in the community, to enroll their children at Yavneh. According to Mrs. Weissman, the children had attended Hillel Academy in Denver, and before that, secular schools.
“We were eager for the children to continue in a good Jewish atmosphere, but we were also concerned that the school they attend have a strong English department,” said Mrs. Weissman; “Yavneh seems outstanding in both areas. The children are happy, they are being challenged, and their teachers are dedicated and interested in them.”
— February 27, 1975
25 Years ago
JNF to kick off dinner honoring Sen. Richard Finan
Richard Finan, will accept the prestigious Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award at a gala dinner on 30, April 2000.
Sen. Finan, a long time friend of the local Jewish community, was instrumental in encouraging more than 20 of his colleagues in the legislature to accompany him on a journey to Israel. While there, the group had the opportunity to visit several JNF sites.
NHS Religious School held annual consecration
On Sunday, February 13, Northern Hills Synagogue Religious School held its annual Consecration, welcoming new students to the school. Led by their teacher, Pamela Weber, and the class aide, Michael Bassin, the children in the primary class of the school sang songs showing their knowledge of the alef-bet and of various berakhot (blessings). They also presented Aseret Hadibrot (the Ten Commandments) to an audience composed of older students in the religious school, family members, and religious leaders.
The Religious School presented the consecrates with small prayer books and certificates.
— March 2, 2000
10 Years ago
A new congregation is being created in Cincinnati
Ohav Shalom and B’Nai Tzedek are merging into a new congregation named Etz Chaim. Ohav Shalom in its 137th year and B’Nai Tzedek, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary in December are uniting.
“The congregations have worked to offer something new to the community and are writing the textbook on cooperative consensus building,” stated Russ Rosen, one of the architects of the process. “It’s been a 20- month process” declared Simon Newman, first President of the new entity, named “Congregation Etz Chaim” – a name chosen by the congregants.
In memory of Getzel Cohen
Getzel Cohen, professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Cincinnati, passed away on Friday, February 13, 2015, after a severe illness. He will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife, Sheila; his children, Shifrah (Judah Wassner), Ephraim (Rachel Leibowitz) and Sender Zev (Talia Rosenblatt); along with 11 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren
— February 26, 2015
