In the Beginning: 1854
Each week The American Israelite will print an item from the first years.
Noisy Congregations. — A gentlemen entering a synagogue was surprised to hear the congregation uttering the prayers in a loud voice, he likened it to a boisterous assembly, and remarked that his church members approached their God with awe and scarcely ever prayed so as to be heard. “The fact is,” rejoined a Jew, “you are a stranger to your God, while we meet ours every day, and are not afraid to utter our praises and prayers aloud.”
— October 27, 1854
150 Years ago
Items
- Portsmouth, O. — The ladies of K.K. Bene Abraham congregation, by their own exertion, raised the sum of $400, which was devoted to renovating and decorating the synagogue. The affairs of the congregation are in a flourishing condition, although their pulpit is not at present filled. Mr. Eichelstein, the President, was presented with a gold-headed cane by the congregation. The presentation occurred during a supper which was given to the choir of the congregation by one of the members.
- The yellow fever has considerably abated in Memphis and Shreveport. We are still without detailed reports from Shreveport, and hope to be supplied. In Memphis seventy Hebrews fell victims to the dreadful scourge. Among those who most distinguished themselves for superior humanity, and death-defying courage, and self denial, there are mentioned most frequently A. E. Frankland and lady Rev. A Samfield, Messrs. B Wascher, David Thielman, William Frank, and David Marks. The work done by these philanthropists in Memphis is reported to be extraordinary. God bless them, each and all.
- In the Israelite of October 3rd we distinctly informed our readers that there would be no paper issued the following week. Notwithstanding this announcement we have received numerous letters from subscribers stating that they had not received their papers of the 10th. We now again state that there was no paper published on the 10th of October, and, therefore, subscribers received none. After this notice we hope to receive no more requests for papers of that date.
— October 24, 1873
125 Years ago
“I know that my redeemer liveth, and at last he will rise upon the dust.” Such is the literal translation of that verse in Job, upon which Christian expounders put their own construction, because they translate Goali “my redeemer.” the term Goal is before us in the Holy Scriptures as avenger of the blood of a slain man; as a kinsman, a supporter and protector, never as a redeemer. The verb signifies also to ransom or release, never to save, for who the Hebrew has Yasha. Job, grievously offended by his friends, who declared him guilty of crimes which he staunchly denied having committed exclaimed, I know that my defender lived, and he will rise at last (upon my dust), and make known my innocence. This is the sense of Job’s exclamation.
Jottings
- The Chicago Section Council of Jewish Women has determined to have the next Illinois legislature importuned to have wife desertion made a felony and punished accordingly. It is now a misdemeanor.
- In an interview in Vienna Mr. Straus, the new minister to Turkey, said that he “does not particularly admire the American Jewish press.” We cannot tell how much Mr. Straus knows of the other Jewish papers, but he is certainly not in a position to speak of the merits of the ISRAELITE, as he knows nothing about it. Mr. Straus was never, as far as we can tell, a reader of the ISRAELITE. The publishers did not deem him a great enough man to put him on the free list, and while the minister to Turkey has many virtues the willingness to pay for anything he can do without is not one of them. So he could not have intended to include the ISRAELITE in his sweeping condemnation.
— October 27, 1898
100 Years ago
Foreign News
Sentences Anti-Semitic Leader
Belgrade. — Alarmed by the growth of the Fascisti agitation, imported in Jugo-Slavia from Roumania, the government has arrested several of the leaders here who were responsible for organizing the anti-Semitic attic at Szabadka. They have been sentenced to two years. Alexi Jevicz, minister of the Interior, in a statement just issued announces that adequate steps will be taken to suppress the movement.
558 Immigrants Entered Palestine
Jerusalem. — A total of 558 immigrants entered Palestine during August. Of that number 121 are persons with some independent means, and 117 are with definite prospects of employment. The number of women and children entering is 203. Twenty-two Christians, 2 Moslems and 12 Jews who entered the country as travelers were given permission to remain permanently. The great majority of the 558 immigrants were Jewish.
About People
- Miss Faga Stippelman, a young Russian Jewess, turned a detention room at Ellis Island into a school for herself and learned to read and write English in twelve months. And this achievement won her freedom to enter the United States. Friends of the young woman had staved off her deportation for months with appeals to Washington. While they were fighting she was studying. Finally Immigration Commissioner Curran became interested in her case. She passed the literacy test with ease.
- The Cleveland, Ohio, Jewish Independent has an interesting sketch of the life of Mrs. Manuel Halle, who has been very active in the Jewish charities and whose mother was one of the founders and a director of the Montefiore Home from the time it was established in 1882 until her death in 1897. Mrs. Halle was born in Cleveland, November 18, 1842, and was, previous to her marriage, Augusta Well. She was married in Cleveland on December 16, 1863, to Manuel Halle by Rabbi S.M. Cohen. If they are spared, Mr. and Mrs. Hale will celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary December 16 , 1923.
— October 25, 1923
75 Years ago
Histadrut Night To Be Celebrated
The annual Histadrut Night, dedicated to pioneers, builders, and defenders of the State of Israel, will take place Sunday evening, Nov. 7th, at the Netherland Plaza.
The guest speaker will be Captain Jacob Wayland, military commander of Negba in the Negev area. He is a member of the Histadrut delegation to the Jewish community of the United States.
Rabbi James G. Heller, president of the Cincinnati Zionist Council, will preside.
Mascha Benya, soprano, will appear in the musical program. She has made tours in Europe, the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Histadrut Night is under auspices of the Histadrut Committee of Cincinnati of which Maurice A. Chase is Chairman.
Cincinnati Social and Personal
- Mr. Fred Lazaru Jr., has been named chairman of a sub-committee of the Committee for Economic Development, which will study “How to Preserve Our Freedom While rearming.” The committee will seek means to maintain essential democratic control of the rearmament program including its size and nature, and endeavor to minimize waste and arbitrary exercise of power.
- Mrs. Leo Dreyfus is a volunteer director of a new training class for pre-school blind children at the Cincinnati Association for the Blind, Calvin S. Glover, executive secretary, announced.
“The Association is deeply indebted to Mrs. Dreyfus for volunteering to direct this highly specialized work,” Mr. Glover said. “Mrs. Dreyfus has had valuable experience working with pre-school children and her deep sympathy and understanding for the little ones that assemble at the Association each Monday will supply a great need.”
— October 28, 1948
50 years ago
Bas Mitzvah
- Dr. and Mrs. Norman H. Blatt of 2310 Royal Oak Court announce the Bas Mitzvah of their daughter, Mary Ann, at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 28, at Ohav Shalom Synagogue.
Relatives and friends are cordially invited to worship with the family and to attend the brunch following services at their home.
Mary Ann is the granddaughter of Mrs. Rudolph Blatt of Cincinnati and Mr. Morris Felman of Dayton. - It will be our pleasure to have you share the joy of the Bas Mitzvah of our daughters Cindey and Lisa on Friday evening, Nov. 2, 1973 at 8:15 p.m. at the Adath Israel Synagogue, Ridge and Galbraith Road. A Kiddish will follow the services.
Cindey is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lieberman of Cincinnati and Mrs. Sam Fixler and the late Mr. Sam Fixler of Charleston, West Virginia.
Lisa is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Moss and Mr. Harry Green and the late Mrs. Sylvia Green.
Dr. and Mrs. Charles Fixler and Mr. And Mrs. Tom Green.
Bar Mitzvah
My son, Keith Gud, will read a portion of the Has-torah on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah, at New Hope Synagogue, 1625 Crest Hill, Cincinnati, Ohio, on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 9 o’clock in the morning.
Keith is the grandson of Mrs. Victor Parente, and the late Mr. Parente, and Mrs. Kay Gud.
I would be honored to have you worship with me on this occasion, and join me for Kiddish after the services. Friends and relatives are cordially invited to attend open house at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Borstein, 7964 Stillwell Road, Saturday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m. No cards.
Estelle Gud.
— October 25, 1973
25 Years ago
Wise Temple helps alleviate hunger
For the 11th year, the members of Cincinnati’s target synagogue have offered a significant contribution of food to the city’s poor as part of the High Holy Day observance. Since initiating the collection of food as the fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah’s premise that a proper fast leads to righteousness, the Isaac M. Wise Temple has asked its members to respond with a sense of tikun olam, the responsibility to mend a broken world, by personally addressing the problem of hunger and poverty in this city.
JFS Pays off construction loan 18 months early
Jewish Family Service recently made the final payment on its construction and relocation loan to Provident bank more than 18 months early, thanks to generosity of the agency’s donors.
— October 29, 1998
10 Years ago
Jewish Federation hires “Create Your Jewish Legacy” professional
The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati welcomes David Harris as Create Your Jewish Legacy Coordinator, a newly created position funded by a grant from The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati.
“Create Your Jewish Legacy” (CYJL) is a community-wide program with the goal of increasing endowment gift commitments to local Jewish agencies and congregations. It follows a proven national model and is being spearheaded locally by the Jewish Federation. Gifts to an organization’s endowment — usually made through planned gifts or estate bequests (often called “legacy gifts”) — offer financial stability by supplying a steady source of funds that supplement annual fundraising efforts.
The CYJL program builds public awareness of the power of endowment giving and equips professional and volunteer solicitors with tools to discuss endowment giving with donors.
— October 24, 2013
