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THINKS HOLY LAND
A MINE OF RELICS

A BUILDER OF SYNAGOGUES

NDS

The Death of Benjamin Steckler.

By ISIDOR SINGER, Ph. D.

@Ro2.4

PAGE THREE

laz

STOP

There is deep poetry in death for Textile Building on Fifth avenue and Prof. Marx Says Archaeologists
those whose eyes can pierce the abyss Thirtieth street.
For the latter he
Have Only Scratched
of spiritual things." I was reminded received the gold medal of the Ameri-
can
Institute
of
Architects.
this
great
religio-philosophical
of
the Surface.
his real heart was in the build-
truth while attending, on Jan. 10, the
—
beautiful 't I use purposely the word ) nig of synagogue,. There are a few
NEW YORK.—Using as his text
funeral services Over the remains of architects
in our country who had a the accounts of the discoveries at Je-
a
the architect artist, Benjamin Steck- broader vision of the true synagogue
he van be rusalem of Professor R. E. Stewart
ler, who died in his fifty-first •year at building than Steckler, and •
Saranac Lake, N. Y., leaving a great called, without exaggeration, the mas- Macalister, P r o f e s s or Alexander
Marx,
of the department
his-
number of his artisitc plans and ter synagogue builder of our time. The tory
in head
the Jewish
Theological of
Semi-
names of a few of his more recent nary, makes an earnest plea tha t
works unfinished.
Raised in an old-fashioned Jewish Synagossual constructions, all of them American archaeologists receive the
family, a passionate lover of the Bi- situated in New York, are:
opportunity to go into Palestinian
Congregation Shaarei Zeilek, Nine- exploration on a large scale.
ble, which he was proud to he able to
quote freely, Steckler devoted his best ty-third street and Broadway; Tem-
The latest discoveries of Professor
thought and the acme of his profes- ple Israel of Washington Heights, One Macalister were made known in this
sional skill to the construction of a Hundred and Eighty-fifth street and country through the Rev. James A.
group of synagogues, in which he St. Nicholas avenue; Hebrew Taber- Montgomery, professor of Semitics at
tried to create an artistic physieal nacle, One Hundred and Sixty-first the University of Pennsylvania and
body for the Spirit of Judaism us he street and liradway; Sinai Congre- president of the American Schools of
gation of the Bronx, One Hundred and Oriental Research. They include the
conceived it.
I applied the term "beautiful" to Sixty-third street and Stebbins ave- finding of walls in Jerusalem which
the funeral services, and beautiful be- nue; Temple of the Covenant, One are ascribed to David, the discovery
yond expression was indeed the eu- Hundred and Eightieth street near St. of a new spring in addition to the one
logy delivered by the minister of Nicholas avenue; Congregation Anshe already known as the reason for the
Jeshurun, Rabbi Israel Gold- Poland, One Hundred and Fourteenth choice of the site of the city, and
stein, and beautiful and dignified was street, near Fifth avenue; Charles pottery relies identified as belonging
the whole ceremony, up W the last Street Congregation, ('harks street.
to an era which gives a new date for
the existence of the city 501) years
scene, when his brother, David Steck-
Rabbi Goldstein's "Hesped."
further into antiquity than its pre-
ler, the well-known attorney, recited
Here are a few of the most salient vious earliest identification.
in a voice vibrating with emotion, the
"These discoveries of Professor
solemn Kaddish prayer, as a last Vale passages in the Rabbi Goldstein's
"Ilesped":
Macalister as given in the New York
to the departed.
"Ill t his busy world of ours, which Times are very interesting and im- 1
A Great Jewish Artist.
rushes by us in utter unconcern, it is portant. said Professor Marx. "Pro-
It 1,111S in a won!, a service fitly nut easy fur I ne to east a lira 1111/Or•
lessor Montgomery has left little to
making the final leave-taking of a ing. ?Most men are satisfied to be
be said, but there is one aspect of the
great Jewish artist, who, with all the pushed along by the impetus which matter which might be dwelt on with
fibers of his heart, clung to the com- drives them into the indiscriminate
pro lit.
bined poetry and spirituality of a tra- crowd.
Opportunity Now Open,
ditional Judaism, suffused with the
"Benjamin Steckler was not one of
"The latest work of Professor Mac-
prophetic ideals.
the crowd. Ile cast his moorings, an-
Benjamin Steckler? Most readers chored hi' personality. He had a dis- alister emphasizes the fact that re- ,
of this paper have very probably never tinct mission in the world; little else search may now be carried on in
Palestine with far less difficulty than
heard the name. Like most great concerned him.
artists, Steckler was a self-centered
"Not even the bonds which tied him ever before. It is easier to get the
personality, avoiding publicity. Ile to his own flesh and blood were per- concession to do excavation work
lived exclusively in and for his art, mitted to supersede the bonds which than it was. The advent of the Brit-
ish has made this so. The Turks used
a nd the facts of his external life are tied him to his art..
to put difficulties in the way. In fact,
brief indeed.
"Unique among all the arts, archi-
the condition that Mohammedanism
Born in New York on Feb. 4, NA tecture is the realm in which Truth,
he was educated in the public schools Beauty and Utility meet in one em- had sequestrated important areas in
of his native city, and was one of the brace. There must be Beauty of line Palestine as 'holy land' where the
find graduates of the Hebrew Tech- and of design in order that men may foreigner might not intrude, has for
deal Institute. lie completed his feel drawn to the monument standing years prevented exploration that
technical education at Cooper Union, out front ungainly mediocrity. There might otherwise have • been under-
New York. Beginning as an appren- must be Utility, which is the ultimate taken.
"The British, on the other hand,
tice in the offices of the famous firm test, distinguishing architecture from
are sympathetic toward this sort of ,
Of McKim, Mead & White, Steckler most other arts. Where, often, hun-
work. They arc leaders in it, as a
I.
Sold Exclusively in Detroit by
became chief draughtsman, under
dreds of thousands of dollars in ex-
matter of fact, especially in Palestine
B. J. Snyder, former architect of the penditure are involved and fortunes
and Egypt. It may not be known gen-
Board of Education, and in that ca- are at stake, the imagination cannot
erally, but it is a fact that such men
pacity created the "Il" type ofschool he given unbridled sway.
as Kitchener and Wilson back some-
building, the first of which was erected
"And so he lived and died, the prac-
where in the SO's were among the
at the corner of Norfolk and Hester tical dreamer—a dreamer who im-
officials who made the surveys of Pal-
streets, in t h e center of New York's agined fine castles in the itir and then estine under the auspices of the Pal-
East side, Ivor 25 years ago. The built them with brick and molar; a
estine Exploration Fund.
type of school building which he then p ractical dreamer who would build a
"The new conditions that prevail
created has been universally adopted synagogue and then a counting house,
make it particularly appropriate that
throughout the country.
an institution of charity, and then an American scientists should be afford-
office building, a practical dreamer em the opportunity to do their proper
Was Builder of Synagogue•.
his share in Palestine research work.
Nearly 15 years ago, he associat e d who best of all built the temple of
:men
. Sommerfeld, soul. John Luskin, in his
America has done a little, but not as
himself with W illiam C
schoolmate
at
the
Hebrew
Technical
Lamps
of
Architecture"
describes
the
much as she should have done. The
II
soul as a temple, "more majestic than organization of which Professor
Institute.
the
larg-
ary
cathedral,
a
temple
in
which
prin-
Montgomery
is president, the Ameri-
of
tv.me
He now projected
i st building operations in New York, ciples are foundation stones, and hob- canSchools of Oriental Research, is
its
are
columns
and
pillars,
and
fend-
which
are.
fhe
the
field
with experienced men
t h e more recent of
I; them National:Bank Building, the ties are' master builders:
ever) and if it were provided by private
IC
Penn-Terminal Building and the giant I thought driving a nail and every deed . subscribers with the necessary funds, as has been the case when excavation atVOSSOCSoMMCSWisMaiVOSVMSCSMIMUSSVMSSVistMtstaM
of New
as archaeologists of other nations has provided us with the larger li-
Is Bonded by the Fidelity and
The
Nokol
Guarantee
braries
from
other
civilizations.
Cer-
are, particularly the British, I know
of no agency that might more prop- tainly the material, if it can be
found, will not suffer by comparison
erly be entrusted with the work,
"And there are wonderful oppor- in the interest and value of its con-
tunities in Palestine. We really know tents.
very little about it, comparatively
"As a matter of fact, so little writ-
' speaking. We have done little more ing has been discovered In Palestine
than scratch the surface. Contrasted that one does not know what language
with our knowledge of other ancient it would be in if it were found. The
oriental civilizations, the facts we language of the Ilittites, who over-
have about Palestine are few indeed. flower into Palestine, has not yet
"Yet it is scarcely to be doubted been altogether deciphered. And it
that there are facts to be unearthed is not known what would be the lan-
there of the utmost interest and im- guage of the Jebusites, from whom
portance. If authentic writings could David captured Jerusalem around
be recovered from some of the an- 1000 13. C. Cuneiform might turn up
cient cities of Palestine, they would here, I suppose, as it turned up in the
be of the greatest value as commen-, Tel-el-Amarna letters.
caries on the historical phases of the
"When we say, therefore, that we
Bible.
cannot even be sure of what would
Even Language Unknown.
Deal Plate
be the language of peoples whose
"Today we have almost nothing of civilization would yield commentaries
Together with bullet proof glass,
this sort from Palestine, strange as on the Bible of the utmost value, the
makes it absolutely impossible for a
it may seem. Almost the only thing imagination may grasp the import-
bandit to enter a pay cage, whether
we have are the so-called Tel-el- ance of the archaeological finds that
it he in an
Amarna letters. They were written are to be made in I'alestine with luck
OFFICE, FACTORY or BANK
to an Egyptian king by his subrulers and perseverance.
in various countries, and among them
For Further Information
Kings' Tombs a Mystery.
were several from Palestine. So they
Call or Write
"There has been nothing of a
prove at least that there was some sensational nature uncovered at all.
writing done in Palestine. Perhaps The tombs of the kings remain an
if someone were lucky he might find unsolved mystery. Some tombs have
in Palestine the writings from the been found, and it has been thought
Egyptian overlord to which these they might be the tombs of the de-
were the answers.
ORNAMENTAL. IRON AND WIRE.
parted rulers, but something has al-
"It is hard to say why there should ways come up to cast doubt on the
WORKS
have been so very little writing found
theory, and their authenticity has had
Manufacturers of
in Palestine. Perhaps it was because
no general acceptance.
PLAIN AND ORNAMENTAL IRON,
there was little done. Or perhaps it
"Of course, there are numerous
WIRE, BRASS and BRONZE WORK
has not been looked for as thoroughly
difficulties in the way. We must re-
996 Maple St., near Gratiot
making strong some timber; every member that in ancient history Pales-
holy aspiration lending beauty to the tine was one of the favorite warring
Main 7473
structure, the whole standing forth at places of the then known world. The
R. E. Schmidt
C. A. Bensinger
last builded, builded of thoughts and Egyptians and the Babylonians, the
purposes more precious than gold and then great nations, made war on each
flashing gems. other by going through Palestine.
"If the Lord is not in the building Then came the Crusaders to lay waste
of a house, in vain they who build it! the land. And after them the Turks.
The Lord has been in the building of The Crusaders appear to have done
the spirit of Benjamin Steckler. their work a little more thoroughly
Therefore, the building has not been than any one else. There was very
little that escaped their talent for
in vain."
destruction.
NO En Elohim's.
"A battleground is not the best
WPIMISSSVOXISIfs.
The two survivors of Benjamin
\VA,Als'SAIOXIMIIMISISSICOSIXNWPOSIX ICIIM
Steckler, his brother and his sister, place in the world to look for relics.
they were, in a God-fearing You may find plenty of fragments,
raised, as
Jewish surrounding, faced the visit of but you are likely to find very little
the Angel of Death with a calmness that is whole. That is probably one
J. Duschinsky, President
and serenity which behooves people reason why the thing that has given
who unflinchingly answer the ques. us most of the knowledge of Palestine
Martin Hoffman, Secretary
Julius K•rsoe, Vice-President
ties, "Does man die?" with a resolute in pre-biblical days is the pottery that
no. has been found. Nobody would take
There are no heartrending scenes a great deal of trouble to destroy
that. And archaeologists by exhaus-
at the grave; no sullen despair, no
ravings
of scepticism, no En Elohim's ' five study have been able to date
Now, in cold weather, when you need heat is the time to
SERVICE
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install Nokol. An installation can be made in a few hours.
The children of the Steckler home rately by the pottery that has been
wet* reared in a firm belief in Car. found. No one excels Professor Mac-
;
is alister in that.
Isle's maxim: "This life of ours
The ancient way was to build one
but a little gleam between two eterni-
FRANK H. DODGE, President
ties;" in the implicit adoption of city on top of another. Their houses
were of mud, and were easily de-
an,
Emerson's philosophy of life: "I
strayed in warfare. When a city lay
to see to it that the world is better
therefore, its inhabitants
,
to me, and find my reward in the' in ruins,
r
used what fragments of their build-
act."
Be Sure to See Our Special Display All Next Week
ings they could and took more mud
The parents of Benjamin Steckler
In Our Show Rooms Opposite General Motors Bldg.
and built new houses on top of the
inculcated, very probably without
[.
old. In one of his writings, Bliss
knowing the passage itself, into the
Manufacturers of
hearts and minds of our children the ' mentions 'a mound of seven cities.'
Telephones: Saks Dept., 'Northway41$2; Service Dept., Empire 6467
deep meaning of ;Mendelsohn'• words:, In other words, a city had been re-
built six times, each time on the re-
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"Today there are many of these
immortality of the soul, life in my ,
mounds waiting the patient hands of
eyes has only a contemptible value;
explorers. And each one of them
ouch a life could be compared to an
aimless wandering through wind and' probably represents destruction un-
derneath. And there is the difficulty
storm without the consolation of
finding in the evening a hospitable about Palestinian discovery. You
what
inn at the end of one's journey. must work on destruction for
you find. Yet that is the only way
It was under the inspiration of
these teachings that the great builder of adding to our knowledge. We
of synagogues, the ardent lover of': must take what we can find and use
what we al-
Judaism, Benjamin Steckler, Cash- it for identification with
Toned his life, making of Hz story a ready know, thus always adding a few
glorious chapter in the annals of 1 more links to the ever-advancing
(Continued on page 6.)
American Jewry.

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