THE JEWISH NEWS-61
Friday, October 1, 1948
A New Home in Israel in 5709
Early Developments
In Jewish Centers
Told in Recent Study
The full story of the first 60
years of the Jewish Center move-
ment was told for the first time
in the recently published study,
"The Young Men's Hebrew As-
sociation, 1854-1913," by the late
Benjamin Rabinowitz who, at
the time of his death, was director
of the Jewish Center Division of
the National Jewish Welfare
Board.
The following historically sig-
nificant "firsts" credited to the
YMHAs, progenitors of the con-
temporary Jewish Community
Centers, are from Rabinowitz's
book.
First of the Jewish youth liter-
ary societies, forerunners of the
Young - Men's Hebrew Associa-
tion, was the Young Men's He-
brew Literary Association of
kat&
Philadelphia, organized in 1850.
Rev. Isaac Leeser, one of the
The year 5709 will be different than 5708. Exactly a year ago,
rabbinical giants of his time, was
the
refugee
ship "Exodus 1947" was turned away from the shores of
among the active workers in this
the Jewish Homeland by the British. With the aid of the $250,000,000
Association.
* * *
United Jewish Appeal, more than 50,000 Jews entered the Jewish
First professional employee in State since its establishment. This photo shows a group of
immigrants
the YMHAs was the librarian.
entering Israel.
The library of the New York
YMHA (oldest existing Center in
the country which was establish-
ed in 1874), -opened in 1886, be-
came the nucleus of the'Aguilar
Free Public Library, which in
turn became a part of the New
York Public Library. Rev. Isaac
Leeser's library was given to the
YMHA in 1876 and was cata-
logued by the young Cyrus Ad-
ler, later to be one of the lead-
ers of American Jewry.
* * *
The first president of the Jew-
ish Theological Seminary of
America, Rabbi Sabato Morais,
was one of the early presidents
of . the first Philadelphia YMHA.
Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, father
of American Liberal Judaism
and founder of Hebrew Union
College, was among the support-
ers of the first Cincinnati YMHA,
founded in 1867.
* * *
First fund-raising for distres-
sed Jews to Ise undertaken by
YMHA was campaign of New
Orleans YMHA in 1878 among
its brother Y's on behalf of Jew-
ish victims of yellow fever epi-
demic in the South.
* * *
First essay contests in Jewish
history and literature were con-
ducted in 1876 and 1877. by the
New York and Philadelphia
YMHAs. Emma Lazarus was
among the early prize-winners.
* * *
First annual Hanukah festival,
featuring tableaux, pageants and
music and a cast of several hun-
dred, to be given in New York,
was initiated at the old Madison
Square Garden in 1878 by the
YMHA.
3 Jews Are Trustees of
N. Y. State University
ALBANY, N. Y. (JPS)—Three
prominent New York Jews are
among the 15 members appointed
by Governor Thomas E. Dewey
to comprise the *Board of Direc-
tors of the projected New York
State University. They are Paul
Klapper, president of Queens
college, N. Y.; Norman S. Goetz,
lawyer, trustee of the Federation
of Jewish Philanthropies, and
Frederick F. Greenman, member
of the administrative board of
Hebrew Union College, School of
Religious Education.
Demand Investigation of
Commuted Koch Sentence
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Sena-
tors and Congressmen con-
demned the commutation to four
years imprisonment of a life
sentence imposed on use Koch,
widow of a former commandant
of the Buchenwald . death camp
and a convicted war criminal in
her own right, by Gen. Lucius
D. Clay, American commander
in Germany. Senators Raymond
E. Baldwin, of Connecticut, Lev-
erett Saltonstall, of Massachu-
setts, Charles W. Tobey, of New
Sam Miller and his family, Hampshire, and Rep. Emanuel
actual DPs who were brought
ay HIAS to the United States, Coller, of New York, all demand-
are featured in the HIAS docu- ed an investigation into the in-
„nentary film, "Placing The Dis- cident by Secretary of the Army
placed.”
Kenneth C. Royall.
Greetings on the New Year
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WE WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO
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Greetings
HAPPY NEW YEAR
on the
AND TO THANK YOU FOR THE CONFIDENCE AND
PATRONAGE WE HAVE ENJOYED THESE
MANY YEARS
New Year
air
'IC.
4055 Puritan Ave.
Ira Kaufman
Funeral Director
UNiversity 1=2800
1PME WE I 111 I I 1.1
160.641111
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