tentennia
of Ra bbl'
By IRVING I. KATZ
Executive Secretary,
Temple Beth El
This month marks the centen-
nial of the death of Rabbi Isaac:
Leeser of Philadelphia, pioneer
American Jewish religious leader
and educator.
Isaac Leeser was born in Ger-
many in 1806. He studied tradi-
tional Jewish subjects under rabbis
of the old school and attended
the gymnasium in Muenster. At
the invitation of his uncle, Zalma
Rhine, he came to Richmond, Va.,
in 1824 to enter the mercantile
establishment of Judah and Rhine.
He volunteered to assist the Haz-
Isaac
Ceeseris Death; His Co'rn'rnenis on the Jews of Detroit in 1851
ages and community-wide charity will not overlook Detroit, as a place tions will be attempted; for it is ent when the new synagogue is
federations on the local scene, and well calculated to promote their
one thing to have order, but quite dedicated; and we shall, with
for united endeavors on the na- material prosperity, and that hence
pleasure, keep our word whenever
tional level by congregations and the eighteen now there, will not another to force measures on a we are called on, which we trust
rabbis, culminating in such insti- be left so entirely dependent on part of the community which will be before many years."
tutions as teacher-training schools their own resources, as they now would necessarily provoke re-
and rabbinical seminaries.
deem themselves."
sistance. There appears, however, THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
The educational and resource
In the September 1857, issue a good spirit to prevail among the
Friday, February 16, 1968-9
materials which he wrote or trans- of The Occident (Volume 15, few Israelites whom we had an
lated and published, are incredibly pages 306-307), Leeser reported opportunity to see, and we should
extensive: the first volumes of ser- about his visit to Detroit as fol- judge that Mr. Adler has it in
WHEN YOU Mlle A COCKTAIL
mons delivered and published by lows:
his power to effect much good by
an American Jewish religious
diffusing
knowledge
among
the
"As our readers know, Detroit
teacher (1837); the first complete
people, and we trust that we shall
is one of the towns which evidently
American translation of the Sep-
always hear that he has been duly
must attract to it a large com-
hardic Prayer Book (1837); the
supported in all the good he may
first Hebrew Primer for children merce from its very favorable posi- undertake. We promise to be pres-
(1838); the first Jewish communal tion. The Israelites already are
religious school (1839); the first numerous there, and appear to be
successful American Jewish maga- doing well. We could only spend
zine-news journal—The Occident one day, the 14th of July, among
(1843); the first American Jewish them, owing to the fact that our
Publication Society (1845); the engagements at home compelled us
first Hebrew-English Tora to be to be absent only about four weeks
edited and translated by an Ameri- on a very long journey. We were
can Jew (1845); the first complete kindly received by the Rev. Lip-
English translation of the Ash- man Adler, who officiates as
Hazan,
Shochet, Teacher and
kenazic Prayer Book (1848); the
Mohel, having thus ample engage-
first Hebrew "high school" (1849);
ments
to
fill up all his time. We
the first English translation of the
visited the synagogue with him;
entire Bible by an American Jew
it is situated on a favorable posi-
(1853); the first Jewish defense
organization—the Board of Dele- tion, only a little too high for
comfort, though when you are
gates of American Israelites once in
Israel's beautifully desi
it, you will find everything
(1859); the first American Jewish
of 1968 specimen coins
Theological Seminary—Maimonides well and properly arranged.
available here in limit
They speak of making an effort
College (1867). Practically every
titles on official da
-
form of Jewish activity which sup- soon to erect a suitable synagogue,
February 20, only
ports American Jewish life today and we believe that many dons-
tions
pose.
from
Christian
residents
was either established or envisaged
tains six coins • -1" • the
would be obtained for that pur-
by this one man.
Bank of Israel
sed in a
pose. We had no opportunity of
Leeser believed himself to be a visiting the
special 20t•sary folder
school of the Rev. Mr.!
staunch J
depar- Adler, though from what
that
friends
collectors
will
we saw
tures from ancient tradition; he did
treasu
r i g is $3.50 per set,
of the youths under his charge at
not, however, oppose such adapta-
his own house, we should judge
whites 501e per set han-'.
tion as did not, in his belief, vio-
dli ge. Price does not in-;
late Mosaic and rabbinic practice. that he would train them both well
and correctly. We also learned
ciudekany local tax.
He rejected all denominational
that some reforms have been in-
Limited quantity available :=••.
labels in American Judaism. In
into the worship, such
all his work Leeser's zeal modesty troduced
first come — first serve.
as reading the Hapftora in a
kindliness and courage won the German
translation and having
respect of friends and opponents
some prayers in the same language
alike.
in place of the Yekum Purkan;
Special mention must be made but we also perceived that on the
a I I offices
of Leeser's visit to Detroit in whole people were not satisfied
20TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIMEN SET
RABBI. ISAAC LEESER
zan (Cantor-Minister) of Rich-
mond's Sephardic congregation
Beth Shalome, thereby learning the
Sephardic Minhag rite used by
Spanish and Portuguese Jews, and
taught children in the religious
school of the congregation.
- In 1828 he wrote a series of
essays in the Richmond Whig. in
answer to an article in a British
journal, - republished in a New
York newspaper, which was de-
preciatory of the Jews. These
articles -brought the young Leeser
to public notice.
was not only a volumi-
In 1829 Leeser left his business 1857 (he
writer but also an exten-
position in Richmond to become nous
.- traveler)
sive
and a number of
the Hazzan of the Sephardic con- important historical items about
gregation Mikveh Israel in Phila- the . beginning of Detroit's or-
delphia. There were at that time appe
gani zed Jewish community which
between 10,000 to 15,000 Jews in
a red in the pages of Lees-
' the United States, served by per- er ' s journal
The
" Occident."
haps a dozen congregations. There
The earliest minutes of De-
was not a single "ordained" rabbi
troit's
Temple
Beth El, Michi-
in the entire country.
gan's oldest Jewish congrega-
Leeser served Mikveh Israel
tion, for the years 1850 to 1867,
until 1850. For the next seven
were lost many years ago.
years he devoted himself ex-
Fortunately, the first secretary
clusively to literary and public
of Temple Beth El, Joseph
activities. In 1857 he became
Freedman, was an acquaintance
Hazzan of Cong. Beth
of Leeser and corresponded
El-Emeth in the same city,
with
him.
whch had been organized to in-
0 n Nov. 13, 1851, a little
duce him to return to the minis-
try, and nine years later he was over a year after the organization
elected to life tenure. Shortly of Beth El, Freedman wrote to
thereafter he was compelled to Leeser about the beginnings of
give up his ministerial labors Beth El (MS Leeser Collection,
because of a throat ailment. He Dropsie College. Philadelphia)
which was reprinted in The Occi-
died Feb. 1. 1868.
During his entire life in the dent (Volume 10, page 58, April
United States Leeser devoted him- 1852) as follows:
"A letter before us speaks as
self to the education of Jews in
Judaism and to the interpretation follows: 'As regards our congre-
gation here, it counts only a very
of Judaism to the non-Jew.
of members, and
He was the first to perceive the limited a number
is of quite recent organization.
for
Jewish
hospitals,
orphan-
need
Several men having moved here
with their families, some time last
year, the total want of all oppor-
New Labor Party
tunities for the religious instruc-
`Old-Time Socialist'
NEW YORK (ZINS) — David
Flinker, Israel correspondent of
the "Day-Morning Journal," re-
ports that the ideological physi-
ognomy of the newly united Labor
Party (Mapai, Ahdut ha'Avoda,
I and Rafi) was unveiled in a speech
delivered' by the leader of Ahdut
ha'Avoda, Israel Galili, which
might have come out of a Socialist
brochure issued at the turn of the
century.
Galili "thundered against the
capitalists who exploit the
workers," but "failed to mention
the fact that a labor government
rules Israel, and that capital is in
the hands of this government, and
the Histadrut," Flinker said.
"Does Galili think," F linker
asked, "that such bombast will at-
tract to Israel immigrants from
Western countries, and Jewish in-
vestors from abroadT"
tion of their children was severely
felt, especially as their business
called thein away from home most
of the time.' Subsequently, at a
meeting called among those few
Jews residing here, twelve in num-
ber, it was resolved to engage a
teacher and Shochet, and also to
buy a piece of ground for a burial-
place. The incidental expenses,
though considerable, were contri-
buted with a good deal of liberality,
and the above resolution was car-
ried out. The number of our mem-
bers has since then increased to
eighteen. The prospects for erect-
ing a Synagogue are rather remote
yet: for, being so few in number,
it will have to be deferred to a
later and more auspicious period.'
Our readers will see that, at all
events, a begining has been made;
and if we view the rapid increase
of American cities, it is not too
much to predict that the Israelites
with what had been done, and
nearly all would resist any radical
and further changes.
"We trust that for the sake of
the public peace, no more altera-
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