52 AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF JEWS PROMINENT IN THE PROFESSIONS, ETC., IN THE UNITED STATES The Biographical Sketches which follow are a second in- stalment of the series begun in the AMERICAN JEWISH YEAE BOOK for 5664. The Sketches there published were of Rabbis and Cantors officially connected with congregations in the United States. On pp. 214-225, will be found additions to the list of last year, designed to keep it up to date. It is intended to complete the series of Biographical Sketches in the AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK for 5666, in which an attempt will be made to present the biographical data of the men and women who are doing the communal work for the Jews of the United States. The present instalment does not deal with so unified a set of personages as the first dealt with and as the third is de- signed to deal with. It aims to bring together the names and biographical data of the Jews in the United States who have won a place in the professions, in the arts, the sciences, in journalism, in business, in public life. Only one class of pro- fessional men and women have been excluded from the present instalment, namely, those who have trained themselves to preside over Jewish charitable institutions; the superin- tendents and directors of the charities, the superintendents of orphan asylums and kindred institutions, the probation officers, the social settlement workers, etc. Their vocation is so closely allied to the activities that will constitute the ground for inclusion in the next instalment of sketchea BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 53 that it seemed proper to associate them with the communal workers whose leaders and guides they are. A number of cases, indeed, proved the scheme of classifi- cation adopted arbitrary. Many of the personages whose biographical data are presented below have put their attain- ments and their abilities in the service of the Jewish com- munity. On the other hand, a few of those addressed began their careers as professional men, but are now engaged entirely in the service of the community. Their biographies have therefore been reserved for the next instalment. A word as to the data given below. The list does not lay claim to completeness. That it is not even so complete as it might have been made with the co-operation of all persons addressed will appear from the circumstance that blanks and circulars were sent to over nine hundred persons, and only about 475 complied with the request for information. Among those not heard from were some whose biographical data are so well known that they have been compiled from various reference books and inserted-. An asterisk (*) marks in- formation not obtained directly from the subject of the sketch. The circular letters were first sent out in May, a month in which the summer travel to Europe had begun. This may in a measure account for the paucity of responses received from actors, musicians, painters, artists of all sorts. Like- wise army and navy men, in which the list is deficient, move from place to place so frequently and rapidly in the exercise of their profession that it is difficult to reach them within a given short time through their permanent address. These deductions, great as they are, do not cover the large number addressed and not heard from. Among them are, besides authors, editors, physicians, lawyers, engineers, and 54 AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK representatives of many other professions and occupations. Over and above all this it must be admitted that if the editorial miracle had come to pass, and the co-operation of all persons addressed had been secured, the list would still have been incomplete, as any list the first of its kind must inevitably be. Abarbanell, Jacob Ralph. Editor, Author. Born December 6, 1852, New York City. Son of Rudolph Abarbanell. Graduate College City of New York, A. B., B. S., 1872; Columbia Law School, LL. B., 1874. Married Cornelia L. Eaton. Practices law, New York. Member Medico-Legal Society, New York; Man- hattan Single Tax Club. Now editor New York Family Story Paper, and Golden Hours. Author: Flirtation, 1884; Monte Cristo and his Wife, 1885; Ma, 1888; The Rector's Secret, 1892; serials published under pen name "Ralph Royal." Plays: My Father's Will, 1881; A Model Pair, 1882; All on Account of a Bracelet, 1883; Haydee, Countess of Monte Cristo, 1902; Ma, 1902. Trans- lations: novels of Alphonse Daudet, Octave Feuillet, Henri Gre- ville, Boisgobey; short stories from French and German. Resi- dence: Coney Island. Office: 24 Vandewater, New York. Abrams, Albert. Physician. Born December 8, 1863, San Fran- cisco, Cal. Son of Marcus Abrams and Rachael Levey. A. M., Portland University; M. D., University of Heidelberg; pursued post-graduate courses in London (F. R. M. S.), Berlin, Vienna, and Paris. Married Jeanne Irma Roth. Professor of Pathology and director Medical Clinic, Cooper Medical College; president Emanu- El Sisterhood Polyclinic, San Francisco; trustee National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives, Denver, and consulting physician to the same institution. One of the original investigators of Helio- therapy and Psychotherapy; discoverer of the Heart and Lung Reflexes of Abrams, and numerous other organ reflexes bearing the same name. Author: Synopsis of Morbid Renal Secretions; Manual of Clinical Diagnosis; Consumption, Causes and Preven- tion; The Antiseptic Club; Scattered Leaves of a Physician's Diary; Diseases of the Heart; Nervous Breakdown; Hygiene, in a System of Physiologic Therapeutics; The Blues, Causes and Cure; and various contributions to medical journals. Address: 1519 Van Ness Av., San Francisco, Cal. "Addison, Victoria." flee Peixotto, Victoria Maud. Adler, Cyrus. Librarian Smithsonian Institution, Honorary Curator Historic Religions, and Custodian Historic Archaeology, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 55 United States National Museum. Born September 13, 1863, Van Buren, Ark. Son of Samuel Adler and Sarah Sulzberger. Edu- cated Hebrew Education Society's School, and public schools, Phil- adelphia; B. A., 1878, Central High School, Philadelphia; B. A., 1883; M. A., 1886, University of Pennsylvania; Ph.D., 1887, Johns Hopkins University. Fellow, instructor, and associate Semitic languages, Johns Hopkins University, 1887-1892. President board of directors Jewish Theological Seminary of America; president American Jewish Historical Society; trustee Gratz College, Phila- delphia; trustee, and member Publication Committee, Jewish Publication Society of America; member Council American Insti- tute of Archaeology; formerly vice-president Philosophical Society, and Anthropological Society, Washington; representative World's Columbian Exposition to Turkey, Egypt, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco; representative United States Government to Interna- tional Catalogue of Scientific Literature, London, and member of executive committee of Catalogue; member American Philosoph- ical Society, Washington Academy of Sciences, American Oriental Society, and many other learned bodies. Editor: The American Jewish Year Book; The Voice of America on Kishineff; and the so-called " Jefferson Bible." Author: Told in the Coffee House (with Allan Ramsay); many papers on philological, archaeo- logical, and American Jewish historical subjects, in the publica- tions of the United States National Museum, of various learned societies, and in scientific periodicals. One of the Editors of the Jewish Encyclopedia. Address: Smithsonian Institution, Wash- ington, D. C. *Adler, Felix. Educator, Lecturer. Born August 13, 1851, Alzey, Germany. Son of Rabbi S. Adler. Graduate, 1870, Colum- bia University. Studied at Berlin (Ph.D.). Professor Hebrew and Oriental Literature, Cornell University, 1874-1876; estab- lished, 1876, New York Society for Ethical Culture, of which he is now the lecturer. Professor political and social ethics Colum- bia University. Member editorial board International Journal of Ethics. Author: Creed and Deed; The Moral Instruction of Chil- dren, etc. Address: 123 East 60th, New York. *Adler, Jacob P. Actor. Born January 1, 1855, Odessa, Russia. Made his first appearance at the theatre in Cherson, Russia, 1878. Emigrated to London, 1883, because the Russian government pro- hibited Jewish plays. Removed to New York, 1888, and became one of the leading actors on the Jewish stage. Appeared with an English company of actors, he playing the title-role in Shakes- pearean plays in Yiddish. Address: Grand Theatre, New York. Alan Dale. See Cohen, Alfred J. 56 AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK *Alschuler, Samuel. Lawyer. Born November 20, 1859, Chicago, 111. Son of Jacob Alschuler. Educated in Aurora, 111., high school. Was clerk in general store two years; studied law in office in Aurora; admitted to Illinois bar, 1881; Democratic can- didate for Congress, 1892; defeated. Member of State Commis- sion of Claims, 1893-1896; of legislature, 1896-1900; Democratic candidate for governor of Illinois, 1900; defeated. Member law firm Kraus, Alschuler, and Holden, since 1901. Residence: Aurora, 111. Office: Tribune Bldg., Chicago. *Altman, Benjamin. Proprietor department store, B. Altman and Company. Director Bank of the Metropolis; trustee Garfield Safe Deposit Company. Address: 25 Madison Av., New York. Altman, Rebecca Annetta. Writer. Born December 16, 1880, Gilnitz, Polish Lithuania. Daughter of Joseph Jacob Altman and Leah Oberschmieds. Educated by private tutors, special attention being paid to Hebrew. Other studies pursued at Steubenville, O., high school. Has written essays, poems, sketches, and transla- tions from