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Look to the rock from which you were hewn Vol. 24, No. 1, Winter 2000 chicago jewish historical society chicago jewish history Abraham Lincoln: The Tribute of the Synagogue IN THIS ISSUE 1865: Eulogies for the Slain President by Renowned Chicago Rabbis Felsenthal and Adler From the Archives: Preserving Your Family Photographs West Side Memoir: Sandy Aronin’s First Year in the Yeshiva Historic Jewish Boy Scout Troops Society Open Meeting on February 20 to Feature Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf Judaism in “The Encyclopedia of Chicago” will be the topic of a lecture by the distinguished rabbi emeritus of KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, Arnold Jacob Wolf. He will preview the soon-to-be- published reference work about our city for which he has been invited to write an article about Judaism. Rabbi Wolf has written on theology and contemporary issues for many periodicals. “Unfinished Rabbi,” a selection of his writings was published in 1998. Save the date––Sunday, February 20, 2000. Rabbi Wolf will speak at 2:00 p.m. following a social hour and refreshments at ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1:00 p.m. at Bederman Hall, Spertus Statue by August St. Gaudens in Lincoln Park; Institute of Jewish Studies, 618 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago. Admission is photograph from H.L. Meites ❖ “History of the Jews of Chicago,” 1924 free and open to the public. 2 Chicago Jewish History Winter 2000 President’s Column chicago jewish historical society MOSES “MOE” ANNENBERG BUILT A Officers 1999-2000 GREAT FORTUNE IN HIS EARLY LIFE Walter Roth President in Chicago. A recently published book, “Legacy–A Burt Robin Vice President Biography of Moses and Walter Annenberg” by Clare Greenberg Secretary Christopher Ogden (Little Brown, 1999), Herman Draznin Treasurer recounts the story of Moe and his son Walter, who Directors made an even greater fortune than his father. Leah Axelrod Walter Roth Moe was 13 years old in 1885 when he arrived Harold T. Berc here from East Prussia with his family. He quickly Charles B. Bernstein took to the rough, bare-knuckled capitalism of Chicago’s South Side. Dr. Irving Cutler Moe’s brutal tactics in the “newspaper wars” of the early 1900s, and Dr. Carolyn Eastwood his strong-arm methods for increasing the circulation of the Hearst Sheldon Gardner newspapers are described here in full. Elise Ginsparg By 1922, Moe had bought the hugely profitable Daily Racing Daniel Greenberg Form and acquired the General News Bureau with a “racing wire” Dr. Adele Hast* that gave Moe a huge edge over his competition (in placing bets on Rachel Heimovics* horse races). After amassing his fortune, Moe moved on to acquire Janet Iltis publications in Milwaukee and Philadelphia, though he remained Bea Kraus active in Chicago’s social life. For example, his name is listed as a Joe Kraus member of the Executive Committee for The Romance of A People, Seymour Persky the pageant staged by Chicago’s Jewry at the 1933 World’s Fair. The Muriel Robin Rogers* program notes that “Moe L. Annenberg made possible attendance at Norman D. Schwartz* the Pageant by a large number of awards to charitable institutions.” Ethel Shulman (Unfortunately, “Legacy” does not mention the pageant.) Dr. Milton Shulman Moe ran afoul of the law at various times in his career. In the late Norma Spungen 1930s, he was indicted for income tax evasion. The author of Dr. N. Sue Weiler “Legacy” strongly implies that it was political revenge that had *Indicates Past President caused the indictment to be filed. Moe’s newspapers, together with Chicago Jewish History Colonel McCormick’s Chicago Tribune, had waged a continuous war Chicago Jewish History is published of words against President Roosevelt and the New Deal. quarterly by the Chicago Jewish Moe’s trial took place in Chicago. His chief defense lawyer was Historical Society at 618 South Weymouth Kirkland, the leading partner in a very powerful Chicago Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois law firm. Hammond Chafetz, a Jewish lawyer in Kirkland’s firm, also 60605. Telephone (312)663-5634. participated in the defense. In the end, Moe pleaded guilty and Please send submissions to the editor, Beverly Chubat, at 415 West received a three year sentence. He served nearly the entire term. Fullerton Parkway, #1102, Within six months of his release, he died of a brain tumor. Chicago, Illinois 60614-2859. “Legacy” continues with Walter Annenberg’s story––the great Single copies $2.00 postpaid. publishing empire that he built and his dedication to redeeming the Successor to Society News. good name of his father. He donated millions of dollars to many Editor/Designer charitable institutions, particularly universities. For his help to the Beverly Chubat Republican Party, he was named Ambassador to Great Britain. After Immediate Past Editor the 1987 sale of his Triangle Publications to Rupert Murdoch for Joe Kraus $3.2 billion, Annenberg’s charitable giving increased even more. Editor Emeritus The biographer would like us to conclude that Moe’s name has Irwin J. Suloway been redeemed and his sins of the Hearst era can be forgiven. That is a matter of opinion. But “Legacy” is a fascinating story of how an Editorial Board Joe Kraus, Burt Robin, immigrant Jewish family achieved great wealth “the American way.” Walter Roth, Norman Schwartz Walter Annenberg, now age 91, lives on his estate in California. ❖ and Milton Shulman Chicago Jewish History Winter 2000 3 Robert Matanky Offers Overview CJHS Reprints Program from 1933 World’s Fair of the Three-Generation Jewish Jewish Day Pageant, Community in West Rogers Park The Romance of A People Production has begun on the Attorney, realtor and Jewish communal leader Robert Matanky printing of a facsimile of the impressed the audience at the Society’s December 12, 1999 Open Meeting decorative souvenir program book with his detailed knowledge of West Rogers Park’s Jewish history. for The Romance, the spectacular Many changes have occured since the opening of its first synagogue, Ner evocation of Jewish history first Tamid, in 1938. In response to a classic decline in the mid 1960s, the performed on July 3, 1933, by a cast neighborhood was revitalized by the construction of condos for “empty of 3,500 Chicago area Jewish singers nesters” and the influx of young Orthodox Jewish families. Today, West and dancers before an audience of Rogers Park is unique––a three-generation Chicago Jewish community. ❖ 125,000 at Soldier Field. A new foreword by Stephen J. Whitfield of Brandeis University and a compre- 7600 hensive background article by CJHS HOWARD CHICAGO CITY LIMITS president Walter Roth have been added to the original text. ❖ Genealogist Compiles Touhy 7200 RIDGE Database of Marriages Performed by Rabbi C & NW RR NW & C Kedzie Bernard Felsenthal WESTERN McCormick Pratt 6800 A database is now available of 526 marriages performed by Rabbi Felsenthal from 1861 to 1905 at 2800 2400 3200 Sinai Congregation and others Devon 6400 Wolcott known to have been performed at Zion Congregation in Chicago. The records were contained in 1900 two small leather-bound pocket California 6000 PETERSON books with handwritten notations attributed to Rabbi Felsenthal. The American Jewish Archives in THE WEST ROGERS PARK ERUV Cincinnati holds the originals. Since becoming operational on December 26, 1992, A transcription was made of the with railroads, a canal and strung wires used as boundaries, the records by genealogist Fran Loeb West Rogers Park eruv has allowed observant Jews to carry things on Luebke of Brookfield, Wisconsin, the Sabbath, something otherwise not allowed under Jewish law. who presented a spiral-bound printout of the transcription to Seeking Information about Golden Age of Norman D. Schwartz, past president of the Society. Researchers Yiddish Radio in Chicago can find the printout at the Chicago National Public Radio is preparing a documentary about the heyday Jewish Archives, Spertus Institute of of Yiddish-American radio (1925-1955), and we want to make sure our Jewish Studies. city’s history is included. CJHS member Sima Miller would like to hear The database is also available on from any of our readers who have memorabilia, anecdotes or the Internet at: www.jewishgen.org recollections of Chicago’s “Jewish Hour” (Die Yiddishe Shtunde), hosted under the title: Sinai Congregation, by Julius Miller. Please phone Sima Miller at (847)673-6409. ❖ Chicago, Marriages. ❖ 4 Chicago Jewish History Winter 2000 Eulogies for Rabbi Bernard Felsenthal Abraham Lincoln The Murder of the President by Rabbis Bernard Translated from the German by Susan Wagner Felsenthal and n the same hour, my dear friends, in which we have gathered in this Liebman Adler Ihouse, thousands of places of worship are open for the same purpose; A rare book presented to CJHS hundreds of thousands of people are gathered for the same purpose. Like president Walter Roth will serve to our temple with its symbols of grief and emblems of pain, today dramatically transport our readers innumerable public and private buildings are clothed in ornaments of back to the dark days of April, sadness. The same feeling of deepest anguish that is now going through 1865, immediately following the the souls of all those present here today lives in the hearts of millions. assassination of President Lincoln. What is the reason for this magnificent, imposing, and impressive We can read the eloquent words national grief? A father has suddenly been taken from his family. The of Felsenthal and Adler as they father of the fatherland has been killed at the hand of a murderer. The respond to the terrible event, life of the highest officer and the first and outstanding citizen has been because theys have been collected in cut short, in a way never before recorded in the annals of the United the book “Abraham Lincoln: The States.