HARRY FISCHEL Pioneer of Jewish Philanthropy Forty Years of Struggle for a Principle and the Years Beyond Augmented Edition
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HARRY FISCHEL Pioneer of Jewish Philanthropy Forty Years of Struggle for a Principle and the Years Beyond Augmented Edition HARRY FISCHEL Pioneer of Jewish Philanthropy Forty Years of Struggle for a Principle and the Years Beyond Augmented Edition Forty Years of Struggle for a Principle (through 1928) Edited by Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein Continuation (1928–1941) Written by Harry Fischel Preface to Augmented Edition By Chief Rabbi Emeritus Shear-Yashuv Cohen Chairman of the Board of the Harry and Jane Fischel Foundation; President of Machon Harry Fischel; Founder of the Ariel United Israel Institutes for Training of Rabbis Augmented Edition (through 1948 and beyond) Edited by Rabbi Aaron I. Reichel, Esq. KTAV Publishing House, Inc. Jersey City, New Jersey About the cover photographs: Top: original building of Yeshiva College in New York. Bottom: original building of Harry Fischel Institute for Research in Jewish Law (Machon Harry Fischel) in Jerusa- lem. Center: Harry Fischel as he appeared at cornerstone laying ceremony of Yeshiva College in 1927. About the photograph in the back flap: The official Jerusalem street sign named for Yisrael Aharon (Harry) Fischel includes a description, in Hebrew, which can be translated as follows: “philanthropist, founded Institute for Talmudic Research in Jerusalem, 5625-5708 (1865-1948).” Copyright © 2012 Harry and Jane Fischel Foundation All rights reserved No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and articles. Manufactured in the United States of America KTAV Publishing House, Inc. 888 Newark Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07306 Tel. (201) 963-9524 Fax. (201) 963-0102 www.ktav.com [email protected] ISBN 978-1-60280-221-6 (pbk.) ISBN 978-1-60280-222-3 (hard cover) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Forty years of struggle for a principle. Harry Fischel, pioneer of Jewish philanthropy : forty years of struggle for a principle and the years beyond. -- Augmented ed. p. cm. Original title: Forty years of struggle for a principle (through 1928), edited by Herbert S. Goldstein; continuation (1928-1941), written by Harry Fischel; augmented edition (through 1948 and beyond), edited by Aaron I. Reichel. ISBN 978-1-60280-221-6 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-60280-222-3 (hard cover) 1. Fischel, Harry, 1865-1948. 2. Jewish philanthropists--United States--Biography. I. Fischel, Harry, 1865-1948. II. Goldstein, Herbert S. (Herbert Samuel), 1890-1970. III. Reichel, Aaron I. IV. Title. CT275.F558A3 2012 361.7›4092--dc23 [B] COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to the Augmented Edition by Aaron I. Reichel.............14a Preface: The Founder, by Chief Rabbi Emeritus Shear-Yashuv Cohen..22a Acknowledgments.............................................................................26a Harry and Jane Fischel Foundation Leadership Past and Present.......29a TABLE OF CONTENTS OF FORTY YEARS OF STRUGGLE FOR A PRINCIPLE Preface by Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein....................................................iii Foreword by Harry Fischel.................................................................... xiii chapter page I. Boyhood............................................................................ 1 II. America............................................................................ 10 III. Early Struggles...............................................................14 IV. Romance...........................................................................23 V. First Business Successes.................................................30 VI. Early Communal Activities...........................................34 VII. First Religious Classes for Young Girls— Founding of the Hebrew Free Loan............................38 VIII. Early Connection with Beth Israel Hospital............42 IX. A Visit to His Mother....................................................47 X. First Meeting with Jacob H. Schiff.............................52 XI. Builds First Modern Jewish Theatre............................56 XII. Erecting a Synagogue in the Catskills........................60 5a 6a Harry Fischel: Pioneer of Jewish Philanthropy chapter page XIII. Formation of American Jewish Committee..................62 XIV. Mr. Fischel and the Jewish Orphan Asylum................66 XV. First Visit to Palestine...................................................77 XVI. A Conference with President Taft..............................84 XVII. A Battle for Educational Progress..............................90 XVIII. Meeting a Crisis............................................................105 XIX. First Commercial Building on Upper Broadway.......118 XX. Helps Form Religious Programme for Y. M. H. A.....121 XXI. Jewry’s World Call in the Great War........................124 XXII. Wedding of His First Daughter.................................134 XXIII. Organization of American Jewish Relief Committee............................135 XXIV. The Joint Distribution Committee— A Significant Chapter in Jewish History...................138 XXV. Wedding of His Second Daughter.............................143 XXVI. President Wilson’s Proclamation in Aid of the War Sufferers........................................145 XXVII. The Jewish Assembly of 1917.......................................155 XXVIII. Beginning of Yeshivah College..................................161 XXIX. Seeing America with a Purpose...................................168 XXX. Revolutionizes Real Estate Financing with Plan for Mortgage Amortization.....................174 XXXI. Early Apartments on Park and Fifth Avenues...........181 Harry Fischel: Pioneer of Jewish Philanthropy 7a chapter page XXXII. Cornerstone Laid for New Home of the Daughters of Jacob—Honors to a Venerable Jew— Completion of Central Jewish Institute..................184 XXXIII. Palestine and the Balfour Declaration....................187 XXXIV. Purchases the Holland House...................................198 XXXV. Astor Library Acquired as Home for the Hias.........201 XXXVI. Dedication of the New Hias Building......................212 XXXVII. New Buildings for the Rabbi Isaac Elechnan Yeshiva.......................................223 XXXVIII. Living Up to a Trust....................................................226 XXXIX. Marriage of His Third Daughter...............................228 XL. Departure for a Second Visit to Palestine...............230 XLI. Mr. Fischel’s Reception by Sir Herbert Samuel— Provides Home for Chief Rabbi..................................237 XLII. $5,000,000 Building and Loan Company for Palestine Formed...................................................245 XLIII. Advances Plan for Housing American Workers— Builds Again on Broadway...........................................256 XLIV. An Interval of Renewed War Relief Effort..............263 XLV. Palestine Home Building Plans Go Forward— The Rutenberg Hydro-Electric Power Plant for Jerusalem................................................................270 XLVI. Growth of Beth Israel Hospital................................278 XLVII. Progress of Work in Palestine....................................281 XLVIII. Wedding of Mr. Fischel’s Youngest Daughter.........285 8a Harry Fischel: Pioneer of Jewish Philanthropy chapter page XLIX. A Third Visit to Palestine............................................287 L. Ceremonies Attending the Dedication of the Home of the Chief Rabbi of Palestine................294 LI. Luncheon with Sir Herbert Samuel...........................304 LII. Mr. Fischel Returns to His Birthplace.....................308 LIII. Memorial to President Harding in Carlsbad...........320 LIV. Reports on Jewish Homeland Building.....................325 LV. Chief Rabbi Kook of Palestine Visits America..........338 LVI. Great Yeshivah College Has Its Beginning...............340 LVII. Nathan Lamport Family and Mr. Fischel Subscribe $100,000 Each.........................347 LVIII. Additional Land Purchased for Yeshivah College..........................................................................357 LIX. American Committee Formed to Aid Jerusalem Yeshiva............................................................................361 LX. The One-Thousand Dollar a Plate Dinner...............363 LXI. Mr. Fischel Contributes to a Religious Symposium Conducted by the American Hebrew.........................365 LXII. The First Succah on Park Avenue...............................370 LXIII. Systems Employed in Awarding Yeshiva Contracts...374 LXIV. Cornerstone is Laid for Yeshiva College Before Audience of 30,000..........................................379 LXV. A Fourth Visit to Palestine.........................................388 LXVI. An Intimate View of Harry Fischel, the Man...........391 Harry Fischel: Pioneer of Jewish Philanthropy 9a chapter page Conclusion—Forty Years of Struggle for a Principle.............398 Index...............................................................................................400 ILLUSTRATIONS facing page Mr. Fischel as he is Today at Age of Sixty-three .......... Frontispiece Mr. Fischel’s Parents ........................................................................4 Mr. Fischel at Age of Twenty when he came to America ...........12 Mr. Fischel as a Bridegroom at the Age of Twenty-two with Mrs. Fischel .....................................................22 Mr. Fischel at the Age of Thirty-five ...........................................46 New York’s