RHODE ISLAND JEWISH HISTORICAL NOTES VOLUME 4 NOVEMBER, 1964 NUMBER 2 FRONT COVER HONORABLE PHILIP C. JOSLIN 1886-1961 First President of Temple Emanu-El 1924-1948 Honorary President 1948-1961 RHODE ISLAND JEWISH HISTORICAL NOTES VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2 NOVEMBER, 1964 Copyright November, 1964 by the RHODE ISLAND JEWISH HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 209 ANGELL STREET, PROVIDENCE 6, RHODE ISLAND RHODE ISLAND JEWISH HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 209 ANGELL STREET, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND TABLE OF CONTENTS THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS OF TEMPLE EMANU-EL .... 3 EARLY EXPONENT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS 89 ISAAC MOSES: A COLORFUL RHODE ISLAND POLITICAL FIGURE . .113 HAYS WAS A PATRIOT . '. 126 NECROLOGY . 127 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION: DAVID C. ADELMAN President BERYL SEGAL Vice President JEROME B. SPUNT Secretary MRS. LOUIS I. SWEET .Treasurer MEMBERS-AT-LARGE OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FRED ABRAMS MRS. SEEBERT J. GOLDOWSKY ALTER BOYMAN MRS. CHARLES POTTER RABBI WILLIAM G. BRAUDE LOUIS I. SWEET SEEBERT J. GOLDOWSKY, M.D. MELVIN L. ZURIER SEEBERT JAY GOLDOWSKY, M.D., Editor Printed in the U. S. A. by the OXFORD PRESS, INC., Providence, Rhode Island THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS OF TEMPLE EMANU-EL By RABBI ISRAEL M. GOLDMAN* *This is a continuation of the story of Temple Emanu-El by (Rabbi Goldman, the first five chapters of which appeared in the Notes for May, 1963 (Vol. 4, No. 1). Rabbi Goldman was the first Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El and served from 1925 to 1948. He is presently Rabbi of the iChizuk Amuno Congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. CHAPTER VI "IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY, CONSIDER" The author of the Book of Ecclesiastes in the 14th verse of the seventh chapter offers this wise counsel: "In the day of prosperity, re- joice; But in the day of adversity, consider." These words have a special pertinence in the history of Temple Emanu-El. From its be- ginnings in 1924 the general economic prosperity brought a generous outpouring of financial support from the membership, both for the building of the Temple and for its full maintenance in very hand- some style. Then came the financial crash of 1929. On Yom Kippur day of that year (Monday, October 14), the booming economic struc- ture of the entire country fell in ruins, and with it the economic for- tunes of millions of people. The Great Depression set in, and many years passed before it lifted. Those were the terrible years of business decline, unemployment, bread lines, and apple-selling in the streets. The days of prosperity were gone. The days of adversity had arrived. General economic conditions were bound to be reflected in the life of the congregation. Temple Emanu-El, too, faced its "day of adversity," and took counsel on how to adjust its affairs to the drasti- cally changed conditions, indeed, to "consider." These "considera- tions" were three-fold in character: First, how to raise the necessary funds; second, how to institute economies without impairing the use- fulness of the Temple's work; and third, how to carry on the maxi- mum number of programs and to continue as a potent religious force during those years of great tribulation. Financial difficulties began to appear as early as the Fall of 1928. At the beginning of that Synagogue year, a number of plans for fund raising were evolved which with few changes functioned through the depression years and helped to raise the additional sums necessary to S 4 Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes carry on the work of the Congregation. In November, a Deficit Com- mittee was appointed, with Jacob A. Meyer and Harry A. Fisher as co-chairmen, to interview a number of members who were to be asked to make up the current deficit. In December, at a meeting of the Board of Trustees, Nathan Hilfer proposed the use of Temple Mort- gage Banks to be placed in the homes of the members and the money placed in them to be collected monthly. This plan was adopted after considerable study. In March 1929 these Mortgage Banks—each one a neat, shiny, metal, oval bank, on one side of which was a metal plaque carrying a likeness of the Temple edifice with the inscription, "Temple Emanu-El Mortgage Bank"—were distributed to the homes of the members. Hilfer was appointed Chairman of this novel proj- ect. At the March meeting of the Board of Trustees, two teams were designated to collect outstanding dues. In the Spring of that year, on May 20, 21, and 22, the first Men's Club Carnival was held under the Chairmanship of Samuel Rosen, which netted the congregation the sum of $1100. The Carnival remained as an annual fund-raising effort and grew in importance through the years. In the Synagogue year which followed, from September 1929 to September 1930, the financial situation began to take on more serious aspects. At the first board meeting' following the High Holydays, held on October 7, the Minute Books record that a "motion was made by Benjamin Alper that the plan adopted last year be followed this year to raise funds to cover the deficit of $6000 and that a special committee be appointed to be known as the Budget Deficit Commit- tee. So voted. Mr. B. W. Grossman was appointed Chairman," and "the President requested that the Committee begin to function imme- diately." It did. By the end of January, 129 members had contrib- uted the sum of $4950 to defray the deficit for the current year. This was, indeed, a generous response, and, as an illustration of the way many of the members responded, it is well to quote from correspond- ence of the period. On October 21, 1929, Henry J. Hassenfeld ad- dressed the following letter to Judge Philip C. Joslin: Dear Phil: Now that the High Holydays are over, I am sure a word as to the services will be in place and therefore I take this oppor- tunity to tell you that both Hillel and I enjoyed the Services held at Temple Emanu-El, immensely. The First Twenty• Years of Temple Emanu-El 5 It certainly was a privilege to be present at the Temple. Per- haps no one as much as I, can appreciate the amount of work involved in carrying out such a great project to the point you have carried it. We feel that the dues are in no way sufficient for the great inspiration and joy we derived from the Services. On behalf of Hillel and myself, I am sending you the enclosed small check and ask that you use it in your Temples' Building Fund. With our most sincere wishes for continued success, I am Very sincerely yours, HENRY HASSENFELD To this warm-hearted communication, Judge Joslin replied as follows on October 28: My dear Henry: The lot of an executive of a Temple is indeed a difficult one. No one knows it better than you. The only satisfaction that comes is the knowledge that his labors are resulting in something 1 being accomplished that is for the common good. When evidence of that is received in the form of a tangible expression it becomes an incentive and an encouragement for more and greater effort. Your unsolicited letter on the part of yourself and your brother, Hillel, with the inclosure is accepted with deep appreciation. It will do more than help our Treasury to the extent of $200. It will spur on our workers by the realization that men of your character and standing are recognizing that their labors have not been in vain and are resulting in establishing a morale of the highest order which will inure to the ultimate benefit of our children for a better understanding of our people. Very sincerely yours, PHILIP C. JOSLIN The Mortgage Banks were a very helpful source of income. At the fifth Annual Meeting held on December 29, 1929, Hilfer reported that 200 banks were in use and that $900 had been collected. In January this project was given over to the Sisterhood, and Mrs. Benjamin L. Alper assumed the Chairmanship. In March $800 was collected from the Banks. The big problem confronting the board at the time was the collec- tion of outstanding dues. The Minutes for June 9, 1930, record "Dues 6 Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes amounting to over $5000 still unpaid. The matter was discussed and Mr. Magid suggested that each member take five cards to be allotted alphabetically and make an effort to collect the dues." As the Synagogue year was brought to a close, the questions were already being raised, "How to raise the budget, and how to evolve a better plan for the payment of dues for the next year?" The answer was found in the formation of a "Committee of Eleven to study a new and different system of assessment and collection of dues." The following were appointed members of this committee: Morris Espo as chairman, Philip C. Joslin, Maurice W. Bliss, Samuel M. Magid, Abraham L. Jacobs, Jacob Hochberg, Harry Norman, Samuel Gold- berger, Ernest Blazar, Alfred Finklestein, and Carl Goldblatt. This committee, through its chairman, Morris Espo, reported at the semi- annual meeting on June 16, 1930. It was there decided, in order to eliminate further deficits, "to have our members pay as dues either the sum of $75.00, $100.00 or $125.00, the amount to be determined by the members themselves." When the next Synagogue year opened, the president, for the first time in the history of the congregation, addressed the membership on Kol Nidre night (October 1) in order to explain the new system of dues and to urge that all who were able should voluntarily increase their dues to the maximum level.