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cltrccrao Je(L)rsb l:'tsxoptccll scclexy 618 South Michigan . Chicago, Illinois 60605 . Telephone: (3I2) 663.5634 socexa r)e(L)s voL.v-n0,2 FEBRUARY.,1982 CJHS PRESENTS
THE FIRST CHICAGOROUNDTABLE PLANNOl,l TO ATTEND IN LOCALJEWISH HISTORY OURMEETING
SulroAY,FrsnuRnv 2I, 1982 SurlolyAFTERNooN, l4encH 14, 1982 10nNro4pN PROGRAM at THE ADVENTURESOF A SOLDIER-RABBI SpertusCol l ege of Judaica Presentedby All sessionsconducted as RABBI OSCARLIFSHUTZ RoundtableDi scuss i ons Chaclain.(Lt. Col.) U.S. Army,Ret. SCHEDULE Rabbi,Agudas Achim llorth ShoreCong. l4enuqer,Chapla incy Commission,Jl,lB l0:00 AM Registrati on 10:30to 12:30: TwoSimultaneous Sessions: BEDERMANHALL A. Jewish Genealogy B. SynagogueDocumentati on SPERTUSCOLLEGE OF JUDAICA i2:30 to 1:30: KosherBuffet Lunch 1:30 to 3:30: TwoSimultaneous 618 Southl4ichioan Ave. Sess i ons Chicago A. Neighborhood Documentati on B. One-of-a-Ki nd Local ResearchProjects 3:30 to 4:00 Conc'lusions ALL WELCOME Registration Fee for members - $3.00 1:30 PM- HOUR 2:00 PM- PROGRAM $5.00non-members -qOCIAL i ncludes Lunc h If you wish to participate and havenot net registered, phoneat onceto: RachelHeimovics, 831-2548 or Mark Mandle, 252-8443 Co-Chairmen of the Day A portion of tbe Tonbstones and Castles ex- hibit presented by C.J.H.S. at Spertus College. It has been extended through April of 1982. (Photo by Burt Robin)
FROMTHE PRESIDENT,SDESK
CJHS-SPERTUSFAMILY HISTORY Throughthis issue of Society News I ampleased greet EXTENDEDTHROUGH APRIL to our membersand EXHIBIT friends and to invite you to enjoy the Tombstoneg and Castles, an exhibit dis- manyarticles of Chicagohistory and of pruyii!-tn-JTiIEiEEti"s-E surprisins re- the Society activities on the followincl sults of one womanrs search for hera ancestors pages. and their history, has been extended and This issue introducesour neweditor, will remain open to the public through April. Dr. Irwin Suloway. l,lewelcome him and The exhibit, resulting from the interest of -ro&s, look forwardto the continuinqoublication Mary T,ou seidenf e1d in her is being of jnteresting and informativ; bditions of presented by the Chicago Jewish Historical Society News. A brief biographicalsketch Society in cooperation wj-th Spertus Museun of lrw.in appearson paqe6. of Judaism and is on the second floor of the Spertus college building. This year marksthe completionof the The seidenfeld collection demonstrates first 5 years of the CHICAG0JEWISH how one can recreate personal history throuEi HISTORICALS0CIETY - a period of great and family archives, an aunt with a fondness for vari ed acti './iti es. 0ur cornrnittees and board family stories, and public records. The havefunctioned, thoughsome of the people story stretches from nearby Honewood, Illi- havemoved on and othensreplaced them, nois. back through the years to a castle on and our reputationas an importantChicago the Rhine. Included in the exhibit are an Jewishorganization has grown. Wehave old diary, portr.aits, and a folc- changedsome of our directions and we hope " Ig_tggh, ing spoon used for travel as well as other to continue to growand changein the fahi I rr mamanl-^aq comingyears. l,lewel con'e and needthe The exhibit was prepared under the di- participation and encouragementof you, rection of Norman Schwartz, c.J.H.s. exhibit our membersand friends.to find newways chairman, and Mrs. Seidenfeld and was opened to preserve, record and study the history in Septenlcer. Maria Holden was the design- of the Jewsof Chicago, Ourmeeting on er. Sunday,February 21st, is an exampleof a various newtype of activity. I hopethat you It traces the history of the program participation. branches of her family from its base in the will en;oy this of crand Duchy of Liechtenstein during the njne- JEW]SHIIUS]C IN CHICAGO- A 75 YEAR teenth century to its presence in the chica- RETROSPECTwjll be presentedon iYey23rd go area today. A factsheet which includes at LoopSynaoogue - a ioint programof a brief bibliography of Jewish genealogy re- CJI]Sand the Institute for JewishSound sources is furnished visitors to the display. Recording. It wiU be a beautiful day of celebration to concluCeour 5th year. At the February C.J.H.S. meeting, a Ticke'l informtjon r,Jill be forthcominq. roundtable will discuss tracj-ng Jewish genealogy such as that behind this exhibit. Shalom. MURIELROBIN OPENMICHAEL REESE CORNERSTONE AT CENTENNIALCELEBRATION
SONTENTS PROVIDE INSIGI{IS INTO ].9TH CE}flIURY CHICAGO JEWRY
A chanlcer brass band. sunshine, and a crowd approaching 250 were present July 2 to help open the Michael Reese Hospital corner- stone. The cornerstone, containing histori- cal documents. was laid on July 4t I9O5, fo]. I the second and larger Michael Reese Hospital. replacing the original hospital built in 1881. The l98l cornerstone opening was part of Mj-chael Reese Hospitalrs centenniat cele- or.ation. The outd.oor ceremony was held in front of the Main Reese buildj-ng on the northeast cor.ner of 29th and Ellj_s Ave., next to the Michael Reese statue. ra'hich overlooked two eight-foot tables on which some of the docu- ments removed from the cornerstone were displayed under glass.
A Storehouse of Jewish History while the cornerstone itself was sealed in 1905, many if not nost of its contents, were from the original 1881 cornerstone. AI1 Michael Reese relative Mrs. Malcolm N. Smith in all they represent a rich resource for addresses guests attending the cornerstone students of Chicago Jewish history. cerenony. Afterward guests viewed corner- In addition to t}le 1879 handwritten stone j"tems on display, including the copper will of Michael Reese, a bachelor whose box that held historical docrments for 76 $50,00O bequest made the hospital possilcle, years . there were numerous other papers relating to '- the hospital's founding and a set of rules and regulations at the time of the construc- one hundred years old, were found in addition tion of the building replacing the original to five volumes by Rabbi Bernhard Felsenthal in 1905. Many reports of the activities of of zion Temple. Felsenthal ,s works included the United'Hebrew Relief Association, which, two Hebre\r granmars--one dating back to 1866 as the predecessor to the United Jewish Fed- --as well as books in German on Jew.ish eration operated the hospital from its in- schools in America (1866) and a critique of ception, were also found. Christian proselytizing of American Jehrs (186e). Records of Early Congregations Also in the corneLstone were some twen- Other significant items included chart- ty copies of various newspapers in English ers or current constitutions of the four con- and in cerman and some .fewish nagazines cov- qreqations which, with Brnai B'ri"th and other ering a period from 1867 through 1905. In organizations, constituted the Relief Assoct- each case the newspaper contained items of ation in 1881. These were Kehilath Anshe Jewish interest. Maariv (now KAM-Isaiah Israel), Chicago Sinai The vaxious documents will be stored in Congregation, Zion Temple (now Oak Park Tem- the rather extensive archives, mainly medi-- ple B'nai Abraham Zion) and North Side He- caf, already in existence at Reese. They brew Congregation (now Tempte Sholon). will be available for study by qualified Sermons by Rabbi Emil c. Hirsch of Si- interested persons by appointment made with nai and Liebman Adler of KAM, a1t more than David Burns, hospital archivist, at 791-4476. 4
Valued documents were retrieved by engineers who chipped and driLled to get into the Mlchael Reese cornerstone
jt. "Bob Quinn explained. . ."Before begin- INGENUITYJHARD WORK REOUIRED ning, we really didnrt know where we were supposed to start, "Mr. Quinn continued. 'rA TO FIND REESECORNERSTONE 1ot of people were involved in just locating the copper box. Mike Czub finally thought It took more than a jackhamner to dis- of using a metal detector to locate it from cover the l9O5 Main Reese cornerstone. The Engineering Department resorted to creatrve the outside of the building. " ingenuity and two days of sheer manual labor The engineers then had to figure a way to find and retrj-eve the hospital's "buried" to retrieve it from the inside. "We ended treasure, a copper box containing historical up having to chip out a two-foot-thick wa11," documents, located within the ..115 e1 the explained Mr. Quinn, "then go down 2l j-nches Nursing Service staffing office. to the copper box, and another 18 inches below that." He added, "we needed a half- The documents, discussed on page three, dozen different tools. We di-scovered we had an important addition to the constitute to use smaller tools to get the job done ..." archives of Chicago Je\,,/ish history. The chaos. dust, and hard work -tinally Documents Hard to Get At paid off when the lid was removed from the copper box, revealing not only treasures we had to locate the copper box, "First from Reesers past but also important relics then come up with the right tools to get at of Chicago's Jewish conmunj-ty. Paula Shaffer TWOCJHS BOARD MEMBERS Michael Reese Staff APPEARON'TV PROGRAM
Two nenlcers of the Board of the Chicago Jewj-sh Historical Society apleared cn "of soceta Cabbages and Kings," Sunday, August 2, 1981, at noon on hILS-TV, with host Rabbi Herman Schaalman of Temple Emanuel. Rachel Baron Heimovics. historian and author of the re- ne(L)s cently published The Chicago Jewish Source professor Society News is published by the CHICAGO EggE, ana Dr. Irving cutler, of geography and department chairman at Chicago JEWISE HISTORICAI SOCIETY at 618 South state University. and author of chicago: Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60605 Metropolis of the Mid-continent, discussed Telephone: (3f2) 663-5634. Editorial Inqui- historical development and contemporary ries should be directed to (312)348-2800. status of Je\ds in the chicago area. President . .Muriel Robin Dr. Cutler naGated a number of s1i-des Editor . lrwin J. suloway of past and present Jewish corununities. Rachel lteirovics discussed the uses of her Edi-torial Board book, a directory of resources encompasslng Marj-on Cutler, Rachel Hej-movics, Mark all facets of the Jewish conununity. Mandle, Burt Robin, Sidney Sorkin IMPORTANTNEW MATERIALS II\I SEARCHOF..., RECEIVEDBY CJHSARCHIVES
Last sufiner and fall were busy seasons Board Melrrber Sidney Sorkin conducts for the Spertus Chicago Jewish Arch.ives. this inquiry service for persons seeking The Chicago Jewish Historj-ca1 Society information about .fe\arish individuals or recej"ved some very interesting contributions organizations fron Chicago's past. when he both from individuals and from organizations. cannot supply the information hj-mself , he We recelved a letter describing the prints the informat.ion sought in Society contents of an accompanying package from Ne\rs. Individuals wi-th questions to ask can Jean camin of Miami, Flori-da. She had seen write hin in care of the Chj-cago .lewish one of our Newsletters, the one.\rith the Historical Society. Persons with information picture of the 1892 class of the Jewish may send it directly to the addresses indi- Manual Training School of Chicago. Her grandfather was the founder of the school, Former and she sent a great deal of material about seeks Fatherrs Roots him and the school. These pictures and the information she sent here qreatlv Deax Sid: enriched our collection. Your11 recall my two maj-n rinterests: Mx. Charles Goldberg gave Sidney Sorkin (1) Learning about ny father's life in several cartons of memorabili,a from the Chicago during the period 1912 - 1931, "Synagogue That Would Not Die," now known (his having come from comel, in the Ukraine as Agudath Achin-Bikur Cholin. (Homel) vrhere he was born in 1897 in the providence of Hoghileff, then having lived Organizations Contribute in New York for six years); antl (2) Docu- The Chicago Board of Rabbis was required menting (especially with photographs) as to move their offices and therefore to much as possible my childhood on the l{est "houseclean." This was then a perfect time Sj-de, including living in back of my Dad's to separate their archival from their ongoing stores on West l6th Street between Drake usable materials. consequently, we now have and St. Louis, 1939 - L94L, and on the photos, correspondence, and old records to 35O0 block of West Roosevelt Road., l94l - be catalogued and placed in the C.J.H.S. 1949, and 3506 West Ogden, 1936 - 1939. permanent archival collection. If you ever run across a Vietka The United synagogue of America, chi- (Vetka) verein...Many of my ancestors lived cago office, also facing a nove, is puttj-ng in Vietka, a small tov,in near Homel...one its archival materials together for us. of several Ekaterinoslaver landsmanschaften3 Mrs. Apter of the National Council of my father belonged to one with a cemetery Jewish women, Chicago Chapter, has been section in the Jeh'ish Waldheim Cemetery at gatherinq Council materials' both old and. l9th and Harlem...my father is buried in current, (the forner becoming archival this section block 451 and tot 2801.... records), and periodically sends them to us. rrrn errnar- i ntaraefad in the HOMLER The recent closing of the Drexel Hone PROGRISSM UNTERSTITZIJNG VEREIN, founded for the Aged resulted in the acquisition of April I0, f913....The first Lubliner valuable records and lists of residents in Independent Society, of ra'hich my father that almost one-century-old South Side was a member from 1940-5I , despite the Institution. fact that he wasn't from Lublin.... Anyone with informatj"on may contact Phil Chavin, We Want More Tre Liljor 6, I11 - lI3 44 Stockholm, Charters, clippings, letters, pltoto- sweden, or the society. graphs, family hj-stories and directories, (continued on page six, yearbooks and adbooks, as well as flyers and meeting notes, all are important to Chicago and America. so, if you have any present and future interested researchers material or leads, please contact the (3I2) and historians as well as the curious c.J.It.S. office, 663-5634 or the public. Developing an archival collection undersigned ai 643-9666. Elsie Orlinsky is so important to the .Tewish community of Archive Acquisitions 6
IN SEARCHOF , (continued from page five)
(Mr. Despres is a lawyer and former Who Are These People? Alderman of the Fifth Wa-rd. In 1979 he was designated Parliamentarian for the Dear Mr. Sorkin: Chicago City Council. He can be contacted My grandfather, Edward Rubovitz, vias at his law office: 77 West Washington the full-time secretary or director of the Street. Chicago 60602 or (372) 372-251L) Jewish Charities of Chicago, and is sitting at the official desk in this photograph SULOWAYAPPOINTED EDITOR taken around 1898 or l9OO. Who is the OF SOCIETYNEWS lady sitting at the other desk? Vlho is the young man sitting near him? I,lhere is Irwin J. Suloway, a local professor the office? Michael Reese hospital , which published this photograph as part of its and editor, Lras appointed editor of Societll centennial. says that the office was on Ne\n'sby the C.J.H.S. Board in Decenlcer. 26th Street. During which years was he This issue represents the first of his the executive secretary, and what was the efforts in the job. exact name of the organization? What were A longtime professor of English and its activities during those years? administrator at Chicago State University, I am sure that somewhere a historian Dr. Suloway has also served as an editor of the Jewish Charities has answered these of College English, the English Journal, questions, and somewhere there are records the Chicago Schools Journal. He has also which can amplify the answers. Edward been active in Jewish education and syna- Rubovitz now has 35 descendants, of whom gogue affairs, arA daon l1r He welcomes contribut.ions, news leads, inl-araa+a.l RA
A HERO.SSTORYJ THEDEATHOF SAMMYMEISENBERG BY SIDNEY SORKIN home of the slain boy became a center for crowds of visitors who pay Sixty years ago newr was wired to came to homage to his memoxy Chicago of a hero in the undeclared war body of Meisenberg was brought with Mexico. A young man from Ch.icago "The to Chicago and buried with mititary enlisted in the Marines using tbe name Sam Martin. He was killed in action at Vera honors in Waldheim Cemetery, where, a narble shaft was cruz, on April 21, 1914. Sam Martin was erected over the grave. really Sanmy Meisenberg, a Chicago .Jew. The stately memorial rising in solemn In his autobiography, A Child of The grandeur seems like a foretoken to the Century (t), Ben Hecht somewhat erroneously trme so soon to follovr when hundreds of recalled: "I wrote three colunns on the other Jewish boys vrould yield their lives funeral of Sammy Meisenberg- Sanrny was a on the altar of country-love, in the i' soldier under General Pershing in the Great War. Pancho Villa Mexican campaign. Sanuny was the onl,y American casualty in the capture A Christian Reaction of Vera Cruz. "The Chicago Tribune, in its issue trThe Jews of Chicago's West Side of April 25, paid a trilute to Meisenberg followed Sanmy's hearse as if escorting and his people generally, in these $/ords: a new Maccabee to the grave. I wrote of rrr-hinaan ic +.Lih^ proper pride in the thousands of mourners as if they were the ,teqrish lad, samuel Meisenberg, who was all my aunts and uncles, describing then one of the first to give his life at vera humorously and lovingly. A Jew had died cruz for the honor of the Anerj.can flag. for his country--their new country--and Samuel Meisenberg was not born in this the people of Chicago walked proudly under country. He came here as an immigrant. American flags. I recall of the story In the brief span of tine he had been chi-efly that my name was printed above its in the new world he acquired not only the lead in bold-face type. It \a?asmy first language and outward characteristics of an by-Iine and it stirred a patriotic fervor American but also hj.gh ?unerican ideals, in me equal to Sanmy Meisenberg's. I would as all who knew him testj-fy. g1ad1y have died for Mr. Finnegan and the "He j-s a credit to the city and more ,Journal . " especially is he a credit to the chetto Another Account of the city, for he is a product of that Ghetto. . . . .Saruny Meisenberg shows The Meisenberg story actualty ran ten that beneath the foreign exterior of the days in the Chicago Journal. The first Ghetto is a heart that beats with lovaltv article appeared April 21, 1914 and the to the United States. Iast on tt'ay 2I, L9L4. The same story "Nothing cements peopte to a country described by Hecht, is described in more as much as blood shed for that country. detail in The History Of The Jews Of The thousands of west side citizens who Chicago, Edited By Hyman L. Meited (2): for days have been journeying to the "The year follovring brought the Jews Meisenberg hone to lay their condolences of Chicago another cause for deep feelings and tribute at at the feet of the hero's of another kind. This in connection with proud but sorrowing parents, have come the disorders along the Mexican border, away with a loftier. feeting of patriotism which reached a serious pass in April, 1914 for their adopted land than they had known. when the llmerican Government found it " necessary to dispatch naval forces to The Facts Are Elusive Vera Cruz. In the clash which ensued at the port. a nunlcer of American Marines were Autobiography v€itten by an experienced killed, of whom the first to fatl was reporter and fanous author becomes a pri_ Samrn-r'I'git..5erg' a Chicago Jewj-sh boy. mary source, and should provide accurate information It was a sign.ificant occurrence whicl. and excellent insiqhts. But s1-jr.r:ei tl e conrunitl' i ro:;ouno11'. The (continued on page Eight) 8
A HERO,SSTORYi SAMMY MEISENBERG AMERICANJEl/,lISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY (continued from Page six) TO MEETIN KANSASCITY the reader and researcher should be wary and investigate the accuracy of anyone's paragraphs menory. In the two short c.ited The American Jewish Historical society, above from A Child of The Centuxy, Ben Hecht the nation's oldest ethnic historical ,rao at reast totr error* society, will celebrate j-ts 90th anniversary The first error was that Saflny Meisen- in 1982. The American Jewish Historical berg was really a Marine and not in the army. Society at Ninety will be the theme of the Secondly, he was under the coomand of the annual meeting to be held April 30 to May 2 Admiral the harbor of vera and not in Cruz in Kansas City, Missouri. with ceneral John J. Pershing chasing Pancho Villa. Thirdly, sanmy was not the only Besides the anniversary celebration. Anerican killed in that acti-on. The head- the Kansas City meeting will focus on the Iine from the Chicago Journal for April 21, study of local United States Jewish history 1914 readsr "Four Americans Killeal at with special. events, tours and speakers. vera cruz. " @" Medcers of the Chicago Jewish Historical killed at vera Cruz, not the only one. Soclety are urged to attend--and, for that The fourth and. Iast error is the most matter, to join the national society. puzzling of atl, because it is the most personal to Ben Hecht. Contrary to Hecht, The American Jewish Histot ical Societ)' it was not his first by-Iine. The story, is housed in a modern museum-library office the three colums vrith pictures, covering building on the campus of Brandeis Univet:- one quarter of a page. does not have any sity in Wafthan, Massachusetts. The muscuf by-line whatsoever ! (3) is well wor.th a visit on your next tt ip to the Boston area. Among its newest projects (1) Hecht, Ben; A child of The century: is the establishment of the National Center Play BiU Ballantine Books, New York, 1954. for Jewish Fi1m. Reprint 1970. I,.c. 53 9699 sBN 345-02087-1- 125, pp L92-L93. Extensive FiIm Archives
t]1l' Fi lm a-ont-Fr hF.'an with the Rutenber, (2) Meites, Hyman L. aA 6 TIi c+^rrr 'l'ha ^f Library, largest extant The Jews of Chicago, Jewish Historical and Everett Film the Society of Illinois, Marrc}j., 1924. No. 238, collection of American nade Yiddi-sh films. growing pp 250-251. The Filn Center also includes a archive of films documenting all aspects (3) The chicago Journal: April 2I, 22, 23' of the Twentieth Century Jewish experience, 24, 25, 27, 2A, 29, I4ay 1 and 2, 1914. including early silent film features, filns from the archives of Jewish organizations, SEEK INFORMATIONON FINNISH- and films documenting the Holocaust.
JEWISHRELATIONS IN AMERICA The Society has also through the years produced a distinguished series of publi- For his study of Jewish-Finnish rela- cations on American Jewish history ranging tions, C'JHS medcer Dr. Sherwin Schwartz from histories to biographies and would like to hear from anyone who has had scholarly local Jewish communities. personal dealings or business contacts with works on Finnish-American s, especially in connection For further information about the with labor unions and the labor movement. American Jewish Historical Society, inclu-. Dr. Schwartz, menber of the faculty of Brj-sk ding mem.bership, call or write the Chicp-.o Rabbinical college, Skokie, plans to present Jewish Historical Society for referral his fj-ndings in the form of a lecture or or write directly to the American Jewislr lecture series at both Finnish and Ameri-can Historical Society, 2 Thornton Road, universities, A series of articles and/or waltham, MA. 02154. a book are also possibilities. Contact Dr. Schwartz at the Brisk Rabbinical College, Rachel B. Heimovics 9000 Forestview Road, Skokie, IL 60203. Liaison' A.J.H. S. JEWISHNOVELISTS IiRITING BERNSTEIN,MARCUS ABOUTJEWISH LIFE IN CHICAGO DISCUSSBASIC I,\ORKS OF LOCALJEWISH HISTORY The following is a brief sutrmary of titles some discussed by Reviewex Rhoda The following are annotated. connents Hauptman at the Decemlcer CJHS meeting when on significant books on the history of the she spoke on Jewish novelists writing about Chicago Jewish Community summarized fron Chicago. the presentation at the CJHS Decenlcer meet- Chicago has been the home of so marty ing by Richard Marcus, Librarian of the Jewish \rriters that the difficulty one en- Asher Library of Spertus Cotlege of Judaica. countexs j-s in selecting from among their nunlcer a representative few. The methoal I BIue have chosen for doing this is to te1l of 199E, probabtv Chicago Jewish authors who ra'rote books A-,lehrish. city directory."u"uElEle];;e;Gi centered in the various neighbo.rhoods j-n Has descriptions of organizations, institutions, srhich Chicago Jews have lived. and ivna_ gogues with a short description Cer.tainly, Meyer Levinrs The O1d Bunch of their work, officers, and staff at is a case in pojnt. the book is set on the gublication tJ-me. well illustrated. The West Side--the Lawndale, Dougtas Boulevard, remainder of the book is a list of Independence names and add.resses Boulevard area. I have been of all the officers listed in tfr" pr.rrioo" told that anyone who lived in that neighbon- section. hood can easily recognize many of the char* j"dentities acters in that work, as the are Sentinel Presents 100 years of Chj-cago Je\,r-. thinly veiled. II, August, 1948 Philip Roth, although not a Chicagoan Sentinelrs History of Chicago Jewry 1911- by birth, attended the University of ch j-caEo. f9!!, issued on sentinetr s 5bth-EiiIiEis-arr, His book, Letting co, is centered in Hyde Both are paeans to the vitality, growth, Park and the area inunediately adjacent to and accomplishments of the Chicago Jewish the University, where much of a later Meyet Cornrnunj-ty. Underlying the kudos is the Levin book, Compulsion, takes place. thought that Chicago ,tewry has contributed Edna Ferber, in a short story, "Every much to Chicago and is a ,,legitjrate" Other Thursday, " writes of a cerman Jewish connunity. Tucked betvreen the apologetics family who tived in Woodlawn, as many of axe some interesting blts of contemporary them did. And in a novella, Old Man Minnj-ck, history, since most of the historical the action ta: MOREHIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DECEMBER IVIEETING (continued from Page nine) My First Eighty Years, Bernard Horwich, 1939. methodology; 2) a look at Russian Jew.ish Autobiography of this most prominent man of life in chicago from 1893 to 1915; chicago history' founder of the order 3) examination of the Hebreqr and Yi-ddish 'Jewish Knights of zLon, a founder of the Federated press and Hebrew and Yiddish publishing Jelrish charities, active in all facets of in chicago. Tt\ere is heavy emphasis on Jewish communal activity. The autobiography Chicago Jewish bibliography, approprj-ate is a very reaalable but information-filled for oux celebration. 122 of 3L9 pages are book of one manrs perspective of activities in HebrevJ ' hele j-n the Chicago Jewj-sh conmunity. He was involved in aid distribution in Euxope Fabric of My Life, Hannah Greenebaum solo- after World War. I' zionj-sh politics here rnonJlaO . Hannah solomon was best known and abroad, arld many general busj-ness acti- for the founding of the National council vities. A good portion of the volume re- of ,fewish Women. She began her idea by counts bis rise from irrunigrant to success- organizing the Jewish womenrs Congress in ful businessman. It is a most engaging and 1891 ancl serving on the Women's Board of fascinati.ng story. the world's Parliament of Religions heltl the Colunlcian Exposition .during of 1893. Her parents, Michael and Sarah Greenebaum, Bernstein Discusses Bregstone were anong the earliest Jewish settlers in left off Chicago, showing up in a city directory as Picking up where Mr. Marcus Bern- early as 1847. She recounts growing up in at the Decedcer meeting' Charles B. president of programs the young chicago. stein, vice in charge for the c,fHs, discussed two other basic as Historv of the ,te\ts of chicago, Hyman Meites, books on chicago ,fewish history as well periodicals. 1924, ,tewish Historical society of Illinois. some influential A brief Although Meites is listed as editor, most sunnary of his remarks follows: of the writing was done by associate editor -^'Is by Philip P. published privately' 1933 David Hinsch, now living in Israel. It is Bregstone, was in It j-s the second of the three major books basically a "mug book," short biographies Jewish of significant and important figures in the which attempt to approach chicago basis. The corununity at that tjre. The value of the History on a comprehensive Jews of chica- historical pieces is uneven at best, with- first was The History of the which Richard Marccus out any documentatj-on accompanying the text. 99 by tt. L. Meites. just A Priceless The opening essay on Jewish influence upon discussed. The third is by Rabbi llorris A. GGttei.t the Colonial development of Illinois was, ieritage , , about in a few moments. however, written by Edward Chauncey Bald- which we will talk and fts ,Jews is subtitlecl win of the University of Il1inois. Chicago "A A general history, the Its greatest value is as a contempo- cultural History." presented in a chr.onologieal rary record. It gives short biographies book is not rather as a potpourri of remini- with pictures of individuals of note in the styIe, but the autior interjects arts, professions, public offi-ce, industry scences, in which Most of the and comnerce, labor, and athletics. It his conunents and opinions. consist of brief biographies then gives short histories, with pictures reminiscences of a fer,ir people who were prominent in the of institutions i synagoguesi religious, facet of the Jewish conmunity \ahich he is cultural, and educational organizations i discussing, be it social welfare, religion' welfare organizations r homes and hospitals; or what-have-you. Palestine aidr and fraternal organizations. the arts, what the book boils dov,in For each it lists officers of the time and Consequently, to a mernoir of the author, which junps the rabbis of the synagogues. It gives is His acknowledgment in addresses and provides a visual glinpse of from topic to tcpic. (continued the perj-od. on page eleven) 11 the Nineteenth Century, which, practically speaking, starts in 1845, ra'hen the first Jewish religious services were held in Chicago. Rabbi cutstein covers the next 55 years with a microscope. His basic tools were synagogue records and periodical,s. Published on the eve of the 1954 Tei- centenary celebration of ,Iewish life in Am- erica, A Priceless Heritage sets out to treat the Chicago .fewish cotwnunity in a sociologj-cal sense, in liqht of the total economic, cultural, politicat, and social envirorunent. The book is divided into four parts and is well-organized. In part I, The Connunity, the author traces the founding of the synagogues and other Jewish organi- zations. Part II, The Synagogue, is one of the highl-ights of the book. The first Speakers on the Chicago Jewj-sh literary chapter locates and describes each synagogue scene as they appeared at the C.J.H.S. struc-. ture of the vari.ous congregations. December meeting. From left to right, The next chapter, Synagogue Leadership, presents Rhod.a Hauptman, Richard W. Marcus, and biographical Sketches of gtrelles B. Bernstein (photo by Ken Singer) the rabbis of eacl. - of the congregations j,n chronological order (continued from page ten) by congregatj-on. The sketches include obscure material not otherwise readily the beginning of the book leads us to available in secondary sources to t}le casual believe that he spent much time going over researcher, such as date and pl_ace of birth, back issues of The Reform Advocate, which early education and where ordained., and served as tris ma]?-ao"utrentary source. what becane of the person after he left The book contains much behind.-the- Chicago. scenes and otherhrise unpublished informa- iion. while it does not follow a clear Education is featured in part III, pattern of organization, it does have one from the early d.ay school of KAM in 1959 to outstanding fonnalistic feature--which the Talmud Torahs and yeshivahs of the West Meites lacks to a certain extent--an excel- Side. This part also includes a discussion lent alphabetical index of the names of of ,fewish educational texts in use from persons mentioned in the book. time to t!ne. Part IV, entitled The people, is on The third of our triumvirate of major the generalized potpourri format of Bxeg- books of general Chicago Jenish History is stone. The author discusses innigration, A Priceless Heritage, The Epic Growth of social, welfare, and intellectual organiza- Nineteenth Century Chicago Jewry. It vras tionst Zionism; artistsi public officials; published in 1953 by Bloch Publishing Con- and professional people from the Chicago pany. The author is of course our own Jewish community. Again, in keepi_ng with esteened mernber, Rabbi Morris A. cutstein, our theme today, he includes a large sec- who was supposed to be with us today but tion on literature of a Judaic nature pub- unfortunately was iII and could not nake it. lished j-n Chicago. The book a is classical documentary At the conclusi-on of the book is an history, neticulously based primary on ample appendix in which many,of the sources sources which are copiously footnoted as such as old synagogue constitutions are thoroughly as any Ph.D. thesis. It covers reprj-nted. ME}tsERSHIPINFORMTIONJ Antici- JOININGTHE SOCIETY iribits, and the Speakers Bureau. pated are a photography conwittee and an audio-visual conmittee. Requests for Mernbership in the Chicago Jewish Hj-s- , additional information and membership torj-ca1 society is open to all interested inquiries may be addressed to our office persons and organizations. The nenbership (Phone 663-5634). !'le welcome your member- year is from ,fanuary to Decemberi however, ship and active partj.cipation. join non-menbers may at any tilne. Informa-- Annual Dues Categories tion concerning dues appears in the next colunn. 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