Rabbi Benjamin Plotkin, the late founder and spiritual leader of Congregation Emanu-El in Jersey City for 51 years, has been honored in a State Assembly resolution for his accomplishments in fighting fascism and for promoting brotherhood.
The resolution, introduced by Sen. Matthew Feldman, Democrat of Bergen County, cited Plotkin, who died on May 9, 1981 at the age of 83, as a champion of civil liberties, as “a fighter against fascism and the Nazi movement” and as the founder of the American Jewish Alliance which was “dedicated to peace and justice.”
Born in New York City, he graduated from City College and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America with highest honors. Plotkin was a member of the Rabbinical Assembly of America and a pioneer in the social action movement of Conservative Judaism in America. He was also a member of the Northern New Jersey United Synagogue of America and served on its national executive committee.
Plotkin was the first president of the Jersey City chapter of the Zionist Organization of America and was a member of the Citywide Clergy Coalition. Prior to founding Congregation Emanu-El, he was associated with Temple Emanu-El in Bayonne, and also served in a synagogue in Rhode Island.
A master of several languages, Plotkin was the recipient of numerous awards given for brotherhood, humanitarian activities and ecumenical endeavors. The State Senate resolution referred to this by stating that he “deeply impressed all who knew him with his principled stands in favor of freedom, liberty and democracy.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
