Funeral services were held yesterday for Rabbi Alexander Burnstein who from 1938 to 1942 was executive secretary of the Advisory Committee on Refugee Jewish Ministers, which helped Jewish clergymen escape the Nazis. He died last Friday at the age of 80. From 1942 until his retirement in 1970 Burnstein also led the Millinery Center Synagogue (Conservative) in Manhattan.
Born in Kiev, he graduated from Northwestern University and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1926. He received a master’s degree from Columbia University and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the Seminary in 1965. In addition to the synagogue in Manhattan, Burnstein also led congregations in New Bedford, Mass., Harrisburg, Pa., Newark, N.J., and Long Beach, Long Island.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
