Boston Jewry in Midst of Building Boom; $7,000,000 Invested in Synagogues and Institutions

(News Letter from Boston)

The amount of $4,000,000 for new temples and $3,000,000 for one of the best equipped and most up-to-date hospitals is the record of achievement by the Boston Jewish community, which numbers 150,000. When the program is fully completed, the Jewry of this city will have invested more money in public Jewish institutions in the last few years than had been expended up to that time since 1842, when the first congregation in this city numbered eighteen members. The building boom in the spiritual sense clearly indicates that Boston, often characterized as a “state of mind,” has in fact experienced a spiritual revival as far as Jewry is concerned, which has not only affected the Boston community but resulted in a continuous chain of new Jewish public institutions that have sprung up in most of the New England communities, bidding well for the future of Jewish life in this part of the country.

NEW $3,000,000 JEWISH HOSPITAL

On or about May 1st, the Beth Israel Hospital, at a cost of $3,000,000, will be officially dedicated. Recently Albert A. Ginsberg, by virtue of the example that he himself has set, made possible the completion of this institution. While the hospital is a 100 per cent Jewish institution, founded by Jews and built by them, the benefits of the hospital will be shared by non-Jews as well as by Jews. The institution consists of a group of five buildings: an out-patient department, nurses’ home, a ward building, a power house, and a garage. Externally, the buildings are structures of unusual architectural beauty and dignity. Nothing that skill, experience and foresight of money can provide has been omitted in the construction and arrangements of the entire group of buildings which will be dedicated to the service of the entire community. This hospital, in the opinion of the leaders, will be the battleground upon which doctors, patients and nurses will fight disease under an atmosphere and environment that will prove of invaluable assistance. The hospital is constructed and equipped according to the most modern methods. An oxygen room is a new feature of the equipment. X-ray rooms of the latest type and well-equipped operating rooms are all part of this institution. There will also be an auditorium outfitted with motion picture apparatus that will be used for lectures and demonstrations. The Beth Israel Hospital was once a dream. The old hospital, now in Roxbury, when first opened, was hailed as a tremendous achievement. The idea of a new hospital, believed by most a dream and a vision impossible to achieve, is a reality, largely due to a small group of determined men and women who have made the transition from Roxbury to fashionable Brookline, Mass., the home of the new hospital. If anything represents living perpetuation of philanthropy, the Beth Israel Hospital is a summit of philanthropic achievement. Six hundred thousand dollars more is needed to complete the undertaking, and a quiet campaign is going on to raise this necessary sum.

CAMPAIGNS IN QUICK SUCCESSION

This city, like many others, has experienced continuous campaigns for funds, one campaign following another with unabated energy. Just when the Beth Israel Hospital is about to open comes the official announcement that Temple Israel, now located on Commonwealth Avenue, is to build a group of buildings which, when completed, will cost $2,500,000. Rabbi Harry Levi is the spiritual leader of this Temple. Temple Israel was organized in 1854, with a little synagogue on Pleasant Street. It later built a fashionable Temple on Commonwealth Avenue. Among those that began to hold religious services in Boston as far back as 1842 were Wm. Goldsmith, Charles Hyneman. Jacob Norton, Isaac Wolf, Abraham F. Block and Peter F. Spitz, who formed Congregation Ohabei Sholom, Because of differences of religious opinion, a new congregation was formed which was later called Congregation Adath Israel. This congregation was born as a protest against extreme orthodoxy. Rabbi Levi was elected in 1911 and he has occupied the pulpit of this Temple continuously, great strides having been made in the development of the Temple since his coming. He was formerly the spiritual leader at Wheeling, West Virginia. Today, this Temple is unquestionably one of the strongest and most influential congregations in New England. Recently, the cornerstone was laid of the first two of a group of four new buildings to be erected at the junction of the beautiful Riverway and Longwood Avenue section of Brookline. The most influential Jews of the community, who formerly resided in Boston proper. Roxbury and Dorchester, are quickly moving into the sections where the new buildings are being erected. It is significant that the Temple, taking cognizance of Jewish educational values, is erecting first, a school containing 30 class rooms. Because the present Temple on Commonwealth Avenue, which is by the way a landmark in architectural achievement, has inadequate facilities for the religious school, Temple Israel begins its building program by providing a structure for the children. The second unit now going up will serve as an assembly building. It will contain an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,000, to be used for religious services for the school children. Later, it is planned to erect a third building, to be known as the administration building. The last building to be erected will be the Temple itself, which will have a seating capacity of 2,000. The Temple, from the plans of the architects, is a splendid design of classical architecture.

Almost simultaneously with the announcement of the building program of Temple Israel, and remembering that another Temple, Mishkan Tefila was only recently dedicated at a cost of $750,000, comes the official announcement by the officers of Temple Ohabei Sholom that the new Temple Center erected not so long ago, will be completed with the erection of a Temple that will cost $750,000. This building will complete the group in the fashionable Back Bay, located on Kent and Beacon Streets.

THE HISTORY OF OHABEI SHOLOM

This congregation dates back to 1842, when in the home of Peter Spitz, the first Rosh Hashanah services were conducted in Boston. In 1843, what is now known as Congregation Ohabei Sholom, was officially organized. Moses Ehrlich was the President of that Congregation. In 1845, when the Congregation had but 40 members, they petitioned the Massachusetts Legislature for a charter of incorporation. In 1851, Alex. S. Saroni advanced sufficient money for the purchase of land for the erection of a synagogue, and in 1852, a modest wooden structure, the first Jewish house of worship in Massachusetts and the second in New England, was established, the first one in New England being in Newport, R. I. Various changes and innovations have since taken place both in worship and in the building program of the Congregation. Rabbi Hirshberg was spiritual leader of that Temple in 1895. In 1907, Isaac Rosnosky, who served as president for 25 years, retired from that office, and John Nathan took over the leadership. Mr. Nathan is now the president of the Temple. The late and lamented Rabbi M. M. Eichler, of Buffalo, N. Y., served as Rabbi from 1900 to 1916. The present leader of the Congregation is the Rev. Samuel J. Abrams, a graduate of the Hebrew Union College of Cincinnati. Since his coming to the Temple, much progress has been made. A new Temple Center was established. This was the first unit of the Temple group, which includes the entire block from Marshall Street to Kent Street, on the famous Beacon Street, which is still inhabited by some of the oldest Boston families. The Temple and the Center will be connected by an arched passageway. The general style of the buildings is taken from Eastern suggestions and buildings on the Mediterranean shores influenced by Eastern tradition. The entrance of the building is a carved stone portal enclosing the tablets of stone in its tympanum with the motto “Let There Be Light,” expressing the cultural aspirations of this institution. The auditorium is about 58 x 68 feet and will seat 800 people. The Temple building completing the group is now in the process of erection. The auditorium of the Temple itself will seat 850 people on the main floor and 350 in the balcony. The sanctuary with the Ark is at the back with rooms for the Rabbi and Cantor on each side. The vestry of the Temple seats 1,000 people. This mighty Temple is in the process of erection and will be completed for worship during the coming High Holidays. The program is of a cultural, recreational, dramatic and religious nature. The Temple, the Sisterhood and the Brotherhood have each a membership of about 500 each.

While funds are being gathered for these institutions, the United Palestine Appeal is now campaigning for $250,000 in Greater Boston, and for an additional $200,000 from New England. Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and Governor Alvan T. Fuller have inaugurated the campaign. An Emergency Conference for the purpose of strengthening the work in New England (New England being one of the strongholds of American Zionism), has been called. Judge David A. Lourie is the Honorary President and Elihu D. Stone, President, of the Region.

The Federation only recently completed a drive for $400,000, beside the smaller campaigns that are almost a daily occurrence in this city. The $7,000,000 program outside of charity budgets and other budgets, indicates that the Jewry of this city is planning ahead, caring for the religious and cultural needs, not only for the present generation, but of those to follow.

It is an obvious observation that the present generation of Boston Jewry is not only bequeathing beautiful institutions, modern and up-to-date in every sense of the word, but it is also leaving responsibilities that the younger generation will have to face to meet the large budgets required to maintain this splendid chain of institutions.