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Bronx ‘y’ Hails 25th Birthday Next Sunday

April 16, 1934
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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Twenty-five years of service to a Jewish community twice as large as that of Palestine will be reviewed by the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association of the Bronx at its anniversary dinner on Sunday evening, April 22, at the Hotel Commodore.

Leaders in young men’s and young women’s movements, representing all faiths, will be among the guests. A thousand are expected to attend. Speakers will include Cleveland E. Dodge, president of the Greater New York Y. M. H. A.; Martin Conboy, United States Attorney; Judge Irving Lehman, president of the Jewish Welfare Board and Bernard S. Deutsch, president of the Board of Aldermen. Benjamin Sobol, chairman of the dinner committee, will present M. Maldwin Fertig, president of the Bronx ‘Y’, who is to preside.

The association membership increased to almost 3,000. The six and one-half story building at 171st street and Fulton avenue is too small to meet its expanding needs.

Plans for the establishment of a Y. M. H. A. in the borough were initiated by a group consisting of Julius D. Tobias, the association’s first president; Professor Bernard D. Saxe, Jacob L. Markel, Max Rothschild, Louis Weinstein, Louis Gottschall, Jacob Shongut, Abraham L. Shongut, Louis Jarmulowsky and Moses J. Hess. Of this group Mr. Markel, treasurer incumbent has been associated with the organization since its founding.

BACK IN 1909

At the suggestion of Simon Gottschall, vice president of the ‘Y’, discussion originally centered around the creation of a Bronx branch of the downtown organization. This plan was abandoned by unanimous vote in favor of an independent ‘Y’ to be founded in the borough with the aid and advice of the parent organization in Manhattan.

Opening night in May, 1909, was witnessed by an assembly of civic officials and social, philanthropic and welfare leaders who gathered to inspect the new gymnasium, reading rooms, shower baths and game rooms.

Mr. Fertig has been president of the Bronx group since 1915. Other officers are Ira J. Sobol, first vice president; J. Clarence Davies, second vice president; Maxwell L. Heller, third vice president; Abraham Krasne, fourth vice president; Jacob Markel, treasurer; Israel H. Zinovoy, secretary, and Abraham W. Rosenthal, executive secretary. W. Rosenthal, executive secretary.

Members of the board of directors include Bert Ackman, Louis Altschul, Dr. J. Lewis Amster, Hon. Benjamin Antin, Robert Benenson, Hon. Albert Cohn, Valentine Davies, Bernard S. Deutsch, Hon. Albert Goldman, Albert Horowitz, Emil Leitner, Dr. Martin J. Loeb, Dr. J. William Maller, Sam Minskoff, David S. Mosesson, Philip Pearlman, Bernard Rauch, Emanuel Saxe, Jack Selig, Jacob J. Shufro, Benjamin Sobol, Bernard Trencher and Milton Youngwood.

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