Discussing Hubert, Joseph Says Jewish Philanthropists Should Consider Own People First

Jewish philanthropists should consider their own people first in distributing charity, according to an editorial in the Pittsburgh “Jewish Criterion” of January 24th by Charles Joseph. Mr. Joseph in his editorial comments on a series of questions propounded by a writer in the “Jewish Advocate” of Boston concerning the late Conrad Hubert, whose will distributed six million dollars through the offices of Messrs. Coolidge, Rosenwald and Smith. Some of these questions were:

Why was it that Hubert, a Jewish lad born in Minsk, Russia, and who in America had become eight times a millionaire, was not known among Jewish circles? Why is it that during his lifetime Hubert was not known to have contributed to Jewish causes? Why is it that Hubert did not leave any money to Jewish institutions?

Commenting on these questions, Mr Joseph says:

“Mr. Hubert, whose name originally was Horwich, came from Russia. He knew how badly the Jews were treated in that country. He knew how badly funds were required to make the economic condition of Jews bearable. He knew or ought to have known that the only hope that the Jews of Russia had of securing relief was from Jews and not from Gentiles. Therefore, it seems to us that the normal thing for a Jew of such wealth as Horwich commanded to do was to think first of his own people. For if the Jews cannot depend upon their own for relief, they certainly cannot obtain it from any other source.

“A solemn duty rests upon our wealthy givers to consider their own people first. Where in the world would we find funds to finance the purely charitable as well as the cultural movements that are essential to Jewish welfare, if not from our own people? Speaking of Pittsburgh, we cannot recall over a period of twenty-five years where fifty thousand dollars all told were left to Jewish institutions by non-Jews.”