Funeral services were held here last Thursday for Hy Vile, a Polishborn industrialist who was honored on numerous occasions for his decades of service to Jewish causes locally and nationally. He died in his home last Monday at the age of 82.
Vile, who served as president of Beth Shalom Synagogue, was named Man of the Year in 1963 by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He was a member of the Board of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency at the time of his death.
Active in founding the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and a lifetime honorary trustee of the day school, he was also honored by Yeshiva University, which confered on him its Heritage Award in 1975.
Vile was active in Israel Bond drives and was a member of the Board of the Kansas City Jewish Federation. He was an Hadassah Associate and, with his wife Bella, was the recipient of one of the highest Hadassah awards, the Ima/Abba Award. He was also active in the Jewish National Fund and B’nai B’rith. Vile authored a popular column for the Kansas City Jewish Chranicle called "Seriously Speaking."
Vile came to the United States at the age of four. He sold newspapers, worked in local printing plants and learned the printing trade in high school. He was the co-founder of a principal printing company here and in the general community he was a leader in the graphic arts industry.
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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.
