J.D.B. News Letter

Jewish Community of Portland, Oreg., Records Versatile Activities (By our Portland Correspondent)

There is not a single Jew in the Oregon State Penitentiary. There are no Jewish girls in the State Industrial School. There is only one Jewish boy in the Industrial School. Cases of juvenile delinquency are very rare among the Jewish boys and girls in the city of Portland. We have no record of any Jewish pauper in any of the state institutions.

Plans are now being formed for the erection of a large Jewish community center to supplant the present B’nai Brith Center here. Joseph Shemanski is representing the B’nai Brith Center, George N. Black has been chosen by the B’nai Brith Lodge, and Mrs. Nathan Weinstein is chairman of the committee representing the B’nai Brith Women’s Auxiliary on the B’nai Brith Center project. It is planned to erect a $250,000 structure.

Julius L. Meier, of Meier and Frank Co., one of the largest department stores in the West, who was the financial backer of the airplane “City of Portland,” piloted by Tex Rankin in the air derby from New York to Spokane, Washington, has been chosen head of the aviation division of the Portland Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of developing air transportation.

Joseph Simon, the second of the three Jews elected to the United States Senate, although seventy-six years of age, is still active and practicing law in this city. He was elected to the senate during McKinley’s administration. He was also mayor of Portland from 1909-1911.

Ben Selling continues to be the leading Jew in Oregon. He is seventy-four years of age but is still active in business, civic, and philanthropic affairs. He is reputed to give more in proportion to his means than any man in the United States. He was a member of the Oregon State Senate for eight years, during which time he was president of the Senate. He was a member of the State House of Representatives for two years and was also speaker of the House. He has been acting governor of the State of Oregon. He sold “extras” during the Civil War and during the World War he bought $400,000 Liberty Bonds, which he resold to workers so that everyone could have one, for $1.00 down and $1.00 a week–the only man in the United States to do this Mr. Selling maintains a huge loan fund for student in colleges and contemplates the formation of the largest loan fund in the United States for college students to borrow money and complete their educations.

The relationship of the Federated Jewish Societies to the Portland Community Chest is different in Portland from that of any other city in the United States, where the Jewish organizations are under the Chest control. The Chest officials permit the Federated Jewish Societies to make the allocations to their constituent societies. In other cities, the allocations are made directly by the Chest officials. This freedom of action is due to the great confidence which the Chest officials have in Ben Selling and Nathan Strauss, who are directors of the Chest and the Federated Jewish Societies.

The Portland Hebrew School is under the Portland Community Chest.

The Jewish Community of Portland has started a Chest for non-local institutions. The drive is now on. It is directed by Ben Selling. Julius Meier, Nathan Strauss, Roscoe Velson. Alex Weinstein, and Mrs. Isaac Swett. Pledges are being taken for a five-year period. Funds are also being gathered for the Hillel Foundation, the two drives being conducted as one.

The three leading synagogues: Temple Beth Israel Cong. Ahavai Sholem and Cong. Neveh Zedek, still have not procured permanent rabbis. The name of Rabbi Henry Berkowitz of Kansas City. Missouri, will be presented to the Board of Trustees to occupy the pulpit of Temple Beth Israel, vacated by Rabbi Max J. Merritt. This is the same pulpit which was held by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and Rabbi Jonah B. Wise.