J.D.B. News Letter

(By Our Cincinnati Correspondent)

The ballots to be distributed in Cincinnati at the coming primary elections on August 14 will contain many Jewish names. Cincinnati Jewry has an old-established tradition of service in local politics. At present Murray J. Seasongood is mayor, Lee J. Ach is county treasurer and many of the lesser local offices are filled by Jews. The results of the coming primary election will undoubtedly add a large number to the list.

On the Republican ballots is Gilbert Bettman who is running for Attorney-General of the state. Mr. Bettman has long been active in both civic and Jewish affairs. He is being supported by the regular Republican organization of Hamilton County. Running with him on the state ticket is Ben Berman, a candidate for State Senator. Opposed to Berman, on the Democratic ticket, is Jacob Herman.

In the county election, Laurent Lowenberg is running for County Surveyor and Edgar Friediander is running for County Treasurer. Both of these men are on the Citizens’ Republican ticket in opposition to the regular Republican party. The Citizens’ ticket is being sponsored by Mayor Seasongood and the entire city administration.

The main body of Jewish candidates are Central Committeemen, the county governing body. They are Henry Schwartz, Lewis Levy, Richard A. Rappoport. Simon Steinberg, Edward Friedman, Max S. Goldberg, Jacob Feldman, Nat Nathan, Stanley Gordon, Anna Marcus, Dorothy Fishberg, Walter Rosenthal, Walter Heinsheimer, Chauncey Pitchell. C. Ralph Well, David B. Schrelber, Ralph Bloom, Ernest M. Ach, Samael Ra? Walter H. Pritz. Albert M. Steiner, Edgar Menderson, Charles S. Iglauer, J. Albert Goldman and Harry A. Frelberg.

The newly formed Smith for President Club of Hamilton County unanimously elected former Supreme Court Justice Robert S. Marx for president. Alfred M. Cohen, president of the I.O.B.B. is a member of the club.

In Jewish circles the tendency is toward the elimination of the many small synagogues. Two mergers have already been consummated recently and more are expected to follow. In both cases arrangements were made to scrap the old synagogue buildings and two handsome new places of worship will be ready in time for the high holy days.

Cincinnati finds itself in the strange position of being left with almost no orthodox rabbis. Within the past few months the community has lost Rabbi Haym Fishel Epstein, Rabbi David Finkelstein and Rabbi Abraham Lobel. No steps have been made to replace these rabbis as yet.

That Jews who go away to camps and resorts for the summer do not seek to escape their religion, but on the contrary, seek opportunities to observe it is evidenced by the reports being received by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in Cincinnati. The Unon keeps in touch with camps and resorts throughout the country, supplying them with rabbis to conduct services and with the necessary prayer books and literature. Though the report is not yet completed, enough material has been gathered to assure the Union that the summer of 1928 will prove one of its most active and successful years.

Reports have come in from forty-six camps for young people throughout the country that run regular services for Jewish campers on Friday night and Saturday morning. Approximately 7,000 attend these services regularly. In New York State alone, over 2500 Jewish young men and women attend regular services in the camps. Twenty resorts reported regular religious services. Many more are expected to report by the time full data is gathered. Many of the resorts report services unnecessary, as they are near towns with synagogues.

Rabbi Jacob B. Pollak, of New York City, has been assigned as director of the Eastern resorts, and Rabbi Korngold of Chicago is in charge of the Western resorts. These two rabbis arrange for services and, whenever possible, assign ordained rabbis to take charge. In many of the camps and resorts volunteer laymen conduct the services. Among the rabbis who have taken charge at these services are Charles Mantinbaud. Aaron H. Lefkowitz, Samuel Wolk of Boston, David B. Alpert. David Goodis of New York, Bernard Heller of Scranton, Pa., Sol Landman, S. J. Schwab of Wichita Falls. Texas, M. N. A. Cohen of Tacoma, Washington; Baruch Braunstein and Edward Lissman of New York City. Students of Hebrew Union College who have officiated in the absence of ordained rabbis are Norman Goldburg, Jacob Weinstein, Herman Rosenthal, Stanley Brav, Sidney Wolf, Morris Lieberman, and Ralph Habas.

At some of the service collections are made, but in the main the cost is met by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The services are sponsored by the Department of Synagogue and School Extension.