J.D.B. News Letter

(By our Lowell Correspondent)

Newhere in New England is there a more energetic body of Jewish residents than in this textile community where approximately 1,500 Jewish people make make their homes and take an active and leading part in the city’s mercantile, professional, civic and fraternal life.

Typifying the progressive spirit of the group is the Lowell Hebrew Community Centre. The organization occupies a spacious, modern building in the Highlands, an attractive residential section, formerly occupied by the Highland Club, an exclusive organization.

For several years prior to 1926 there was intermittently manifested in the Jewish community a desire for the establishment of a modern synagogue and community house. This sentiment particularly prevailed in B’nai Brith circles and finally evolved into the formation of a committee to buy the Highland Club property. Within less than forty-eight hours of its creation, this committee procured an agreement of sale and purchase of the property.

The original committee was enlarged and the task of raising funds was begun. Within a few weeks, under the leadership of Chairman Frank Goldman, $25,000 was pledged by the community toward the accomplishment of the Community centre project. Later a campaign was launched under the direction of Harry Bass and $2,000 more was raised.

The upper half of the building was turned into a synagogue and that the lower half should be used for community centre purposes. The synagogue is known as Temple Beth El and its Rabbi is Bernard Kiskind.

One of the features of the Centre is the Community Hebrew School, conducted under the direction of Rabbi Ziskind with a faculty of expert instructors. The school has an enrollment of seventy students and classes are held four times a week. A Sunday school for the children of the community will open on October 21.

The women of the community have played a large part in its progress. Aiding the men’s committee in charge of the formation of the new Centre was a women’s committee, made up of representatives of various women’s societies already in existence. This committee met every week with a men’s committee and was of much assistance in carrying out the elaborate community program, Mrs. Moses Mark served as chairman of the executive board of this committee.

There are functioning various societies of Jewish women, all playing an important part in the general community life. The Lowell Chapter of Hadassah organized in 1923, has a membership of more than 125 active members. The Lowell unit of Junior Hadassah was formed on December 16, 1925. It works at all times in co-operation with the Senior Hadassah. The Ladies Helping Hand Society was formed in 1903 and since then has performed excellent work in aiding the needy and sick of the community with a generous and sympathetic hand. The Ladies Gomelos Chasodem or Ladies Aid Society was organized in 1905 and is one of the oldest women’s organizations in the city. It is also engaged in helping the needy and makes it possible for those in need of money to procure loans. The Junior Young Women’s Hebrew Association was organized seven years ago by Mrs. Julius Neyman. This group, including girls from fourteen to eighteen years of age, has a membership of nearly fifty. The purpose of the organization is to bring young Jeiish girls together and to prepare them for their work in the various senior organizations.

The Independent Order of B’nai Brith has a large lodge in Lowell. Lowell Lodge, No. 874, later renamed Benjamin S. Pouzzner Lodge, after its first president, was organized in October, 1920. It has brought numerous Jewish leaders to the city for addresses and has been active in the general community life. Merrimack Lodge, No. 256, Independent Order B’rith Abraham, is one of the oldest Jewish fraternal organizations in the city. It was organized on October 21, 1900, with a total membership of thirty-four. It increased rapidly until it attained approximately 300 members. Lowell City Lodge, Independent Order of B’rith Abraham, was installed on December 15, 1907. It has seventy-five members.

In addition to Temple Beth El, there are two other synagogues in Lowell, the Anshasi Sforod in Howard street, of which Elias Wolfson is Rabbi, and the Khilos Jacobe sin McIntire street, Morris Sokalsky, Rabbi.