J.D.B. News Letter

(By our Newark correspondent)

Following the successful conclusion of the $2,000,000 endowment fund campaign for the Beth Israel Hospital, the Newark Jewish community, numbering 70,000, is occupied with its many communal activities.

Under the auspices of the Conference of Jewish Charities, the Bureau of Jewish Social Research has just completed a survey of the local communal needs. Among the recommendations thus far made public is one affecting the Hebrew Orphan Asylum. The report recommends : “Organization of a department for the placing of as many children as possible in private homes instead of the orphan home, and changing the name of the institution with the elimination of the words ‘orphan asylum.’

Louis Bamberger and Felix Fuld stand out in Jewish and non-Jewish philanthropy in this city. Mr. Bamberger, through a gift of $600,000 which made possible the establishment of the Newark Museum, has permanently written his name into the history of this city. One of the most prominent of Mr. Fuld’s communal activities is the New Jersey Federation of Y.M.–Y.W.H.A.’s of which he is president.

Leaders of the Newark “Y” which has a membership of 5,000 are considering expansion of building facilities. A. J. Dimond is president of the institution, and also of the Conference of Jewish Charities of which the “Y” is one of 13 constituents. The Conference, in turn is a constituent of the Welfare Federation which seeks to meet its budget through an annual Community Chest campaign.

Conservative ### has two houses of worship; Temple B’nai Abraham. probably the largest in the state, of which Albert Hollander is president and Rabbi Julius Silberfeld, spiritual leaders, and Oheb Shalom Synagogue of which Herman Kussy is president, and Rabbis Charles I. Hoffman and Loop S. Lang. the rabbis. The only Reform congregation in the city, the oldest in the city and state, is Temple B’nai Jeshurun. Nathaniel King is president of the congregation and Rabbi Solomon Foster, spiritual leader. The latter is also founder and president of the Clergy Club of Newark.

There is a branch of Young Israel Synagogue holding services every Sabbath.

Orthodoxy has its synagogues herefully a score of them–and its city Talmud Torahs, which together with a parochial school, are better identified as the United Hebrew Schools of Newark, of which Dr. H. L. Gordon is principal Outstanding among orthodox rabbis in the city is the 76 year old Hyman Brodsky, rabbi emeritus of Anshe Russia Synagogue, and head of the Rabbinical Association of New Jersey.

There are many Jewish lodges and societies in the city and the B’nai Brith, I. O. B. A. and I. O. B. S. have large memberships. Local Jews are also well represented among Masonry, Elks Knights of Pythias and other large orders. The Hadassah, Council of Jewish Women and U. O. T. S. have active memberships.

This city has the only Jewish normal school in New Jersey. The New Jersey Normal School for Jewish Teachers is now in its second year, having been established by Rabbi Solomon Foster, its president. Dr. Leon Mones is the director. The Y. M.–Y. W. H. A. is sponsoring an Institute of Jewish Studies.

Jews are active in the business and professional life of the city, especially in the practice of law. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Kalisch, head of the Yeshive campaign in New Jersey, is a resident of Newark, as are also District Court Judge Louis R. Freund and Judge Joseph Siegler who presides over the Esse County Juvenile and Domestic Relation Court. A prominent Jewish physician Dr. Max Danzis, is head of the Esse? County Medical Society.

The president of the City Tax Board is Commissioner Louis A. Fast who head the Newark Zionist District, and one New Jersey’s four Jewish assemblyment David M. Litwin, comes from this city Sauel I. Kessler was until recently chairman of the Essex County Democratic Committee. Louis C. Schwartz is a member of the Board of Education.

Organization of a Vaad Hakehillal represented an attempt on the part of the Orthodox element to unite the community but the Vaad languished after about year’s existence.

An organization known as the “Yiddish Cultural Center” has lately been organized. The “center” is to function, as the name implies, as a Yiddish cultural medium, indirectly under “Y” auspices.

The Jewish Court of Arbitration which was organized here last year and is similar to the one in New York, has lately been re-organized with Mordecai L. Lipish Newark lawyer at the head. Plans an being made to have it function again.