With impressive military ceremonies the graves of fourteen Jewish Revolutionary War patriots were decorated yesterday afternoon at the cemetery of Congregation Shearith Israel, the oldest Jewish cemetery in the city, by members of the New York lodge of B’nai B’rith and Manhattan Post No. 1 of the Jewish War Veterans.
The cemetery, a strip of land located at Chatham square near Oliver street, hemmed in by gloomy tenement buildings and clanging elevator trains, was a colorful spot yesterday. Members of the Jewish War Veterans, dressed in the regalia of the army, navy and marine forces, and the troops of Fenimore Cooper Boy Scouts formed the honor guard.
As Dr. Harold Korn, vice-president of the lodge, called out the name of a dead hero a youthful member of the boy scout troop stepped forward, placed a wreath at the foot of the grave, drew up proudly and saluted. Rabbi David de Sola Pool, leader of the congregation, pointed out the grave of each of the fourteen patriots.
After the memorial service was given by Rabbi Pool one of the boy scouts, standing apart from the troop which was massed under an American flag, sounded taps while veterans in uniform stood at attention.
Myron Sulzberger, Jr., president of the lodge, presided over the services and introduced the speakers. Dr. Harold Korn, Rabbi Pool, Lieutenant Harry Raymond and Major Morris Florea delivered addresses.
“WE PAY TRIBUTE TODAY”
“We pay tribute today to men who fell to make this country one of freedom and equality,” Rabbi Pool said, Pointing to one of the graves, he added: “Here lie men and women who deserve to be commemorated.”
Included among the graves that were decorated were those of Solomon M. Cohen, Jacob Hart, David Hays, Benjamin Jacobs, Eleazer Levy, Hayman Levy, Isaac Moses, Myer Myers, Simon Nathan, Manuel Noah, Jonas Phillips, Abraham Rodrigues Rivera, Benjamin Mendes Seixas and Gershon Mendes Seixas, all heroes of the American Revolution.
Jewish veterans were well represented in the official Memorial Day parade up Riverside drive, past the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. The parade started from Seventy-second street and West End avenue at 9 a. m.
In the order of the march were Adjutant General Julius Isaacs, Colonel Julius O. Adler, the Hamilton Camp, the Sergeant Hamilton Fish Camp, led by Felix Gabriel, L. A. Wasserman, divisional marshal of the American Legion, New York County, the Grand Street Boys Post, the Schoolmen’s Post, Dr. Louis L. Goldblatt, Battalion Commander and Max Schmertz, Adjutant, the National Vaudeville Artists Posts, the College of the City of New York Post, the Morris Dickstein Post, Harry Landau commanding, the 82nd Division, commanded by Maurice Kleinbard, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum Band, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of the City of New York and Troop 512, Boy Scouts, led by Milton S. Traubner.
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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.
