Judge David A. Lourie, superior court judge, civic worker, Zionist leader and distinguished public figure, died here Saturday at the age of 51. He was appointed to the bench in 1922 by Governor Cox and in 1924 was elevated to the Superior Court, the first Jew to be so honored. His death was due to a recurrence of a physical ailment following a record-breaking session in the East Cambridge criminal court where he had tried several criminal cases. Known as the “faithful and honest Lourie” he stuck to his post although Chief Justice Hall offered to relieve him.
Judge Lourie was the best-loved Jew in the community. He was greatly in demand as a public speaker and until his illness a year ago was glad to go everywhere. Before he came on the bench he was a lawyer and a realtor. Judge Lourie came to the U. S. at the age of six. He was a newsboy and later taught English to other immigrants. By virtue of his sheer ability he worked his way to the leadership of the community.
He had served as a member of the Chelsea School Board, chairman of the Chelsea Board of Health, honorary president of the Zionist Organization of America, vice-president of the Bureau of Jewish Education, president of the Home for Jewish Children, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Jewish Charities, a member of the American Jewish Committee and a delegate to the American Jewish Congress.
Judge Lourie is survived by his wife and four children.
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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.
