FUNERAL SERVICES WERE HELD THIS MORNING AT THE SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE SYNAGOGUE FOR THE REV. DR. HENRY PEREIRA MENDES, ITS RABBI EMERITUS WHO DIED LAST WEDNESDAY AT THE AGE OF 85. RABBI DAVID DE SOLA POOL CONDUCTED THE SIMPLE SERVICE. BURIAL WAS AT CYPRESS HILLS, BROOKLYN.
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, IN A MESSAGE TO DR. MENDES FAMILY, PAID TRIBUTE TO HIM, SAYING THAT “A SCHOLAR OF WORLD-WIDE REPUTE, DR. MENDES WAS LONG A COMMANDING FIGURE IN OUR RELIGIOUS AND INTELLECTUAL LIFE WHO WILL BE SADLY MISSED AND WIDELY MOURNED.” SUPREME COURT JUSTICE BENJAMIN N. CARDOZO SAID: “WHAT CAN I SAY OF HIM, SAVE THAT I HAVE LOVED AND HONORED HIM? HIS SWEETNESS WAS UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL.” MRS. FRIEDA SCHIFF WARBURG, WINDOW OF FELIX M. WARBURG, SAID IN A MESSAGE, “WE MOURN TOGETHER OUR BELOVED GREAT MEN.”
DR. CYRUS ADLER, GOVERNOR LEHMAN, CHANCELLOR HARRY W. CHASE OF NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, AND CHIEF RABBI J. H. HERTZ OF GREAT BRITAIN WERE AMONG THE OTHERS WHO SENT MESSAGES. ORGANIZATIONS PAYING TRIBUTE TO DR. MENDES INCLUDED THE AMERICAN JEWISH CONGRESS, AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE, THE UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS, THE ASSOCIATION OF REFORM RABBIS AND MANY NON-JEWISH GROUPS.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
