Heeding the call of the Synagogue Council of America to set aside the Sabbath eve, March 7, and Saturday, March 8, as a national day of prayer against Russian religious persecution, Jewish congregations in all parts of the United States held special prayers and services Friday night and continued them yesterday, telegraphic inquiries by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency indicated.
The Goff Street Temple in Wheeling, W. Va., held a special service conducted by Rabbi Samuel Shulman, while in Newark, N. J., Rabbi Solomon Foster preached on “The Plague of Irreligion in Russia.” Rabbi Elijah Stampfer and Hardwig Peres were the speakers at special services in the Baron Hirsch Synagogue in Memphis, and the Congregation Children of Israel in the same city adopted a resolution of protest.
In Atlanta, Rabbi Henry Epstein of Congregation Ahavath Achim, the largest orthodox synagogue in the city, conducted special services, and in New Orleans, special prayers were said by Rabbi Emil Leipziger at Touro Synagogue and the Saturday services were devoted to world religious freedom and tolerance.
Practically all synagogues in Baltimore held protest services Friday evening and continued them Saturday. Rabbi Edward L. Israel of Har Sinai Temple will preach today on religious persecution in Russia. Utica synagogues Friday adopted a resolution, of which Rabbi Abraham Shapiro is the author, protesting against the Russian government’s attempt to destroy synagogues.
Sermons on the Soviet’s anti-religious activities were delivered Friday night in Dallas by Rabbi David Lefkowitz, president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis at Temple Emanu’el and by Rabbi Henry Raphael Cohen at Congregation Shearith Israel. Rabbi Albert O. Minda of Temple Israel, Minneapolis, arranged a special prayer for his congregation, while Rabbi Moses Romm, president of the United Orthodox Congregations of Minneapolis is making arrangements to call a meeting for a united protest. In Omaha, Rabbi Abraham Bengis, at the Conservative Synagogue, said the prayers for ending religious oppression in Russia and Rabbi Frederick Cohn preached on Russia’s religious onslaught at Temple Israel.
At Indianapolis, Rabbis Milton Steinberg and Morris Feurlicht delivered special sermons at Knesses Israel Congregation. Rabbi Cohen said specially arranged prayers. All through Westchester county special meetings and prayers were held by most congregations.
Elsewhere, too, the Jews bowed their heads in prayer for their Russian coreligionists. In Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Chicago, Albany, Cleveland, Jersey City, Mobile, Pittsburgh and throughout New York City, synagogues and temples conducted special services and prayers and adopted resolutions of protest.
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.
