Hundreds of people jammed The Temple here today at special services marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of Dr. Abba Hillel Silver’s appointment as spiritual leader of the congregation.
Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who came to Cleveland especially to speak at the services, paid high tribute to Dr. Silver’s leadership and predicted that “some day we will come to you and ask you to release him to serve in a larger field where his statesmanship, wisdom and knowledge, and the reputation he has acquired throughout the years, might be utilized for the greater cause of Israel.” He added; “I have been tempted often to take him from you and to place on his shoulders the heavy burden of our national cause.”
Greetings in behalf of the Cleveland community were brought by Mayor Frank J. Lausche of Cleveland, Dr. Philip Bird for the Christian clergy, Rabbi Armond E. Cohen for the Jewish Ministry, and others. During the service an album was presented to Rabbi Silver containing hundreds of letters sent by friends throughout the country. Letters from Jews, Catholics, Protestants and heads of national religious bodies, social agencies, American and foreign governments, colleges and universities were among those in the album. Greetings were received from Governor John W. Bricker of Ohio; Senator Harold H. Burton of Ohio; Senator Alben W. Barkley of Kentucky; Archbishop Schrembs of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland; Bishop Tucker of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, and numerous other clergymen. A second album containing letters of tribute from communities visited by Rabbi Silver in behalf of the United Jewish Appeal was also presented.
The Cleveland press hailed Dr. Silver’s anniversary with editorials, pictures and stories. During the services an announcement was made that the sum of $132,000 has been raised by Dr. Silver, congregation to cancel the entire Temple indebtedness as a special tribute to him.
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.
