Sidney Vincent, executive director emeritus of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, and a Jewish leader and thinker, died suddenly last Saturday at the age of 70. He died of an apparent heart attack in his sleep, after an active week at the Federation, where he continued to come in daily at 8 a.m. since his retirement as executive director in 1975.
An eloquent speaker and gifted writer, Vincent was highly regarded throughout the country for his wit and depth of thought on a wide variety of Jewish issues, according to Lawrence Williams, Federation president. These issues included community relations, Israel and Jewish identity and culture.
On his last day at work he completed an address to be delivered at the Magnes Museum in Berkeley, Calif, on October 12 at the International Symposium on the Life and Legacy of Judah Magnes. Vincent planned to discuss “The Kehilla Idea and Jewish Community Development.” He also had been scheduled to receive a special award later in the month at Brandeis University, where he was a Mi lender Fellow in 1976.
Vincent was a past president of the National Conference of Jewish Communal Service, the international Conference of Jewish Communal Service and National Association of Jewish Community Relations Workers.
A memorial fund is being established by the Cleveland Federation. One of Vincent’s closest associates, Irving Kane, a former president of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, is chairman of a special committee which will determine how that fund will be used as a lasting tribute. Funeral services were held last Sunday.
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.
