SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE SHEARITH ISRAEL CONGREGATION. By
THE
I^j:v.
Dr.
Shearith Israel Congregation
is
S.
Sciiaffeu.
a union of two small congregations which
consolidated in the year 1879 for the express purpose of forming a stronger
body that would be more able to resist the influences of Eeform which at that time was steadily growing. A building was then bought, corner Greene and German L. Gotten, who was the Streets, and solemnly dedicated as their place of worship. first president, H. P. Cohn, Dr. Aaron Friedenwald, Joseph Grinsfelder. Jacob Gundersheimer, Simon Halle, Jacob Hecht, Joseph Bergman, Meier Plant, Joseph Nusbaum, Isaac Miller, Leib Gutman, the brothers Moses, Louis, Abe and Lazer Strauss, and Moses Schloss constituted the mainstay of the Congregation, both by their material assistance and, what is a great deal more, by their noble example of faithful adherence to tradition without compromise. Soon after, Moses Strauss was elected president of the Congregation, in which capacity he served with unbounded He love, devotion and dignity to the last day of his active, worthy and pious life. expired June 20, 1905. During the first thirteen years the Congregation had no The cautious servants of their Maker could find no one in this spiritual leader. could safely entrust with their spiritual welfare. Towards the whom they country end of 1893 the Congregation wrote to Dr. Hildesheimer, in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and requested him to recommend one of the disciples of his Eabbinical Seminary which he founded and to which he gave his entire energy and time. The He present Eabbi, Dr. S. Schaffer, was recommended, and immediately elected. was installed in office January 1, 1893. With the beginning of the new century the tendency to move to the northwestern part of the city made itself strongly felt, and equally the need of a Synagogue in that section of the city. But as most of the old members had already departed from this world, a fresh support of new members was absolutely necessary. With the untiring aid of T. Silberman the w^ork began, and among those who heartily responded were Jacob Castelberg, Israel Levenstein, A. Greenstein, Solomon Todes, S. Singer, M. L. Bloom, J. Blum, Adler Brothers, S. Levenson, L. Lutzky, S. Markel, J. Macht, T. Baker, M. Sworzyn, B. Freedman, J. Makover, S. Eauneker, W. Plehinger and Harry Silverman. These, together with the descendants of the departed members and those who had joined the Congregation in course of the years between 1880 and 1900, among whom were Alex Cohn, Simon Neuberger, B. Z. Eoscnbaun, Samuel Senker and Joseph Goldstein, formed a renewed congregation of efficient strength and means to build an elaborate and In 1903 the Synagogue on McCulloh near Bloom Street was beautiful edifice.
Among those who joined the Congregation since then be mentioned J. Lubin, Israel Fein, Louis Fein, S. Seliger. S. Baroway, L. Katzner, J. Miller, D. Kaiser, H. Ades, Joseph Strauss and G. Levenson. Manes Strauss, of the firm of Strauss Bros., is the present President, P. W. Gunderheimer, A^ico-President, who with T. Silberman, Meyer Strauss, S. Senker, S. Neuberger, I. erected and duly dedicated.
may
Levenstein,
Hyman Cohn
and M. Plant constitute the Board.
the Congregation. 62
E. Jaffe
is
Cantor of