Compiled by Gail Umeham
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Edward Breitbard Heads New Board At Tifereth Israel
Southwestern Jewish Press January 8, 1954 Page 1
On Dec. 28 at the largest annual meeting ever held at Tifereth Israel Synagogue, the following officers were elected: Pres., Edward A. Breitbard; 1st V.P., Al Greenberg; 2nd V.P., Sidney Newman; Rec. Sec., Moss Addleson; Fin Sec., Joseph Finkleman; Treas., Jerome Weissman. Eighteen members were elected to the Board of Directors.
In a statement to the Jewish Press, Ed Breitbard said that Tifereth Israel would cooperate with all worthwhile community projects and would work toward complete harmony among all in the Jewish Community.
The public is invited to the Installation of Officers which will be held at Tifereth Israel Synagogue Saturday Jan. 16, at 8:00 p.m. Zel Greenberg is chairman. Morris W. Douglas, President of Temple Beth Israel is installing officer, and Morrie S. Kraus, President of Beth Jacob Congregation, is assistant installing officer.
After the formal installation, dancing and refreshments will be available.
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Guest Speaker At Annual Meeting
Southwestern Jewish Press January 8, 1954 Page 1
The Jewish Social Service Agency will hold its 35th Annual Dinner Meeting Wednesday January 20, in the New State Ballroom of the Hotel San Diego at 6:30 p.m.
Mr. Louis Ziskind, Executive Director of the Southern California District, Jewish committee for Personal Service will be the principal speaker of the evening. He will tell the story of the Gateways, a new demonstration project organized and sponsored by his agency.
The program of the Gateways is centered around the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of the mentally ill. It is to serve as a bridge for patients between hospitals and their return to the community. Gateways is the realization of a dream conceived 15 years ago and only last month opened its doors to those from Southern California who need its services.
A cordial invitation is extended to all persons who are interested, to attend. Reservation for the dinner, which will be $3.00 per plate, can be made by calling the Jewish Social Service Agency, Main 5172.
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Louis Moorsteen Takes Over Helm Of United Jewish Fund
Southwestern Jewish Press January 8, 1954 Page 1
Louis Moorsteen, prominent business leader and for many years active in local Jewish affairs was elected President of the United Jewish Fund at the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Fund held last Tuesday. He succeeds Murray D. Goodrich who served as President for the past two years.
He will head the Fund for 1954, and has already begun planning for the Combined Jewish Appeal which will begin activity in late March.
The Board of Directors also elected Morris Douglas as 1st Vice-President; Milton Roberts as 2nd V.P.; and Albert Steinbaum as 3rd V.P.
Officers reelected include Harry Snyder, Treasurer and Manuel S. Fisher, Secretary.
Elected to the Executive Committee were: Mrs.Gabriel Berg, David Block, Mack Esterson, Carl Esenoff, Rodin Horrow, Sol Price, and Harry Wax.
In announcing the election of Moorsteen, the Board of Directors called attention to his long record of service in Jewish and non-sectarian affairs in San Diego. A resident of the area for years, he is a former campaign chairman, and for many years a member of the Executive Committee. A leader in local Israel Bond Sales, he has also supported every movement in the community to aid Jewish philanthropy.
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March of Dimes (Editorial)
Southwestern Jewish Press January 8, 1954 Page 2
The thing that pleases us about the Annual March of Dimes Campaign this year is the slogan, “Research Will Win.” There is a lot of optimism this year especially in regard to the vaccine testing program going on throughout the country. The cost of this program is staggering but this dreaded disease will soon be conquered.
San Diego has had a terrible polio year and only through the combined efforts of the entire country can we hope to raise enough money to care for the crippled victims. We can no longer care for the dead.
The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis needs your help. Polio is the only epidemic disease on the increase and Polio Prevention is a must in 1954. Give to the March of Dimes and give generously. They deserve your support.
Research must win!
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The New Year
We always like to write editorials about the New Year. It makes us feel omnipotent and perhaps pontifical. This year instead of looking backward, we want to take a peek into the future.
Was it a year like any other year? Let us itemize all the things we think happened in 1954 (cq).
Item: It was a pretty good year. Times were still good. Work was plentiful. Money seemed to be easy. The recession everybody talked about never did appear even though people kept looking over their shoulders.
Item: Autos, beds, and television sets were sold in pairs. For “Him” and “Her.” It may be the beginning of the breakup of family life. A separate bed, bedroom, television, auto. When do they ever get together? Those with teenagers were definitely a two-car family. Maybe we should build separate homes for them, too. It would make life much easier.
Item: Fund raising (a major item in our lives). Most of the drives turned out to be successful in spite of dire warnings from those who give and those who didn’t want to give. Even the United Jewish Fund Combined Appeal came close to their “realistic” goal in spite of gloomy forecasts that the “other” drives would hurt the U.J.A.
Item: The young marrieds. In spite of atom bombs, Russia, and McCarthy, babies were born and still did not have to take the loyalty oath. There were the usual number of old timers in the community.
Come to think of it, 1953 wasn’t such a bad year, after all. It could have been worse. Like they say on television, “It was a year like any other year but—You Were There.”
A Happy and Healthful Year to All Our Friends.
Community Currents
Southwestern Jewish Press January 8, 1954 Page 2
By Albert Hutler, Exec. Director United Jewish Fund.
San Diego’s Loss — San Diego’s Jewish community lost two of its outstanding leaders in the last two weeks in the passing of Morris Niederman and Anna Shelley.
Morris Niederman had been a resident of San Diego for thirty years. During that time, he was extremely active in Beth Israel Temple, serving for many years as a member of the Board of Directors. He was also a valued and beloved member of the Board of the United Jewish Fund, and of many organizations in which he believed.
Anna Shelley was a leader in Beth Jacob Synagogue; a leader in the Jewish community, a woman with a heart that not only encompassed her family but also the entire Jewish community of San Diego, president of so many organizations that no one can enumerate them; founder of many Jewish organizations; beloved by all who knew her.
It will be very hard in our community life to fill the void that has been left by the loss of these two leaders. However, they have handed down a tradition to their children whom they have trained to carry on.
What is Unity? — I don’t know why I should get into the middle of the discussion between the Southwestern Jewish Press and Rabbi Morton J. Cohn as to ”unity” in the Jewish community. However, I don’t believe anyone is thinking of “unity” in the sense of a totalitarian unit. When we speak of united or “unity” we’re using it as a much more flexible term. For instance, the Jewish Education Commission, which is evidently now defunct and which originally consisted of the three synagogues as the religious community and the United Jewish Fund as the so-called secular community, was an instance of “unity” between all facets in San Diego.
It is interesting to note that in Oakland, where they seem to have much more “unity” than in San Diego because of the grand cooperation between the rabbis, congregations and various organizations in the community, a Jewish Educational Council was established in 1952 which included the Jewish Welfare Federation, the schools, the synagogues, the rabbis, lay leaders—all working together.
In the minutes of the American Association for Jewish Education, Western Region, there is a statement that should be more than interesting to those of us who have followed the editorial and correspondence on “unity” in the Southwestern Jewish Press. They reported that at the “first combined children’s Chanukah festival” held in the Oakland Auditorium theatre on Sunday, December 6th, close to 1100 children and 400 adults from the eleven schools in the two counties attended. This thrilling program was the inter-school affair arranged by the Jewish Educational Council. This is qute in contrast to the way we have done things, and certainly points out the difference in “unity” in San Diego and Oakland.
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“Adventures in Jewish History” is sponsored by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg. Our indexed “Adventures in San Diego Jewish History” series will be a regular feature until we run out of history.