Bernard L. Levinthal

Rabbi Bernard Louis Levinthal (Hebrew: הרב דוב אריה בן הרב אברהם הכהן לבינטל‎) (May 12, 1864 – September 23, 1952), the "Dean of U. S. Rabbis,"[1] built Philadelphia's first Eastern European Orthodox Jewish community from his arrival in the United States in 1891 until his death in 1952.[2] Rabbi Levinthal helped found American Jewish Orthodox institutions including Yeshiva University in 1896, the Orthodox Union in 1898, Mizrachi in 1902, and the American Agudas Harabbanim. His grave is in the Congregation Mikveh Israel 55th Street Cemetery in West Philadelphia.

Rabbi

Bernard L. Levinthal
Personal
BornMay 12, 1864
Kovno
DiedSeptember 23, 1952
Philadelphia
ReligionJudaism
SpouseMimie Levinthal (-1929, her death)
Sarah Samson (1935-1952, his death)
Jewish leader
PredecessorRabbi Eleazar Kleinberg
SuccessorRabbi H. Zvi Gottesman
SynagogueCongregation B'nai Abraham
Began1891
Ended1952
Yahrtzeit4 Tishrei 5713
SemichaRabbi Isaac Elchonon Spektor

Early life

Levinthal was born on the festival of Lag BaOmer in Kaunas (Kovno), Lithuania to a prominent, 17-generation rabbinical family. One of his ancestors was the 17th century author of Beth Hillel and Masse Hashem.[2]

In 1888, he received semicha (rabbinic ordination) from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Spektor and from Rabbi Samuel Mohilever. The following year, his father-in-law became rabbi of Bnai Abraham in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but died only three years later. The synagogue members sent a request to Levinthal to take over the position, which he accepted, starting a 61-year career in the synagogue (September 1891-September 1952) and as the leader of orthodox Judaism in the city.[2][3]

Rabbinic career in America

Over the next ten years, the rabbi worked to establish a more complete communal framework for the city. Within about a year, he helped start the Communal Hebrew School, the city's first daily Jewish school, and a decade later, Yeshiva Mishkan Yisroel — both predecessors to the United Hebrew Schools and Yeshivos. Previously, only Rebecca Gratz' Sunday school was available. A year later, the Chevra Kadisha (burial society) formed, which set up the historic Har Hazaitim cemetery in Gladwyne, Lower Merion.[2] The cemetery was abandoned for decades in the mid-20th century, and almost sold off for development. The nearby Reform Congregation Beth David now owns it and is running a restoration project.[4][5][6]

In 1896, he helped found what became Yeshiva University's rabbinical seminary, as America was short on traditionally-trained rabbis, and needed native rabbinical guidance.[2] He would serve as Yeshiva's president, and later, in 1941, joined its board.

In the early 1900s, Rabbi Levinthal helped organize a central kosher supervision committee across eighteen Philadelphia synagogues. On a wider scale, he co-founded one of the early rabbinical membership organizations across the United States and Canada, the Agudath Harabbanim.[2] His activity in kashruth also led to the passage of Philadelphia's kosher law.

Seeking a "kosher" social outlet for congregants, Levinthal encouraged the creation of the social club The Independent Order Brith Sholom in 1905.[2] Its national headquarters and first lodge were local, and it would ultimately number hundreds of branches and thousands of members.[7][8] In 1918, he helped found the American Jewish Congress at Independence Hall.

His communal efforts, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, were well known enough to have 1,000 people attend his 70th birthday celebration. The heads of the American Jewish Committee, the Zionist Organization of America, the Agudath HaRabanim, and America Mizrachi were all on the speakers roster.[9]

In 1932, during the Depression, he successfully lobbied for a one-cent per head kosher chicken tax, to support the four institutions of the United Schools. They had been in danger of closing, having not paid staff in months.

His wife, Mimie, died in 1929, but he remarried in 1935 to the former Sarah Samson. He had four sons and at least one daughter, Lena Ehrlich, the mother-in-law of Samuel Belkin.[10]

Levinthal was a mentor to Bernard Revel, the first president of Yeshiva University's Yeshiva College. Revel spoke to Levinthal when Levinthal visited RIETS, the yeshiva Revel was attending in New York. Levinthal invited Revel to become his assistant in Philadelphia. Later, Levinthal officiated at Revel's marriage.[11]

Politics and Zionism

The Levinthals were known to President Taft, and attended his 25th wedding anniversary in 1911, while he was in office.

While he was unable to travel from America to Switzerland for the First World Jewish Congress in 1897, he did write a speech that was read there. He attended the 1936 Congress, with his second wife.

Levinthal was a founder of the Orthodox Union in 1898 and of Mizrachi (now Religious Zionists of America) in 1902; he was present at the 1906 founding of the American Jewish Committee as a delegate, and helped organize the American Jewish Congress in 1917.[12] In 1919, he was sent by the American Jewish Committee to the Peace Conference at Versailles, one of only nine Jewish representatives.[2][12] While there, he advocated for successful resolutions supporting religious freedom and Jewish civil rights of Jews in Europe.[2]

His synagogue mourned secularist Zionism founder Theodore Herzl on his death in 1904. After Levinthal's Versailles Peace Conference trip, he publicly expressed support for the British Mandate of Palestine, and a wish to move there and help construct a new Jewish state there should one be established. He was Honorary Vice-Chairman of the United Palestine Appeal, forerunner of the United Israel Appeal, in 1926.

In 1939, as news began to spread of maltreatment of Jews throughout Europe in the leadup to the Holocaust, Levinthal represented the United Jewish Appeal in a fundraiser throughout the United States to help the European Jews. Some of the funds were used to help resettle them in Mandatory Palestine.

He supported Liberty Bond sales, going so far as to cross religious lines, bringing reform rabbis and Catholic leaders into his home to strategize sales. He acted similarly in 1944 for War Bond sales. He gave encouragement to Jewish soldiers and sailors.[2]

Levinthal criticized the Jewish Theological Seminary for requiring its students to attain a secular college degree.[13]

References
  1. Tnar, Special to T] N.-w Yo (1952-09-24). "Bernard Lewnthal, Dean of U. S. Rabbis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  2. "History". B'nai Abraham Chabad. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  3. Sherbock, Dan (March 10, 2006). Dictionary of Jewish Biography. A&C Black. ISBN 9780826480408.
  4. "Video: The Gladwyne Jewish Cemetery Project". Bryn Mawr-Gladwyne, PA Patch. 2013-01-07. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  5. "Lower Merion Conservancy » Gladwyne Jewish Memorial Cemetery". lmconservancy.org. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  6. "History". Beth David Reform Congregation. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  7. Jewish Communal Register of New York City, 1917-1918, 2nd Edition. New York: Kehillah (Jewish Community) of New York City, 1918. p. 935. See: Internet Archive link
  8. Janowsky, p. 146
  9. "Honor Veteran of Philadelphia Pulpit | Jewish Telegraphic Agency". www.jta.org. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  10. "LEVINTHAL ESTATE | 88 Pa. D. & C. 93 (1954) | dampc931164 | Leagle.com". Leagle. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  11. Shevitz, Amy Hill (2007-08-17). Jewish Communities on the Ohio River: A History. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813138435.
  12. American Jews: Their Lives and Achievements ; a Contemporary Biographical Record, Volume 1. New York: Golden Book Foundation of America. 1947. p. 127.
  13. Rakeffet-Rothkoff, Aaron (1972). Bernard Revel: Builder of American Jewish Orthodoxy. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America. p. 105.
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