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THE SOUTHERN ISRAE LITE
A Resume Of The Year 5691
Of Montgomery, Alabama
Special to The Southern Israelite
By RAE PARE
The activities of Temple Beth-Or, Mont
gomery, Ala. were divided during the Dast
year among the Board of Trustees of the
Temple, the Council of Jewish Women and
the Temple Men’s Club.
The Board of Trustees was directed by
the following officers: President, Mr.
Simon Wampold; Vice-President, Mr.
Simon Roswald; Treasurer, Mr. Ernest
Mayer. Members of the Board served as
ushers on Friday evenings throughout the
year and conducted services during the
summer months while Rabbi Goldstein was
on a vacation, in addition to their regular
duties of operating the affairs of the
Temple.
Rabbi Benjamin B. Goldstein, a brilliant
and inspiring speaker, in a liberal and far
seeing way, has chosen his sermons with
a view toward enabling the members of the
congregation to interpret, and adjust them
selves to the big problems of life—relig
iously, economically, socially—with such
subjects as: “Our Widening Horizons,”
“The Future of Religion,” “The Quest of
an Adequate Judaism,” “The Judaism That
Jews Forget”; a series of sermons was
given on comparative ‘20th century relig
ions, a series on outstanding personali
ties, modern books, while the Sabbath
morning sermons were usually based on
Scriptural selections.
Under the direction of Rabbi Goldstein
a new system has been introduced in the
Sunday School in Montgomery. The new
curriculum calls for work in character de
velopment for the pupils through the
fourth grade. A project is planned for
each class and this general project is car
ried out by the children themselves. The
w'ork is designed to stimulate a creative
interest on the part of the child.
The higher division has graded work in
Jewish history. The method employed in
presenting the history of the Jews is de
signed to give the pupil an understanding
of the relationships which existed between
the Jews and their environmental condi
tions. No text books are used. The teachers
prepare outlines of the historical periods
they are to teach, and the pupils are re
quired to keep note books containing these
outlines and any explanatory material.
The plan has proved to be very success
ful and will be continued.
A class for the Sunday School teachers
(and parents of the children) is held
weekly by Rabbi Goldstein. Last year the
class dealt with “Character Education”
and “Changing Conceptions of Religion
and Their Effect on Religious Education.”
A class for the women of the congre
gation was also conducted each week by
Rabbi Goldstein; the subject for the past
year’s study was “The History of Relig
ion.” The lectures were interesting and
instructive.
The main secular activities ol Montgom
ery focussed themselves within the Coun
cil, the Men’s Club and Hadassah.
The Montgomery Section of the National
Council of Jewish Women has concentrated
this past year on three major projects.
Co-operating with the Men’s Club of
Temple Beth-Or the Council sponsored an
Open Forum and presented such well
known speakers as Norman Thomas, Ever
ett Dean Martin, Dr. Henry Neumann,
Maurice Hindus, Dr. J. Eustace Haydon
and Admiral Richard E. Byrd.
Co-operating with the American Red
Ci oss, a maternity relief was organized.
Financial assistance was given for hospi
talization of expectant mothers and per
sonal contact made with these mothers in
their homes.
1 he third project was the establishii
ol a Braille class for the blind, in whi<
the Council worked with the State Reh
bilitation Department. Sewing and Ba
ketry were taught and a market open,
tor the articles which were made. Month
social gatherings and programs were u
der the guidance of the Council and giv
Ht ul ho I lle of a f °rmer teacher who
sight has been impaired.
The climax of the year was the Sout
ern Interstate Conference which met
Montgomery on April 12th, 13th and 141
Eighteen sections of the South assembled
and gave much profitable information,
showing the work among its constituent
organizations. The officers of the Council
for 1931-1932 are Mrs. Myron Lobman,
President; Mrs. Louis Kaufman, First
Vice-President; Mrs. Benjamin Goldstein,
Second Vice-President; Mrs. Sylvain Loeb.
Treasurer; Mrs. Meyer Sacks, Recording
Secretary; Mrs. Herman Simon, Corre
sponding Secretary, and Mrs. David Mar
cus, Auditor.
Montgomery Chapter of Hadassah car
ried out successfully its educational pro
gram for the members under the able lead
ership of Mrs. Abe Monsky. Mrs. Monsky,
as President, with her efficient set of offi
cers will continue in office during the year
1931-1932 and strive to accomplish as
much for the assistance of Palestine as
they did during the past year.
One of the outstanding events in the
Hadassah and Council year was a joint
luncheon at which Mrs. J. J. Heilman.
Southern Regional President of Hadassah,
was the guest speaker.
The Men’s Club, with Edwin Wise as
President, has had a very interesting year
at the supper meetings. The program last
year took the form of debates among the
members, on outstanding problems of
the day.
The Red Letter night of the year was
a dinner to which wives of members were
invited, and Dr. Horace Kalian was the
guest speaker.
Jewish Federation of Montgomery
Last year a Jewish Federation was
formed in Montgomery in an attempt t
co-ordinate local charity work and to elim
inate the many drives for National am
International causes. The members of Tem
ple Beth-Or were the guiding spirit, ami
the Orthodox and Sephardic groups gm
their co-operation. One drive was held din
ing the year with splendid results.
The Federation operates from the oflue
of Temple Beth-Or. Transients and local
families are given necessary relief ona *
tions are made to the National and l nU Y
national organizations which had recel \ \
contributions from Montgomery s
population pratcically equal to the amou
formerly raised by separate drives
The officers are, President, Ra 'i Ben
jamin B. Goldstein; First Vice-Pm si •
Mr. Simon Wampold; Second \ ie^ •
dent, Mrs. Bertha Kahn; Treasu • *
Bernard Gerson; Secretary, *
Pake.
Plans are being made for the |}Hj lU 0 f
drive which is conducted in tm
each year.