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Columbus, Ga. Rabbi
Honored
Specially written for The Southern Israelite
M arking more than a quarter of a cen
tury as the spiritual advisor of his congre
gation and as long a period of work in
local activities, Dr. F. L. Rosenthal, Rabbi of
B’nai Israel Temple, was honored at a reception
recentlv at the Harmony Club. Sharing honors
with the beloved rabbi was Mrs. Rosenthal, who
has been a companion through the many years
he has served the temple.
The reception was in charge
of the Jewish Ladies’ Aid So
ciety and the Columbus Section
of the National Council of Jew
ish Women, with its Presidents,
M rs. Herman Rothschild and
Mrs. Mark Sternberg, respec
tively, in charge, and wfith Mrs.
David Greentree and Mrs.
David Rothschild as co-chairmen.
In the receiving line, along with
Dr. and Mrs. Rosenthal, were
Rabbi and Mrs. J. Shulman,
members of the Hoard of B’nai
Israel and officials of other Jew
ish organizations.
While well known as a spirit
ual guide, Dr. Rosenthal is
known in Columbus and else
where as a humanitarian and a
man who knows neither creed nor
color in efforts to better the wel
fare of his fellowman.
Dr. Rosenthal has been con
nected with the Temple B’nai
Israel since September 6, 1907,
having previously been promi
nently identified with the Tem
ple in Baton Rouge, La. The coming of Dr.
Rosenthal to Columbus was marked by Baton
Rouge doing all that was honorable to hold him,
the temple members there enlisting the aid of their
friends of all creeds represented in Louisiana’s
State capital in an effort to retain the services of
Dr. Rosenthal. It was unfortunate for Baton
Rouge that Columbus needed him.
Shortly after Dr. Rosenthal settled down in
Columbus, he carried out a most successful cam
paign towards improving and rebuilding the house
of worship that had been built in 1888. His ef
forts were climaxed by the dedication of a rebuilt
Temple in 1908, the interior of which to this
day is acknowledged to be one of the most attrac
tive in this section of the South.
Dr. Rosenthal is a member of a number of or
ganizations. He is a past president of the local
Kiwanis Club and now holds his third term as
vice-president, having been a charter member. He
holds membership in the Central Conference of
American Rabbis, eleven bodies of the Masonic
1 ffder, Woodmen of the World, I. O. B. B.,
Sojourners’ Club and others. He was grand presi
dent of I. O. B. B., District No. 5, consisting of
even states and the District of Columbia, in
1912-13. He was head counsel of the W. O. W.,
13-14, and brought the first encampment of the
miform rank of that organization to Columbus,
his taking place in 1914 when more than 1,200
oodmen encamped.
Dr. Rosenthal was the first man approached
egarding the bringing of the Chautauqua to Co-
umbus and was one of the guarantors who had
-o make up a deficit. He has not been content
0 be listed merely as a member, but has con-
ributed of his time, talents and money to the
‘xtent that he is a “good” member of all the bod
ies honored by having him on their rolls.
Courtesy Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
RABBI FRANK L. ROSENTHAL
. . . he carried out a most successful
campaign. . . .
I)r. Rosenthal began through the Independent
Order of B nai B rith a movement for the erec
tion of a non-denominational hospital in Hot
Springs, where he was a rabbi before going to
Baton Rouge. I he Order was later granted a
tract of land by the government for the hospital
and it stands today a monument to the initial
movement of Dr. Rosenthal, who is the only active
living member of the movement
as originally begun.
Dr. Rosenthal, while having
many duties added in his own vo
cation, during the World War
was chairman of the committee
for distribution of coal. He was
president of the Jewish Welfare
Board during the war and repre
sentative and chaplain of the
board since 1917, holding serv
ices at Fort Henning Sundays and
on special occasions. He was
commissioned in 1921 with rank
of Major Chaplain, R. O. C.,
which commission he still holds.
He was a member of the Red
Cross before the war and was
first to begin a drive for mem
bership at the time troups were
sent to the Mexican border and
later in the World War.
Dr. Rosenthal has a winning
personality and a distinctly hu
man appeal. He relishes associa
tion with workers of all creeds.
An amusing incident took place
ten years ago which throws a
light on his ability to meet sit
uations and his willingness to serve all.
The Sabbath School Baseball League was
started by various church organizations in Co
lumbus and enthusiasts organized a Jewish Club
to join the league. Only a small number of the
boys were of the Jewish faith.
Shortly after the games opened,
with a cup as the prize to the
winning team, an opposing team
complained to the effect that
Dr. Rosenthal’s team was akin
to a melting pot in the number
of denominations it represented.
A special meeting of the
league was called, the story
goes, and it was ruled that mem
bers of the clubs must be at
tendants of the religious Sab
bath School they preferred to
represent. 'The ruling seemed
rather bad for the contenders
who were organized as mem
bers of B’nai B’rith Sabbath
School. The youths studied the
situation with long faces and
finally resolving themselves into
a committee approached the
rabbi and asked if he would or
ganize a Sabbath School class
for the baseball team. This
was immediately done and con
tinued until the games were fin
ished and the cup was won by
the team, which consisted of
Jews, Catholics and Protestants.
No one ever complained that
the class members were being
detoured from their respective
faiths and no member of the
formed sometime in the early fifties, nohen
about twenty Jewish families grouped for wor
ship in a room above a store, Congregation
ll'nai Israel, of Columbus, Ga., today stands out
as one of the leading Jew-ish congregations in
the South. Most of this wonderful progress is
due to Rabbi frank I.. Rosenthal, whose untie-
ing efforts deserve much commendation.
Starting in this simple manner, the congrega
tion grew, and later it was necessary to buy a
small wooden house to be used for both Tem
ple end Religious School. Still later, when un
der the guidance of Rabbi Louis H'eis, a more
commodious Temple was built. In 1<>07, when
Rabbi Rosenthal assumed leadership, the Tem
ple was remodeled to such an extent that even
today it is considered one of the most attractive
in the South. .Iter remodeling, a re dedication
was held with many notable rabbis partici
pating.
B’nai Israel congregation today carries the
reverence and respect of not only its members,
but the citizenry of Columbus and the South as
well. I'nder the able leadership of Rabbi
Rosenthal the activities of this organization
will always be a shining light.
team complained about the Rabbi’s lessons, which
were short and, no doubt, as undenominational as
could be found anywhere. The rabbi is just proud
of the cup the team, in turn, handed over to him.
To this day it adorns a place in the Rosenthal
home.
It is of special interest to note that during his
incumbency in Columbus he has officiated at sev
eral funerals where the deceased were members
of different faiths, they requesting previously to
their deaths that he officiate, or it has been done
at the tequest of members of the families.
Truly, here is a rabbi who has faithfully served
his charges, and yet fotfnd time to serve his fcl-
lowmen of all creeds, as well as contribute mate
rially toward making Columbus a better city than
it was twenty-five years ago.
TEMPLE B’NAI ISRAEL
one of the most attractive in the South. . . .
I'HE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE *
191