Dr. Mayer Winkler Reelected Rabbi of Homestead Congregation¹

The re-election of Dr. Mayer Winkler as Rabbi of the Congregation Rodeph Shalom of Homestead was an interesting feature of the monthly meeting of the congregation held on Sunday, April second. The large attendance attested the popularity which the Rabbi has achieved during his year of many-sided service as preacher and teacher in the community. Particularly impressive was the plea of the large delegation of the Ladies’ Aid Society under the leadership of Mrs. Elek (sic) Hepps, who pointed out what it has meant to the women and children, as well as to the men, of the congregation to have its own Rabbi. Among those who spoke on behalf of the delegation were Mrs. E.H. Schwarz and Mrs. Aaron Weiss. When the result of the vote was made known and the election declared unanimous the enthusiasm of the meeting reached such a high pitch that a committee was dispatched to carry the message at once to the Rabbi and summon him to appear before the meeting. Rabbi Winkler, in a few appropriate words, spoke of the pleasant relations that had existed between him and the members of the congregation in the past, and of his gratification at this evidence that the feeling of good will was mutual.

Mr. Aaron Weiss, the president, paid an eloquent tribute to the Rabbi on behalf of the congregation, saying that he had brought new life to the Jewish community of Homestead. He was then himself the recipient of an equally striking tribute. Owing to his intention to leave Homestead in the near future, he felt compelled, regretfully, to tender his resignation as president on the congregation. This the members refused to accept. It was declared by those who spoke that Mr. Weiss had been one of the founders of the Talmud Torah and in a large measure responsible for the community center idea, which the congregation hopes to see realized in the near future. Finally Mr. Weiss was induced to withdraw his resignation pending the completion of the plans now under way for the upbuilding of the various institutions that will be maintained under the auspices of the congregation.

The officers of the congregation are: President, Mr. Aaron Weiss; Vice President, Enoch Greenstein; Secretary, Barney Hepp (sic); Treasurer, Mark Fishel; Trustee, Joe Katz. The president of the Talmud Torah is Mr. B. Friedlander; Vice President, Joe Katz. The Chairman of the Religious School is Mr. M. Grinberg. The President of the Ladies’ Aid Society is Mrs. Elek Hepps.

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Re-elected Cantor

At a meeting of the Homestead Hebrew congregation held at the Synagogue, Sunday, August 7th, which was attended by a record-breaking attendance, almost the entire membership being present, the Rev. S. Widom was re-elected Cantor for the congregation by a majority unprecedented in the history of the Homestead Jewish community. Rev. S. Widom has an enviable record of sixteen years continue service in Homestead and the members of the community showed their appreciation of his faithful and efficient service by turning out in a body to re-elect him for the ensuing term.

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REV. S. WIDOM RE-ELECTED CANTOR OF HOMESTEAD²

At a meeting of the Homestead Hebrew congregation held at the Synagogue, Sunday, August Seventh, which was attended by a record-breaking attendance, almost the entire membership being present, the Rev. S. Widom was re-elected Cantor for the congregation by a majority unprecedented in the history of the Homestead Jewish community. Rev. S. Widom has an enviable record of sixteen years continue service in Homestead and the members of the community showed their appreciation of his faithful and efficient service by turning out in a body to re-elect him for the ensuing term.

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RABBI WINKLER OFF TOMORROW FOR THE WEST

Rabbi Dr. Meyer (sic) Winkler will deliver his farwell (sic) address at the synagogue this evening at eight o’clock and undoubtedly there will be a large crowd in attendance to hear his final words in the local community.

Rabbi Dr. Winkler together by Mrs. Winkler, sons Erwin and Rudolph and daughter Nellie will leave tomorrow for California where they will make their future home, Rabbi Winkler having accepted a call to a congregation in Los Angeles.

The departing rabbi has made wonderful strides in his calling. He has only been in the country for two years but in that time he has absorbed education that it requires other (sic) ten years or longer to secure. He declined the proffer of a position in the Hebrew Union College at Cincinnati.

The Hebrew community as a whole is sorry to see him and his family (sic) but feel that in his larger field in the west he will have mor (sic) opportunity for advancement.

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1. I could not find coverage of Winkler’s reelection in Homestead’s paper, which was really surprising to me.  ↩

2. This article appears to be a duplicate of the one in the Homestead paper.  ↩