Kneseth Israel Congregation (Cincinnati, Ohio) 25th Anniversary and Mortgage Burning Journal from 1945

1945

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A Historical Sketch of Kneseth Israel Congregation
On the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Kneseth Israel Congregation, Washington Avenue Synagogue, it gives us great pleasure to record here our growth and worth as a leader of Cincinnati Orthodoxy for the past twenty-five years. From its inception, the Congregation has had the guidance of the leading Rabbis in the United States: Rabbi Elchenan Lesser, the first president of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis; after his departure the leader was the well-known Rabbi Chaim Fischel Epstein, and now our Rabbi Eliezer Silver—may he continue with a long and active life. When Rabbi Silver came to us in 1931, he was president of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis, and is still a member of their Presidium. Here in our Synagogue was held the important convention of the Agudas Israel of America. Over three hundred leading Rabbis and laymen gathered together to lay the foundations for a great organi-zation. Here, too, the Cincinnati Young Israel was organized, and held its services in this Synagogue until the recent acquisition of its own home. Our Synagogue building is the meeting headquarters of the Vaad Ho'ier, the Telse Society, and many other worthy orthodox organizations. The learned and the scholarly have gathered in our congregation. Many of our Balabatim are Talmudic scholars, and not a few have Smichas. We have here an organized Chevrah Shaas, two Chevrah Mishnais, and have recently added a Chaluchath Hashaas, a great library of Rabbinical and Talmudic manuscripts. Our members contribute over fifty per cent of all monies raised in this community, for orthodox local and national charities and institutions. Services are held daily, morning and evening, in two different places in the Synagogue. The Chapel, on the Kneseth Israel Cemetery grounds, built by Moses Vigransky and his family, is the most beautiful chapel to be found in any Orthodox Cemetery in Cincinnati. The Magida Hashir (teachers) in Mishna and Gemorrah beside the Rabbi were Moishe Elchanan Miller, Eli Dunsker, and I. Siegel, who have passed to the Great Beyond. Present teachers are H. Mor-genstern and Chaim Joselit. Moses Price is the President of our Congregation. Past Presidents of our Congregation are Reb Moishe Elchanan Miller, Reb Hirsch Manischewitz, I. Siegel, Aaron Z. Isaacs, Ben Levinson, and Al Harris.