Margolies' Yeshiva

In Manhattan last week two white-bearded men of almost exactly the same short stature spoke to each other.

Said the first, whose white beard is short, trimmed: "I have given to this institution as chairman of the building committee three years of my entire time and energy. I have had no time whatsoever for my own business, which has been entirely neglected, besides having divorced myself from all other institutions with which I have been connected for 42 years. ... I therefore propose that this venerable rabbi shall be elected president of this great institution."

The second, whose white beard cascades generously to his chest, accepted the nomination.

The short-bearded speaker was Harry Fischel, until last week acting president of Manhattan's Yeshiva College, builder of the first U. S. Yiddish theatre (the Grand, on Grand Street, Manhattan), builder of apartments and office buildings on Manhattan's Park Avenue, native of Russia, loyal orthodox Jew.

The deep-voiced, long-bearded second man was Rabbi Morris S. Margolies, last week elected president of Yeshiva and of the Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He, too, is a native of Russia. In 1899 he became rabbi of the Boston Orthodox Community. Since 1906 he has been rabbi of the Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in Manhattan. In Manhattan there are few orthodox Jewish activities to which his name has not been attached. Orphans and the aged have listened for his slow steps, rabbinical students have harkened to his priestly wisdom. His greatest fondness is study, his ambition bringing Jewish culture and spiritual education to the U. S.

Yeshiva College consolidates the movement for Hebrew education which has been spreading throughout the country for the past decade. In the U. S., Talmud Torahs were formerly old, elementary schools for teaching Jewish boys (and occasionally girls) to read Hebrew as a dead language. Now U. S. Talmud Torahs teach Jewish culture, and Hebrew as a living tongue. Every city with a large Jewish population has such elementary schools supervised by bureaus of Jewish Education. In some cities Jews have demanded that their Talmud Torahs be recognized as are Catholic parochial schools. Generally they have been refused.

New York City, however, allows such Jewish parochial schools, and also state Jewish high schools, called intermediate Yeshivas. The new Yeshiva College is the last step. It has full college rating in New York state, is a complete college in liberal arts. Later, it will have medicine, law. Already it has its theological seminary of which Rabbi Margolies is, of course, president.