Camden, NJ - Congregation Beth El

Congregation Beth El, Camden's first Conservative synagogue, built and occupied a wonderful synagogue and school building on Park Boulevard, opposite Farnham Park, in the 1920s which it occupied until 1968, when the new building on Chapel Avenue in Cherry Hill was occupied.

In March of 2006 I received a package of information from Rabbi David Herman, the son of Cantor Louis Herman, whose voice for many years inspired the faithful at prayer, and Mrs. Yetta Herman, who was involved for many years in Jewish education at Beth El. Besides David's own story of people and events at Beth El and in Parkside, there were copies of the 80-plus pages of Beth El's history through 1970. He also furnished me with two lists of names, from around 1971 or so, one being the names of all the children and teenagers who were members of Beth El at that time, and the on on this page, members of the Beth El Sisterhood. Even though by that time Beth El had left Camden, many of the names on these lists had and have ties to Camden.

What struck me is that I'm on that list, along with my brother Mark and sister Hilary, and that there are people I know and knew on it, as well as the mother of many boys and girls I went to school and socialized with are on it. I thought it would be fun to put both lists on the web site, just to see who find it.

With that in mind, if you find yourself or a relative on this page, e-mail me!

Phil Cohen
March 2006

Camden Courier-Post - June 15, 1933

CAMDEN JEWS PICK CAPTAINS FOR DRIVE
Committee to Raise $10,000 for Aid, Told of Hardships in Germany

At an executive meeting of the United Committee for Relief of German Jews, held at Beth El Synagogue last night, the captains who will be in charge of teams for the purpose of raising $10,000 for relief of German Jews, were announced by Leon H. Rose, general chairman. In urging the appointees to intensive efforts, Rose said:

"Six hundred thousand Jews are in distress. They are ousted from office, discharged from employment, denied civil and economic rights, persecuted and systematically forced to starve to death.

"There is raging in Germany one of the coldest and cruelest pogroms against the Jews ever known to history.

"We must help. We must rescue those helpless ones. Our weapon for immediate retaliation is money, and we must supply those arms. By the widest stretch of the imagination, it is inconceivable how any Jew in this community can exclude himself from this cause.

"Thousands of German Jews, especially among the young, see a prospect of restarting their lives in Palestine to which some of them already have made their way. Determined, concerted Jewish effort can make it capable of providing a permanent home for a considerable part of German Jewry to whom the rest of the world, with few exceptions, is closed.

"Immediate funds are needed. I appeal to you as self-respecting Jews who understand the suffering of your own race to come to the aid of your stricken brothers and sisters. Give them all you can."

Those named and the organizations they represent are: Jacob Leventon, Congregation Beth El; David Lefkowitz, congregation Sons of Israel; Morris Josselson, Congregation Beth Israel; Benjamin Friedman, B'nai Brith; Mrs. I.S. Siris, Hadassah; Philip Miller, Hebrew Parent Teachers Association; Herman Odlen, Federation of Jewish Charities; Mrs. Rose Goldstein, Independent Social; Harry W. Markowich, Zionist Organization; Norman Heine, Junior
Council; Julius Samson, Upsilon Lambda Phi.

Mrs. William Laub, Council of Jewish Women; A. David Epstein, Sigma Alpha Rho; Mrs. Aaron Heine, Beth El Sisterhood; Samuel Shane, Talmud Torah; M. Snyder, Workmen's Circle; M. Bard, F. of S. U.; Louis Tarter, Independent Progress Lodge; Mrs. Zelda Lutz, Jacob J. Hernfeld Link; Dr. I.S. Siris, Jewish Welfare Society; Mrs. M. Shapiro, Hebrew Ladies Charities.

Saul Lippman, Mizrachi; Mrs. Samuel Litow, Welfare Social Club; D. Breslow, Gordonia.; Dr. Reuben Cutler, Mizpah Lodge No. 245; F. & A. M.; Meyer Adelman, Camden Level Club; Mrs. Etta Rosen, B'nai Brith Auxiliary; Mrs. L. Weiss, Ladies Auxlliary of Progress Lodge; Miriam Morris, Junior
Charity Workers; Mrs. A. Stoolman, Deborah Society; Mrs. M. Leider, Welfare Social.

Moses Bord was appointed captain of the workers. A mass meeting will be held June 20, at the talmud torah building, Seventh Street and Kaighn Avenue, and will be addressed by members of national, state and municipal governments, as well as outstanding Jewish leaders from New York and Philadelphia.

Camden Courier-Post - February 17, 1938

Mother-Daughter Banquet Slated by Sisterhood Here

A mother-daughter dinner has been planned by the Beth El Sisterhood for Monday next. The affair will be held in the beth el auditorium, Park boulevard and Belleview avenue, and has been arranged under the direction of Mrs. Meyer B. Chertkof, of Collingswood, and Mrs. Max Sherman, of this city.

The dinner is slated for seven o'clock. Mrs. Philip Lipis, program chairman for the year, will act as toastmaster and Mrs. Harry Lutz, president, will greet the members and their guests.

The program will include solo and ensemble song and dance numbers. Dolly Aughenbaugh will sing and dance strut style. Tresa Casey will give a Russian dance, Mary Heimerl, acrobatic and Anna Mae Etherington, tap.

Members of the sisterhood also will participate in the program. Mrs. Max Greenstein will be the pianist. A playlet will be presented entitled, "Blame It On the Movies." The cast comprises Salina Seigle, Dorothy Cutler, Sara Cutler and Miriam Cantor. Miss Nettie Reiter will sing accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Otto Reiter.

Beth El's Sisterhood

A to L

Mrs. Joseph Asbell

Mrs. Sidney .Bachow

Mrs. Jack Balaban

Mrs. Dora Barr

Mrs. Leonard H. Bascove

Mrs. Albert Batoff

Mrs. Sidney Becker

Mrs. Mortimer Beller

Mrs. Jay Berman

Mrs. Samuel Blank

Mrs. Herman B. Block

Mrs. Herman Bloom

Mrs. Morris Bloom

Mrs. Jeffrey Blum

Mrs. Abe Brandt

Mrs. Harold Brill

Mrs. Allan Brown

Mrs. Milton Brown

Mrs. Jack Brownstein

Mrs. Morris L. Chucas

Mrs. Eva Clement

Mrs. Maurice Clyman

Mrs. Henry Cooperson

Mrs. Max R. Danow

Mrs. Aaron DeKosky

Mrs. Charles Dikter

Mrs. Bertram Ellis

Mrs. Esther Feldman

Mrs. Albert Finkel

Mrs. Milton Fox

Mrs. Max Freeman

Mrs. Stanton D. Freeman

Mrs. Harry E. Fridrich

Mrs. Nathan Friedenberg

Mrs. David Friedman

Mrs. Isaac Furman

Mrs. Benjamin Gassell

Mrs. Max Gayer

Mrs. Victor Gerber

Mrs. Dov Gilden

Mrs. Donald Glassman

Mrs. Seymor Goldberg

Mrs. Sidney Goldfield

Mrs. Louis L. Goldman

Mrs. Martin Goldstein

Mrs. Ellis Goodman

Mrs. Frank Grobman

Mrs. Alvin Gross

Mrs. Benjamin Gross

Mrs. Michael B. Grossman

Mrs. Michael Guerra

Mrs. Harry W. Haltzman

Mrs. Allan Hecsh

Mrs. Samuel Heine

Mrs. Herman R. Henken

Mrs. Louis Herman

Mrs. Maurice Hoffman

Mrs. B. Gordon Jacobs

Mrs. Fannie Jassen

Mrs. Howard Kahn

Mrs. William Kaminsky

Mrs. Gary Kanalstein

Mrs. M. Richard Kaplan

Mrs. Robert I. Kaplan

Mrs. Morton Kerr

Mrs. Irving Kessler

Mrs. Samuel Kleinburd

Mrs. Eugene Kleinfield

Mrs. Jack Kupzoff

Mrs. Bernard Kushner

Mrs. Morris Kutner

Mrs. David Landsburg

Mrs. David Latterman

Mrs. Norman LePow

Mrs. S. Arthur Levy

Mrs. Frank Levy

Mrs. Morris Liebman

Mrs. Israel Long

Mrs. Edward N. Ludin

Mrs. Samuel Lukoff

Mrs. Harry Lutz

Mrs. Dorothy Markovitz

Mrs. Murray Matez

Mrs. Harvey Mitnick

Mrs. Mae Mishkin

Mrs. Eugene Morse

Mrs. Edward L. Natal

Mrs. Herman Natal

Mrs. Harold Needle

Mrs. Bruce Nurock

Mrs. Milton Nurock

Mrs. Edward Patchin

Mrs. Reuben Pinsky

Mrs. Philip Plaskey

Mrs. Gershon Press

Mrs. Jules B. Puschett

Mrs. Morris A. Rabkin

Mrs. Barry Robbins

Mrs. Morris Robbins

Mrs. Leon H. Rose

Mrs. Edward Rosen

Mrs. Ernest Rosen

Mrs. Arnold Rosenberg

Mrs. Philip Rosenfeld

Mrs. Robert Rosengarten

Mrs. Sadie Rosenthal

Mrs. Stanley Rosenzweig

Mrs. Benjamin Rosner

Mrs. Claire Ross

Mrs. L. Rovner

Mrs. Joachim Rudoler

Mrs. Maurice Russell

Mrs. Howard 1. Sanderow

Mrs. Harry Sandrow

Mrs. George Schatz

Mrs. Herman Schomer

Mrs. Simon Seidman

Mrs. Irvin Seigle

Mrs. Benjamin Selbst

Mrs. A. Morton Shapiro

Mrs. Samuel Shmerelson

Mrs. Franklin Silber

Mrs. Jay Simmons

Mrs. Louis Simon

Mrs. Jules Sklar

Mrs. Robert Sloan

Mrs. Samuel Slutsky

Mrs. Ralph Snyder

Mrs. Jack 1. Sragow

Mrs. Maxwell Stallop

Mrs. Ben Zion Steinberg

Mrs. Milton Sternberg

Mrs. Manuel Stiefel

Mrs. Ronald Stubin

Mrs. Norman Suckonic

Mrs: Robert Targan

Mrs. Anna Teitelman

Mrs. Harry Teitelman

Mrs. Saul Teitelman

Mrs. Malcolm H. Trobman

Mrs. Samuel Waldman

Mrs. Robert Wapner

Mrs. Alan Wechsler

Mrs. Benjamin Weiner

Mrs. Stephen M. Weinstein

Mrs. Leon Weinstein

Mrs. Lewis M. Weinstein

Mrs. Moe Weisenfeld

Mrs. Irving Weiss

Mrs. Al Y wdenfriend

Mrs. Charles Zitomer

Mrs. Larry Zitomer

Mrs. Leonard Zucker