2008 Woodie Awards
Pioneers of American Jewish Orthodoxy: Mr. Harry Fischel and Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein
Aaron I. Reichel
Issue date: 4/18/05 Section: YUdaica
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The names Mr. Harry Fischel and Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein have found themselves mentioned in the same context on many occasions. Both were pioneers in the growth of American Judaism, in general, and in American Jewish Orthodoxy, particularly in the dynamic precedent-setting first half of the twentieth century. Fischel and Goldstein were both visionaries. Both played major roles in the history of the Jewish institutions in their era, not the least significant of which was Yeshiva College and RIETS. When Fischel immigrated to America, his parents urged him not to exchange his religion for gold. Little did anyone imagine that, to the contrary, he was destined to help strengthen the religion of virtually all Jews in America in a wide variety of ways, not the least of which was by supporting the good works of his son-in-law, Herbert S. Goldstein.
Harry Fischel was born in Russia in 1865, constructed a model version of the Mishkan (the holy Tabernacle) at 10 years of age, mastered the basics of architecture by the time he was 18, became an architect and a builder at 19, immigrated to America virtually penniless at 20, and earned his first million in real estate at a young age. When he became a director of the Beth Israel Hospital in 1891, he laid the groundwork for its kosher policy up to and including the present; when he became a charter member of the American Jewish Committee in 1906, he persuaded his mostly non-Orthodox co-founders to designate him to chair its second annual luncheon, to assure it and its future events would be kosher; when he met with U.S. President Taft in 1911, he successfully appealed to the President to order the installation of a kosher kitchen at Ellis Island so that Orthodox Jewish immigrants could have the opportunity to eat kosher food during a probation period and become strong enough to pass the test to avoid deportation; when he met the Chief Rabbi of pre-Israel Palestine, he single-handedly built a new official residence for the chief rabbi, the legendary Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook, and then single-handedly funded another dream of the visionary chief rabbi - a yeshiva on the highest level, to train judges for the religious courts of the country that was more than a decade away from declaring its independence.
Harry Fischel was born in Russia in 1865, constructed a model version of the Mishkan (the holy Tabernacle) at 10 years of age, mastered the basics of architecture by the time he was 18, became an architect and a builder at 19, immigrated to America virtually penniless at 20, and earned his first million in real estate at a young age. When he became a director of the Beth Israel Hospital in 1891, he laid the groundwork for its kosher policy up to and including the present; when he became a charter member of the American Jewish Committee in 1906, he persuaded his mostly non-Orthodox co-founders to designate him to chair its second annual luncheon, to assure it and its future events would be kosher; when he met with U.S. President Taft in 1911, he successfully appealed to the President to order the installation of a kosher kitchen at Ellis Island so that Orthodox Jewish immigrants could have the opportunity to eat kosher food during a probation period and become strong enough to pass the test to avoid deportation; when he met the Chief Rabbi of pre-Israel Palestine, he single-handedly built a new official residence for the chief rabbi, the legendary Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook, and then single-handedly funded another dream of the visionary chief rabbi - a yeshiva on the highest level, to train judges for the religious courts of the country that was more than a decade away from declaring its independence.