Rabbi Myron Silverman (1911-1981) served as rabbi of The Suburban Temple, Cleveland, Ohio, from 1949 to 1975. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1932. After his ordination at Hebrew Union College in 1936, he held pulpits in Birmingham, Alabama; Hamilton, Ohio; and Philadelphia. Silverman served as an Army chaplain for three-and-a-half years during World War II, mainly in the Pacific Theater, where he became chief of chaplains in Korea. Silverman came to Suburban Temple in 1949, one year after it was founded. In addition to his duties as rabbi of the congregation, he was active in a number of groups including Citizens League of Cleveland, American Jewish Committee, Fairhill Psychiatric Hospital, and the World Union of Progressive Judaism. Silverman was national chairman of the Union of American Hebrew Congregation's Israel Commission, and president of the Cleveland Board of Rabbis. He received an honorary doctorate of divinity from Hebrew Union College in 1961. During the years that he served at Suburban Temple, Rabbi Silverman was one of a limited number of rabbis who, under certain conditions, performed marriages between Jews and non-Jews.
The Rabbi Myron Silverman Papers, 1943-1981, consist primarily of correspondence, sermons, prayers for special occasions, and talks relating to Silverman's roles at Suburban Temple, as well as materials relating to his participation in local and national organizations.
This collection is of particular value to researchers studying developments within Reform Judaism in America. Following World War II some Cleveland Jews who were dissatisfied with Reform Jewish education participated in a two year series of studies and discussions. A description of these investigations, which ultimately led to the formation of Suburban Temple, is contained in a history of the congregation (folder 37). This material provides valuable information about the state of Jewish education and the diversity of opinion concerning the future of Judaism in post-war Cleveland. In addition, Rabbi Silverman's papers are of interest to researchers studying intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews in the middle of twentieth century America. Rabbi Silverman's correspondence files contain both personal and professional correspondence to and from Silverman during the period 1964-1976. Among the topics that re-appear throughout this collection are counseling regarding mixed marriages and conscientious objector status during the Vietnam war, as well as material concerning fund raising for Jewish causes and Silverman's participation in interfaith events.
The collection is arranged in two series.
All photographs have been removed to the photograph collection.
The researcher should also consult the MS 3753 Suburban Temple Records.
Processed by Evy Rosenblum in 1990.
None.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4522 Rabbi Myron Silverman Papers, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Suburban Temple, 1987.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.