| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | Rosenthal, Rudolph M. |
| Title: | Rudolph M. Rosenthal Papers, Series III |
| Dates: | 1919-1979 |
| Extent: | 0.41 linear feet (1 container and 1 oversize folder) |
| Abstract: | Rudolph M. Rosenthal was the rabbi of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation (Temple on the Heights), Cleveland Heights, Ohio, from 1933-1974. The collection consists of awards and certificates, correspondence, newsletters, newspaper clippings, notes for sermons, press releases, programs, and sermons. |
| MS Number | MS 4784 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
Rabbi Rudolph M. Rosenthal (1906-1979) served for 43 years as spiritual leader of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Known as the Temple on the Heights, it is one of the largest Conservative Jewish congregations in the United States. Rosenthal was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 7, 1906. He completed four years of undergraduate work at Hebrew Union College while concurrently attending the University of Cincinnati from which he received his B.A. in 1928. He then transferred to the Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, New York where he was ordained by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise in 1932. In conjunction with his religious studies, he received his M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University, also in 1932.
Rosenthal returned to Cleveland in 1933 and early the next year was installed as rabbi of the Temple on the Heights. During his tenure he was active in the civic, cultural, and education life of the community. He was the first rabbi appointed chaplain of the Cleveland Fire Department in 1952, and was also the assistant chaplain of the Jewish War Veterans, Post #14. He served on the Mayor's Committee to Combat Juvenile Delinquency and, in 1974, on Mayor Perk's Crime Commission. Rosenthal's membership in various civic and educational organizations included the Committee on Church and State of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Bureau of Jewish Education, the Grand Jury Association, the Ohio Mental Hygiene Association, the American Cancer Society, and the Greater Cleveland Safety Council. He was also a member of the Executive Board of the Zionist Organization of America. In 1964 Rosenthal received the City of Hope's "Humanitarian of the Year" Award, and in 1976 he received the "Distinguished Son of Ohio" Award from the Civic Recognition Committee of Ohio.
Among Rosenthal's special concerns were the fields of interracial and inter-religious affairs. He was a member of the Wilberforce University Foundation, serving also as its treasurer, and was Co-chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) membership campaign in 1960. In 1957 Rosenthal received a citation from the Church Civic League for his work as a member of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In recognition for his work in these fields, Rosenthal received honorary degrees from several colleges and universities, including Wilberforce University and Monrovia College in Liberia, Africa.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Rudolph M. Rosenthal
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for B'nai Jeshurun Congregation
The Rudolph M. Rosenthal Papers, Series III, 1919-1979, consist of awards and certificates, correspondence, newsletters, newspaper clippings, notes for sermons, press releases, programs and sermons.
This collection is of value to researchers investigating the history of religious leaders and Conservative Jewish congregations in Cleveland, Ohio, in general and of B'nai Jeshurun in particular. Of particular interest are the notes for Rabbi Rosenthal's sermons. Rosenthal's sermons were generally not formally written. Therefore, these notes give insight into the issues and events that interested him. Although the notes are undated, many of the individuals who became subjects for sermons were born in 1856, suggesting that the rabbi was considering their impact on Jewish life on the centennial anniversaries of their birth dates.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 3940 Rudolph M. Rosenthal Papers; MS 3977 Rudolph M. Rosenthal Papers, Series II; and MS 4726 B'nai Jeshurun Congregation Records.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4784 Rudolph M. Rosenthal Papers, Series III, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Susannah Rosenthal Cohen, 1990 and 1991
Processed by Jane A. Avner in 1998
Rudolph M. Rosenthal Papers, Series III 1919-1979 undated |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Awards and certificates (some originals stored in Container 2, oversize material) 1919 1928-1930 1932 1953-1954 1966 1968 1970 1977 1979 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Correspondence, including correspondence with White House staff members, U.S. Congressman Emanuel Celler, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews 1955 1957-1963 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Newsletters 1960 1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Newspaper clippings 1962 1966 1976 1979 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Notes for sermons, Achad Ha'am (1856-1927), Russian-born Zionist philosopher ca. 1956 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Notes for sermons, Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1929), United States Supreme Court Justice and American Zionist leader undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Notes for sermons, The Family undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Notes for sermons, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Notes for sermons, Hanukkah undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Notes for sermons, Louis Marshall (1856-1929), American attorney and Jewish communal leader undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Notes for sermons, Middle East Politics undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Notes for sermons, miscellaneous topics undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Notes for sermons, Rosh Hashanah undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Notes for sermons, Louis B. Selzer (1897-1980), editor of the Cleveland Press undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Notes for sermons, Travels in Europe and Russia undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Notes for sermons, Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Press releases 1959 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Programs for the congregation's 100th anniversary 1966 | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Sermons 1960 undated | |||||||||