Herbert S. Goldstein
Encyclopedia
Herbert S. Goldstein, was a prominent American
rabbi
and Jewish leader.
He was the only person in history to have been elected president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the Rabbinical Council of America
(first presidium), and the Synagogue Council of America
.
Globally, he fought for the survival and transplantation of European Jewry as an activist in the Vaad Hatzalah
and the Agudath Israel
.
.
He attended Etz Chaim Yeshiva
, Townsend Harris High School
, and Columbia University
(B.A.
, M.A.
). He also graduated as valedictorian
at the (then-more-traditional) Jewish Theological Seminary
. He received rabbinic ordination both from Rabbi Shalom Elchanan Jaffe of Beth Hamedrash Hagadol, and from the Jewish Theological Seminary
.
.
idea, certainly within an Orthodox Jewish setting, where prayer
was a major component. The synagogue services came first, and then came the gymnasium and the Olympic-size swimming pool. The Institutional Synagogue, in its prime, served approximately 3000 people a day, and had a roster of 67 clubs. As the founder of the successor West Side Institutional Synagogue, he led one of the most influential Orthodox synagogues in the country during its most influential years.
(the NCSY).
As president of the UOJCA, he played a role in getting Yeshiva University
recognized as such by the New York Board of Regents, by guaranteeing its financial viability on behalf of the UOJCA.
department of the University’s affiliated rabbinical school for decades, guiding virtually the first two generations of America’s leading American-born and educated orthodox rabbis, having joined its staff shortly after he was ordained before World War I
, and continuing almost until U.S. President John F. Kennedy
sent advisers into Vietnam
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and Jewish leader.
He was the only person in history to have been elected president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the Rabbinical Council of America
Rabbinical Council of America
The Rabbinical Council of America is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU...
(first presidium), and the Synagogue Council of America
Synagogue Council of America
The Synagogue Council of America was an organization of American Jewish synagogue associations, founded in 1926, including :*The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America *The Rabbinical Council of America...
.
Globally, he fought for the survival and transplantation of European Jewry as an activist in the Vaad Hatzalah
Vaad Hatzalah
Vaad Hatzalah was an organization to rescue Jews in Europe from the Holocaust.It was founded in November 1939 by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada...
and the Agudath Israel
Agudath Israel
Agudath Israel can refer to any of several related organizations, including:*World Agudath Israel, an international movement*Agudath Israel of America, an American organization*Agudat Yisrael, an Israeli political party...
.
Early life
Goldstein and his family were members of Beth Hamedrash Hagadol, where he had his Bar Mitzvah, and met his future father-in-law and renowned Jewish leader Harry FischelHarry Fischel
Harry Fischel was an American businessman and philanthropist based in New York City at the turn of the 20th century.Fischel was one of the leading pioneers in the growth of American Judaism, in general, and in American Jewish Orthodoxy, in particular, particularly in the dynamic precedent-setting...
.
He attended Etz Chaim Yeshiva
Etz Chaim Yeshiva (Manhattan)
Etz Chaim Yeshiva was founded in 1886 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York. It was founded as a cheder-style elementary school and, over time, became the basis of Yeshiva College and Yeshiva University....
, Townsend Harris High School
Townsend Harris High School
Townsend Harris High School is a public magnet high school for the humanities in the borough of Queens in New York City. Students and alumni often refer to themselves as "Harrisites." Townsend Harris consistently ranks as among the top 100 High Schools in the United States. It currently operates as...
, and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
). He also graduated as valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
at the (then-more-traditional) Jewish Theological Seminary
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
. He received rabbinic ordination both from Rabbi Shalom Elchanan Jaffe of Beth Hamedrash Hagadol, and from the Jewish Theological Seminary
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
.
Fights for Jewish rights
He led many fights for Jewish rights, beginning with the fight to expose unscrupulous fraudulent “kosher” butchers, and their powerful backers; fought for the rights of the downtrodden, in many social settings and political arenas, including the successful fight for a historic Minimal Wage LawMinimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
.
Institutional Synagogue
As the founder of the original Institutional Synagogue in 1917, he was one of the creators of the Jewish Community CenterJewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
idea, certainly within an Orthodox Jewish setting, where prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
was a major component. The synagogue services came first, and then came the gymnasium and the Olympic-size swimming pool. The Institutional Synagogue, in its prime, served approximately 3000 people a day, and had a roster of 67 clubs. As the founder of the successor West Side Institutional Synagogue, he led one of the most influential Orthodox synagogues in the country during its most influential years.
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
As president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (UOJCA) for close to a decade, he led the establishment of national kosher food endorsements, which became the symbol of the O.U., as well as a national organization for college youth (the precursor of Yavneh) and for high school youth (the precursor of the National Conference of Synagogue YouthNational Conference of Synagogue Youth
NCSY is an Orthodox Jewish youth group sponsored by the Orthodox Union. Founded in 1954, it has members in the United States, Canada, Israel, Chile, and formerly also in Ukraine. Its slogan is Inspiring the Jewish Future...
(the NCSY).
As president of the UOJCA, he played a role in getting Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
recognized as such by the New York Board of Regents, by guaranteeing its financial viability on behalf of the UOJCA.
American Religious Palestine Fund
He was president of the Keren Hayishuv, the American Religious Palestine Fund, and of the Save-A-Child Foundation, which evolved into the Homes for Children in Israel;National Conference of Christians and Jews
He was co-founder of the National Conference of Christians and Jews; he was one of the leading English-speaking fund-raisers in the Orthodox Jewish community when it was still dominated by Yiddish-speaking foreign born individuals.Homiletics
He also headed the homileticsHomiletics
Homiletics , in theology the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific department of public preaching. The one who practices or studies homiletics is called a homilist....
department of the University’s affiliated rabbinical school for decades, guiding virtually the first two generations of America’s leading American-born and educated orthodox rabbis, having joined its staff shortly after he was ordained before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and continuing almost until U.S. President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
sent advisers into Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.