STY O
'j~ {Jil’ICLE.Í
MRS. BEN CHEPENIK
President
(The following article appeared in the special all
city Women’s Clubs edition of the Times-Union, sponsored
by the Women’s Club. Its contents give an excellent
resume of the history and activity of the organizations.)
The Daughters of Israel, serves in the capacity
of a sisterhood to the Jacksonville Jewish Center. Meet¬
ings are held the first Wednesday of each month.
From its inception the organization has devoted
its energies to the greatest ideal of the Jewish people
—that of religious education.
Throughout the long history of our people we
have been able to maintain our faith, customs, cere¬
monies and traditions, and keep alive the Hebrew
tongue, because of the great sacrifices mothers in Israel
have made in behalf of the Jewish education of their
children. The Daughters of Israel are continuing this
tradition.
I he organization maintains a daily Hebrew school
where 100 children receive instruction in ancient and
modern Hebrew and study the Bible in the original
longue. I he Daughters of Israel also maintains a
Sunday School which numbers over 200 students, di¬
vided into ten classes. 1 he curriculum provides for
a thorough study of Jewish history, covering a period
of nearly 4.000 years and also the principles of the
Jewish faith.
Members of the Daughters of Israel assist pupils
of the school in the religious celebration and other
festivities which are held by the children during the
year. At the end of each school year the organization
presents gilts to the confirmation class and prizes
to outstanding pupils.
Decoration of the Center Synagogue and main¬
tenance of the Center grounds are also taken care of
by the Daughters of Israel. To finance this work
the organization sponsors a number of fund raising
activities, outstanding among which are! The Thanks¬
giving Dance, New Year’s Dinner Dance, and the
Cabaret. 1 he Daughters of Israel also contribute to
various national and local charities.
The history of the Daughters of Israel is linked
with the very beginning of Jewish organizational work
in this city 25 years ago. In 1915 the Jewish com¬
munity was addressed by several distinguished visi¬
tors, including the late Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Strauss,
the late Arthur Brisbane and Madame Bella Pevzner.
As a result of these visits the Jewish women of Jack¬
sonville formed that year an organization for the pur¬
pose of carrying on educational, charitable and Zionist
activities under the name of Hadassah, which a year
later was changed to a sub-chapter of Hadahhah. Mrs.
Max Rubin was the first president.
Under this name the organization functioned
until 1922, when, with the growth of the Jewish
community, it became necessary to divide the work.
Out of its ranks came three women’s organizations •
The Daughters of Israel, organized by Rabbi I. Press
as a sisterhood of the Old B nai Israel Synagogue and
devoted chiefly to the maintenance of a Hebrew
School; the Hadassah, which became the women’s
Zionist organization, and the Ladies Hebrew Shelter¬
ing Aid Society which carried on charitable work
among indigent Jews in the Community.
The Daughters of Israel met in the old Y. M. H.
A. Building under the guidance of Mrs. Harry Finkel-
stein, first president and engaged in an extensive pro¬
gram of educational and religious work. It was also
a strong factor in the movement to build the Jackson¬
ville Jewish Center, the corner stone of which was
laid in 1927.
In 1928 when the Jacksonville Jewish Center was
dedicated, the Daughters of Israel became the Center
sisterhood. The organization grew in membership and
ramified its activities and became an important force
in the life of the Jewish community. Among its 200
members there are many who are graduates of the
Center Hebrew School and Sunday School. Mem¬
bers of the organization are imbued with a fine spirit
of Americanism and loyalty to the Jewish faith. Many
of them are active workers in behalf of Zionism and
chairity. Among the past presidents of the Daughters
of Israel are: Mrs. Max Rubin, Mrs. Harry Finkel-
stein, Mrs. Florence Bono, Mrs. L. D. Joel, Mrs. A.
Sager and Mrs. J. Hackel.
T\venty-four
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