Oral history interview with Lewis A. Weintraub, 1997.

ArchivalResource

Weintraub, Lewis A.,. Oral history interview with Lewis A. Weintraub, 1997.

Oral history interview with Lewis A. Weintraub, 1997.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50674135

Lewis A. Weintraub briefly discusses his life before he moved to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1947. The son of Myaryeh and Enya Weintraub in Poland, he, with his mother and siblings traveled to Montreal, Canada, in 1930, joining his father who had arrived 4 years before. His interest in travelling rabbis in Poland and his mother's devout nature prompted him to attend Yeshiva College; he graduated in 1941, got his rabbinical degree a few years later and briefly served as chaplain in the armed forces. He served as an assistant rabbi to a Denver, Colorado, congregation for a few months, but internal politics were not to his liking, so he left. He then moved to Charleston, S.C., as the first rabbi of the Conservation Synagogue Emanu-El, which was founded mostly from families leaving the Orthodox Brith Sholom congregation; fewer came from the Beth Israel Congregation. He speaks of the first services, before the congregation had a building; the acquisition of a structure on Gordon Street, the dedication, the congregation's rapid growth, the speakers he brought in, and the educational series begun. He also mentions the starting of bar and bat mitzvahs, and confirmation ceremonies. Once, on leaving town, he had arranged for a rabbi from an Orthodox congregation to cover his services; but then the Orthodox board refused to let him preach to a Conservative congregation. In response to questions, Weintraub talks about the philosophy of Conservatism, and how it might have appealed to a post-war generation; the more aristocratic members of Brith Sholom wanted to have men and women worship together and make some adaptations to American life. Weintraub praises certain families, such as the Kronsbergs, Mendelsohns and Steinbergs, for sustaining the congregation in its early years. Many contributed funds, and Dr. Matthew Steinberg volunteered as the Congregation's volunteer moil, or ritual circumciser. After marrying Fanny Goldberg from Charleston, and having two children, Rabbi Weintraub realized it would be best to leave to provide a better environment for his family. When he departed after seven years of very many positive experiences, the Congregation had grown from 40 members to over 200 families and was nearly finished with the construction of a new sanctuary.

Sound recording : 1 sound cassette : digital.Transcript : 38 p. ; 28 cm.

College of Charleston, Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library