Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-25
HONORS PAID TO RABBI
SOLOMON OF JEWISH QUARTER
NINETY-sEvEN YEARS OLD.
Has Fifty-Four Children, arandchil-
dren and Great Grandchildren
Great Celebration.

NEW YORK, September 25.-The Rabbi
Bannett Wolinsky of the Synagogue Shelves
Ashien celebrated his ninety-seventh birth
day yesterday morning, and the East Side
for blocks around his home, at 29S Broome
street. resounded with the noise OF the cele-
| bration.
The Rabbi Wolinsky is the Solomon of
the quarter where thousands of Russian
Jews are packed into the tall tenements.
Because of his great age and his reputation
among his people for piety and extreme
wisdom, the thousand and one disputes that
arise among the people and cause little
whirlwinds of anger are carried to the
rabbi for his arbitrament. If Felka Co.
| hens children annoy old Mrs. Isaacstein
and great trouble grows out of it, all the
Cohens and all the Isaacsteins flock to the
old man, and he smilingly puts things right.
| the while he pulls his long white beard and
quotes passages of peace from the Talmud.
Ii may be that Meyer S.lberberg and Marx.
his partner, come to blows over the matter
o. a short cash drawer. or old Shitsky, the
pushcart man, is caught cheating, or the
people rise against the Levinskys who eat
Gentle beef without shame: all these things
and many more go in the end to Rabbi
| WolnSky, who settles them without benefit
of police or law.
! Partly because of these things, there was
| such shouting and crowding and excite
ment on the East Side yesterday morning
| when the venerable rabbi walked abroad
| with his ffty-four children, grandchildren
| and great-grandchidren. seldom comes
save with funeral a wedding or run on
a suspected bank. Even the children of the
! neighborhood where the old man lives
| caught the spirit of the occasion, though
| with the respect that Jewish children have
for the aged, they were quiet and decorous
little people.
The birthday celebration dates back, real
| ly. to August 30. when Rabbi Wolnsl1y
learned that Russia and Japan had agreed
to make peace. Russia, the old man says,
| didn't use him very well, but he remained
loyal to the car and never took out citizen
| ship papers in this country. So he was
| very joyful when he heard that peace was
certain and determined to have a double
| celebration his anniversary day. The
news went about the East Side and the
| rabbits people planned to give him a fine
testimonial of their affection and respect
Louis Singer, a son-in-law of the rabbi,
| went to East Broadway photographer
and arranged to have group picture taken
| of the rabbi and the numerous Wolinskys.
| The rooms of the photographer were deco
| rated with Japanese. Russian and Zionist
| flags and with flowers.
About 0 o'clock yesterday morning Rabbi
| Wolinsky came out of his house, wearing
| his rabbnical hat his long robe and carrying
| staff. He walked with the agility and
| spring of a young man.. His long white
| beard fell nearly to his waist and his hair,
white as snow. was carefully combed and
| arranged. There followed the rabbi, the
| f1fty-four children, grandchildren and great
| grandchildren, in the order of their age.
| Some of them lowered above the old man
| and some of them reached no higher than
| his knee. When the rabbi was half block
/ from his house the descendants were still
| coming out of the house, and every time
| one of them appeared the crowd which
| packed Broome street sent up a chorus of
| cheers that drowned the noise of cars and
| trucks and made the police many beats
away wonder what on earth had happened.
BY Seward Park, the progress of Rabbi
| Wolnisky and his proud family was of the
! nature of triumphal procession. The
| thousands of Russian Jews formed lane
| at the park through which the old man
| walked at the head of his family. Naughty
| were the young Wolinskys and their heads
| were thrown back and their chests were
| thrust out. Even some of the babes ceased
| lamenting and took on the dignity of 81
I lencs Policeman Heckler of the Madison
| street station helped keep the path clear,
| but his services were hardly needed. The
| crowd trampled on each others feet and
| nearly broke each others ribs rather than
| brush the old rabbits long robe.
| When Rabbi Woinski got to 1856 East
| Broadway, where the great picture was to
| be taken, the crowd was so great that traf-
flee stopped for time and the truckmen
| and drivers waited cheerfuIly and patiently
| until 1t was over. The picture man placed
! the rabbi in big arm chair and posed him
| In the midst of the fifty-four descendants.
| On his lap lay the Talmud and as the cam
era clicked he pointed to a passage in the
| book
Then to all who asked vodka was given
| and the rabbi blessed the people He made
| them a little speech before returning to the
| Synagogue Sleeves Ashien, where a special
| service was held later.
| L possess the secret of long nfe,'' said
| the old man in Hebrew. 1T is simple.
| When one goes to bed early and arises with
| the sun one may live to great age, an age
such as mine I smoke with my pipe. 1
| have smoked for years with my pipe and
a hat Inf
| have been moderate. Health lies in mod
Grafton. Smoking will hurt no one, my
| children, If 1t is not INDUCED In inordinate-
| ~. Take the harmless pleasures of life and
| enjoy them to the full but overdo nothing
| Give over just before safety comes. 1t is
| the same with eating, with smoking, with
! drinking, with all things.
Il am not a citizen of America" said
| Rabbi Wolinsky, but still | am an American
| OF the best and most loyal kind 1 should
| like to have voted for Roosevelt; there is
| great man. the best President believe the
| country ever had
Il came to America when l was old In
| years but not in feeling activity. I land
| ed at New York when l was eighty. In
| Russia | was rich l owned three saloons
| and big farm, but the officials they took
my brandy and they ate me up and drank
| me up like pest of locusts, and what they
| didn't eat and drink and borrow, they stole
and confiscated. So came here.
| Six years ago, when I was on my way to
| the synagogue, 1 was knocked down and
| run over by fire truck. 1t hurt me dread
| fully and sick man thirteen weeks
| An old man might have died, but not
young man like me.
II have placed my children and my chill
| dren's children In business and have ar
| ranged 1t so they are prosperous and happy
| There are ffty-four OF these here in the
| city, and in Russia there are thirty-four
| children and grandchildren. Some have died
| there and here. I have sent Meyer Atner-
| sky to Russia that he may secure the pic
| ture of all my children that remained there.
| When he comes back l will have pictures
| of all my descendants.
| Il am proud of this" said the rabbi,
! that If any one has trouble he comes to
| me. Last Saturday night / settled a dis
| pute between partners, dispute in which
| $4,000 was involved, and my Judgment was
| accepted without loud talk angry words.
| 1t remains fixed decree of the court"
| AT his home in Broome street the rabbi
| welcomed friends all day. serving drinks
| and food to hundreds of the people that
| called to pay respects.
He is said by Hebrews in this city to be
| the oldest rabbi in the United States