The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1921-07-13
Splendid Use Of the
Hirsch Millions

name of Hirsch has been world fa-
mous-a synonym of dazzling wealth
and no less splendid philanthropy
Who has not heard of the Hirsch
foundation and trusts, with its hun
dreds of colonies institutions operat-
ing to take Jews out of prosecuted
zones and settle them on the land?
How many thousands of Jews of all
Dationalities owe their start in life
or their present prosperity TO the
munificence of the one man who set
himself the gigantic task of devoting
his vast wealth to the uplifting OF
prosecuted Jewry in all parts of the
world!
As in the story of the Rothschi,ds,
the Hirsch fortunes were founded by
n forbear who was educated for the
I,abbinate. but who discovered that
the bent OF his genius was towards
commerce. Old Anschel Rothschild
would no doubt have made n good
theoloSian. but he became more sue
cessful as a dealer in coins and Curl
nsities So
Jacob Hirseh.
born in l10i ut Konigshofcn. near
Wurzburg, turned from the Yeshiya to
enter the counting house in a marrow
lane behind the Wurzburs Cathedral.
Here the foundations of the Hirsch
fortunes were laid. He became Royal
I;avarian Court Banker. being the
first Bavarian Jew who was allowed
lkingdom. For mere song, as tn.
saying goes. he acquired the Rotten
dorf property from the Franciscan
monks, at time when ecclesiastical
estates were threatened with confisca-
ton But in the year 1906. the Jews
of Wurzburg We're subjected to per
secution which compelled Jacob
IIirsch to cmigrate to Munich. where
he was denied the rights of citizen.
Nevertheless he prospered greatly. and
attic his status was that of an alien.
this humiliating fact did not prevent
him raising and maintaining at his
own cost Il battalion of infantry in the
struggle against Napoleon. These and
other services were in Que course rec
ognized by the authorities: lie was
freed from Jewish disabilities and
raised to the hereditary Adelstaad by
King Maximilian Joseph l. At the
same time he was rendering eminent
services to his religionists. He
founded several synagogs and schools.
and fund for augmenting the stip-
ends of undergrad rabbits. He was a
pillar of orthodoxy.
Jacob Hirsch died in 1871 leaving
three children. His second son. 10
seph succeeded his father MS Court
Tanker. and his enterprise gave a
great impetus to the financial and
commercial house which he founded.
He became one of the merchant
princes of Bavaria. In the. year 1SG!',
King Louis III. raised him to the here
ditary Freiherrstand, or baropage. in
recognition of Ibis fidelity to the
throne and in acknowledgement of hts
many useful works. He had seven
children, the eldest of whom was
Baron Maurice De Hirsch.
THE greatest of modern philanthropy
lists. whose name will live for ever
in the annals of Jewry. MnuriceN<ic
IIirsch inherited wealth and public
spirit from both sides of his family,
for his mother was Werthcimer.
family famous for rabbits and court
bankers in the 10th and 18th cen
turtles. Joseph Ritter Won Wertheimer,
of Vienna. was his mothers cousin.
Maurice de Hirsch received a sound
commercial education, with which
was conioincd the best religious in
struction obtainable, hi' special tu-
tors being Chacham Bernays and DR..
Bar. of Hamburg. The latter prepar-
ell a German translation of the Tep-
hiIlah for Maurice and his brothers.
Thus the foundation of Hirsclis later
Jewish activities was well and truly
laid in Jewish instruction. His edu-
cation finished, he passed some time
in his fathers counting house. and
then. while little more than II lad. he
engaged in the cattle trade on his
own account. He forsooll both bust
nesses to enter the banking house of
Eischoffsheim and Goldsmith of Brus-
sells. He had previously married Sen
ator ESTABLISHMENTS daughter. Clara.
whose names lives today in England
NJ Ian1rl-