Lower Merion Synagogues Men's Softball League

Casey's Corner

May 18, 2010

The following tributes are in honor of a cousin lost at the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne. Zavie Lischin was a member of the 101'st Infantry Paratroopers better known as the Screaming Eagles. The Band of Brothers is about his unit. The following are my favorite stories from World War 2.

The first story is about Dr. Ben Salomon Medal of Honor recipient, Evan Berson's Idol. Benjamin Lewis Salomon (September 1, 1914 – July 7, 1944) was aUnited States Army dentist during World War II, assigned as a front-line surgeon since there were no equivalents of today's advanced paramedics. When the Japanese started overrunning his hospital, he stood a rear-guard action in which he had no hope of personal survival, allowing the safe evacuation of the wounded, killing 98 enemy troops before being killed during the Battle of Saipan in World War II. In 2002, Salomon posthumously received the Medal of Honor Ben Salomon was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on September 1, 1914. He graduated from Shorewood High School and attended Marquette University. He was an Eagle Scout; one of nine who also were awarded the Medal of Honor.^[1] He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Southern California (USC). He graduated from the USC Dental College in 1937 and began a dental practice. In 1940, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and began his military service as an infantry private. In 1942, he was notified that he was to become an officer in the Army Dental Corps—he was commissioned a First Lieutenant on August 14, 1942. In May 1943, he was serving as the regimental dental officer of the 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1944.^[2] In June 1944, Salomon saw his first combat—going ashore on Saipan with the 105th Infantry. With little dental work to do during active battle, Salomon volunteered to replace the 2nd Battalion's surgeon who had been wounded. As the 2nd Battalion advanced, the casualty numbers were high. On July 7, Salomon's aid station was set up about 50 yards behind the forwardfoxhole line. The tent was filling with wounded and soon after, Japanese soldiers began to enter the tent. Salomon was able to fend off the enemy in the tent and ordered the wounded to be evacuated while he stayed behind to cover their withdrawal.^[2] Days later, when an Army team returned to the site, Captain Salomon's body was found slumped over a machine gun, with the bodies of 98 enemy troops piled up in front of his position. His body had 76 bullet and many bayonet wounds, up to 24 of which may have been received while he was still alive.^[2]^[3]

The long road to the Medal of Honor

Capt. Edmund G. Love, the 27th Division historian, was one of the team who found Salomon's body. At the request of Brig. Gen. Ogden J. Ross, the assistant commander of the 27th Division, Love gathered eyewitness accounts and prepared a recommendation for the Medal of Honor for Captain Salomon. The recommendation was returned by Maj. Gen. George W. Griner, the commanding general of the 27th Division. Officially, Griner declined to approve the award because Salomon was "in the medical service and wore a Red Cross brassard upon his arm. Under the rules of the Geneva Convention, to which the United States subscribes, no medical officer can bear arms against the enemy."^[2] In addition to a possible bias, the guideline for awarding the Medal of Honor to medical non-combatants states that one may not receive the Medal of Honor for actions in an "offensive". More recent interpretations of the Convention, as well as the US Laws of Land Warfare^[4] allow use of personal weapons (i.e., rifles and pistols) in self-defense or in defense of patients and staff, as long as the medical soldier does not wear the Red Cross. Part of the problem in Salomon's citation was that a machine gun is considered a "crew-served", not an individual weapon. Prior to Salomon, only two Jews were awarded Medals of Honor during World War II and none for Korea. Many more were refused under questionable circumstances, possibly including Salomon's. Among them were Pfc. Leonard Kravitz (uncle and namesake of the pop star Lenny Kravitz) and Corporal Tibor Rubin, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2005.^[5] In 1951, Love again resubmitted the recommendation through the Office of the Chief of Military History. The recommendation was returned without action with another pro-forma reason: the time limit for submitting World War II awards had passed. In 1969, another Medal of Honor recommendation was submitted by Lt. Gen. Hal B. Jennings, the Surgeon General of the United States Army. In 1970, Stanley R. Resor, Secretary of the Army, recommended approval and forwarded the recommendation to the Secretary of Defense. The recommendation was returned without action. In 1998, the recommendation was re-submitted by Dr. Robert West (USC Dental School) through Congressman Brad Sherman.^[6] Finally, on May 1, 2002, President George W. Bush^[7] presented Captain Ben Salomon's Medal of Honor to Dr. Robert West.^[2] Salomon's Medal of Honor is displayed at the USC Dental School.^[8] The Army Medical Department, at this point, was supportive.

Medal of Honor citation

CAPTAIN BEN L. SALOMON
UNITED STATES ARMY For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Captain Ben L. Salomon was serving at Saipan, in the Marianas Islands on July 7, 1944, as the Surgeon for the 2nd Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. The Regiment’s 1st and 2d Battalions were attacked by an overwhelming force estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 Japanese soldiers. It was one of the largest attacks attempted in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Although both units fought furiously, the enemy soon penetrated the Battalions’ combined perimeter and inflicted overwhelming casualties. In the first minutes of the attack, approximately 30 wounded soldiers walked, crawled, or were carried into Captain Salomon’s aid station, and the small tent soon filled with wounded men. As the perimeter began to be overrun, it became increasingly difficult for Captain Salomon to work on the wounded. He then saw a Japanese soldierbayoneting one of the wounded soldiers lying near the tent. Firing from a squatting position, Captain Salomon quickly killed the enemy soldier. Then, as he turned his attention back to the wounded, two more Japanese soldiers appeared in the front entrance of the tent. As these enemy soldiers were killed, four more crawled under the tent walls. Rushing them, Captain Salomon kicked the knife out of the hand of one, shot another, and bayoneted a third. Captain Salomon butted the fourth enemy soldier in the stomach and a wounded comrade then shot and killed the enemy soldier. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Captain Salomon ordered the wounded to make their way as best they could back to the regimental aid station, while he attempted to hold off the enemy until they were clear. Captain Salomon then grabbed a rifle from one of the wounded and rushed out of the tent. After four men were killed while manning a machine gun, Captain Salomon took control of it. When his body was later found, 98 dead enemy soldiers were piled in front of his position. Captain Salomon’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

The next Hero that I wish to introduce everyone to is Barney Ross the toughest Jew whoever lived.

Barney Ross (born Dov-Ber "Beryl" David Rosofsky; December 23, 1909 – January 17, 1967) was an American professional boxer. Ross became a world champion in three weight divisions and was a decorated veteran of World War II.

Dov-Ber (or Beryl) Rosofsky was born in New York City to Isidore "Itchik" Rosofsky and Sarah Epstein Rosofsky. His father was a Talmudic scholar who had emigrated to America from his native Brest-Litovsk after barely surviving a pogrom. The family then moved from New York to Chicago. Isidore became arabbi and owner of a small vegetable shop in Chicago's Maxwell Street neighborhood, a vibrant Jewish ghetto akin to the New York's Lower East Side of the 1920s and '30s.
Early life The young Rasofsky grew up on Chicago's mean streets, ultimately ignoring his father's admonition that Jews do not fight back. "'Let the goyim be the fighters,'" Ross later recalled being told by his father. "'The trumbeniks, the murderers – we are the scholars.'" Ross's ambition in life was to become a Jewish teacher and a Talmudic scholar, but his life was changed forever when his father was shot dead resisting a robbery at his small grocery. Prostrate from grief, his mother Sarah suffered a nervous breakdown and his younger siblings—Ida, Sam and George-were placed in an orphanage or farmed out to other members of the extended family. Dov and his older brothers Ben and Morrie were left to their own devices. In the wake of the tragedy, Dov became vindictive towards everything and turned his back on the orthodox religion of his father. He began running around with local toughs (including another wayward Jewish ghetto kid, the future Jack Ruby), developing into a street brawler, thief and money runner; he was even employed by Al Capone. Dov's goal was to earn enough money to buy a home so that he could reunite his family. He saw boxing as that vehicle and began training with his friend Ruby. After winning amateur bouts, Dov would pawn the awards—like watches—and set the money aside for his family. There is speculation that Al Capone bought up tickets to his early fights, knowing some of that money would be funneled to Dov. Plagued by his father's death and feeling an obligation not to sully his name, Dov Rosofsky took the new name "Barney Ross." The name change was also part of a larger trend by Jews to assimilate in the U.S. by taking American-sounding names. Strong, fast and possessed of a powerful will, Ross was soon a Golden Gloves Champion and went on to dominate the lighter divisions as a pro. At a time—the late 1920s and '30s—when rising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was using propaganda to spread his virulently anti-Jewish philosophy, Ross was seen by American Jews as one of their greatest advocates. He represented the concept of Jews finally fighting back. Idolized and respected by all Americans, Ross showed that Jews could thrive in their new country. He made his stand against Hitler and Nazi Germany a public one. He knew that by winning boxing matches, he was displaying a new kind of strength for Jews. He also understood that Americans loved their sports heroes and if Jews wanted to be embraced in the U.S. they would have to assume such places in society. So even though Ross had lost faith in religion, he openly embraced his role as a leader of his oppressed people.

Boxing career

Ross occupies the rarifed place as one of boxing's few triple division champions—lightweight, light welterweight andwelterweight. He was never knocked out in 81 fights and held his title against some of the best competition in the history of the divisions. Ross defeated great Hall of Fame champions like Jimmy McLarnin and Tony Canzoneri in epic battles that drew crowds of more than 50,000. His first paid fight was on September 1, 1929, when he beat Ramon Lugo by a decision in six rounds. After ten wins in a row, he lost for the first time, to Carlos García, on a decision in ten. Over the next 35 bouts, his record was 32–1–2, including a win over former world champion Battling Battalino and one over aboxer named Babe Ruth (not the baseball player). Another bout included former world champion Cameron Welter. Then, on March 26, 1933, Ross was given his first shot at a world title, when he faced World Lightweight and Light Welterweight Champion and fellow three division world champion club member Tony Canzoneri in Chicago. In one night, Ross became a two division world champion when he beat Canzoneri by a decision in ten rounds. It should be pointed out that Ross campaigned heavily in the city of Chicago. After two more wins, including a knockout in six over Johnny Farr, Ross and Canzoneri boxed again, with Ross winning again by decision, but this time in 15. Ross was known as a smart fighter with great stamina. He retained his title by decision against Sammy Fuller to finish 1933 and against Peter Nebo to begin 1934. Then he defended against former world champion Frankie Klick, against whom he drew in ten. Then came the first of three bouts versus Jimmy McLarnin. Ross vacated the Light Welterweight title to go after McLarnin's Welterweight Championship and won by a 15 round decision, his third world championship. However, in a rematch a few weeks later, McLarnin beat Ross by a decision and recovered the title. After that, Ross went back down to light welterweight and reclaimed his title with a 12 round decision over Bobby Pacho. After beating Klick and Henry Woods by decision to retain that title, he went back up in weight for his third and last fight with McLarnin and recovered the Welterweight title by outpointing McLarnin again over 15 rounds. He won 16 bouts in a row after that, including three over future WorldMiddleweight Champion Ceferino Garcia and one against Al Manfredo. His only two defenses, however, on that stretch were against Garcia and against Izzy Jannazzo, on points in 15 rounds. In his last fight, Ross defended his title on May 31, 1938 against fellow three division world champion Henry Armstrong, who beat him by a decision in 15. Although Armstrong pounded Ross inexorably and his trainers begged him to let them stop the fight, Ross absorbed the abuse and refused to stop or go down. Barney Ross was never knocked out in his career and was determined to leave the ring on his feet. Some boxing experts view Ross's performance against Armstrong as one of the most courageous in history. Some believe that Ross's will to survive every tough fight on his feet had to do with his understanding of his symbolic importance to Jews. That is, Jews would not only fight back, but they wouldn't go down. Ross retired with a record of 72 wins, 4 losses, 3 draws and 2 no decisions (Newspaper Decisions: 2-0-0), with 22 wins by knockout. He was ranked #21 on Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years.

World War II

Barney Ross
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Battles/wars	World War II — Battle of Guadalcanal
Awards	Silver Star

In retirement in his early thirties, Ross enlisted in the United States Marine Corps to fight in World War II. The Marines wanted to keep him stateside and use his celebrity status to boost morale. Most of the athletes of the era like Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey had ceremonial roles in the military, but Ross insisted on fighting for his country. Before he was to go overseas, Ross decked a non-com who had made an anti-semitic remark. He was to be court martial at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, San Diego. The other board members wanted to throw the book at Ross, but Captain Berthol E. Davis, who was also Jewish and knew of Ross' achievements, convinced the rest of the board to allow Ross to go overseas and avoid punishment. So, he was sent to the Pacific theater. He was sent to Guadalcanal in the South Pacific. One night, he and three other comrades were trapped under enemy fire. All four were wounded; Ross was the only one able to fight. Ross gathered his comrades' rifles and grenades and single-handedly fought nearly two dozen Japanese soldiers over an entire night, killing them all by morning. Two of the Marines died, but he carried the third on his shoulders to safety; the other man weighed 230 lb (104 kg) compared to Ross' 140 lb (64 kg). Ross was awarded America's third highest military honor, the Silver Star, as well as a Presidential Citation. As one of America's greatest "celebrity" war heroes, he was honored by President Roosevelt in a Rose Garden ceremony. During his time in Guadalcanal, Ross began a life-long friendship with the famous Father Frederic Gehring, a wartime chaplain who wrote regular correspondences for Reader's Digest magazine. Gehring considered Ross a national treasure who defied logic when it came to bravery and the defense of principle. Ross was the only one capable of playing a temperamental organ on the tropical island. On Christmas Eve, before Barney and his Marines were to go to battle, Gehring asked him to learn "Silent Night" and other Christmas songs for the troops. After playing them Gehring, they asked Ross to play a Jewish song. Ross played "My Yiddishe Momma," about a child's love for his self-sacrificing mother. Many of the Marines knew the melody of the song because Ross always had it played when he entered the ring. When the Marines heard the lyrics, newspaper reports say they were all in tears.

Drug addiction and recovery

During his recovery at the hospital from his wounds suffered in that battle, Ross developed a habit for the morphineadministered for pain. Back in the states, the morphine became heroin. This habit became so bad he would sometimes spend $500 a day on the drug. Ross went to a recovery center and beat his addiction. He gave lectures to high school students about the dangers of drug addiction.

Final days

Ross spent his last days using his celebrity status in promotional work for casinos and other businesses. He remained with his second wife Cathy Howlett, although they never had children. He was happy he reached the two goals he had set: reunite his family and become a world champion in boxing. He wrote an autobiography titled No Man Stands Alone. He also remained loyal to his friend Jack Ruby and testified as a character witness on Ruby's behalf at his trial for killing Lee Harvey Oswald, who was under arrest for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Ross died in his hometown Chicago when he was 57 years old. His relatives include Yuri Rasovsky, Solomon Rosowsky and Baruch Leib Rosowsky.

Honors

Ross was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the World Boxing Hall of Fame, the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame^[1] and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.^[2] The Aleph Zadik Aleph chapter located in Chicago's South Suburbs, (primarily in Flossmoor, Homewood, and Olympia Fields), is named in his honor and memory. Filmmaker and actor Sylvester Stallone paid tribute to Ross in his 2010 multi-star blockbuster The Expendables, about a group of mercenaries who undertake a mission to overthrow a South American dictator. Stallone had co-written, directed and starred in the motion picture. His character is named Barney Ross, in memory of the late fighter.

Biographical film

Ross's boxing career, World War II heroics, subsequent drug addiction and recovery are depicted in the film Monkey on My Back. MY FAVORITE STORY FROM THE CIVIL WAR Benjamin Levy, Medal of Honor, The Civil War

Benjamin B. Levy enlisted at the age of 16, in the First New York Volunteers, at the beginning of the war, as a drummer boy. While his regiment was stationed at Newport News, Virginia, he was detailed as orderly for General Mansfield. While he was carrying dispatches on board the steamboat "Express", to General Wool at Fort Monroe, the steamboat was attacked opposite Norfolk, by the rebel gunboat "Seabird." The "Express," with all on board, was in imminent danger of capture, when young Ben Levy saved the steamboat by cutting loose a water schooner they had in tow. The water schooner was captured, but the "Express" arrived safely at Fort Monroe. For this act Levy was highly complimented by Generals Mansfield and Wool. On the retreat from Richmond, under General McClellan, his tent mate was very ill, and to save him from being taken prisoner, Levy threw away his drum, and taking his comrade's gun and equipment, went into the fight with his regiment at Charles City Cross Roads and saved two of the colors of his regiment from capture. For this act he was promoted on the field by General Phil. Kearny to Color sergeant of his regiment. After the regiment's two years' service had expired, he re-enlisted in the 40th New York (Mozart) regiment, and at the Battle of the Wilderness he was distinguished for his gallantry. Here he was stricken down by a serious wound, receiving a compound fracture of the left thigh. Left on the field he was captured by Colonel White's guerillas. He lay on the field with no shelter for two weeks, and was then recaptured by Union troops that came from Fredericksburg. He was one of the first from the state of New York to win the Medal of Honor. Source: THE AMERICAN JEW AS PATRIOT, SOLDIER, AND CITIZEN, by Simon Wolf, p. 271.

Tribute to Mom

May 10, 2012

I know there is a lot of s@#$ that we as ball players take for playing on mother's day. It is a battle that is fought every year since I first began playing 46 years ago. Unfortunately, the battle will still be waged long after I am gone. There will never be an end to this debate. So here lies my tribute to my mom for mothers day.

Dear Mother, I want to wish you a very special mother's day because for the first time in my life I can use the pen and paper (computer really) to express my deep appreciation and love for what you did for me.

You gave me life and built a warm, caring and loving nest for me to live in. You provided for me so well that I took for granted a better quality of life than most of my peers had. Most of all, you gave me that proper nurturing that defines ones character much later in our lifetime. I thank you for all of this and I know it is because of what you did for me I now do for my daughter. You showed me the right way. Only recently I realized that you were also my biggest fan and supporter. You felt the hurt that I felt even though at times it was difficult to explain. You cryed when I cryed because my disappointment brought tears to both of us. When I was passed over for awards you felt the sadness and pain that I felt and held a grudge that I wasn't capable of. You were my protector. I appologize for not realizing it then. But I do now.

Most of all you supported me in the many things that I loved to do offering me encouragement to excell. I love to play sports and whenever I had a game you were there to watch and root me on. You knew where every baseball field was in the city and with your cozy, fold up chair, you always had a front row seat to my expoits on the diamond. You were there to applaud and support my playing (even on mothers day) and there to wipe away the tears that ran down my face when I lost. You scheduled your schedule around my games and made sure my uniform was clean for every game. Along with dad you were my biggest fans....my only fans. I thank you for that and for everything else you did for me.

So on this mothers day I play for you. Not for my enjoyment but to honor you. I will play with the integrity, dignity and respect which you instilled in me. I will play as a true sportsman and encourage my fellow teammates to do so as well. My uniform will be clean and I will look immaculate. There will be no disagreements with an umpire or opposing player and I will represent our family with pride.

So here's to you mom and if I were to drink I would raise my glass and salute my biggest admirer and supporter on this special day. I love you and I am sincerely thankful that you are my mother.

Avram of Lincolnshire‏

April 30, 2012

My favorite President of the United States is Avram of Lincolnshire. Yes there was a Jew who was the 16th President. He had no declared religion but yet was the most religious leader the United States ever had. He descends from 5 generations of Abraham, Isaac's, and Sarah's, along with Jacob's, Mordechai, Rebecca's and Rachel's. The geneology trail shows all being named after the deceased. He was named for his deceased grandfather who was killed fighting the Indians on the Kentucky wilderness. His uncle Isaac killed the Indian before he could kill his father Thomas (age 5). He descends from the second largest Jewish enclave in Britain (Lincolnshire, England). His birth mother Nancy dies when he is young and a new mother Bethsheva takes her place. He abhors slavery and becomes a legal fighter on behalf of the people and as religious as he appears in his writings and speeches, he never feels comfortable in any church. But it is the following recitation of the Shema that gives my theory creditability.

"Connecticut Congressman H. C. Deming recalled that once when “the conversation turned upon religious subjects, and Mr. Lincoln made this impressive remark: ‘I have never united myself to any church, because I have found difficulty in giving my assent, without mental reservation, to the long, complicated statements of Christian doctrine which characterize their Articles of Belief and Confessions of Faith. When any church will inscribe over its altar, as its sole qualification for membership,’ he continued, ‘the Saviour’s condensed statement of the substance of both Law and Gospel, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself,’ that church will I join will all my heart and all my soul.”⁵ My grandmother told me there was a Jewish President. That was in 1963. Of course I am refering to the great emancipator Abraham Lincoln. Maybe I will be the next Jewish President.

FUNERAL ADDRESS בס״ד
BY RABBI ISAAC M. WISE

Delivered at Lodge Street Temple, Cincinnati, OH., April 19, 1865.

“And the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country; and out of thy birth-place, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless those that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken to him.”

ABRAHAM LINCOLN departed, as the Lord had spoken to him. Abraham Lincoln, whose biography is too well known to be repeated here, the President of the United States, from March 4, 1861, to the day of his assassination, April 14, 1865; the generous, genial and honest man, who stood at the head of our people in this unprecedented struggle for national existence and popular liberty; whose words and deeds speak alike and aloud of his unsophisticated mind, purity of heart, honesty of purpose, confidence in the great cause, and implicit faith in the justice of Providence, which inspired him to consistency, courage and self-denial; this Abraham Lincoln, who endeared himself to so many millions of hearts, and gained the admiration of other millions of people, both at home and abroad; whom the myriads of freedmen consider their savior, and tens of thousands esteem as high as George Washington, and feel as sincerely and affectionately attached to as Israel to her David, Rome to her Augustus, and France to her Napoleon I; this Abraham Lincoln, whose greatness was in his goodness, and whose might was in his unshaken faith, was assassinated.

Blush, humanity!—he was assassinated. This is the lamentable fact which today bends so many stout hearts with sorrow and grief—speaks by the tears of countless myriads, and the dark clouds of mourning which envelop the great Republic.

Hark! listen to the voice of grievous lamentation, of woeful complaint, filling the very air of this vast country. “The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground; they are silent; they have thrown dust upon their heads; they have girt themselves with sackcloth, the virgins of Jerusalem have brought down low their head to the ground. My eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are heated, my liver is poured upon the earth, because of the breach of the daughter of my people. How shall I cheer thee, to whom compare thee, O daughter of Jerusalem?—to what shall I liken thee, to console thee, O virgin daughter of Zion?—for great like the sea is thy breach, who can heal thee?”

Hark, listen to the doleful voice of woe, echoing from thousands of hearts: “Fallen is the crown of our head; woe to us, for we have sinned; therefore our heart is woe-stricken; therefore are our eyes dimmed.” This is the lamentable cause of our meeting today before God, to weep with the nation, to mourn with our country, to show the last honors to Abraham Lincoln.

Why? Wherefore must it be so? you ask. Silence, mortals! Upon your knees, sons of the dust! “And the Lord said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, out of thy birthplace, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him.” Who of the finite and perishable creatures will unravel the mysterious ways of infinite and everlasting Providence? The drop comprehends not the seas, the mote understands not the sun; man, whose life is like a passing shadow, can not penetrate the counsels of the eternal and all-wise God. Worship with humiliation, look down with awe at the throne of glory, and proclaim anew the sacred words: “The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken away, the name of the Lord be blessed.” We can only look in and about ourselves to find the proper answer to the question: How can we honor best the memory of Abraham Lincoln?

Repent your sins. “Return, Israel, to the Lord thy God, for thou hast stumbled in thine iniquity,” this deplorable event cries, with a loud voice. God has punished us grievously. His mighty hand inflicted a deep and burning wound upon the heart of the nation, and He is just. “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all His ways are just. The God of truth and without iniquity, just and upright is He.” The Lord has revealed His powerful arm to remind us of our iniquity, and move us to repentance.

Behold the man at whose command the mightiest armies of this world moved, and whose name is associated with the dearest affections of so many millions of men; the man upon whom the whole civilized world looked, and whom, to protect and shield, a great nation was ready, was destroyed by one mad villain. Must not this rouse us from our sinful lethargy to a consciousness of our weakness? All the power, wisdom, goodness and affection of man can not protect us when the Lord decrees to call us hence. Must not this rouse us from our sinful lethargy to a consciousness of our guilt? Abraham Lincoln was a good man; the millions testify, and history, with her impartial pencil will record it. Not in his sins, in ours, he died; “for before wickedness, the righteous is taken away.” He is the sin-offering for our iniquities. His death cries aloud, “Repent, repent your sins.”

Verily, we need not inquire deeply to find our sins, when we know that an assassin was born and raised in our midst; the assassin of Abraham Lincoln brooded over his diabolic schemes in the very capital of our country. Where shall we begin to speak of the enormity of our sins? Must we speak first of the precepts of revenge which poison so many hearts and pervert so many minds to consider murder and assassination a matter of honor—assassination for offensive words—murder in duels? Or must we mention first the barbarous habit of bearing concealed arms to hide cowardice under the garb of crime? Or must we speak of the mercenary passions, which know of no intrinsic value of either persons or duties, honor or pride, art or science; which weigh or measure all persons and things alike by the standard of the market? Or must we mention the frigid hypocrisy which seeks refuge on the cushioned pews of fashionable churches; the haughtiness of little creatures embellished in costly garments and beglittered with gems, or such other dust; the scorn to which religion is subjected, the smile of pity cast on old-fashioned virtue, or the numerous and costly means to silence the crying conscience? There is no necessity for mentioning either of them, which are the mere fountains of our national sins, when we may look at once upon the broad and mad streams, with their impetuous billows and thousand whirlpools. Remember the frauds which were committed on the nation when hundred thousands of her noblest sons rushed to arms and offered their lives in vindication of her holy cause. Remember the legion of traitors and spies who surrounded our armies and penetrated into the most secret recesses of our Government. Or if that is too vast, too much to be remembered at once, then remember, simply, that our very President, the chosen banner-bearer of our people, the Messiah of this country, was slain by the assassin’s hand in the midst of his people; and we must cry with Cain, “Mine iniquity is greater than I can bear.”

Repentance is the great lesson which this deplorable event should teach us. Away with your idols of silver and your idols of gold; away with haughtiness, selfishness, delusion, deception and barbarism; prostrate yourselves with humble spirits and contrite hearts before God; confess and repent your sins; be healed of your diseases, distill the Balm of Gilead in the wounds of your conscience; cry for mercy and forgiveness to your God, then rise better men, better citizens, true children of the living God—and you have honored the memory of him who died in our national sins; you have erected a durable and grand monument to that martyr of liberty whose untimely departure we lament. Let him live in your virtues, resurrect in your patriotism; let him glow and shine in your aspirations, for the benefit of humanity, and the triumph of justice and liberty, of light over night, and right over might; and Abraham Lincoln lives as he wished to live—the benefactor of his people; and Abraham Lincoln departed as the Lord had spoken unto him that God might fulfill his divine promise: “And I will make of thee a great nation.” So let us do honor to the memory of the departed martyr of liberty.

Honor brethren, honor the deceased President of the United States, by securing to him a perpetual reign, and a dominion everlasting. How? The dead should reign, the deceased one have dominion everlasting? Yes, even so shall you do.

The photographer or lithographer, the painter or sculptor, can not eternize a man; he can not give you more of him than a faint delineation of the outside, shape and features, the most unimportant portion, the mere case of a person. Monuments, however lofty and extensive, crowded with inscriptions and symbols, tell very little, after all, of the man himself, to whose honor they may be erected. The passions, feelings, struggles, victories, motives and thoughts of a great mind, and each of them is a real fraction of his existence, are so innumerably manifold and change so often, that no artist can represent a considerable portion of them. This is the case especially with the deceased, Abraham Lincoln. The best representation of his figure will not tell posterity who he was. His outside appearance bore no resemblance even to his real nature. The most skillful philosopher will fail in describing the man who stood at the head of affairs during this gigantic struggle, his cares and troubles, his sleepless nights and days of anxiety, his thoughts and his schemes, his triumphs and mortifications, his hopes and fears, and ten thousand more sentiments, feelings and thoughts, which moved his mind in the stormy period of his Presidential term. He will be obliged to satisfy himself with the focus in which all these rays of the mind centers, with the actions of the deceased. Let these actions be our political creed, and Lincoln reigns perpetually; his is the “covenant of an everlasting priesthood,” he is immortal in his people.

“I will restore the Union,” he promised us, and twice he took the solemn oath to protect and enforce the Constitution of the United States. Let these two points be forever the beginning and end of our political creed. He gave liberty to an oppressed race, “And ye shall proclaim freedom to all the inhabitants of the land.” Let us adhere to this great principle. All shall be free, all equal before the law. He was kind, charitable, and lenient towards the enemies of his country, longed and hoped for peace.—Let also these be cardinal points of our creed. Let us not be led astray by blind passions, hatred, a spirit of revenge; let us act entirely and conscientiously in the very spirit of the departed man, and we honor him. He reigns in death, and holds his dominion as though he were living still.

Let us carry into effect and perpetuate the great desires which heaved the breast of Abraham Lincoln; let us be one people, one, free, just and enlightened; let us be the chosen people to perpetuate and promulgate liberty and righteousness, the union and freedom of the human family; let us break asunder, wherever we can, the chains of the bondsman, the fetters of the slave, the iron rod of despotism, the oppressive yoke of tyranny; let us banish strife, discord, hatred, injustice, oppression from the domain of man, as far as our hands do reach, and we secure to Abraham Lincoln a perpetual reign and dominion everlasting; we set him the most durable monument in the hearts of the human family; then he is not dead, not removed even, from our midst, and will live forever. If his person was called from our midst, that we be guarded against the follies of apotheosis, which numerous admirers already approximated, to teach us again the great lesson, “Trust not in the noblest ones, in the son of man with whom there is no salvation,” or as the prophet Isaiah expressed it, “Withdraw yourself from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; because, for what is he to be esteemed?” If God permitted it that we learn the great lesson of the firmness and fitness of our Government, which is the people’s Government, depending on no man or party; or to wake us to a sense of duty to our Government, to unite and fraternize us more in mourning and the common sympathy with the deceased President and his mourning family, the abused and ill-treated Secretary of State and his sons; if God has permitted the sudden removal of THE PERSON of Abraham Lincoln from our midst, for any or all of these reasons, or for reasons unknown to us, (but just and wise they certainly must be); his personality, his essence and substance, his mind, his soul, his principles, may forever remain with us and be our guiding stars. So we may secure to him a perpetual reign, and a dominion everlasting; for the ideas of union, justice, liberty, peace, kindness, charity, forbearance and goodness are everlasting, like God himself.

Murmur not against the justice and wisdom of Providence. God is just. Abraham Lincoln fought the battles for great ideas, and his enemies, of necessity, must be numerous and violent. He was a man, and where is the mortal one without his measure of faults and infirmities; with a great man, in a great period of time, they only become, with his virtues, more conspicuous. Every man has his mission, his destiny on earth; with men of eminent positions it only becomes more conspicuous. Whenever our mission is fulfilled God calls us hence. Abraham Lincoln fulfilled a great mission; he led the country through this glorious struggle to glorious victory, and bequeathed to us the ideas which, when fully developed and realized, not only will bring upon us the great blessing, “And I will make of thee a great nation,” but will also fulfill that sacred and most glorious promise, “And in thee all families of the earth shall be blessed.” All families of the earth shall be blessed by freedom, as the chain of the negro was broken; by union, peace, justice, equality, charity and kindness. So Abraham Lincoln shall reign perpetually and have an everlasting dominion. Therefore, “Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken to him.”

Brethren, the lamented Abraham Lincoln believed himself to be bone from our bone and flesh from our flesh. He supposed himself to be a descendant of Hebrew parentage. He said so in my presence. And, indeed, he preserved numerous features of the Hebrew race, both in countenance and character.

He was a man of many noble virtues, which may be our heritage; and God may forgive him his sins, and accept his soul in grace among the righteous men of all nations, and the martyrs of every sacred cause. May the Lord send consolation to his bereft widow and children, and heal the burning wound of this country which his departure afflicted on her. Brethren, let us read the funeral service for the soul of departed Abraham Lincoln.

This confirms to me Avram of Lincolnshire is President Abraham Lincoln.

Wilhelm Frankl - Jewish Fighter Pilot, WW I, German Luftwaffe

April 29.2012

Wilhelm Frankl was a fighter pilot in the German Luftwaffe during World War I who amassed 20 victories and won the Blue Max, making him a German war hero

Wilhelm Frankl - German Luftwaffe Born: December 20, 1893 - Hamburg, Germany
Died: April 8, 1917 - Fields of France

Wilhelm Frankl was one of several Jewish fighter pilots who fought in the German Luftwaffe during World War I, although he was the most famous of the bunch. During his career he amassed an impressive 20 victories.

Frankl's most famous exploit involved shooting down four enemy aircrafts in one day, April 6, 1917. The first was shot down at 2:30 a.m., while the following three took place during that same day. At the time aircrafts were in their infancy and their militaristic use was even newer, so night victories were exceedingly difficult and unique. As the result of his accomplishments he was awarded Germany's Pour-le-mérite(nicknamed the "Blue Max",) which is comparable to the American Medal of Honor, and he became a national hero in Germany. He died on April 8, 1917, when his airplane, an Albatros D.III, broke apart while flying over France near Vitry-Sailly. This was just two days after his most lethal day.

Frankl went to Germany's famous aviation center at Johannisthal and took flying lessons from Germany's first female pilot, Melly Beese.
A West German Luftwaffe unit was named after him in 1973.

Some of these sites were used as source material for this entry and may be of interest to those looking to learn more about this person/topic. .

Thank You Cousin Stan

April 16, 2012

Growing up in Allentown Pa., I never really had much opportunity nor interest in going to Connie Mack Stadium. It was dirty and crummy. We hicks were frightened by the neighborhood, parking was at your own safety risk, and besides the Phillies were usually god awful. Except in 1964. It was my cousin Stan's birthday and uncle Max was taking all of us cousins to the Phillies game on a Sunday afternoon. Since I was the youngest at 8 years old, I don't remember much. I think there was a big Schmidt's and Ballantine Ale signs. Was it Bill Campbell or By Saam calling for a Ballantine Blast? By the way, what was a beer and did it give you the extra energy to hit a monster home run? Who new. But that day, the Phillies were playing the Chicago Cubs and I loved the cubbie patch the team had plastered on their uniforms. They were the teddy bears, soft and cuddly. The Phillies lineup had Jim Bunning, Clay Dalrymple, Wes Covington, Tony Taylor, Richie Allen, Johnny Calison, Cookie Rojas and Tony Gonzales. The Cubs had Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and Ernie Banks. My problem was that my favorite color was blue and the cubs colors were blue. Oy, next thing you know I wanted a blue baseball hat. A Cubs hat....for a dollar. Oy veh. The answer was no. I can't have that blue hat and wear it if you are in our family. No way said cousin Stan. Not allowed. But I wanted to imitate Ernie Banks. No way. But I look good in blue. Not going to happen. Yeh, but I am the baby and the littlest one. Who cares, you're not that cute. My big cousin laid down the law. The Philly law. The only acceptable team paraphernalia you can wear is the Phillies!!!!! Get use to disappointment kid, it comes with the territory. We Philly fans have to live with it, rooting for our home teams and always getting let down at the end of the season. Choking, being ineffective, turning glory into disaster, all the same. We suffer!!!! So there was no baseball hat that day. My cousins wouldn't let me wear or buy that cubbies hat. Not if I wanted to stay in the family. And of course I wanted to stay in the family. So I never did get the hat. But 21 years later I met the great Ernie Banks at a baseball convention and I told him the story. He smiled at me and reached into a bag (not a first base bag either) and pulled out a baseball. He signed it and said to me "How about we make this very special?" Huh, what are you talking about? He signed the ball for me and told me to read it all. Not only did I have his signature but he inscribed "It's so nice, let's play two." That ball sits on my desk 25 years later. The joke is on cousin Stan though. The next year I was able to get a blue baseball hat that I could proudly wear and that NO cousin would dare challenge my allegiance. It was a Dodgers hat and I wore it because of my favorite baseball player of all time.....Sandy Koufax. By the way, blue is still my favorite color and I do look best in blue hats.

Please share any other Connie Mack rememberances on the site.

Casey

Team: Philadelphia Athletics (AL 1909 - 1954), Philadelphia Phillies (NL 1938 - 1970)	Capacity: 20,000 (1909), 33,608 (1961)
Opening Day: April 12, 1909	Closing Day: October 1, 1970
First Night Game: May 16, 1939	Dimensions: LF 360, CF 515, RF 360 (1909) LF 334, CF 410, RF 329 (1970)
Cost: $457,167.61 ($141,918.92 for land and $315,248.69 for stadium)	Owner: Athletics Grounds Co.
Architect and Construction: William Steele and Sons	Razed: June 1976
AKA: Shibe Park

Scott Plavner spiels on...

March 8, 2012

Ideals

I started the league to accomplish a few important tasks. The first was to create interest in a men's club for each synagogue. I believed this would develop a strong bond and create lasting friendships within a team environment and maybe the players would develop chemistry. I hoped that this would flow and spread throughout the synagogue.

The second was to build and promote that harmony and camaraderie within each men's club, thereby attracting new members who would enjoy the sportsman's positive experience. Growth or organizing is one of the most difficult problems that face our shuls. Wanting to be with these guys and hanging out, or being proud to be identified by our synagogue, was of importance to me.

Next was to galvanize each team into making a difference within their community. Going out and making a difference within our community....or as I like to call it "Improving the quality of life within our community." For more than a decade I have held shabbat services at an elderly home and providing a kiddush. The funds that we raised from the league paid for it. There are many within reach who want to celebrate Judaism but because of age and convenience they are lost by the religion. Bringing Judaism to them is important and especially when it is in their final chapter of life.

The last was to build a bridge and connect all of the various communities into a giant network all working and supporting each other.

I am very proud of what we have all accomplished. There is not a league in this country that has ideals nor the brotherhood that we share. We have succeeded and have made a difference within our communities and for all that we have done and for the spirit that our league possesses, congratulations to each and every participant. PLAY BALL!!!!!!

Early Major League Baseball - Jewish Ball Players

Who was the first professional baseball player? No, not the Who's On First in the classic Abbott & Costello. No, it is not Harry Wright of the Cincinatti Red Stockings (an apparent connection to a feared group of Union soldiers made famous in "the Outlaw Josey Wales"). He is commonly considered the first pro. No, it was nobody from the infamous New York Elysians, the first baseball team ever. Believe it or not (and only known from intense research) the man hailed from right here, a local Jew, Nate Berkenstock. He played for "the Athletic Club of Philadelphia" and was payed for his first game in 1863. Supposedly he was the best and his rivals would have been Union troops and Abner Doubleday. Harry Wright won't be paid until 1869. Nate, was shrewd and before his time. He commanded greenbacks (or maybe gold nuggets). In 1866 the Athletic Club of Philadelphia signed a fellow "hebrew" Lipman Pike from Brooklyn for $20 a week. Together with Berkenstock they formed a formidable foe. Pike became the Babe Ruth of his era leading the first professional league with 4 home runs in each of the 1871-1873 seasons. Hitting and fielding left handed, he was originally the 2nd baseman but had to switch to the outfield as the game progressed. Here are some other early Jewish players who I believe wore a Philadelphia uniform:

Erskine Mayer 1912, Henry Bostick 1915, Heinie Scheer 1922, Joe Bennett 1923, Alta Cohen 1934, Morrie Arnovich 1936, Phil Weintraub 1938, Eddie Feinberg 1938, Sam Naham 1942, Richard Conger 1943, and Harry Shuman 1944.