Malcolm H. Stern

Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern
Position Rabbi
Synagogue Ohef Sholom Temple
Norfolk, Virginia
Began 1947
Ended 1964
Personal details
Birth name Malcolm Henry Stern
Born January 29, 1915
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania US
Died January 5, 1994 (aged 78)
New York, New York US
Nationality American
Denomination Reform Judaism
Residence New York, New York US
Parents Arthur Stern
Henrietta Stern
Spouse Louise Bergman
Occupation Rabbi
Genealogist
Profession Genealogist
American Jewish Archives
(1949-1994)
Director, Rabbinic Placement
Central Conference of American Rabbis
(1964-1980)
Alma mater University of Pennsylvania
Hebrew Union College

Malcolm Henry Stern (January 29, 1915 – January 5, 1994) was an American rabbi, historian, and genealogist.[1] He has been described as "the dean of American Jewish genealogy".[2]

Early life

Stern was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Arthur Kaufman Stern and Henrietta Stern (née Berkowitz).[3] In his early childhood, his family moved from Philadelphia to a farm in Fox Chase, Pennsylvania, where he grew up. He had one brother, Edward Stern.[4]

Stern's family was from the early German Jewish community of Philadelphia.[5] His father and grandfather worked at the family business, Jacob Stern & Sons, where they were hides and tallow processors. In the 1920s, Stern's father sold his share of the business to retire to the farm in Fox Chase; Stern described this as his father's attempts to be a bit of a gentleman farmer, as well as author, playwright, and painter. After the 1929 Stock Market Crash, Stern's father became an independent real estate agent.[5]

Stern's mother was active in organizing Jewish summer camps for Philadelphia-area children. She was involved in supporting the National Farm School (now the Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture), which was founded by her uncle Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf in 1896, and where her ashes are now interred. She was also active with the local Juvenile Aid Society. The foster children would often spend Sundays at the family's farm in Fox Chase.[5]

Stern said that when they moved from the tight-knit German Jewish community in Philadelphia to Fox Chase, where they were the first Jews in the neighborhood, he and his brother would get chased home and called anti-semitic names.[5]

Education

For parts of his childhood, Stern's parents took the family to Europe, where they traveled extensively. He learned German from a German governess in Hamburg. Stern spent seven months in school in Lausanne, Switzerland.[5]

In 1935, Stern received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1937, Stern received a Bachelor of Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned a Master of Hebrew Letters in 1941 and the Doctor of Hebrew Letters in American Jewish History in 1957, all from Hebrew Union College. In 1966, Stern received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Hebrew Union College.[6]

Career

Rabbinic career

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As did many of his family members, Stern attended Hebrew Union College, where he studied to be a rabbi.[7]

From 1941 to 1943, Stern was assistant rabbi to Rabbi Fineshriber[5] at the Reform congregation, Keneseth Israel, in Philadelphia,[8] where his great-uncle, Joseph Krauskopf had previously served as rabbi.[9] After the war, from 1946 to 1947, Stern returned to work as a rabbi at Keneseth Israel.

In 1942, Stern was one of 90 Reform rabbis to sign a statement in support of aid to Palestine. The published statement said that the signatories were "opposing growing secularism and favoring greater emphasis on transcendent moral and religious values and principles in American life."[10]

In 1943, Stern took a sabbatical from his position at Keneseth Israel to serve a Chaplain in the US Army Air Corps. During this time, during World War II, Stern almost died when his plane crashed at Casablanca during a flight to India;[7][8] in a letter home to his father that was published in the local press, Stern said he felt lucky to have only broken an arm and a leg.[4]

Norfolk, Virginia

From 1947 to 1964, Stern was Rabbi of Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk, Virginia.[11] During his time there, he completed his Doctor of Hebrew Letters in 1957 in American Jewish History under the tutelage of Dr. Jacob Rader Marcus.[8]

Stern was an amateur musicologist, writing program notes for the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra. He also served as chairman of the Committee on Synagogue Music of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.[12]

In 1960, Stern served as editor in chief of the Union Songster for Reform Judaism and coordinated the revision of the Union Hymnal, both of which are considered by Reform Jews to be the commonly used hymnals for religious services.[8] He co-edited Songs and Hymns for Gates of Prayer, the New Union Prayer Book (GOP) that is a Reform Jewish siddur. He chaired the committee that created Shaarei Shira/Gates of Song.[7][8]

New York, New York

From 1964 to 1980, Stern was the Central Conference of American Rabbis' first Director of Rabbinic Placement for Reform Judaism, assigning rabbis to congregations.[8]

After leaving CCAR in 1980, Stern joined Hebrew Union College's faculty as Adjunct Professor, where he lectured in Jewish History.[8] He was also a field-work counselor for rabbinic students. Stern held both positions until his death.[8] Hebrew Union President, Dr. Alfred Gottschalk, said Stern's "scholarship, his pioneering seminal research in American Jewish genealogy and writings remain a rich legacy and memorial."[1]

Genealogy career

"Genealogy has taught me so much. I have always been fascinated by the interconnection of families. Jewish history, rites, and customs have come alive through my pursuit of roots."

-- Rabbi Stern[13]

Stern's interest in genealogy, he said, "started in grade school when he traced the descendants of Charlemagne for an assignment."[7]

From 1949 to 1994, Stern was the genealogist for the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati.

In 1960, Stern published Americans of Jewish Descent, in which he created extensive, fully sourced, family tree diagrams of all Jewish families who lived in American pre-1840. The work contained 26,000 names.[1][7][14] Two more editions of the book followed: 1978's First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654–1977 and 1991's First American Jewish Families: 600 Genealogies, 1654–1988, which had over 50,000 surnames. The book was groundbreaking because of the volume of names and the thoroughness of the research. Many pre-1840, non-Jewish families discovered they had Jewish roots. It was considered one of the most valuable research tools in American Jewish genealogy and history.[1] The work in these books was a source for much of Stephen Birmingham’s 1981 book, The Grandees: America's Sephardic Elite.

Stern was responsible for helping to establish the early Jewish genealogical societies in the United States. He was on the committee that hosted the first of what would become the annual International Conference on Jewish Genealogy now sponsored by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS). He was instrumental in founding IAJGS.[2]

During his time as President of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), Stern worked to create the Genealogical Coordinating Committee. In a meeting in Salt Lake City in 1980, Stern brought together leaders from various genealogical entities -- FGS, American Society of Genealogists, Association of Genealogical Educators, Association of Professional Genealogists, Board for Certification of Genealogists, International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society -- with a goal to foster better relationships between various genealogical groups that had common interests, especially supporting the work of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) so it would be available to genealogists.[15] This meeting led to the formation of the Genealogical Coordinating Committee two years later, with a resulting National Archives Gift Fund (now known as the Malcolm H. Stern NARA Gift Fund) established. The purpose of the fund was to support NARA and other genealogical interests. Member organizations donated $1 per genealogist per year.[15]

Activism

Membership activities

Alphabetical by organization

Ten Commandments for Genealogists

Stern wrote the Ten Commandments for Genealogists,[2] which has become widely cited and is a cornerstone of Jewish genealogy.[18]

Honors

Gift funds / grants

Personal life

In 1941, Stern married Louise Steinhart Bergman.[22] They had no children. In 1994, Stern died in New York City of a heart attack.[23]

Stern's maternal great uncle is the Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf.

Works and publications

Chronological order

Archival papers

Monographs

Jewish Families Series

Articles

Lectures, speeches, etc.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Saxon, Wolfgang (7 January 1994). "Rabbi Malcolm Stern, 78, Dies; Historian of Judaism in the U.S.". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Mokotoff, Gary; Amdur Sack, Sallyann (1994). "Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern (1916-1994), Dean of American-Jewish Genealogy". Avotaynu Magazine (Volume IX, Number 4, Winter 1993). Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  3. "Malcolm Stern - United States Census, 1930". FamilySearch. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Capt. Stern Hurt in Plane Crash". Jewish Exponent (Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia). 16 March 1945. Retrieved 13 April 2015.(subscription required)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Stern, Malcolm H. (June 2008). "Philadelphia’s German Jews, Their Mores & Institutions: A Personal Memoir" (PDF). Chronicles (Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia) 27 (1/2): 12–21. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  6. "Eight Students Graduate As Rabbis from H. U. C. -j.i.r. in New York". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 6 June 1966. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Stern, Malcolm H. (June 1998). "A Finding Aid to the Malcolm H. Stern Papers. 1882-1994.". American Jewish Archives (Manuscript Collection No. 626). OCLC 70962541. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.10 Olitzky, Kerry M. (1 January 1994). "A Memorial Tribute to Malcolm H. Stern". American Jewish History 82 (1): 329–330. OCLC 5792983544.
  9. "Becomes Assistant at K. I.". Jewish Exponent (Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia). 13 June 1941. Retrieved 13 April 2015.(subscription required)
  10. "U.S. Reform Rabbis State Principles". The New York Times. 30 August 1942. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  11. "K.I. to Tender Farewell Dinner to Rabbi Stern". Jewish Exponent (Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia). 15 August 1947. Retrieved 13 April 2015.(subscription required)
  12. "Jewish Rabbi To Speak At State College". New Journal and Guide. 1 February 1958. Retrieved 13 April 2015.(subscription required)
  13. 13.0 13.1 Weiner, Miriam (3 March 1994). "Roots and Branches: Stern's death a loss for genealogy experts". The American Israelite. p. 17. Retrieved 13 April 2015.(subscription required)
  14. "Genealogical Survey of 26,000 Jews in Early America Published". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 6 March 1961. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Szucs, Loretto Dennis. "FGS History, Part II FGS History: Looking Back. Looking Back, Part II: 1980–1984". Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS). Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  16. Stern, Malcolm (1997). Bauman, Mark K.; Kalin, Berkley, eds. "The Year They Closed the Schools: The Norfolk Story". The Quiet Voices: Southern Rabbis and Black Civil Rights, 1880s to 1990s (Tuscaloosa, Ala: University of Alabama Press). ISBN 978-0-817-35429-9. OCLC 318668604.
  17. "Rabbi Stern Speaks to Y's Men's Club at Hunton Branch". New Journal and Guide. 10 March 1951. Retrieved 13 April 2015.(subscription required)
  18. Stern, Rabbi Malcolm H. "IAJGS Ethics for Jewish Genealogists: Adaptation of the late Rabbi Malcolm Stern’s "Ten Commandments in Genealogy"". International Association for Jewish Genealogy (IAJGS). Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  19. "30 Named 'Living Treasures' For Contributions to the City". The New York Times. 20 June 1986. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  20. "Malcolm H. Stern-NARA Gift Fund". Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS). Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  21. "Rabbi Malcolm Stern & John Stedman Memorial Grant". International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS). Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  22. "Louise B. Stern - Obituary". The New York Times. 19 February 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  23. "Malcolm H Stern - United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. 5 January 1994. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  24. Brown, Leon (25 April 1996). "As I see it: In genealogy, what goes around comes around". Jewish Exponent (17) (Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia). p. 18. ISSN 0021-6437. Retrieved 13 April 2015.(subscription required)

External links