NEWS
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE
Vancouver Jewish Community Centre
Vol. 1
April 24th, 1930
No. 8
An Echo from the Past
A letter addressed to Miss Stella Benoliel of Seattle, formerly of this city, recalls an interesting epoch of Jewish, history.
Miss Benoliel, who is now employed in the Foreig^n Department of the First Seattle Dexter Horton National Bank in Seattle, is descended from a. very ancient line of Spanish and Portugese Jews and, although born in England, speaks fluently both Spanish and Portuguese.
About six weeks ago Miss Benoliel noticed in the Seattle newspapers the name of her mother's family, de Par-einte, mentioned in connection with the story of the death of Primo De Rivera, dictator of Spain. Her curiosity aroused as to the similarity of names of the personal physician of the Spanish CoUrt and of the late Primo De Rivera, and of the family name of her mother. Miss Benoliel and her brother wrote to Dr. de Pareinte in Paris, and traced the history of their family in order to see whether, if by chance, they were related. . .
Miss Benoliel mentioned that at the time of the Inquisition .her mother's ancestors, rather than give up their Judaism, fled to Algiers and Gibraltar, while many members of the family remained in Spain as Marranos, or secret Jews. Ultimately many of the Marranos became Catholics.
Last week the Benoliels received a reply from their distinguished relative, which gives a ^very interesting insight into the life of Spanish Jews before the Inquisition.
With the courtesy of Miss Stella Benoliel, we are here publishing a copy of the letter she received from Dr. de Pareinte:
« « *
*'My Dear Sir and Distinguished "Cousin:
"I do not find it strange that your mother's grandfather was a doctor, because this profession must be traditional in the Pariente family, for in the year 1070 an ancestor of ours was medical adviser to Alfonso VI.. of Castille. After nine centuries, I had the great honour to hold this post to Alfonso XIII., the descendant of the great Emperor who conquered Toledo, wresting it from the Moors, after a long and heavy seige.
"The Pariente family, up to the concluding y^ars of the ISth century and partly in the 16th, figured in the highest offices at court and in military, ecclesiastical and diplomatic posts. I had
Orthodox Ritual
Re-instated in
Reform Services
Cleveland, O.—The Euclid Avenue Temple with its membership of over 1,300 families and which is one of the largest and most influential of Reform Congregations in America, has recently re-introduced into its services many orthodox ceremonies and rituals. This is an'indication of the trend towards conservatism in Judaism. This Passover "Yiskor" which has been omitted from the Union Prayer Book, and consequently not given by any of the Reform Temples in America, was recited in Euclid Avenue Temple. Rabbi Barnett Brick-ner, who is the spiritual leader of the congregation, is endeavoring to reinstate some of the more beautiful and significant customs from the Orthodox services which have been inadvertently omitted. Last Yom Kippur, the traditional "Kod Nidre" was sung in the Euclid Avenue Temple, and on the last day of Succoth, the Consecration Service, which is a ceremony of initiation for the children who are entering the first grade of its Religious School and who are thus consecrated to the study of Judaism, was introduced.
Rabbi B. Brickner formerly presided at the Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, and has many friends in Vancouver, where he and his wife visited.
occasion to mention this in a modest report which I sent to the Nobility Congress, which I was invited to attend, and which took place in Barcelona last November.
"I am delighted to have had the pleasure of discovering cousins, albeit distant ones. What I regret is that it should have been so sad an occasion as this which brought to light our relationship. I refer to the sudden and unexpected death of my brotherly and illustrious friend, General Primo De Rivera, for me •doubly bitter since he was the saviour of my country and my closest friend. I have just returned from Madrid where I accompanied his remains to their last home. Surely God will hold him in His Divine Glory as he does his most loved sons, for the Marques de Estrella was a lay saint, for in addition to saving his country, he scattered his generosity and his benefactions wherever he went.
"Affectionate rejards,
"A BENDELAC DE PARIENTE." "Paris, France."
Jewish Banker Honored
Berlin, Germany.—Dr. Carl Melchoir, prominent Hamburg Banker, internationally known economist and a partner of Max Warburgj^ra brother of Felix Warburg, was named one of the two German representatives on the directorate of the Bank of International Settlement, by Dr. Hans Luther, the new head of the Reichsbank.
The appointment of Dr. Melchoir was no surprise, last week he had been offered the position as head of the Reichsbank, which he had declined. In every one of the post-war conferences Dr. Melchoir had represented his country. He participated in the negotiations at Versailles in 1919 and was prominently concerned in the deliberations of the Reparations Conference early last year. In order to accept the position on the directorate of the Bank for International Settlement, Dr. Melchoir intends to resign from his position in the Finance Commission in the League of Nations.
Rabbi's Wife Killed
Edmonton, April 22.-—Fatally injured when she was knocked down by a car here Tuesda}- afternoon, Mrs. Dora Pinsky, wife of Rev. A. Pinsky, Hebrew rabbi, and head of the Hebrew synogogue in Edmonton, died in hospital two and a half hours later. A fracture of the skull caused death.
Mrs. Pinsky was a visitor in Vancouver last year and had many friends in thq city. The Vancouver Community extends its deepest sympathies to Rabbi Pinsky and his family. Mrs. Pinsky is survived by her husband and eight children, . '
Jewish Youngs Men and Women In Urgent
Need of Work
Amongst those who have been seeking aid in securing work are University Students, Salesmen, Experienced Butcher. Stenographer and a number of others who can do manual labor.
The secretary of the Hebrew Aid Society will be in her office at 413 Granville Street, Room 1, every afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m. The plione number there is Douglas 105.
Co-operation for this worthy work is urgently asked for.